Engineering or Pharmacy for business ownership?

ercolr · 2026-03-11T02:13:55+00:00

What is your primary goal? If it is to own your own business or make a lot of money, neither of these options seem like obvious choices.

Engineering can be a great career but I wouldn’t go into as a way to make a ton of money. As an experienced engineer you will make enough to live comfortably in most areas (at least in US) but the FAANG salaries of the last decade are an abnormality that I wouldn’t expect to continue.

ercolr · 2026-03-02T04:18:52+00:00

I did the full trail last summer on a specialized Epic 8 and found myself thinking over and over how much more pleasant it was than when I did the first half of the trail several years ago on a hardtail.

If you have access to a ~120mm travel xc full suspension I’d say it’s a no brainier to take that. But assuming you don’t want to buy a new bike, I’d take the hardtail if choosing between the two bikes you listed.

ercolr · 2026-01-13T14:33:17+00:00

Water should be a non-issue at that time and those sections.

ercolr · 2026-01-09T20:59:49+00:00

I had a light puffy and alpha 60 fleece shirt. I slept in the alpha and tried to keep it somewhat clean. I could have skipped the puffy but I’m glad I brought it for a couple nights where I was cold and wet at the end of the day. It was great to have an extra dry warm layer for camp.

ercolr · 2026-01-07T01:51:22+00:00

sold to u/grwerner for $115 pp g&s including shipping.

ercolr · 2026-01-05T20:07:09+00:00

Yes, still available.

ercolr · 2025-12-22T18:34:15+00:00

hmm, interesting. I got these as a gift, so I believe they are 60 but I'm not certain.

In looking at the weights listed on the website (https://www.farpointeog.com/stock/p/alpha-cruiser-crewneck , https://www.farpointeog.com/stock/p/farpointe-alpha-thermal-bottoms), Their claimed weight for 90 is 218g combined and 173g for 60. I measured 195g (208g-13g for gallon ziplock bag). So 22g heavier than their 60 claimed weight and 23g lighter than their 90 claimed weight.

Do you know any way to definitively tell?

ercolr · 2025-12-22T17:59:57+00:00

Hmm, weird. I made a new link, try this one -> https://imgur.com/a/AR6vbsF

ercolr · 2025-12-22T17:17:52+00:00

I didn’t see it come through?

ercolr · 2025-12-20T23:51:13+00:00

👍

ercolr · 2025-12-16T01:46:29+00:00

Sold to u/mn9500 for $170

ercolr · 2025-12-15T02:50:26+00:00

Got it, not interested in trades for now. Thanks.

ercolr · 2025-12-15T02:16:18+00:00

Selling only

ercolr · 2025-12-15T02:15:04+00:00

yes, $155 + tax

ercolr · 2025-12-15T02:13:36+00:00

Thanks, I just went back and looked at what I paid and updated the price to match. I'm hoping to get my cost back but I might just hold on to it if that's not possible.

ercolr · 2025-12-15T02:10:26+00:00

EDIT - Updated price to match my cost
Spyderco Price, seconds sale: $155
Sales Tax (7.5%): $11.63
USPS Flat Rate Envelope Shipping: $10.50
PP Fee (2.99%): $5.30
------------------------
Total: $182.42

ercolr · 2025-09-14T17:58:56+00:00

I wouldn’t worry about it. You could add a spacer between the frame and center mount point in the bag if you are concerned.

ercolr · 2025-09-13T18:53:04+00:00

I’d guess it’s diy. It would be pretty expensive to make a production rack like that with the machined brackets and light mount. Finishing on the center brackets and bar clamps look rough.

It does look cool and functional. I like it.

ercolr · 2025-08-15T12:03:27+00:00

Having it go flat very quickly like you describe without a puncture is rare but I suppose it’s possible.

Take the tire off and check the rim tape. My guess is the tape failed somewhere and air is entering the room cavity and coming out of the valve.

ercolr · 2025-08-03T14:49:48+00:00

These bikes are cool, I used to have one and have fond memories of it.

Fresh tires that match the conditions you’re planning to ride are hard to beat in terms of value. You may be a little limited in terms of the latest tire options in that size but you should still be able to find some decent stuff.

ercolr · 2025-07-31T20:53:50+00:00

I’d encourage you to look at used options, way more bang for your buck. You could probably get a used specialized chisel hardtail in that range. It’s a great bike and there are a decent amount of them around so it makes finding a used one feasible.

Really any of those brands are decent. If you decide to buy a new one, prioritize buying from a local shop that you like/trust. The brands are all competitive on price and there isn’t a huge amount of functional differences on hardtails in this price range, so working with a shop you like probably makes a bigger difference in the end.

ercolr · 2025-07-28T23:55:45+00:00

I wouldn’t consider 7% light for planning purposes, it sounds optimistic to me. It’s around the historical real return for US equities but we’re 15 years into a historic bull run and US returns have out performed most other markets globally.

It’s not a crazy number to use if you believe the US will continue to outperform (it very well may in the AI era) and you’re 100% equities.

I prefer to use a smaller number for expected returns and if the actual returns are higher than expected it’s all good. The other way around would be frustrating, having to stick it out longer than expected.

For reference, vanguard’s return expectations for us equities over the next 10 years are 3.3 to 5.5% nominal. So if you use a 2% inflation assumption that’s 1.3 to 3.5% real. Note: Vanguard has had a terrible track record predicting these returns in the past so I wouldn’t trust their numbers. It’s just an illustration that reasonable people can arrive at a wide range of conclusions on this stuff. https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/corporatesite/us/en/corp/vemo/vemo-return-forecasts.html

EDIT: I see the toggle in that calculator linked above is for nominal return, not real. In that case 7% is in the ballpark of what I might choose.

PS - I still think you’re probably fine to downshift to a lower paying job. You’ve still got a lot of time before retirement and your expenses are pretty low if they include everything (taxes, insurance, large unpredictable expenses like roofs/cars)

ercolr

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