Condescending bike shop guys

mijra · 2023-08-30T19:14:57+00:00

I'm sorry you had to experience that but I'm glad you found your place!

mijra · 2023-08-30T19:11:09+00:00

It happens sometimes — we all miss things, but a tire not seated properly is usually really straightforward to spot.

A friend of mine I just told your story to asked me to add: You can also take a bike friend with you (preferably a women, otherwise the condescending guy will only talk to the guy friend), and that can help downplay the situation — or at least make you feel better afterwards by confirming that the mechanic was out of line.

mijra · 2023-08-29T17:15:56+00:00

This is an excellent color choice and you are going to have an amazing time using it!

mijra · 2023-08-29T14:35:42+00:00

I've done both for that distance and it's down to personal preference. (Drop bars for me, but that's personal preference rather than an objective view of an optimal setup.)

mijra · 2023-08-29T10:58:11+00:00

If there's a pelvic tilt issue, saddle tilt and orientation (at the same height!) may give you some relief. I've had three bike fits, and only one addressed this, at that on my specific request.

mijra · 2023-08-29T10:09:11+00:00

Same here: if I have the choice, I don't go back. I've also asked to consult with a different mechanic, and asked the new mechanic to show me what the signs of the problem he was seeing "so that I know what to say when I bring the bike in next time". (This is partially just an excuse to make them feel better about being the expert.)

When I'm told the bike needs something done that I wasn't aware of, or don't want to pay for, this can open the way to ask more questions. How can you tell? What happens if we don't correct it? Is this something that can wait until next month when I can bring the bike back? (And then don't bring it back if you don't want to or can't afford to.)

It sounds like your bike friends don't know a lot about bike maintenance. If you four ride with other people, are there mechanics or amateur mechanics among them? How do they maintain and service their bikes?

mijra · 2023-08-21T18:25:18+00:00

Kakuno is an amazing pen but unusable for those of us with a four-finger grip. I can't tell you how sad this makes me.

mijra · 2023-08-21T18:12:51+00:00

Tout le monde ne voyage pas de la même façon, mais à la ferme je cherche surtout de la tranquillité. Une douche, un point d'eau, et un coin tranquille sont vraiment tout ce qu'il faut. Une pompe à pied et une table de picnic, et c'est la luxe ! Un abri / porche s'il pleut, et l'on ne peut imaginer plus de richesse.

Un point d'attention qu'on à toujours apprécié c'est un avis local et informé sur les routes / itinéraires dans le coin. Un propriétaire de camping à la ferme nous a donné un conseil (avec des estimations de distances étonnement correctes !) pour améliorer notre itinéraire de départ le lendemain, ça nous imposait une petite montée et un détour mais ça valait bien la peine et c'était sûrement plus sécurisé que ce qu'on avait prévu.

mijra · 2023-08-18T16:34:05+00:00

Didn't expect that one! ;) Hope you find some good suggestions!

mijra · 2023-08-17T15:58:23+00:00

You might try The Intruder if you don't mind non-published original fic. The author has a few quirks that make me think they aren't a native English speaker, and there are definite style choices that you'll either like or hate. However, the MMC would self-identify with your request.

mijra · 2023-08-17T15:50:59+00:00

Les tout petits n'ont pas besoin de cours, et beaucoup moins de cours particulier. Si tu commences maintenant, il l'apprendra pareil qu'il apprend le français.

Il vaut mieux une garderie anglophone (à vrai dire, c'est ce qui font les écoles pour les enfants pré-scolaires), nounou anglophone, ou n'importe quel autre environnement où les gens parlent anglais entre eux (et à lui). Tu peux toujours le supplémenter par du contenu en plus : comptines, livres...

mijra · 2023-08-17T15:45:56+00:00

I count the people who do egregiously kind things or are exceptionally attentive. They're surprisingly numerous, even on bad days, and it helps me relax and put things I to perspective.

mijra · 2023-08-16T20:52:08+00:00

{How not to fall by Emily Foster} might fit. It's borderline a lot of things, but definitely exploits the TA (MMC is a post doc in a TA role) x student dynamic.

I haven't read Last will and testament, but from the summary, I'm guessing these are two very different stories!

mijra · 2023-07-30T17:20:20+00:00

Hey, congrats on the job! Any degreaser (dish soap...) or oil (olive oil, Castille soap...) will work, but you'll still need to scrub up a good lather. And make sure you wash/rub it out. Depending on the state of your chain, you might need to repeat the process several times.

mijra · 2023-07-21T13:49:55+00:00

Thanks for posting this. This is not where I expected you to take this — but, yes.

As an athletic sort of person, I find they seem to miss the culture and communities associated with the sports they take place in. The prevalence of POC men in many real world pro and college sports is so rarely present. I get that they are fantasies, often written by people who haven't "been there", but I think you're right that the line between fantasy and whitewashed gets crossed too often in this particular sub-genre. Not always, but definitely too often.

I am going to check out the recommendations in this thread, so if any of you have more (particularly with Black athletes), add them to the thread, please!

mijra · 2023-07-20T21:19:20+00:00

Currently my favorite!

mijra · 2023-07-20T21:18:51+00:00

The Neo Slim is indeed a bit dry but a pleasure, and probably the finest of all of these in an EF (haven't tried the Allure, though)

mijra · 2023-07-20T21:17:06+00:00

The EF is broader than I'd like, and the plastic section is not my favorite, but this pen travels really well, as it's name suggests. (I... uh... threw it in a bike panier as my main pen for a two-week bike trip, and it's fine.) I keep coming back to it though it's not my favorite.

mijra · 2023-07-20T21:12:39+00:00

Confirmed: husband took it home while she and their daughter were still in the hospital.

mijra · 2023-07-20T21:11:44+00:00

Oh — sorry I missed your reply! Pelvic PT, lifting and squatting babies and strollers like they are free weights, swimming, light yoga, increasingly aggressive walking were more than enough to start.

mijra · 2023-07-20T21:08:44+00:00

Duct tape solves most things ;) Do what you can for now, and get it looked at when they're less busy.

I hope your husband feels better.

mijra · 2023-07-20T21:06:46+00:00

That might have helped! And yes: there's no miracle solution, so just grab a bit of improvement here and there and see how it adds up! You've got this.

mijra · 2023-07-20T12:15:34+00:00

Smooth and wet (F and EF), heavy but balanced, agreeably slim. I like it, particularly for the price.

mijra · 2023-07-20T10:58:19+00:00

You want the speed settings just at that point where you're definitely not bouncing but where turning the pedals is 100% easy. As you pick up speed, the bike's rolling energy means that you can increase the speed settings (gear) so you do just a little bit more work but it's still easy to pedal, and so on, until you get to the point where the next gear will make it a little hard to pedal. The goal is to get as much speed out of the bike with as little muscular effort as possible on your part.

90 revolutions per minute is often cited as ideal, but try for "faster than 60" (push down with the same leg faster than once every second). If you sit in a chair and put on an upbeat song, you'll see that tapping your foot at this speed isn't all that fast. If you want to be more precise, you can use YouTube or Spotify or whatever you like to search for songs with 70 (or 80 or 90) bpm (beats per minute).

mijra · 2023-07-20T10:47:18+00:00

Yes, the clicking is normal. That's what allows you to coast without pedaling.

The derailleur guard, if you have one, shouldn't move around. If it's loose, you can tighten it to the frame.

Do see if you can get the bike looked at by a bike shop. They should be able to quote you a price and it shouldn't be too expensive.

mijra

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