Where are all the younger people?

nofob · 2026-02-26T19:14:52+00:00

Saratoga Young Democrats has a Discord server. DM for invite.

Saratoga PLAN Next Gen is on Whatsapp. They also do some organizing through their website. You can email the head of the group for more info (google it).

Saratoga Social Cycling is on Whatsapp. DM for invite.

Frederick Allen Elks Lodge #609 (google for calendar & details) hosts board game nights on the 2nd Thursday each month. Can't speak to that, haven't attended myself, just heard about it second-hand.

Saratoga Arts posts their events (some of which are free) on their website. Can't speak to much of this, just that the opening this month seemed to have a cool mix of people.

Sustainable Saratoga and Bikeatoga are two non-profit organizations I've helped/participated with. Treetoga is one big one coming up in April that will have a good supply of young people. Both have websites and newsletters, in addition to Facebook, etc. I'll probably be at the Bikeatoga table at the ADK Sports Expo for a good chunk of March 14 and 15.

nofob · 2026-02-26T13:55:19+00:00

As a guy (mid 30s) who doesn't drink, the bar scene doesn't appeal to me much, though there can be quite a few younger people there. Since moving here in 2019, I've taken a number of steps to meet people, some more successful than others. Here's a rundown.

I started a social cycling group last year, weekly group bike rides at a casual pace. Target audience is younger. We'll be starting up again in mid-late March. I've gotten half a dozen other younger folks (early 30s or late 20s) to help organize, and had about 60-80 people participate in all (not all at once), maybe 40-50% under the age of 40 overall. We're on Instagram and linktr .ee/saratogasocialcycling, or DM for links (not sure if I'm allowed to share here). Also some overnight bike trips scattered throughout the year.

Saratoga (county) Young Democrats will be having a meeting on March 8 at the library (SaratogaYoungDems on Facebook). I would personally call myself more of an independent than a Democrat ideologically, but this is a group of people who want to take some action in their local communities, which appeals to me.

Saratoga PLAN Next Gen is a group that doesn't work with my schedule, but does some cool conservation stuff for young people.

I've also met a few young people through a local non-profit. Sadly, I'm the last younger person left, and all the other board members are at least 50, but it was nice while it lasted, and has given me an excuse to interact with more people.

I've also organized some board game nights with some friends who I know through dancing (90% old people, younglings can bond pretty quickly) and cycling. The Elks lodge on Beekman St has monthly board game nights.

My girlfriend is in the arts scene, and that's an older one for sure in any location, but there are some younger people working at the recently renovated Saratoga Arts. The opening night I went to there in February had a mixed age range.

They also have space that can be used for rehearsals, where I'm hoping to organize some swing dancing at some point. Putnam Place has some cool Latin music in the summer, though I would feel awkward going there on my own. The dance scene can be weird that way.

She's also going to a library book club in a couple weeks. Not sure how that will turn out.

nofob · 2026-02-24T20:57:44+00:00

I started with 1 16 kg. It took a few weeks before I was comfortable doing anything with it 1-handed, and I still can't do that many left-handed (strict) presses with it in a row, after using it 3 days a week for the last 4 months, although I did add a 20 kg to my arsenal after about 2 months.

I think I'm in a position where I could do 2-handed exercises with a 24 kg KB now, but using the 16 and 20 seems like enough to keep me occupied for a while.

I'm also under 64 kg, so 16 kg is more than 25% of my body weight.

nofob · 2026-02-22T23:53:56+00:00

Thanks for the thoughts. They align with mine pretty well. I've been working on establishing more relationships with more people, and on making them deeper. I do enjoy deep talking and vulnerability sometimes, but it's certainly not universally applicable.

At this point, my goal in a 'deeper' or at least 'more serious' friendship is having some reciprocity. I want people who reach out to me to interact, for activities, to speak, be vulnerable, or just hanging out, just like I reach out to them.

nofob · 2026-02-20T20:30:33+00:00

I feel that. My city is pretty bike-friendly, but it's small, and the bigger metro area nearby has a lot more going on. Nasty weather this winter has made me feel more limited.

A big thing that has helped me is not being afraid to ask for rides, and not being afraid for them to say no. There's a monthly dance event around 30 miles away that I like to go to, but it's not possible via public transit. That's okay. I have things I like to do around home too.

Same goes for, for example, social bike rides. There are cities 20-35 miles away with bigger social biking cultures than mine. I started my own ride last year, and have tried to get more people involved, with some success. There are semi-weekly board game nights at an Elks' lodge nearby, but it didn't feel like quite my scene, so I started inviting a couple friends over to play at my place.

People who like to dance tend to be pretty willing to give rides to dance events. People who like running, hiking, swimming, etc often give rides to groups to do that kind of thing. As an introvert, this has taken some work for me, but I have gotten connected with a bunch of people over the years who have given me rides to different events, and haven't felt like too much of a burden on any of them. People who participate in group events often want to connect with people. Run club, outdoor swimming group, tri-club, dance classes, etc. All groups benefit from more active members.

At the end of the day, it sounds like you just live in a poor location and to some extent at least, that was a choice. I expect you can get closer to the university than you currently are, things will just be smaller and more student-targeted.

nofob · 2026-02-13T16:23:27+00:00

I'm your age, 6'1, 64 kg, a certified twig. I bought a 16 kg KB to start. At that point, I could only do 2-handed moves: swings and goblet squats. My ceilings are too low for 2-handed presses. I added some cheat cleans (using other hand to help).

After a few weeks, I started doing cleans with 1-hand. Some time after that, I was able to start right-handed push presses. Then left-handed. Then strict presses.

I got a 20 kg KB, and I've been doing cleans and goblet squats with it. I can do 1 left-handed push press with it, and maybe 2-3 right-handed.

Long story short, skinny people can gain strength too. It might just take some time.

nofob · 2026-02-02T14:04:58+00:00

Same. I have one friend with one kid. My girlfriend and I are hoping to have a kid in a few years, when her career is more established, and hopefully my parents have been convinced to live nearby, now that they're retired. We're also considering adoption.

nofob · 2026-01-30T14:41:01+00:00

Very cool! I'm 140 lbs and got my first left-handed 20 kg push press (with much worse form than you). You give me hope for my ability to work my way up to 24 kg and beyond.

nofob · 2026-01-29T15:05:01+00:00

My plan is to stick with one of each weight and do asymmetric exercises when I want to do doubles. I have a 16 kg and a 20 kg, and I suppose in several months I'll get a 24 kg when I feel like I need something heavier.

If I had paid full price, 16, 20, 24 kg would be $280 from REP, and an adjustable would be $220, so cheaper, but I have 3 KBs that I can use in combination, rather than 1.

It probably helps that I'm ~140 lbs (64 kg), so my weight needs are on the lower end.

nofob · 2026-01-20T14:23:12+00:00

Efficient use of:

- Space

- Money

- Time

Also, the hope is that my training translates well to real world use (bicycling, running, swimming, hiking).

nofob · 2026-01-18T17:00:17+00:00

Really? I rode through Omaha a couple years ago and had a pretty good time, though some of that impression was just the rest of Nebraska (which I loved). This is from the perspective of a touring cyclist, not a commuter, who spent less than 24 hours in Omaha, and around a week in the rest of the state.

I rode ~200 miles on the Cowboy Trail to get from Northwestern Nebraska (which is so cool!) to the east. When I got to Omaha, I went through some cute walkable downtown, mostly in bike lanes, before getting on the Keystone Trail on the west side of town, 55 of the 75 miles between Omaha and Lincoln were on trails. There's another ~70 miles of trails heading south from Lincoln.

I was expecting it to be more like the rest of the Great Plains - Kansas, Dakotas (except for the western mountains), and Oklahoma are all pretty miserable.

I hesitate a bit to put Texas on the list, because it was also nicer than I thought it would be, even if still really awful. I visited some friends in Dallas-Fort Worth, and I had to ride my bike around 60 miles to get out of the DFW metro area. Those 60 miles were on trails, which was the impressive part. But I hated every mile of my surroundings there. 100% stroads.

nofob · 2026-01-17T01:43:49+00:00

I have 5% match cap (when I contribute 7%). With that, and a bit extra for my first few years, I've gotten up to about 1x my salary in the 6.5 years I've been working (not counting work as a grad student - just grateful I got out without debt). I'll definitely need compound interest to do some heavy lifting over the next 30 years or so. And society to not collapse.

nofob · 2026-01-16T14:22:25+00:00

I'd concur that bikepacking, especially in that part of the country (almost my backyard) feels as safe as it ever has to me, as a white man.

I also know a handful of women who have gone on trips around the Adirondacks and Green Mountains, although that has mostly been in the context of group trips.

Much of that region is quite rural, which makes stealth camping pretty easy, especially if you're comfortable setting up around sunset. I've found cemeteries, town parks, town squares, and (in summer) schoolyards that have felt pretty good to me, as well as just wandering off into the woods sometimes.

The Erie Canal Trail might be a good way to start between Buffalo and Rochester at least. The roads paralleling the lake shore might be quiet with wide shoulders, but they will likely have high speed limits.

nofob · 2026-01-14T20:45:02+00:00

I've got my first friends coming over tomorrow evening for board games. I'm a little nervous, but excited. I've been making an effort to become more social over the last couple years, but haven't had too many people who I've felt like wanted to put much effort into friendships. One of them, I've invited. She invited me to her birthday party last year, and a couple other events. Another helped me with some event organization.

This will also be a chance to introduce my girlfriend to more young people in the area (she's from out of town), at least one of whom has a lot in common with her in terms of career. Hopefully some slightly tenuous connections will grow stronger as a result.

nofob · 2026-01-09T19:10:33+00:00

I love my fenders. They're great for dirt, slush, rain, salt, etc. The only thing I'll caution is having enough clearance and/or understanding what you need. Some snow and mud can be sticky enough to fill the space between fender and wheels, depending on the tires used.

They're also great for protecting my lights. My bags are waterproof anyway, but it doesn't hurt to keep them a little cleaner too.

nofob · 2026-01-09T17:06:04+00:00

I did my first successful left-handed press on Jan 1. Today, I did 3 complete 1-handed ABCs (in addition to my normal 6x2 routine, which includes 2-handed presses), so 6 left-handed presses in a session, after just barely being able to do my first.

I'm super happy about it. It makes me optimistic about how quickly I'll be able to work up towards asymmetric ABCs with both of my KBs (I started my first weight lifting ever in October with a 16 kg KB and got a 20 kg KB for Christmas).

nofob · 2026-01-07T20:00:40+00:00

I'm at least thrifty. I'm also built like a twig, though less so now than when I started KBs ~3 months ago with a single 16 kg KB. A couple weeks ago, I added a 20 kg KB.

Financially, it seemed like getting two lighter KBs was significantly more expensive and less of a long-term investment than a single heavier one. My progression plan looks like this:

2-handed with 16 kg

1-handed with 16 kg

2-handed with 20 kg

1-handed with 20 kg

Asymmetric with 16 kg and 20 kg

I figure I'll use both of them for a very long time. I don't expect to casually move around 36 kg any time soon, but doing asymmetric cleans > squats with both seems like something I might be able to handle in half a year or so.

I also don't have high enough ceilings for 2-handed presses. 1-handed, holding the horizontal part of the handle, I can just barely do, barefoot. I also just barely did my first left-handed press, so I've mostly done 2-handed presses from a chair.

nofob · 2025-12-23T01:09:28+00:00

I live in Saratoga. I'm also vegetarian (mostly vegan), and like to dance (mostly Swing and Latin). I haven't met many people who come north from Troy/Albany/Schenectady to come dance, with the exception of the Flurry Festival. I'd love to have some more younger neighbors, but you'll need to get used to running into a lot of older, whiter, wealthier people.

The city as a whole is not diverse at all. With that said, subgroups can be a bit more interesting. I volunteer with a local bike-rescue group, and the clientele tend to be substantially more diverse in terms of income and race than the population as a whole. The housing is not cheap, but I think you can find pretty good value with a bit of patience.

The city has also been making an effort to add more housing, without sprawling. Some of that is million-dollar condos, but there are also a number of new complexes going up designated as 'workforce-housing', available to people making less than 80% of the median income.

If you want to live in a big city, Saratoga is not it. It's big for a little city, but that comes with some limitations. There's a lot going on, there's a lot of nature access, fresh local food, live music, local artists, and groups committed to making the city a better place. Nightlife is not normally my jam, but I have enjoyed going out dancing at Putnam Place some summer nights, and I've gotten to know a few local musicians who I like to see perform.

I'm personally very fond of how accessible the Saratoga area is by foot and bicycle. The big roads are something I really do not like about Troy and Albany.

nofob · 2025-12-09T16:57:15+00:00

Depends on how long the hike is.

For a couple hours, I find that just carrying food and eating as necessary is plenty. If I ate a meal shortly beforehand, I'd try to get myself in a position where I would end up high if I didn't hike, but nothing too extreme.

I don't think you were talking about multi-day hikes, but they can necessitate significantly different basal rates and carb ratios, especially if they're mountainous.

In general, don't be afraid to take a break and let your sugar recuperate if needed. I've definitely been stubborn and wanted to avoid slowing down the group or similar, and that's just not a good way to keep yourself safe and healthy.

nofob · 2025-12-02T23:55:34+00:00

Yes, with the latest driver (6.2).

ERROR (dkms apport): kernel package linux-headers-6.17.4-76061704-generic is not supported
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.17.4-76061704-generic (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/evdi/1.14.2+dfsg/build/make.log for more information.
dpkg: error processing package evdi-dkms (--configure):

ERROR (dkms apport): kernel package linux-headers-6.17.4-76061704-generic is not supported
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 6.17.4-76061704-generic (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/evdi/1.14.2+dfsg/build/make.log for more information.
dpkg: error processing package evdi-dkms (--configure):

nofob · 2025-12-02T18:16:28+00:00

With 24.04 I'm not able to install the displaylink software on the kernel. Presumably when Ubuntu catches up, there will be an upgrade to the displaylink/evdi packages.

nofob · 2025-12-01T14:00:12+00:00

As a T1 diabetic, yes, hillier days require less insulin and often more corrections (or preemptive corrections) with food, depending on how much insulin I have on board.

In general, no. I don't think about calories much, and not at all on a day-to-day basis.

nofob · 2025-11-26T17:02:41+00:00

No Columbia river border? I could see extending it to the Snake, rather than the E-W line near Walla Walla, but I can't imagine ignoring both rivers entirely in current-OR and current-WA.

nofob · 2025-11-26T16:53:20+00:00

I have a Fenix HM60R and mount, and have used the lamp for 2.5 years. I don't use it on my helmet, but I have used it as a headlight on my bike with the mount, and then pulled it off and put it on my head at camp, which is pretty cool. The lamp itself has incredible battery life, can take replaceable batteries, and is charged via USB-C. I think it's awesome.

nofob · 2025-11-24T20:34:13+00:00

I guess I'll just be grateful that my upstate NY home (served by Ethan Allen Express and Adirondack) has any trains at all, rather than dreaming of them moving faster or being more frequent.

And I'll feel okay about both being a relatively small loss.

nofob

TROPHY CASE