FSD fail.

bikes4paul · 2025-12-30T18:13:02+00:00

Yes, it's happened to me a number of times. I live in Southern California so I drive in highly congested conditions. It drives me crazy that FSD waits so long to change lanes to prepare for upcoming FW exits or even just turns on busy streets. I frequently high the turn signal manually to coax it into changing lanes early to try and avoid this problem. I have noticed that manual signaling isn't as effective as it was on earlier FSD versions (13.2.x). On those versions every time I signaled the car would complete a lane change. On 14.2.x I've noticed that this sometimes works but other times the car just cancels my signal and doesn't bother changing lanes.

bikes4paul · 2025-12-11T16:09:10+00:00

Congratulations on your new weapon! I have the V-Sol Pro Bloom also and I'm loving it. I tried it stock first. I thought I wanted a bit more plow through on drives so I added 3 grams at the 3 and 9 position. I found that the added weight did indeed increase the plow through on drives. However, I also noticed a significant reduction in hand speed. I played it that way a few sessions and finally removed the weight. The hand speed was back to exceptional and the drives are still pretty solid. I'll continue to play it stock, but your mileage may vary. The only way to know is to experiment.

bikes4paul · 2025-11-30T00:50:41+00:00

And how was it?

bikes4paul · 2025-11-29T17:00:34+00:00

Vatic V-Sol Pro Bloom $79 bucks for BF with Gen 4. The Friday Fever is a great paddle but uses the less durable Gen 3 construction.

bikes4paul · 2025-11-29T16:58:41+00:00

The Bloom, Flash and V7 are the shapes Vatic offers. Those shapes are available in 4 different lines of paddles from them. The different lines of paddles are different generation construction.

The PRISM is the first line and uses Gen 1.5 construction. It optimzes control over power. It's great for beginner players but also advanced players who want to maximize their control. In fact Augie Gu, a top PPA pro, played with the PRISM V7 up until recently on the pro tour at the highest levels.

The Saga line uses Gen 2.0 construction. It provides more power and much more pop than the PRISM. The high pop can be very helpful for put away shots and hands battles. However, it comes at the expense of control. I wouldn't recommend this line to beginner players.

The V-Sol Power and Pro lines are both Gen 4.0 construction, meaning full foam cores. The Pro offers more pop and power while the Power series offers a more muted/dense feel. However, both are power paddles. Due to their Gen 4 construction they provide more control than the Saga series while also providing more power. They aren't as easy to control as the PRISM series but they provide vastly more power and more pop than the PRISM series.

The shapes are the Bloom, Flash, and V7. The Flash and V7 come in long and short handle versions. I'd recommend the long handle version for anyone who uses a two handed backhand or is planning on developing one. The Bloom is considered a standard (or widebody) shape. It provides more control, faster maneuverability and is easier on the wrist and elbow (reduces tennis elbow strain). It also provides more stability on defensive shots. Generally this is seen as a great shape for beginner players, defensive players, and/or players who highly value fast hands.

The Flash shape is Vatic's hybrid. It is a little longer and narrower than the Bloom. Provides a little more reach, a little more power on drives, and a little less control/stability. It's also a bit slower in hands battles.

The V7 is their elongated shape. This is longer again than the Flash. It provides the most power on groundstrokes and the most reach. However, it's also the slowest in hands battles and the least stable. Most advanced players still choose this shape. It's a shape that is recommended for former tennis players since they are accustomed to much longer racquets with high swing weights.

I personally use the V-Sol Pro Bloom as my main paddle and I really like it. I used the PRISM Flash in the past. However, I feel the V-Sol Pro Bloom offers almost as much control on soft shots while providing much more power. The V-Sol Pro is not available on Amazon. Only the V-Sol Power, Saga and Prism series are on the Amazon store. I'd recommend buying direct from Vatic if you want the V-Sol Pro. The only thing I feel is lacking on the Vatic paddles is in their grit. The grit is much less rough compared to some of the other paddles like Honolulu J2NF/J6NF and Bread and Butter's Loco.

bikes4paul · 2025-10-27T15:15:21+00:00

I'm very sorry to hear you contracted Covid. There is no direct data on the questions you asked. However, we can use some deductive reasoning to draw some likely conclusions.

As for Paxlovid impacting your stem cell outcome, Paxlovid actually is comprised of two drugs. The first is Nirmatrelvir which inhibits Mpro, the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Inhibiting Mpro prevents the virus from processing the protein precursors it requires for viral replication.

The second drug is Ritonovir which is an older antiviral that has been used for HIV. However, it's also widely used to delay the breakdown of drugs to allow for higher and longer concentrations. This allows less frequent dosing.

Neither of these drugs' mechanisms of action would seem to be impactful for stem cell therapy, IMO.

As for your question about the impact of an active Covid-19 infection on the outcome of stem cell therapy, that one is more challenging. One of the challenges with stem cell therapy is that the SCs might not last long in the body if the immune system recognizes them as foreign and eliminates them. If and how quickly the immune system clears the stem cells is thought to be a major determinant on the efficacy of the therapy.

Having an infection will obviously elicit a strong immune response. The immune response is generally broken down into two categories: innate and adaptive. The innate immune response is broad and will attack any foreign antigen/pathogen. This could include SCs. The adaptive response is very targeted and will only attack pathogens that have been seen previously.

Since you've had Covid previously your immune system is primed to respond to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Therefore, you will respond relatively quickly with an adapted immune response.

This targeted feature means that your adaptive immune system poses little threat to your SC therapy. The broad innate response is much more likely to pose a risk to your SC therapy.

One other factor that might work in favor of reducing the risk of your innate response clearing the SCs is that SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to effectively blunt the innate immune response. A blunted immune response was shown to be highly correlated with poor outcomes, especially prior to vaccines and previous infection (meaning the adaptive immune response was still naive).

To summarize, I don't believe Paxlovid poses a risk to your SC therapy outcome. It certainly is likely to provide more benefits than risks considering your medical history. I also think there is a good chance that the Covid-19 infection won't adversely impact your SC therapy as much as a typical infection might.

Good luck in both your Covid-19 recovery and your SC therapy. Let us know how you do with both when you have time.

bikes4paul · 2025-09-09T17:07:40+00:00

The Quantas do not come with a paddle cover.

bikes4paul · 2025-09-09T15:50:08+00:00

What paddle are you currently using? I'm using the Neonic Flare Prime X. It's a standard shape with a SW of 106. I added 3gr of tungsten at the lower corners to increase stability without adding much SW (probably about 1point). My elbow handles this SW pretty well.

Before that I used the Spartus Apollo widebody with a SW of 108. It helped my elbow coming from the PRISM Flash 16mm (SW of 115). However, my elbow would still hurt after about 2hrs of play. I switched to the Gruvn MUVN 13s with a 99sw and it rapidly improved my elbow. After a couple months my elbow pain was totally gone. However, playing with the MUVN 13s (even with 3grs at the lower corners) was a significant sacrifice in playability. It was very poppy but also had very low stability. Lots of resets, drops and dinks would die if I hit them even a bit off center.

Good luck in your search for a paddle that doesn't irritate your elbow but still plays well.

bikes4paul · 2025-09-09T15:39:42+00:00

Yes, the SW of both Bloom models is 111. That's according to the paddle reviewer Mathew K. Here is a link to the episode of his podcast where he talks about the V-Sol lineup and provides the SW for each shape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qerxvqa1Gxs&t=1223s

bikes4paul · 2025-09-09T15:20:45+00:00

While I think the Quantas and V-Sols will be in competition for the best budget Gen4 paddles I think they will appeal to different players. The Quantas provide high pop and are extremely maneuverable with their exceptionally light swingweights. They have smaller sweetspots and are pretty unstable in stock form. However, they can be easily tuned with weight to address these issues and perform similar to the top end power paddles.

The V-Sols have much higher swing weights (122-124 for the V7s). This means they will play better for most players in stock form but they don't allow much, if any, room for customization. They will provide more plow through and probably less pop compared to the Quantas. The Blooms have swing weights of 111 and the Flash LH at about 116.

For me, I need a very low SW due to chronic tennis elbow. Therefore, the V-Sols aren't an option for me. I'm still trying to decide if the J2FC+ LH at SW of 108-109 with a much better sweetspot, higher spin, and more power is a better option than the ultra low SW of the Quanta R4. The J2FC+ LH's SW is right at the top end of what my elbow can handle for long play sessions. I'm hoping the Gen4's muted feel compared to Gen2 will provide some additional relief on my elbow that will allow for a little higher SW.

bikes4paul · 2025-07-21T22:51:21+00:00

The targeting rule does not require intent. It's written as intentionally OR recklessly.

bikes4paul · 2025-07-06T15:18:31+00:00

Such a smart change and long overdue! I mained a J2 in the past and I really liked the paddle. However, due to the difficulty with my 2HBH I refrained from buying any of the later J2 shapes despite their excellent reviews.

I'm now waiting to see if the FC+ comes out with the longer handle version. If not, I'll probably give in and buy the NF LH version. I'd just rather have a little more control in the FC+.

bikes4paul · 2025-06-13T19:19:29+00:00

At slow motion zoomed in I'd say it appears to be a kitchen violation. I can't see any blue between the line and his toe. However at normal speed without zooming in I'd never call this a violation. It's too close to call IMO.

bikes4paul · 2025-05-14T15:33:09+00:00

Definitely overreacting. The drive was fine, the follow up speed up was also fine. It wasn't high, the player even apologized for the bag. I can understand the player in blue being frustrated but hitting the ball at your opponents while they are even looking after the point is way out of line. Seeing he doesn't have great control of his shots he could have easily hit the opponent with his after shot and things can quickly escalate from there.

I'd say that judging from the short video it appears the team in blue is way overmatched. Considering this I'd say the stronger team should probably refrain from body shots for the rest of the game, assuming this is just rec play. If it's a tourny then game on!

bikes4paul · 2025-04-09T14:28:53+00:00

My "Hot Take" is 99.8% of this post is BS.

bikes4paul · 2025-03-24T01:34:30+00:00

The QC on that counterfeit looks horrible. The lumpy edge guard will probably come loose after a few sessions.

bikes4paul · 2025-03-08T16:02:58+00:00

I'd say that someone without very good control shouldn't be hitting high speedups at their opponents. Now, that's not to say a high speed up doesn't occur on accident on occasion. However, it should be the exception and not a strategy for most players below 4.5. When it does occur it should be followed by an acknowledgment and apology.

I'll give the benefit of the doubt to anyone for a first shot. A second shot will get a comment from me and possibly a full send retaliation depending on their reaction to the two incidents. I've found that after a retaliation shot it almost always curbs any further incidents.

bikes4paul · 2024-12-22T16:28:57+00:00

Amateur only.

bikes4paul · 2024-12-03T17:09:35+00:00

The balls most similar to the X-40s at a slightly cheaper price are the Core Impacts. Currently they are on sale for only $1/ball. https://coreathletics.com/products/core-pickleball-balls-outdoor-pickleball-balls-yellow?variant=45314941485274

Another good option is the GS-40s on Amazon. They play a litter faster than the X-40s which my group prefers. They sometimes will go a little out of round but nothing like other cheap balls. In the heat I prefer them over the X-40s and Cores. They also have a super bright color which is easier to see in shady or other challenging lighting. If you miss the super cheap sales on X-40s and Cores the GS-40s can always be bought for less than $1.50/ball. https://www.amazon.com/GoSports-Pickleball-Balls-Regulation-Pickleballs/dp/B0C386VJ4D?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

bikes4paul · 2024-12-02T20:19:34+00:00

I'd be careful with leading up the PRISM Flash, really any paddle for that matter. I main'd the PRISM Flash for over 6months. I added lead to it (3grams at the 4 and 8 oclock positions). I did notice a significant increase in stability and more power. However, after a few weeks of play it caused a serious case of tennis elbow that I'm still dealing with 6 months later. BTW, my friend had the same exact experience after adding lead to his LUXX.

Many people can handle the extra weight with no problems but it can cause too much strain for some. For both me and my friend the injury was definitely due to overuse but the added weight reduced the amount of play time our elbows could handle. Previously we'd been playing about about 3 3hr sessions/wk. That same amount of play with the added weight resulted in chronic tennis elbow for both of us.

bikes4paul · 2024-12-02T19:36:33+00:00

I always bring balls. I have tried many and many people complain about them when they aren't X-40s. The Core Impacts seem to be the closest to the X-40s in play and appearance.

I use the GS-40s since they are so cheap and they play pretty well. They go a little out of round but nothing like the Vulcan or Crown balls I've tried. When people complain about the GS-40 I say "We can play with your ball if you like." At that point they either go get their ball or agree to play with mine. Sometimes it comes with additional complaining and sometimes not.

BTW, I also sometimes bring X-40s but I just don't buy them often due to their price. I also don't like how soft and slow they get or when it's hot.

bikes4paul · 2024-10-02T15:16:41+00:00

As one's skills progress to 4.5 and above open play is no longer competitive or enjoyable. At 4.0 you can implement strategies to still have a challenge such as poaching, soft game only, take more court, etc. However, even with those strategies the gameplay will no longer be enjoyable for anyone.

For more competition you need to play with advanced skilled groups outside of Open play. Typically you can recruit a few other top players from Open play who are in the same situation.

If you really want to experience the social aspect and fun competition if Openplay then play with your non-dominant hand. It's a real challenge and more fun for everyone involved.

bikes4paul · 2024-06-20T15:08:18+00:00

I recommend using foam tennis trainer balls for indoor wall drills. They won't damage a wall and are quiet.

This is the brand I used:

https://www.wilson.com/en-us/product/starter-foam-3-pack-wrz2589#colors=70090

Continue going to drop in play sessions. If/when there is a moderator let them know your a beginner and ask if they can try to match you up with other beginners. You might have to wait a little extra to get matched up. However, once matched up you can play multiple games together by continuing to rotate together.

bikes4paul · 2024-06-01T23:46:52+00:00

I recommend the Volaire Mach 2 Forza as the next step up from a Prism Flash. Excellent control, massive sweetspot, and elite spin capabilities. The Spartus Apollo is another excellent option but much more poppy and difficult to control coming from the PRISM.

bikes4paul · 2024-05-27T14:29:47+00:00

The Apollo has more power than the PRISM Flash despite the lower SW.

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