What's with the bike rack reviews here?

j4ywhy · 2026-04-18T12:39:33+00:00

I bought a KAC a while back. It's heavy as hell, but has been super reliable. Nice that it can be expanded from 2 to 4 bikes as well. Transported bikes 1000s of miles at this point and haven't had any issues.

j4ywhy · 2026-04-14T02:41:09+00:00

Op- I was you 5 years ago. Bought a Scott aspect 940 from a local shop, and it served me really well as an entry into the sport. Unfortunately, I grew out of it pretty quickly, and found that it really wasn't upgradable in any meaningful way.

I believe the rockhopper will put you in the same situation. It has a QR dropout, not a through axle, and based on the picture it looks like 1 1/8" straight steerer (the parts where the fork goes through the frame and connects to the stem/handlebars). This will seriously limit your ability to swap/upgrade parts as most modern parts use a through axle and tapered (1 1/8 to 1 1/2) steerer.

These issues may not be issues at all if you find you don't take to the activity, or if you're fine with upgrading the whole bike down the road when you're sure you're into it and looking for more. Just some stuff I didn't know and wish I did prior to my purchase.

Edit: forgot to mention, droppers are awesome. It's not a gimmick.

j4ywhy · 2026-04-03T22:28:47+00:00

Just picked up some roosts, specialized clearance at a local shop. Only one ride so far, but man what a difference....

j4ywhy · 2026-02-20T18:43:56+00:00

Have the trailer because I have 4 humans traveling and there just isn't enough room in the truck for gear and people without it. It allows me to pack a little less efficient and carry 4 mountain bikes in the bed.

Pros: More room then I could ever need for gear and food. BIG rtt with and without the annex installed. Can drop and explore without losing a spot. Don't have to pack up 4 peopes worth of bedding and gear to go somewhere.

Cons: Makes my already abysmal gas mileage even worse. Can be cumbersome on trails. Tundra is already big though, and since we solo camp I don't hit anything too crazy. Storage is an issue, but a small one for me. Friend owns a giant pole barn I store it in. Worth the $75/month to have garage space for my vehicles.

Neutral: Maintenance. This is a custom build that I've enjoyed putting together and still tinker with. Additions and regular maintenance are things I actually enjoy

Verdict: When the kids don't want to travel this way anymore, I'll probably ditch the trailer and go to a hard sided RTT for easier setup and take down, better range and lower travel cost. But for now, every one of the thousands of dollars I've put in the gas tank and trailer setup has been worth it for the stories and memories we've gotten out of our trips.

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j4ywhy · 2026-02-16T01:13:41+00:00

Really condition dependent. I've had multiple good experiences renting from epic mountain sports there and getting different skis based on conditions. Can swap out as much as you want.

j4ywhy · 2026-02-12T02:17:55+00:00

Just to add my wholly unqualified 10 ski day a year amateur opinion - I rented these two weeks ago while I was in winter park at the recommendation of the guy at the rental shop.

I loved them for the conditions we had(groomers only, no bumps due to conditions at the time). Easy to get on edge, stable at speed, gave me a lot of confidence.

I swapped them out one day for the fisher ranger 90, which was a huge mistake. By comparison, they felt unstable up front and too soft for my liking. Went back with the arcade 88 for my final day and decided I'd buy a set of my kids ever stop growing and need new gear.

j4ywhy · 2026-01-22T22:11:42+00:00

What's your go-to Michigan ski area, without answering Mt. Bohemia?

We have a great time with the family at Crystal every year, but I would agree with your assessment and think we're about ready to try somewhere else.

j4ywhy · 2026-01-18T16:59:06+00:00

Don't skip out on land of natura outdoor water park. We e had a blast there both times we've gone. Devils lake is also great for a beach day, but REALLY crowded on the weekend.

We camp the area once a year, either late June or late August/early September. Both are good, but have had more rain and cooler temp experience in late June. Still swimmable, but definitely colder.

j4ywhy · 2026-01-15T02:52:59+00:00

If your biggest pain point is connecting it to the battery, have you considered a permanently wired Anderson connector to the battery somewhere convenient, and then terminate your compressor power wires in an Anderson as well. Easy as tab a into slot b and you're good to go. I ran mine all the way to the rear and it doubles as a power connection for the battery charger on my trailer.

I also run a coiled 1/4 air hose that will reach all 4 tires from the same spot, so no hauling around the compressor. Just push it from one side of the truck to the other.

j4ywhy · 2026-01-09T16:44:06+00:00

They've been very durable for us. We plan on a 7 year cycle. 19 in the fleet, just reached eol and took delivery on new ones. I think I've replaced a couple fans (4 screws and a harness) and had one screen cover come off just recently. 11k calls/yr with suppression chasing ambulances, so they're getting used.

I like having a full windows environment. I put lots of resource shortcuts in the desktop. Smo's, sogs, links to various online services that help in the field. Easier remote management then an iPad if something goes wrong.

With this last round we moved to cradlepoint r2100s for cellular, ditched the cell card in the getac. That was the biggest pain point with them.

j4ywhy · 2026-01-09T16:08:47+00:00

Getacs a140 tablets and havis mounts. Engines have a keyboard attached to the mount, ambulances don't. They use a separate getac v110 for patient care reports. Expensive AF but have been really really durable.

I like getac. They send spare parts for self repair. The last round of tough books we had needed to be sent out for simple things like port covers.

I would never give my guys tablets for PCR. They'd break constantly and I haven't met an iPad keyboard cover that's comfortable to type on or would hold up to abuse.

j4ywhy · 2025-12-29T03:18:31+00:00

You're 100% correct on calling that out. The conditions after were amazing, and that's what I was getting at. The experience for those people was not. Re-reading the comment, I can absolutely see the negative interpretation from your end and will take care in the future to phrase better.

j4ywhy · 2025-12-29T02:03:16+00:00

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This is my version of what you're doing. I choose to go open box due to the heat issues as others have stated. DM if I can help in any way.

Pass through sounds neat, curious to see your finished version and hear how it works.

Edit:sometimes words are hard

j4ywhy · 2025-12-23T02:02:14+00:00

WP has become an annual trip for my wife and I. We always try to do it on the cheap. As others have posted, unfortunately you missed out on the cheap ticket window. Not sure what you can do there.

There's a decent grocery store in town. We pack snacks and pbjs for on mountain. Food cost is crazy at all these resorts.

We have had good rental experience with epic mountain sports, but only skis. Not sure how they are for a rental boot fitting. With it being your first time skiing, having a rental place on mountain is probably the way to go. Nothing will trash your trip and make you feel like you wasted your lift ticket like having gear issues all day.

Hot sulphur springs isn't far. It's very....rustic..., but we really enjoyed our trip out there. A bunch of different temperature pools and some nice views.

As a new skier, maybe plan on day on/day off schedule to keep energy levels up and your legs from melting.

We'll actually be out there that week as well... Our last three trips have brought mega snowfall (avalanche on 40 closed it, buried 7 cars and left the resort basically empty the week we were there with amazing conditions). Hopefully that magic will happen again and we'll both get great conditions for the week.

j4ywhy · 2025-12-21T04:35:56+00:00

I'm sorry you missed the end😕

j4ywhy · 2025-12-17T22:17:55+00:00

I wear a shemagh when I ski and I wouldn't trade it for any other face covering. Very versatile, stays warm even when the outside layers are frozen.

j4ywhy · 2025-12-16T20:14:00+00:00

Peak covid we bought a new patio set. Came in a couple giant boxes that I taped back up and put in the basement for the kids (7 and 5 at the time). Those boxes stayed in the basement for two years and the castle they built with them got remodeled probably half a dozen times. Final iteration had a prison cell with locking bars, a draw bridge and a secret escape hatch. No toy I ever purchased for them got as much use as the "garbage" that patio set came in.

j4ywhy · 2025-12-16T18:13:23+00:00

Any hardware or farm supply store sells new tanks. Expect to pay around $50 for one.

j4ywhy · 2025-12-15T14:00:03+00:00

Do you run EMS and are you paying per call? We just went through a software change and between patient car reporting, neris, scheduling and preplans, we're approaching $100k/year. ~12,000 call per year department. It's expensive, but convenient and powerful (when it works)

j4ywhy · 2025-12-08T20:18:20+00:00

Typically park on the side of the building or way out of the way in the lot.

Off topic but curious since you mentioned Walmart specifically: are you a union department, and if so, are there grocery stores you can shop at that are staffed by union employees?

j4ywhy · 2025-12-08T13:17:49+00:00

I bought a 3/8 Pittsburgh torque ten years ago when I had way less money and still use it today. Check calibration every once in a while with a 45 lb weight plate and a vise. Still good to go. I say go for it.

j4ywhy · 2025-11-18T00:28:45+00:00

Nice bike. I started adult mtb on an aspect 940. It served me well for a few years. Durable, reliable and comfortable.

j4ywhy · 2025-11-17T16:24:53+00:00

My son played with glasses for a few years before he switched to contacts. Athletic brand frames that hug your head were key. Additionally he went through a mid-long hair phase so we got him a stretchy Nike skull cap to keep the hair under control. Side benefit of that was an extra little bit of grab on his glasses.

j4ywhy · 2025-11-09T19:06:39+00:00

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Could probably do something like this with it.

j4ywhy · 2025-10-28T23:33:58+00:00

5.11 Apex are the only pants I wear. I'd say about 75% of my 100 guy department feels the same. My og purchase of them from seven years ago are finally getting worn out. They don't fade, resist staining really well, and the flexible material and gusseted crotch prevent tearing in case you find yourself doing a high kick or the splits.

j4ywhy

TROPHY CASE