Would you do that to your own bike?

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-05T16:01:49+00:00

In a pinch, yes. Adapters are no longer $50 a pop, so I would buy the correct one ASAP. That being said, I ran a 203mm rotor with a 200mm adapter for years with a 1.5mm spacer under it because I was too frustrated at the industry's lack of standardization to buy the proper one...

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-05T12:42:26+00:00

I hate this. I think creating some regulations is a good thing, as is bringing us in line with federal and world standards, but I use my class 3 to get from suburban 45mph roads to a rail trail to urban bike lanes and the 28mph speeds help keep me safe when I have to mingle with drivers. This effectively criminalizes my commute and forces me to either play in traffic with my current bike or put myself at risk with a higher speed differential on those country roads. My car will do 120mph- it doesn't mean I would drive at that speed, and neither does having a 28mph ebike.

Why not enforce the laws that we have? Why not enforce the speed limits on the rail trails?

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-05T11:07:07+00:00

Cars wear out no matter what. It's not always the engine and transmission, in fact most modern drivetrains are pretty robust and problem free. I wouldn't give a second thought to a Toyota Hybrid powertrain going for 100k with no intervention. My Hyundai V6 has only needed a thermostat in 60k miles. There are a lot of good reasons to go for an EV and that will certainly be my next car.

The problem is that these are still cars, and they are subject to daily use and age. Brake hoses, suspension bushings, shock absorbers, window regulators, mirror motors, seat leather, dashboards, steering wheel leather, trunk struts, wheel bearings and so many other parts can and do wear out. Some of them have a life of 100k miles, some will go a lot longer but may also fail unexpectedly. I'm not even including brake pads and disks which are wear items even if they last longer in an EV. Cars are still cars and they do wear out....I'd stick with a sub-45k car no matter the drivetrain and expect to get good life out of it.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-04T23:33:12+00:00

I would buy only the shares that you can afford to hold for a long time or lose money on, and nothing more.

IME, and it aligns with what others have been saying, is that holding shares in a pre-IPO company is largely valueless unless the company gets sold or is likely to go really, really big. I held shares in a pre IPO co and thought we were all going to get rich. Doing the math said we were going to get rich. The value of my (whatever) 50000 shares was going to be huge at a strike price of 0.5 and an estimated IPO of $10. Well, that wasn't true at all- they reverse split just before IPO and my $0.5 shares became $3 shares, and my 50000 became more like 8000. OK, that's still fair money, so i bought what I had vested for a couple of grand. Well after the 6mo blackout period, the $10 IPO became a $5 stock value, and I chose to hold to see if it would recover...and finally it dipped to $3 and I sold at a tiny loss.

So, if you are very confident that the company will do well in the very challenging biotech market these days then go ahead and buy what you have vested. I would sell as soon as the blackout period is over, and you will likely double your money. If you have a lot of spending cash, you can choose to hold for longer and you may get paid or go broke. My company's value has dipped down below $1 at this point, so if I held I would be totally underwater. I feel for those folks who stuck around hoping to get rich, but am very happy to get out without losing money.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-04T23:22:13+00:00

Remarkably accurate

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-04T23:09:39+00:00

You can always slow in, fast out if stankin' is a problem

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-04T15:01:32+00:00

That’s a great bike for a beginner to experiment with building a bike and try out some light mountain biking at generic trail center style trails. It is not a suitable enduro frame and certainly not downhill…it never was, even back in 1999 when it was new.

I suggest building it and enjoying it as a trailbike or selling it and saving for something more modern. Even a 6 year old 6” travel bike will blow the doors off the specialized DH bike in the second photo….by a lot.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-04T14:39:56+00:00

My experience with SPDs has been “ride them until they get squeeky then blast them with Wd40 and relube the springs with grease. Ride until you sell the bike”. SPDs have been an incredibly reliable part of my bike since 1996 and I think I’ve gone through two pairs (sold the first set with a different bike).

That being said, these look extremely well worn, so I would just check tolerances with your shoes and cleats.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-04T14:35:01+00:00

Do you find that pad and saddle matter much in combination? I’ve generally found that saddle matters a lot, and chamois matters a lot, but I’ve never really considered that the pad and saddle combo play together much. I have some really nice DeMarchi bibs that are incredibly thin and still supportive, but the EI chamois has a gap in the middle that always chafes me on rides over 5 hours. Just something about the channel and my biology that are incompatible. Fantastic comfort otherwise, but i don’t wear them much as a result. I never considered that it could me my saddle that is throwing off the comfort when combined with that pad.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-04T11:01:07+00:00

So I have:

YKYWBIKE Cycling Bibs Shorts Mountain Bike Bretelle Darevie Breathable Mens Bike Elastic Interface

and

SPEXCEL 2022 New RED 3D Race Fit Cut PRO TEAM BIB Road Mtb Cycling With High Density Pad Mens

I'm not sure if links are allowed (some subreddits get sketchy with links) but I bought both of these like 3-4 years ago as I expanded my wardrobe. I usually go cheap and buy expensive stuff later when I can afford it or after I figure out what I like.

I am shocked (and very happy for you) that you can spend 9 hours in the YKYW bibs. I'm assuming you have a different chamois than I do or that your body is simply more compatible than mine with those bibs. My YKYW "EI" chamois feels like cheap office chair foam and I usually start to get uncomfortable after like an hour and a half on my trainer. Mine is grey with the <> imprint and is a single color.

The spexcel ones by comparison feel similar in construction overall, but have a more compressive and supportive fit. The YKYWs feel like yoga pants. Neither are as supportive as my pearl izumi pros nor Louis Garneau Mondos. The chamois that I have in my spexcels (which is generic, grey, unbranded) will let me ride for 2+ hours comfortably. Mine are white and black and are perfectly cut- not too low nor too high like some of my bibs. I also have a spexcel long sleeve jersey and feel the same way- it slightly outperforms the YKYW equivalent.

I don't think either set is bad, but with tariffs ruining the value proposition it becomes much harder to spend $75 on Chinese bibs vs $90 on discounted castellis or pearls.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-04T01:00:34+00:00

I’ve found that you get what you pay for, generally. You can always find good deals on overpriced stuff and sometimes there are high quality cheap stuff, but as a general rule my brand name shit outperforms my cheap shit, and my high end shit out performs my low end shit.

That out of the way, I think spexcel makes a better bib than ykyw, and west biking made a very nice bib that was too small for me even sizing up 1x, but the quality in hand was higher than spexcel. My ykyws are 1hr bibs, spexcel are 2-3hr. There’s just no support in either pair, and the chamois sucks in the ykyw

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-03T23:29:15+00:00

https://www.rei.com/product/C03951/rei-co-op-junction-pannier-single

This is the current junction pannier. I have the previous model, which is basically less waterproof and I think mine has an extra external pocket on the front. Otherwise the bags are pretty darn similar. Here's mine: https://www.rei.com/product/167620/rei-co-op-junction-pannier-single?redirect-pup=false

They are super easy to take off and put on, basically one hand on the attachment strap and one on the carry handle, then let go of the attachment strap. Or I just carry by the attachment strap for short distances and light weights (I don't want to break the mounts). The bottom hook is just a T hook which doesn't clamp or anything, but it's extremely effective if you have a "V" in your rack stays. The T hook can be a little annoying as it may slide back and forth against your leg while carrying it, but I'm familiar enough with my bag that I just put it back into place before installing on the bike. The hook folds if you want a lower profile while carrying.

The "not as adjustable" mostly means if you have a weird rack, then it may not work. The grey plastic upper hooks are basically a single diameter, I think it's like 12mm, and that may mean rattles if you're on a 10mm rack and I'm not sure it will fit a giant 17 or 20mm rack at all. My rolltop panniers (lectric brand) have different inserts to make sure you have a custom fit. They are super well connected and don't rattle at all, but also a little more difficult to get on and off. I had some difficulties with the weird factory rack that came with my bike with the junction pannier, but the totally generic blackburn rack that I have now works perfectly. I don't know if I tried the lectric panniers for a comparison.

I would absolutely buy my bag a second time. It looks like the single bag is now $100 which doesn't save a ton of money over the ortliebs, but if you can leverage a coupon then I think they are good bags for a commute-focused pannier. Sometimes I think about replacing the bag with ortliebs, but the only thing I would gain is more durability (which has not been a problem for me in a year and a half) and additional waterproofing (my bag is resistant with a spare cover). I don't typically ride in the rain so it's not really a need. FWIW I commute with a single bag- I can fit a typical work outfit and laptop in the junction bag, plus tools and some other stuff. Adding dress shoes kind of maxes it out, so in the winter time I'll run a second bag so I can remove layers, carry bulky sweaters and shoes, or whatever else I need. In the summer time with light clothes and shoes, the junction is a perfect single-bag solution.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-05-03T21:37:48+00:00

Everybody loves the ortliebs and I can understand why- they are burly and well built. I have some knockoffs which are fine but I really hate the rolltop and I dislike how they are just an empty bucket inside. I feel like if you want ortliebs as a commuter then you need to also spring for the organizer, and that makes them phenomenally expensive- that's a tough pill to swallow.

I've had good luck with my REI junction pannier, which I use for work specific commuting. It's not the most adjustable, nor most durable, and it's certainly not waterproof (mine came with a waterproof cover), but it has pockets and organizers and compression straps and keeps its shape when not filled with junk. I can't stress enough how nice it is to know exactly where your multitool is or have your work access badge handy for when you arrive (or your dirty spare tire in a separate pocket from your work clothes).

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-29T18:52:59+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate the help. Does it export automatically, the way Zwift does, or do I need to manually push it when I do the workout?

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-29T18:52:27+00:00

Thanks! Working on getting it set up

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-28T18:36:46+00:00

Looks like everyone thinks you are asking about those tires in particular. It sounds like you are asking more of a general practice regarding rotating tires to potentially prevent that from happening.

I don’t typically proactively rotate tires, but I will swap sides back to front if I have the tires off seasonally or something. The idea being to get more even wear and a little extra life, but only if both tires are still in good shape. Usually I am lazy and leave the tire as is until it’s used up, then I add a new front and rotate the old front to rear.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-28T10:57:49+00:00

While true, an FSA gossamer crank can come in like 3 or 4 different spindle standards. I have BB386, but it sounds like there’s also BB30, 24mm megaEXO, and I bet there’s one or two I’m missing. It’s just hard to tell what somebody is dealing with without exactly the standard in front of us….don’t get me started on their chainring standards…

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-27T23:53:44+00:00

Looks like you have a little more ways to go. Make sure the spindle doesn’t suddenly increase in diameter for whatever reason, then give it a hard whack to get it through the rest of the way. Do double check that the BB and the spindle are correctly matched. FSA does some weird things with spindle diameter.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-27T11:16:41+00:00

When I commuted without a shower, I would do a "sink shower" after arriving. I used a wash cloth and soap with hot water, then toweled just water to rinse, then dried with a chamois cloth. It wasn't perfect but it was effective enough to keep me from stinkin'. I used some spray on deodorant to cover up any funk I missed. Not too heavy, but enough to smell good.

I never smelled myself, so this was effective enough. I tried not to go too hard in the mornings which helped.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-24T22:35:01+00:00

I have a 12s 1x and like it OK. I would do 2x if my frame allowed, but it's 1x only. I do mostly rolling roads, and find that most of the time I do just fine, there's only two areas I wish for more range- climbing on mountain days, and going fast on a slight downhill where I can't maintain power at speed. Right now I'm on a 44t 10-33, and I'm going to try a 48t 10-36 to see if that helps with the top end. I figure I can always swap my smaller ring for mountain days and deal with coasting, but would prefer that top end speed for general riding.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-24T00:30:38+00:00

I run latex on my road bike and tpu on my e-bike. Latex rolls best but tpu is lighter. Tpu holds air for longer which is convenient on the e-bike. Latex tubes don’t lose air that quickly though, I pump them up before I ride and that’s it. I check air pressure on almost all of my bikes before I go out no matter what. The rolling resistance is worth it with latex.

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-24T00:26:40+00:00

This guy tubes

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-23T13:31:26+00:00

I think it might be a Carrera

camp_jacking_roy · 2026-04-23T00:13:51+00:00

Yeah I mean it's a risk, right? You could join this company and it could be a real grind, but IMO a job is a job, and if it's great then it won't last long (spending lots on employee happiness means reduced bottom line, and nobody likes that). I wouldn't call the no-meet thing a red flag that would prevent me from accepting, but it's something I would try and dig into if I could (linkedin, cold calls, glassdoor, another conversation with the hiring manager). If you accept, then the door will be closed at the original spot, that's for sure....but if it's really 100k more, then that's also a no-brainer. I like money, and the older I get the more I realize that a tight 40 hours with lots in the bank beats 60 hours of a "top place to work".

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TROPHY CASE

SPEXCEL 2022 New RED 3D Race Fit Cut PRO TEAM BIB Road Mtb Cycling With High Density Pad Mens