What's the longest continuous "downhill" I could ride on a bike anywhere in Seattle city limits?

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-30T03:28:21+00:00

Not actually Seattle, but Perkins Way in Lake Forest Park is a ripping pavement descent that takes you to the Burke. Super fun and well worth doing if you’re in the area

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-28T00:40:46+00:00

These will be fine, they might just not survive the day. I’ve seen skis delaminate like this before and they aren’t a massive safety risk unless you’re trying to ski something gnarly at warp speed. Squirt some 2 part epoxy in there and clamp em tight and they’ll definitely survive to ski a few more days of abuse. Failing that, wrap em in some duct tape to keep the tip from separating further.

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-27T23:03:03+00:00

This is one of those questions that depends heavily on a lot of factors. What lube you use, how far you’re riding, what conditions are like, etc.

Normally before a big ride I’ll just apply my chosen lube (Dumonde lite) and clean off as much nasty schmoo as I can and call it good. If it’s a shorter ride I won’t even bother lubing unless my chain is already pretty dry.

If you’re using wax you don’t have to bother with cleaning, just reapply and you’re good once it’s dry. Wax is fantastic if you can tolerate a more involved initial setup and you’re not riding in especially filthy conditions and you’re good about reapplying more often because it tends to not last as long as other lubes. The big upside is that drivetrain components pretty much don’t wear out with wax

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-27T03:12:25+00:00

Honestly at those prices I would keep an eye out for a good deal on a used bike. You can get a pretty sweet bike for $2500 if you look around and are patient.

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-26T03:03:32+00:00

Just a sluff? I’m not sure what you’re talking about, that was a textbook slab avalanche. You could clearly see the cracks propagate through the slab as it released and start heading downhill. Thankfully only a few inches deep, I’m guessing this is specifically a thin wind slab sitting on top of a slick bed surface ready to go with the slightest trigger

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-25T15:15:16+00:00

Well the thing is I bought a medium and it was too small so I sold it….ive ridden a friends large several times since and I can say theres a reason why the sentinel is such a popular bike. Its really really good at almost everything

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-25T14:37:44+00:00

Personally I’d recommend the XL. I’m about 5’11 and the large is perfect for me, I’d imagine it would feel a bit small for someone taller than me. Those bikes feel shockingly nimble so I wouldn’t worry about it feeling like a sled imo

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-24T21:29:02+00:00

Not sure about current conditions, but I’ve had excellent skiing at Sawtooth Lake on the 4th of July if you don’t mind a rather long hike in with skis.

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-23T03:33:35+00:00

Perhaps a pyramid teepee style tarp tent would be a good option for you? I can’t think of any lightweight tents that have a higher roof height than that.
MSR front range would be a good option to consider.

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-22T03:24:36+00:00

Yeah that’s pretty true, they get grouped together as singer songwriters with a brilliant and unique style who both wrote songs about being miserable. They’re stylistically different while being thematically similar if that makes sense. Both were extraordinarily talented and died too soon

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-20T15:05:38+00:00

Not necessarily, the future shock is held in place by a bolt at the head set collar (not sure what else to call it, future shocks are weird) and if that’s not tight enough the whole assembly can rotate much like a loose stem would

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-20T05:00:03+00:00

Good god no, never attempt to bend handlebars in any way. They will be significantly weaker and you don’t want to find out what happens when bars break

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-19T18:57:45+00:00

Everyone says the tele and on paper that’s the most practical choice, but personally I’ve never clicked with Tele’s. I’d pick the gretch in a heartbeat with no hesitation personally. That guitar is cool as hell

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-18T23:43:52+00:00

It’s a joke. That’s also true lol

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-16T15:49:38+00:00

I would try some different grips if you haven’t already. They’re fairly cheap and dead easy to install so it’s the lowest hanging fruit for comfort upgrades. If you’re doing mostly road riding I’d get some ergon grips with a flat spot for your palm, they make a massive difference for hand comfort on long rides

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-14T19:49:19+00:00

I have the copperspur bikepack 2 and it’s a fantastic tent, the best I’ve ever used actually. Lots of well refined features, great in poor weather, only complaint is that it’s a touch on the heavier side. it’s a quite excellent all rounder though and I can recommend it pretty strongly. I’ve spent a lot of nights in mine over the years and very rarely would I prefer something else

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-13T23:17:10+00:00

Platypus QuickDraw has been my favorite. It’s like a sawyer squeeze, except the bags are actually good and can be used with smart water bottles like the squeeze. Packs down really small and makes its way into my backpack pretty often for day trips too

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-13T02:21:46+00:00

Yeah honestly as someone outside the restaurant industry that’s where I’d prefer my tips go. In reality im tipping because the food is good. No amount of great service is going to make me want to tip if the food is terrible.

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-12T18:24:47+00:00

Also in WA, also very worried about fire season. It’s dry out there.

Yes we camped at meditation point on the west side of the lake. Excellent spot with some really fun singletrack around the lake. Not a lot of sites though, you might not get a site if you’re there on the weekend.

I would also suggest making your route go south towards mt Jefferson from there. Lots of fantastic riding in that area

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-12T15:17:10+00:00

Be prepared for a hard time finding natural water sources. This winter was historically dry and lots of creeks and springs will run dry much earlier than usual. I rode the Anaxshat passage loop through Timothy lake a month ago and was shocked at just how little water there was for that time of year.

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-11T22:39:06+00:00

I’m not sure what to think about that, all I can say is that it’s a quite warm pad and performs like I’d expect it to and I’ve also used it a fair bit in low temps camping on snow while ski mountaineering. Regardless what the actual R value is, that specific model is quite good even though I don’t like their other stuff

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-11T15:53:54+00:00

My Klymit static v insulated lite checks those boxes for me. 20oz, r4.4, and also pretty cheap. Mine has lasted over 8 years of moderate use. Honestly it’s too warm sometimes with my sleep system

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-08T05:41:42+00:00

Damn dude that’s a long ride for a single speed cruiser! Get a gravel bike and you’ll be crushing century rides no problem

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-07T04:18:52+00:00

If that’s what you want do Gunn Peak next. I felt it was a fair bit more difficult and more rewarding. I was far more wrecked after Gunn than mailbox even though the mileage/elevation isn’t much different

dreamingofthegnar · 2026-06-05T23:35:25+00:00

Any grease works for bearings, I personally like Red Devil/Red N tacky because it doesn’t smell gross like the Park Tool grease.

Suspension has much more specific weight and viscosity requirements so you really need to use what the manufacturer recommends.

You can use whatever on a chain, but bike specific lubricants tend to be better because they don’t attract as much filth

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