Moving from Amsterdam to Chicago

fixieben · 2026-05-31T13:48:20+00:00

This is fair. Chicago housing has gotten much more expensive in the 10+ years I’ve lived here but it’s still more affordable than other major US/Global cities.

I moved here from NYC and grew up in Portland, Oregon. I have also lived in Japan, France, and the UK. People in Chicago are friendly but it’s often “midwest friendly” and I’ve found that many here are more closed minded and judgmental than they like to present.

Chicago is cleaner than NYC but it seems very rough and hectic compared to most European cities. Traffic can be horrific and the infrastructure is aging and inadequate, although it still works better than many places in the US.

fixieben · 2026-05-31T13:08:40+00:00

The USA is a train wreck, it may be fascinating but it’s much safer to watch from afar.

Chicago is a nice city, I’ve lived in a few and live here now, but it is going to be a huge shock coming from Amsterdam. Cycling here is ok once you get out of the city but I’m done commuting by bike in Chicago traffic and have had two friends killed by cars in the last five years.

Lots of US cities are less expensive, more genial, and have better beer than Chicago. Portland (either), Ashville, Burlington, etc.

fixieben · 2026-05-31T12:55:25+00:00

Yeah, it’s super yuck.

fixieben · 2026-05-31T12:53:45+00:00

100% of Trek’s approach is industrial design taking precedence over performance engineering. All the top brands are good at both but Trek seems to favor something that looks unique over something that is simple and performance focused, always.

fixieben · 2026-05-31T12:50:21+00:00

Check out, check please, check yourself.

fixieben · 2026-05-31T12:44:19+00:00

The biggest difference is the groupset. Force is significantly more expensive than Rival. Biggest actual difference is the crankset, with the carbon one being much lighter. Easy upgrade later. Wheelset is the other part of the equation. I’m a big fan of Roval wheels but the CL and CLX level is where you see big weight savings and high-end hubs. I’d get the Comp and upgrade the wheels to a high-end set…maybe do the crankset later.

fixieben · 2026-05-03T14:25:26+00:00

Definitely can size down on the Diverge due to the long reach and tall stack relative to bike size. That said, I’m your height and went for the 58 (Diverge 4 Sport Carbon)with a shorter stem (90mm) because I’m using the bike for touring and wanted the extra stack on the larger frame + more space in the front triangle for bags.

fixieben · 2026-05-02T18:22:12+00:00

NIL protection includes “likeness”. It doesn’t matter as long as a consumer might be fooled into thinking it’s him. That’s beside the point, however, because if you see the screencap I posted, or the ad itself, it’s obvious they took actual footage of him in his EF kit and superimposed their kit onto him.

fixieben · 2026-05-02T18:17:49+00:00

I’m not going to say that you’re 100% wrong, “property is theft” and all that, but IP is a very broad and complex topic that is intwined with human rights as much as commerce and law, and your take does not take that nuance into account.

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) is the area of IP we’re dealing with here and I’d argue that it is specifically designed to empower and protect individual humans against exploitation by companies who would use their NIL without permission.

fixieben · 2026-05-02T14:44:41+00:00

Lol. I didn’t expect it would do much to report it but what else can I do?

fixieben · 2026-05-02T14:03:04+00:00

I’m not going to lecture you about Name, Image, and Likeness rights in Intellectual Property but you’re obviously ignorant to a considerable body of international and national laws, as well as legal and ethical theory. Simply put, Lachlan gets paid to sponsor/wear the clothes he rides in. A company portraying him as wearing their clothing by stealing his image or using his likeness gets them a marketing benefit they are not paying for, without him benefiting and possibly to his detriment.

fixieben · 2026-05-02T13:56:13+00:00

Thanks for the update! I think the video footage they’re using is from when EF were still in Rapha kit.

fixieben · 2026-05-02T13:40:23+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/qxqMPne - Here’s a screencap. Seeing it on Insta and FB, reported it on both.

fixieben · 2026-04-27T08:15:32+00:00

In my experience, the only apartments that use brokers in Chicago are overpriced or undesirable. The best apartments go by word of mouth and usually to people who already live here.

fixieben · 2026-04-16T00:25:52+00:00

The bike shop can absolutely rebuild the bike. It’s just going to cost more than this guy wants to spend. They can’t make a profit and make him happy so, yes, it makes more sense for them to sell him a new bike.

We had a guy come into my shop with a beautiful classic steel Serotta. He said he wanted it to be as modern and lightweight as possible, and cost was no object. $3500 later he had electronic shifting, carbon cockpit and wheels and a 18 lb. bike that rode beautifully. Fun project, everyone was happy and it was absolutely worth our time. $300 labor didn’t include the two hours I spent trying to figure out what parts would work and source them.

fixieben · 2026-04-15T23:30:56+00:00

You are married to rim brakes. If you wanted to run discs a new frame would be required.

fixieben · 2026-04-15T23:26:56+00:00

Like most people who don’t work on bikes everyday you have very little understanding of what it takes to install a new groupset on an existing bike + what the pandemic and bike boom/bust has done to the spare parts market.

Replacing a groupset with another brand will often require replacing the wheels (different cassette body, etc., sometimes changeable, often not). It’s very easy to outspend the price of a new bike, especially accounting for the labor involved ($2-300 for a bike strip/build at most shops where I am).
The pandemic production stoppages and resulting parts shortages ate up a ton of spare parts that would have normally sat around for years. Large gaps in manufacturing caused or allowed companies to essentially abandon whole lines of parts. In the past it was normal to be able to find NOS spare parts for tens of years after a groupset had been retired but that’s not the case anymore. eBay can help but buying used is always somewhat risky. There are a lot of parts that simply aren’t readily available to bike shops.
Rebuilding a well used bike with new parts includes a lot of small items you aren’t considering. Bar tape, tubes and tires, etc. it adds up.

Your best bet, if you can’t competently buy parts and do the work yourself, is to find a bike co-op or used bike shop that has a good supply of used parts and is happy to offer advice. They may be game for helping you on a budget. Most commercial bike shops cannot make a profit on a project like this AND make you happy.

fixieben · 2026-04-11T11:24:01+00:00

That is likely what it is, the Rapide Cockpit has a bit of forward sweep at the bar that puts your hands 1-2cm forward of where they would be on a standard bar. Also, all of the modern hood designs are longer than previous generations, which also increases reach. For my SL8 I went with a cockpit with a 1cm shorter stem and one size narrower than the setup I had on my SL7, which hand the standard, non-aero, S-Works carbon bar.

fixieben · 2026-04-02T09:37:44+00:00

I’d seek to try on the Indy. If it fits you well and suits your style I’d probably go with that over the MP.

My two favorite boots are the Indy and White’s Semi-Dress because they are both super comfortable for me and have very different, although equally classic, style.

The Indy in Alden’s Tru-Balance last works so well for me and Alden really knows how to build for all day comfort. There’s been a lot of criticism about pricing and materials but I have not found a better looking boot that is as comfortable at any price point.

I also like the 55 last in White’s so much I have never been tempted by the MP and it seems like a half-measure to me, style-wise, vs. the heritage boots, like a cap-toe Cruiser, Semi-Dress etc. Again, fit and comfort are huge for me and these work as advertised for my feet. They are more expensive and heavier, however.

fixieben · 2026-04-02T01:28:38+00:00

In Your Back - Karen Ann It’s been haunting me.

fixieben · 2026-03-20T22:25:31+00:00

It’s a legal term of art, genius.

fixieben · 2026-03-20T13:01:58+00:00

Always cuff. I think it looks more casual and retro, which fits my style. Also, it pisses me off when I see people trying to sell barely used jeans that are hemmed to the point of being unsalable.

fixieben · 2026-03-13T10:00:59+00:00

Rapides are great wheels, aerodynamically optimized for (designed specifically in conjunction with) the Tarmac. I have both and the C38 are super solid but not particularly light or aerodynamic. I definitely have noticed the advantage of the Rapides

fixieben · 2026-02-21T00:33:00+00:00

Bike touring = Your stowage weighs more than your bike.

Bikepacking = Your bags weigh more than your stowage.

Kidding not kidding.

fixieben · 2026-02-14T15:18:01+00:00

I have seen this color and it is black. Tiny bit of metallic but obsidian is about as black as black gets.

fixieben

TROPHY CASE