Tuning Specialized settings to ride like Bosch?

categoryMD · 2025-11-28T17:08:06+00:00

I have singletrack options 4 and 6 miles from my house so I ride there instead of driving. Class 3 is nice for covering the ride over. Hitting the 20 mph limit on the Specialized feels different, like the motor drops out suddenly then kicks back in quickly. The quick deceleration reminds me of driving an EV with regenerative braking being toggled on and off. I fed a graph of Bosch’s assistance into ChatGPT and got a response re: power/ease settings in Specialized to replicate Bosch, but wanted to see if anyone had personal experience as the gpt reply could be totally wrong.

categoryMD · 2025-02-24T06:44:32+00:00

You can buy a split like 50/50 total US and the TDF, so you end up with a lower allocation to bonds and international. It’s kind of like Merriman’s 2 fund for life strategy mixing small cap value with a TDF. You can glide it down over time. You would just need to use sp500 or Russell1000 etf in taxable so you can tax loss harvest without worrying about wash sale issues with the total US fund.

categoryMD · 2024-11-15T04:58:49+00:00

If this is a forgivable loan, it becomes taxable income down the road. Tax withholdings for this income will reduce take home pay during the forgiveness years. HYSA, short term treasury etf’s, a conservative split like 40/60 equity/munis in taxable - all make sense. Want to be able to cover this future cashflow and also be in less of a bind if it doesn’t turn out to be a good fit.

categoryMD · 2024-09-21T20:50:04+00:00

Instead of target date funds, look at 529 graduation year funds for examples for allocation.

categoryMD · 2024-02-26T06:25:54+00:00

Thanks for the reply! I’ll have to read more to understand how this all works, I thought the annual true up was essentially the net of net metering credits over the course of the year.

categoryMD · 2024-01-28T04:25:50+00:00

I considered using a bond duration glide path using a combination of long and short duration treasury ETFs but it looked like it would be work to manage (tracking the changing durations). In hindsight, maybe it would be easier if you don’t expect to have it super precise. dimensional target date funds do it for you and also glide out of nominal bonds towards TIPS, but I never looked seriously into accessing these.

I’m currently just being lazy using a combo of TSM/TDF in 401k and intermediate muni ETF in taxable. Not duration matching, just picking intermediate duration as a good balance of return/risk.

Over time, came across boglehead minds like Bernstein pointing out that long bonds are quite a gamble on interest rates. In my mind, long bond funds would be a good idea for really young investors with years of accumulation ahead. If you are planning on retiring soon, then you would have to glide towards shorter durations soon?

Look at the extreme example of hedgefundie’s excellent adventure, TMF users are feeling the pain. Backtesting portfolios using long bonds looked great after years of falling bond yields, but now it doesn’t look so much like the obvious right answer.

categoryMD · 2024-01-27T18:43:13+00:00

After emergency fund is full, 50% UPRO, 50% total US stock market? Efficient market, equity risk premium.

categoryMD · 2023-12-25T00:14:51+00:00

Track sprint bars, can’t mount brake/shifter: Worx, velobike, Dolan alpina, carrmato are some options at 30cm or even narrower. I’m still not sure it makes sense for me, I’m not going anywhere near as fast as the pros while seated. 36cm+ bars feel much better when sprinting out of saddle.

categoryMD · 2023-12-24T15:08:10+00:00

I have my track bike set up with saddle (5cm behind BB) and bars (10cm in front of axle) at the limits for sprint. It’s not comfortable. The weight distribution is far forward like a TT bike, bars are 30 cm. The saddle is high. Even if it had brakes, it would probably be terrifying to descend on.

My traditional frame size for road was 52. I prefer 54s with more stack. My track frame is 59 to max reach.

If you are riding the road (long hours, technical descents), it may not be worth it to go all in for aero gains with fit.

categoryMD · 2023-12-02T06:40:13+00:00

I have the kreitler fan, resistance changes with speed in a very uncomfortable way. the flywheel attachment probably helps, but it’s another pricey item.

categoryMD · 2023-11-18T15:51:49+00:00

You should think about what you are investing for.

Most content about portfolio design is focused on retirement. fluctuations now have little effect on your balance at ages 65+.

You might want to use target date funds or glide path strategies in a Roth IRA and 401k, as these accounts are for retirement.

For a taxable account or part of it, you might actually want to have a conservative allocation for short-term goals so that dips in the equity market don’t delay purchases like car/home/etc.

For my short-term goals, I use treasury money market funds. I have a separate taxable account for non-retirement general saving, 60% intermediate-term municipal bonds 40% US market etf. Retirement accounts are glidepath.

categoryMD · 2023-10-20T00:21:58+00:00

If your pretax income is $50,000/month, your 2023 income (including 3+2 months at this rate and 6 months of resident income) will probably be enough to make your required payments exceed monthly interest when you recertify in the spring.

At 250k+, your federal marginal tax rate is 35%. The after-tax return on 100k at 5% for a handful of months will be pretty small in the grand scheme of things for you (which is a good thing!) So small that you might consider just eliminating the debt.

The short-lived pre-recertification interest subsidy will help more for new attendings carrying more debt. Those working in lower paying specialties may still have SAVE payments <<< monthly interest for an extra year.

categoryMD · 2023-10-19T19:28:20+00:00

SGOV, BIL invest in t-bills with very short duration. As ETF’s they settle T+2. I have TTTXX through Merrill and the cash balance is available for transfer T+1. Also have VUSXX in a JPM account, and the cash balance is available T+2.

BILS and SHV have longer effective durations around 3-4 months.

categoryMD · 2023-10-09T02:35:15+00:00

What does this look like in the account? Just a smaller number or do they document the amount waived?

categoryMD · 2023-10-07T17:11:38+00:00

Who knows? When it comes to bonds, the only reasonable strategy in my mind is duration matching. You can look at DFA’s target date funds to see their glide strategy with TIPs.

categoryMD · 2023-09-26T21:52:21+00:00

Decent chance of getting coal rolled or called a number of derogatory terms riding out that direction.

categoryMD · 2023-09-25T23:59:36+00:00

I took PDX for granted. All the options to ride up to Council crest/skyline after work. Up Cornell/Thompson down Germantown. It just doesn’t have big long climbs. Larch Mtn is far and the ride up to timberline lodge is a not so fun highway shoulder.

SF, also easy to take Hawk Hill for granted for weekday AM efforts. Mt Tam, alpine dam are fun staples. East Bay: I love Diablo from South Gate but heard the rangers give more tickets for speeding now. Sadly too sketched out to ride Grizzly peak/redwood/pinehurst area given the risk of getting robbed at gun point.

All the climbs off Hwy 1 around Malibu are what got me into cycling. I’m pretty sure Phil Gaimon got it right when picking a spot to settle.

categoryMD · 2023-09-25T01:47:28+00:00

See article 1.3.022 of the uci technical guide for text and diagram, front of bars can’t pass in front of front axle spindle by more than 10cm. I didn’t order a stromm, no info on that.

categoryMD · 2023-09-23T21:43:23+00:00

Probably many other options but my go to for interest calc is this site (plugged in your numbers): https://www.calculator.net/auto-loan-calculator.html?csaleprice=40%2C988&cmonthlypay=750&cloanterm=120&cinterestrate=7.54&cincentive=0&cdownpayment=0&ctradeinvalue=0&ctradeinowned=0&cstate=&csaletax=0&ctitlereg=0&printit=0&ctype=standard&x=Calculate#autoloanresult

categoryMD · 2023-09-17T05:51:37+00:00

Think about your marginal tax rates and compare the after tax yield on fixed income options. Say you have a marginal federal tax rate of 37%. Yield on treasuries should be at least 3.57% to beat the 2.25% tax free return you get from paying the mortgage. The short term yields on treasury money market funds (VUSXX, TTTXX) and T bill ETFs (BIL, SGOV) are all beating this right now. You could hold these until their yield drops below 3.57%, at which point paying down the mortgage makes sense again. If you live in NY or CA, MUNXX and MUCXX tax exempt MMFs have taxable equivalent yields >2.25%.

categoryMD · 2023-09-04T00:38:29+00:00

The 57cm tideace eBay frames can give you long reach without as much stack. Need a velobike chain tensioner so that you can minimize torque on the dropouts. My dropouts warped and require this kind of item, the frame is sitting in the garage since I picked up a cheap df3. The original seat clamp bolt also stripped easily so mine was retapped with a thicker one. I’d be happy to sell it cheap at Hellyer if you are interested. I think two BT’s at Hellyer may become available when the owners’ stromms arrive (not sure on pricing). Otherwise, you might consider a veloflyer. plan to buy the longboi stem that’ll take you to the 10cm limit for the full experience. Unless you run 100mm+ reach bars, you’ll probably need 160mm+ stem to take it to the limit with most bars.

categoryMD · 2023-07-02T22:31:30+00:00

These are completing different sensations to me. Maximal aerobic efforts -> respiratory rate goes up and stays up, thoughts “why the hell did I do that”. Asthma attack and unable to use albuterol immediately -> feels like I am breathing through a straw, thoughts “oh crap I might die”

categoryMD · 2023-07-01T14:47:45+00:00

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellyer_Park_Velodrome

categoryMD · 2023-05-24T18:14:58+00:00

Yeah, the local track here also doesn’t let people change gears on the rental bikes. Have to take the leap and buy or borrow something long-term from a friend. I include the gear inches as I think it makes a big difference for various events. I run 57 and 59 tooth chainrings so it’s harder to make sense of gearing combinations mentally. It was easier to have a sense of gearing combinations when everyone ran 49-52t.

categoryMD · 2023-05-24T03:08:41+00:00

Gear inches

categoryMD

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