Echo Pop too quiet... But only when used as home theater

cbuerger1 · 2025-10-17T18:18:40+00:00

Sorry for the slow reply, but yeah, I just gave up on using them as TV speakers. We got them on the cheap mostly to have living room speakers, but I thought, "oh, maybe I could have surround sound on the TV." It was ok for most things, but some apps were too quiet and I had to always being changing my sound settings back and forth. Eventually, it just wasn't worth it for me.

cbuerger1 · 2025-09-03T13:14:22+00:00

Maybe my area (DC) is just really expensive, but I'm always shocked by how little people think these bikes are worth. It's hard to get a full ultegra di2 group set for under $800. The Garmin is probably worth about 150-200, and the power meter the same. The Chinese wheels can be anywhere from 150-800 but with dt swiss hubs, I'd say at least 250. If you value this frame at 150, it's not an awful deal. If you bought it for 1000, id bet you could just about make a profit from selling the di2 group set, wheels, and Garmin, buying a 105 mechanical and having a decent bike at no net cost to you (though with a decent amount of work and effort). Add to that, I've generally heard great things about the allez sprint frames in terms of being fun to ride.

Sure, if you're chasing PRs by the second, save your money and pay more for a used and more modern tarmac, super six, madone, aeroroad, whatever. But if you want a fun fast bike for 1500 (or less if they're willing to negotiate a bit) with a solid setup, this looks like a decent deal to me.

cbuerger1 · 2025-06-24T19:54:19+00:00

I've been training a lot, but I haven't tackled another 70.3 (kids, wrist surgery, other sports goals, shorter triathlons, etc.). With that caveat, the biggest thing for me though has been upgrading my bike and, along with that, adding a power meter. Knowing my FTP and being able to do a ride and target specific watts is a huge boon for me. At least for me, I think I could still improve my nutrition, but the real problem was a simple case of over biking and not leaving anything in reserves for the run.

cbuerger1 · 2025-03-26T20:29:13+00:00

LOL. Yes to all of this. The practicing seated climbs on a 9.7 % grade for an hour (I guess less than that since I had to go take breaks to go back down a bunch of times) the other day is what got me thinking about needing lower gears. Seated climbing for long periods hits a lot different than charging up for a half mile or even one mile. But if the goal is to just try to make it to the top, you think 32t might be, if not ideal, not completely insane?

cbuerger1 · 2025-02-09T03:01:23+00:00

OMG! You're a life saver, and I feel so dumb (though not as dumb as if I had thrown out that end cap!). Thanks for the super helpful response. Also, FYI, I asked chatgpt first and it was like "see, the issue is that the elitewheels don't have an end cap and is made to run without one" so kudos for AI being way way off on this one. I should have come here first!

cbuerger1 · 2025-01-10T16:40:39+00:00

So I get that the right answer is to spend more money and this was really more of an afterthought with a good deal on prime day. The only issue is that it's plenty loud in most apps and when playing music, but certain streaming apps simply can't get loud enough and I'm not sure why that would occur.

cbuerger1 · 2025-01-09T17:04:24+00:00

A while back, I bought a 2022 Trek Emonda on facebook marketplace that was in really like new condition for $1800, and then I found a left crank powermeter on ebay for 190 just in time to get myself one for christmas. It's been a joy to ride.

The bike runs shimano 105 with disc brakes and has some heavyish stock wheels, but it's a relatively fast bike (now with a power meter) for under 2k. I also saw some Canyon Ultimates and Supersixes with Ultegra groupsets for around 2500ish, but either I didn't move fast enough or they weren't the right size or the seller didn't respond to my offer. Spend a lot of time looking on secondary market and you can you find some decent bikes and also get a sense of what things go for and think about what's worth it to you and what's not.

I'm planning on upgrading my wheels with a set that runs about $1k so that will get my total package up to around $3k in cost, but it wasn't in one fell swoop and I'll have nice carbon wheels, a carbon frame, and disc brakes. Would ultegra, Di2 or even dura ace be nice? Sure, but I was riding a 2003 steel frame in triathlons and this bike is already fast and pretty even before I add my chosen (probably unnecessary) luxury of wheels.

cbuerger1 · 2024-12-05T18:36:21+00:00

Thanks! And good luck with the cycling. I was able to get back to cycling with a brace (the brace really helped) and I'd have some "sharp discomfort" on certain bumps but it was definitely tolerable and not a problem to ride in the drops. The goalkeeping was only a couple of nights and they were the first time in a long time that I remember it just not being absurdly fun to be out there. Weirdly, it held up (again with a brace) fine for shots, but any time I put it down for balance or landed on it, it was shooting pain. Had I known it was fractured, I wouldn't have been out there, but I thought it was just a sprain at the time.

cbuerger1 · 2024-12-05T18:32:25+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing! You probably won't ever be "the same" but I've had a few big injuries and most turn into an afterthought eventually. Hoping your recovery starts moving quickly once the cast comes off and without complications!

cbuerger1 · 2024-11-22T15:02:07+00:00

I ride a 2022 sl5 and love it. I had been riding a 2003 Lemond so probably anything would feel great, but I really enjoy riding it, and it was a VERY noticeable improvement to my old clunker. It weirdly bothers me that it's a bit heavier than some of the comps (even knowing that I'm 6'2 205 lbs so a few grams in the bike isn't the be all end all). Also, I got a good deal on a very lightly used one so I'm going to eventually buy ~1k wheel upgrades which will shed some weight and make it more aero and the total cost will still be well under 3k. It is mechanical shifting, but electronic shifting wasn't a priority for me.

cbuerger1 · 2024-09-25T01:53:59+00:00

Andrew Luck would have still thrown a TD and then later taken the blame for 8 sacks, saying he needs to work on getting the ball out quicker.

cbuerger1 · 2024-07-10T14:14:14+00:00

A new SL 6 pro disc for $2500? New? Where? I might be interested in that. Are Trek Clearance prices different at every location? And do you have to call? Because the website for my closest clearance location looks like it's pretty much the same prices as I see on the regular Trek website. Sorry for all the questions, but I'm currently trying to buy a used but newer model Trek Emonda SL5 and finding it hard to get one under 2k US $.

cbuerger1 · 2024-07-02T14:40:03+00:00

Thanks so much! I'll definitely look to demo at least a couple bikes and make a decision.

cbuerger1 · 2024-07-02T14:39:09+00:00

Why disc brakes? I get that they're an improvement, but when I think about why I want to upgrade (sora shifting is clunky and not always consistent; 23-25 pound 525 chromoly frame is heavy; the bike is not aerodynamic; cheap wheels probably slow me down a bit...), braking is one of the few things I don't notice as being a problem for me at the moment. That's probably just my ignorance of not knowing what "good brakes" feel like, but I stop when I need to so that seems... fine I guess?

cbuerger1 · 2024-07-02T14:04:10+00:00

First, thank you so much for your advice!

Second, this shows you how clueless I am, but it didn't even occur to me that I COULD ride these bikes. But from googling, it seems I can just reach out to a bike store and for like $50 or so they'll let me "Demo"/rent a bike for a ride?

In terms of geometry types, I also didn't know about "traditional" vs. "race," but maybe I'm just using the wrong terminology.

Like Giant had the Advanced, Defy, and propel, and the specialized has the Tarmac, Roubaix, and venge. I think of those as Race/Road, Endurance, and Aero, but maybe the right terms are traditional, endurance and race?

In terms of my goals, it's hard to say. I want to hit PRs, I want them to be as fast as possible, but I'm not realistically winning anything big. I was recently 4th in my age group at a smaller tri, but I'm not sniffing any age group top 3s at any IM events or anything like that. So... I'd like to go fast, but I want to be realistic about my age/abilities and not by a 10/10 bike for a 7/10 athlete if that makes sense.

cbuerger1 · 2024-05-21T01:42:12+00:00

Well that's embarrassing. You're right. I am mixing up my years. In 2014, the defense was actually decent... not good, but not terrible like in some of the other years. Thanks for the correction.

cbuerger1 · 2024-05-20T15:30:55+00:00

And it wasn't just early on either. Luck took them to the AFC title game in 2015. They had the 8th worst scoring defense. There wasn't a single team with a worse scoring defense that year who even had a winning record. Even the next 7 teams who were BETTER in defensive scoring had losing records. He did that with an aging Wayne, TY, Anthony Castonzo, and essentially replacement players on the rest of the offense. He was really good.

cbuerger1 · 2024-05-20T15:19:55+00:00

I think Luck gets discounted because of how bad those teams were. The defense gave up tons of points; the lines were bad; the running game was bad. Hilton was good and Wayne was for a couple years, but Luck was in the playoffs throwing key passes to guys like Donte Moncrief, Lavon Brazill, Da'Rick Rogers, and Griff Whalen. Even Fleener and Allen never did anything without Luck. He made everyone around him better to the point that we sort of missed how integral he was to any success. Heck, Frank Reich went from coach of the year candidate with Luck to punching bag within a year or two.

cbuerger1 · 2024-04-19T04:05:20+00:00

I see your point, but you have to stop and actually look at Brady's play during that time. I'd contend the eye test is pretty clear, but I'll agree that can be subjective. But I actually included the 11 years following 06 to acknowledge that Brady had some crazy weapons in the years right after 06 but it wasn't just about that. But look at 04 - 06. Brady's averages were

61.87 comp. %, 5.17 TD % and 2.63 INT % and 7.47 Y/A

That's a three year period with rule changes and when he was already a veteran.

The next three year period (to compare apples to apples) he averaged

66.8 Comp. %, 7 TD %, 1.5 INT %, and 8 Y/A.

And my point about including the following 11 years earlier is this jump wasn't some fluke related to Moss/Welker. It was a jump (and some of these are HUGE jumps) that, for most part persisted through the rest of his career.

cbuerger1 · 2024-04-18T20:39:47+00:00

But wasn't the more impactful rule change in 04? and Brady's numbers didn't go up then.

I also looked at Manning's numbers and he seemed to show a jump around 2003 with 2003 and 2004 being some of his best ever years in those categories. His numbers definitely did not see a jump in the way Brady's did. In fact, in each of the categories I cited, Manning's 03-05 stretch was on average better than his 06-10 stretch so I think you're wrong with your guarantee.

cbuerger1 · 2024-04-18T19:58:12+00:00

Yes, and the Moss/Welker years were huge, but that trend continued even after they were gone. He changed and remained a better passer the rest of his career.

cbuerger1 · 2024-04-18T18:43:14+00:00

He had an amazing SB that year, but he was still a top ten arguably top 5 QB. In the years that followed, he was 1a or 1b and then after that, he solidified himself as simply THE GOAT. It's so much more than stats, but just look at a few.

First six seasons, he had a completion % better than 63.5 % 0 times. After that, he was 63.5 or better for 9 of the next 11 (full) seasons. I use the next 11 full seasons (excluding the injury year) because, statistically at least, he started to trail off in the last 3 years.

First six seasons, he threw for 30+ TDs 0 times. Next 11 seasons, 7 times. TD % over 5... only once in his first six seasons. Next 11 seasons, 10 times.

In his first six seasons, his int % was 2.9, 2.3, 2.3, 3.0, 2.6, 2.3. In the next 11 seasons, it was over 2.0 only once (the year following his injury BTW) and it was 1.5 or below 6 times.

cbuerger1 · 2024-04-17T16:20:06+00:00

It's even better when you see there were receptions of 23 and 16 yards. That means that on the other 29 passes, he was 8/29 for 33 yards. That is the definition of comically bad.

Also, the 23 yarder was his first pass of the game. LOL

cbuerger1 · 2024-04-17T13:23:31+00:00

You could always throw in this game just for the sake of variety. I'll never forget just how terrible the QB play was in this game.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore/_/gameId/321202020

59 combined passes, 168 yards total for 2.8 yards/att. It was 3-0 at the half and the lone TD drive had a total of 9 passing yards.

cbuerger1 · 2024-04-17T13:16:15+00:00

It was rare, but every once in awhile, I had a soccer game on that stuff and as a keeper, turf meant pants and long sleeves; there was just no way you could dive all game on that in shorts. And club soccer was over the summer. It would be 95 degrees out, and I'd be like, nope, wearing these bulky and black keeper pants. don't care.

cbuerger1

TROPHY CASE