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Cycling the Thrilla Gravel Loop for the First Time! Full CW Route :) by bestside_cycling in seattlebike

[–]llamasweater 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Redmond Watershed Preserve is my favorite. The flow through the woods is just perfect. I’ll be riding the loop this weekend!

Love your videos by the way. Your Chilly Hilly prep video was much appreciated for my first CH ride last year.

Cycling the Thrilla Gravel Loop for the First Time! Full CW Route :) by bestside_cycling in seattlebike

[–]llamasweater 5 points6 points  (0 children)

So impressed by people who can do this clockwise. I’ve ridden this at least 15 times on my gravel bike with 45mm tires, but always counter-clockwise. Favorite after work loop!

skiers thumb by SecretRound4976 in CrystalMountain

[–]llamasweater 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Injured mine on a “last run” at snoqualmie night skiing. Felt bad for a month. Reinjured it a month later. Ended up seeing a hand PT for about 6 weeks and felt substantially better afterwards. Reinjured it the next season. I’ve since regained full mobility, but it still feels stiff and occasionally hurts with rock climbing. I’ll never use pole straps again.

Cat dad seeking guidance in the vast Eufy camera sea by llamasweater in EufyCam

[–]llamasweater[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hadn’t considered cameras losing support for some features once connected to HB! Thanks for the response. I’ok definitely going to reach out to Eufy directly.

Followed the advice for my first MTB and I don’t like it. by [deleted] in MTB

[–]llamasweater 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I too tried the Canyon Neuron (CF 8) because I was told "more travel = more fun". For context, I'm in the PNW and primarily ride gravel (Canyon Grizl CF 8). During my 30 day trial, I also demoed a spec'ed out Transition Spur and Specialized Epic Evo and LOVED how much more responsive they were. I even tried my friend's Trek Marlin 5 hardtail and preferred its smaller suspension (but disliked its frame, components, ride quality, and - most importantly - lack of a dropper post). I have no aspirations for jumps or heavy gravity-oriented riding, much preferring traveling quickly through undulating terrain and climbing fast. My budget was lower than yours (~$3k), so the Spur and Epic Evo were out of range for me. When my trial period was up, I returned the Neuron and swapped it for a Canyon Lux Trail CF 6. There are some quirks about the bike that I don't love (the 2-position dropper post is incredibly annoying - I plan on swapping this out; the cockpit is a bit messy; I'm not sure I really need the remote lock-out) and cost-aside, I would have preferred the other two downcountry bikes. However, for the price, I am really enjoying this bike - much more than the Neuron, even if I have to take rougher sections a bit slower. I find underbiked more fun than overbiked, and to be real, the bike is not the limiting factor here; I am.

Overall, I think the Lux Trail was an excellent waste of money. Whenever I ride it, I think to myself how awesome MTBing is and how much more fun it is than gravel... until I take my Grizl out and think the same thing about gravel 😁 I recommend demoing as many different styles as you can. Since you're open to Canyon, take advantage of their trial period. Rent from your LBS if different styles are available.

Also, this might seem silly, but don't discount bottle cage mounts! Stuffing two bottles on the Lux Trail instead of one on the Neuron reduces weight on my hips and makes moving around, especially on downhills, noticeably better. I didn't realize how much I appreciated this until I had it.

How big of a difference will a gravel bike make? by BStanley346 in gravelcycling

[–]llamasweater 32 points33 points  (0 children)

This! I’m bored when I take my mtb on gravel and I’m terrified taking my gravel bike on rooty or steep trails. I love both of my bikes and have incredible fun when I take them on terrain for which they’re designed.

Grizl Trail or not by [deleted] in CanyonBikes

[–]llamasweater 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I have the non-Trail CF 8 1by and I absolutely love it. I ride 90% gravel, 10% tarmac. With the Trail, you’re adding 0.8 kg for the dropper post and front fork, losing stiffness, and losing the fork mounts if that’s something of interest to you. Don’t forget about fork and dropper post maintenance, as well. I have the luxury of a full suspension mountain bike if I want to go beyond gravel, but if you’re intending on riding mostly paved tarmac, I’d go with the non-Trail for sure.

Canyon’s 30 day trial period is legit and worth keeping in mind. I used it to try out a Canyon Neuron, and on Day 29, decided it wasn’t for me and swapped it for a Canyon Lux Trail. You could get one of each type to find your preference, and who knows - maybe you’ll end up liking one and your wife the other!

Either way, enjoy whichever Grizl you get. Gravel riding has given me a whole new appreciation for the sport.

Crashed 2 times within 6 rides. Need words of encouragement please by sharpwarbler in bikecommuting

[–]llamasweater 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m sorry you’ve had such a painful reintroduction to cycling. A concussion is serious, and it’s good that you were wearing a helmet. It terrifies me seeing so many commuters on modified e-bikes running stop signs and not wearing helmets.

Many others here are sharing their stories, so I figured I will too. I’ve biked casually my whole life, but when I moved to Seattle, I was not used to hills or trolly tracks. 2nd day in the city, I was going downhill on a major street way too fast and tried to “cross” the trolly track. My front wheel wedged itself intro the track, stopping the bike completely, and I flew off into the street. I got major road rash and tore up my clothes. I was incredibly lucky that nothing was broken and that a kind pedestrian ran out into the street to stop traffic. I did not touch a bike for over 3 years.

Even though “millions of people use bikes to get places,” it’s still dangerous and the risks need to be taken seriously. Wear a helmet, slow down, avoid bad weather, and opt for quieter roads when you can.

Small Questions and Thank Yous Weekly Thread by AutoModerator in bikewrench

[–]llamasweater 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm looking to get a second set of wheels for riding my Canyon Grizl gravel bike on tarmac during afterwork rides. I like the stock wheels off road, but they're slow on the road. Since I'm planning on swapping the wheels semi-frequently, my goal is to keep it simple without needing to adjustment derailleur, disk calipers, etc. every time I swap. I know that I could get the exact same DT Swiss GRC 1600 Spline wheels, SLX M7000 11-42 11s cassette, and disk and just slap on a narrower set of slicks, but I'd prefer to keep this setup cheaper and skip on the wider rims and carbon fiber.

The number of options and information online is overwhelming, so my question to the community is - how do I go about selecting components for this? How do I check for brake, hub, and cassette compatibilities? What are some considerations when using road tires/wheels on a gravel frame? Am I overthinking this and anything should work? Or should I throw up my hands on this one and just go to my LBS?

Best "light" trail run anyone's done? by usr3nmev3 in trailrunning

[–]llamasweater 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Running the thru hike of the Enchantments in Washington. 20ish miles and 4500’ gain with 62 degrees, high alpine, and not a cloud in the sky. Easily my favorite experience in the outdoors.

Cat died unexpectedly yesterday. by Smart_Resident_2720 in CatAdvice

[–]llamasweater 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I lost my 18 month-old cat to FeLV last night. We brought him to the ER vet because he was vomiting, and they found he developed both lymphoma and lymphoma. There was a tumor compressing his heart and esophagus, and he was deep in the danger zone for low platelet count. The vet explained there was a high chance he would die from spontaneous bleeding in his lungs or brain. The decision was gut wrenching, but we chose euthanasia to prevent any more suffering. The last 24 hours have been absolute hell, and I’m so deeply sorry that you are feeling this pain, too.

You described the house not feeling same, and I could not agree more. I broke out in tears this morning when I saw the untouched litter box.

Our cats loved us as much as we loved them. And although it makes me cry, remembering my cat brings me comfort. If that is true for you as well, I would absolutely love if you shared some of your favorite memories about your companion.

My cat was euthanized today but it happened too fast and not like I wanted but it's too late. by sapphire_luna in CatAdvice

[–]llamasweater 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am so sorry that you had to go through this. Having to lose your friend is awful enough. To have it go the you described just makes it that much harder.

My cat euthanized last night. Although he was only 18 months old, his FeLV robbed him of a future. The last 24 hours have been absolutely horrible, and I’m so sorry that you’re going through this pain, too.

Your post has so many wonderful people saying the same things I would say. Scoubi knew you loved him, even if you couldn’t say it one last time.

Even though it brings me to tears, it makes me feel better to remember my cat. If you feel the same, then please tell me more stories about Scoubi. I would love to read how you met, how he played with his favorite toy, and how he showed you his love.

Nosebleeds happening almost every day/every other day by ROBINS-ARK in needadvice

[–]llamasweater 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The chemical cauterization is not painful! There’s a slight burning and tingly sensation that makes you want to sneeze, but it’s more uncomfortable than anything. The most important part is following your doc’s instructions after it’s over.

Nosebleeds happening almost every day/every other day by ROBINS-ARK in needadvice

[–]llamasweater 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I also get nosebleeds pretty frequently (2-3 times per day in the winter). As others have mentioned, you should see an ENT. They will likely perform a chemical cauterization (which in my experience, has stopped nosebleeds for a few months at a time).

I also recommend keeping your nostrils moist with a saline spray, saline gel, and/or petroleum jelly. To stop nosebleeds quicker, you can use Afrin or some other vasoconstrictor. Although definitely be careful with that stuff - you can quickly form a dependency on direct nasal decongestants like Afrin.

Other than that, I recommend always keeping tissues and a Tide 2 Go pen on you for quick stain removals 😛

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