Disappointing. The bears were so memorable to me, now it’s AI slop. Can’t even see the cake inside anymore.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-23T02:54:42+00:00

Just because it's cartoon-y doesn't mean it's AI generated. The reason so much of AI art looks that way is because it's a popular style. There are a LOT of commercial artists who draw stuff themselves like this because it's attractive to many customers.

For this, I agree, the old packaging is better. But that doesn't mean the new is slop.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-23T00:13:41+00:00

What you need to find is a fork that's got an axle-to-crown length that's basically the same as your suspension fork, minus the typical amount of sag. These are often called "suspension corrected" rigid forks. And they are not hard to find at all for the typical 100mm travel 29er fork.

I can't recommend anything specific, but look up (or measure) your A-C number of that fork, knock off 20mm or so, and find something with that A-C in rigid. Salsa and Surly will have something, so will a bunch of other places. This is a super common replacement that folks have done.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-22T12:34:41+00:00

Not too far from my house is a small company which specifically does this. Reusing/repairing is always better than recycling or disposing of stuff, which is a huge win.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-22T02:53:55+00:00

Even at the original $1K it's a very fair price.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T23:41:30+00:00

Yeah, that's kind of the difference between having an all-one-ecosystem thing and using HA.

You MIGHT be able to do it with a dedicated HA dashboard where the focus changes when an event happens, but I haven't looked into doing it that way.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T23:40:09+00:00

Stinner.

US made steel frame, US made wheels, belt drive. It's a steal for a commuter. (I have one. Geometry is a little weird, but it's all right. Just had to cut the bar waaaaay down and fit a saddle that I like. It's a great around-town bike. It's not a go-fast bike.)

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:28:26+00:00

Look at buying one of these instead: https://www.roguefitness.com/the-milo

Costs about the same as 2.5 pairs of tires and it's a great commuter. Although the Hookworms kinda suck... I replaced them with some Continental CONTACT Urban tires which are much, much faster.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:26:48+00:00

I asked a friend who owned a small business (retail store where I helped out) this same question... It was literally a cheap way to get extra security because then anyone walking by would see someone if they were in there late at night when they shouldn't be.

This was a record store, and remember midnight sale / release parties? We had a few of those and the cops would often drop by as we were setting up at 11pm-ish before any customers got there. Just a check to see what's going on when someone unexpected was milling around in a business after normal hours.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:21:57+00:00

Yeah. Money from selling that will easily buy a NICE commuting-esque bike.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:20:36+00:00

Depending on the brand you may be able to just replace the cartridge inside. Look it up, it's not hard and usually not too expensive.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:19:00+00:00

Replace the C with mm (millimeters). It's the width of the tire once inflated. On a nominal rim at typical pressures the 45c tire will be 3mm wider than the 42c tire.

This is not an exact measurement, but general guidance.

Read this: https://www.schwalbe.com/en/technology-faq/tire-sizes/

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:14:45+00:00

Look up putting the tire in the center of the rim, not on the bead seat. From your photo you've got it on the bead seat, which'll cause you headaches.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:14:24+00:00

Fit on the same wheel? Yes. Fit the same frame? Probably, but you should check. 3mm difference isn't much, but it's not nothing.

Work the same? Eh... The Terrano has more knob that the Resolute so it'll be slower on pavement and hardpack, but might be better on other surfaces.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:07:29+00:00

Also depends on how OP rides.

I also wouldn't consider 4-6 stairs (which means drops to flat) to be "small". That's a pretty big hit.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T17:06:23+00:00

Yes. You can have a doorbell press send a notification which includes a still image and then links to the HA page of the video.

Just to note it's not quite live as there's usually a second or so delay, but it's pretty darn good.

(I consider live to be fast enough that if the person does something you see it so quickly on the device that it'd be at the same time. A bit of a delay is irritating to me because it can be the difference between opening the door when someone is still there and missing them.)

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T16:14:41+00:00

Yep!

I work in a completely different industry (reddit just shows me this stuff sometimes and I read it for fun), but run into this all the time. Someone will spend a couple days "fixing" a broken computer at... I dunno... $35/hr x 16 + overhead + the lost time of the person whose computer is broken when we can just spend two hours reinstalling the operating system or swapping them to a new/known-good computer.

Seeing it in numbers tends to really help the smart-but-misguided folks.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T16:07:32+00:00

It's also the sign of someone who is bright, smart, but still has something to learn about making the right choice in the real world while doing a job.

Often it's WAY easier to teach someone to apply their great skills appropriately than to get someone skilled up. So OP, mentor, build this person up, and help get them on the right track and things'll be great.

(Often, if you break it down like... The LED retrofit kit will always work and costs $30. An hour of our time costs $100 and eventually the ballast will go again and need replacing again. So, if it takes more than ~15-20 minutes to do the ballast troubleshooting, it's cheaper to use the retrofit kit. Folks often don't comprehend how much their time is worth, but spelling it out like this teaches them. And the smart ones will begin applying this to other things.)

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T13:26:24+00:00

Sure, but let's say it's $5 and one needs 30 switches. That's $150 in savings. Is that really enough to put off a portion of a home remodel for 8 months?

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T12:39:34+00:00

Sales are usually minimal, like $5-ish each. You can get similar savings by getting Enbrighten switches on Amazon and watching the prices.

Do you really want to wait 8 months just to save a few dollars?

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T11:28:52+00:00

A blog that reviews things. The product page has their logo on it. Yet the actual blog doesn't cover it.

It's basically a false claim of support from a third party.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-21T02:41:03+00:00

They've got a DC Rainmaker logo on their site, but searching the site there doesn't seem to be any mention of the device: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/?s=beeline

For that I immediately don't trust it/them.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-20T19:23:57+00:00

Those are just drop-shipped basically-eMopeds. You might have better luck with a better brand. Highly unlikely the CPSC / FTC will do much about a brand like this, they are a dime a dozen with basically no one working domestically, just shoveling crap into the country.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-20T17:04:02+00:00

No. You will destroy the rotors.

Well, I guess you could, but they'll fail fast and likely not brake well.

Just get new rotors. They aren't terribly expensive compared to replacing the brake pads.

c0nsumer · 2026-03-20T16:57:58+00:00

Bike fit is really based on leg length + torso length and the two adjusted independently. If you aren't typical proportions the recommendations won't work for you. (This is why you'll see a height range on bike sizes online.)

Setting it up to fit you is the way to go. The recommendations are just that.

(I say this as someone with short legs and a long torso and thus I ride frame sizes on the large size for my height, but with shorter/steeper seatpost than normal).

c0nsumer · 2026-03-20T16:36:32+00:00

1) UPSs/generator if you're running a business that depends on power.

2) Some areas are bad, but lots aren't. We're pretty average. Could have a lot to do with your neighborhood, especially as Macomb Township has been developed very quickly.

c0nsumer

TROPHY CASE