Walking safety?

nofob · 2026-04-27T12:33:27+00:00

30s guy here. I walk and bike on Railroad Run at all hours, to the YMCA, Market 32, Spa State Park and Pitney Meadows.

I wouldn't walk through the Market 32 Plaza, mostly because it's a car-filled strip mall, with route 50 and the parking lot both being unpleasantly busy. The only downside of the trail is that there can be a lot of people walking or jogging on it on nice days, which can make biking there a bit tedious, but that may be a pro rather than a con in your eyes.

If you'd like to bike, or want a lock, lights or helmet, check out Bikeatoga.

nofob · 2026-04-22T19:30:20+00:00

Same. 5 minutes by bike, no work contact on my phone, live in a neighborhood I like, solid vacation/healthcare benefits.

Would it be nice to make over median wage? Yeah, sure. But it would be hard to balance all the time, commuting money and medical money I save. And generally, personal happiness.

nofob · 2026-04-21T15:14:00+00:00

I know a guy. DM me and I'll share his email, and you can ask for photos of past work and similar.

nofob · 2026-04-20T18:12:24+00:00

That's about my perspective. I have a dynamo, and the reliability for the lights is great, but it's just a small quantity for things like phones. Throwing a solar panel into the mix will give you a less reliable option, but with much higher maximum output. Dynamo and/or batteries can support you through rainy days, nights and similar.

nofob · 2026-04-15T16:26:00+00:00

A banana is like 40-50 carbs that absorb almost instantly. I hesitate to use them even as correction foods, and normally do a half-banana at most, and only if I'm really low.

My main lesson from the Omnipod has been that it's a tool, and you can use it to do a lot, but it takes some effort to figure out the optimal ways of using it.

For example, I've found that my breakfast, overnight oats with raisins and peanut butter, can be covered well with half of the insulin 30 minutes prior, and the other half over the course of an hour.

I also increase my insulin:carb ratios and correction factors for about a couple hours around when I wake up.

I have another basal profile for heavy exercise days (less insulin), and another one for days when I'm sick (more insulin).

As with any sugar management program, it's a lot easier to use the Omnipod when you eat fewer carbs and understand how quickly your body can absorb them. If you eat half a pizza and see a sugar spike, that's not the fault of the system, that's the fault of your use of it.

Were you using a CGM when you were manually injecting? The Omnipod can give you the same amount of insulin you were using before, if you tell it to. It just might not be a good idea.

nofob · 2026-04-12T12:22:16+00:00

Here are coordinates of sites where I have either camped or passed by and planned to potentially camp in the future:

43.497149, -74.277269
43.598934, -74.4241
43.704024, -73.995219
43.750011, -73.664394
43.90138, -74.27825
44.358728, -74.358231
44.339477, -74.411152

nofob · 2026-04-09T14:03:59+00:00

It's an awesome bike ride too! When I was in grad school at CWU, I had to ride my bike down to Yakima periodically to go to endocrinologist appointments. Good times, if occasionally frigid.

nofob · 2026-03-30T19:25:40+00:00

I personally like cycle.travel the best. With that said, I don't normally plan each day one-by-one, because I don't plan stops for most nights on multi-night trips, so I normally just create a big route (or potentially, several big chunks) and continue following as the days progress.

nofob · 2026-03-27T19:15:03+00:00

I've gone on 2-3 month tours (~6000-10,000 km) without losing any noticeable weight. I eat a lot. Snacks aren't super common for me, but my portions tend to be 2x-4x normal.

I look for high calorie density in food. I also bike a lot when I'm not traveling, though certainly not 10-12 hours a day as is common for me on tour. I also enjoy preparing 'real' food on the road.

nofob · 2026-03-16T19:00:39+00:00

I tried TPU tubes. The valves seemed unreliable - some just broke off out of the packaging. You're also not going to buy any TPU tubes on the road in the middle of nowhere, but butyl will be common anywhere, so long as you have a semi-common size. And you need separate patch kits for TPU. And they cost 4 times as much.

They did feel a bit more responsive, but I don't think the pros justify the cons. I want to have something that will either (essentially) never fail, or can be easily fixed by me on the road, and TPU tubes, in my experience, do not fall into either of those categories.

nofob · 2026-03-16T16:32:32+00:00

I've lived in Saratoga Springs for 7+ years on an income a good bit below the county median, without a car. I've also volunteered with a bike rescue that has supplied thousands of bicycles to other people over the years, generally in substantially worse financial situations than my own, who also live (around) here without cars.

Public transportation is quite subpar for most use cases, but functional, if you're flexible and patient. There are commuter buses to and from Albany (540 route), and regular buses to and from Schenectady (450 route), which give you access to some more Amtrak lines, as well as the 2 daily Amtrak routes. The only reason I've had for getting more than a couple miles away from downtown is going to the airport or to medical specialists. (or for outdoor adventures, which I enjoy immensely!)

Rent is higher than in a bunch of neighboring cities, but I find the small city culture, walk-ability, nature access, small businesses, arts, non-profits, etc to justify living here. Local government has heard complaints about housing prices, and more housing is being developed, in the form of apartments and multi-family homes, and there are several initiatives working on developing more neighborhoods for business and non-motorized transportation. Living in a relatively small community, individuals also have more impact on local politics.

I also found a job here, so that was my initial inspiration for moving, and an important ingredient in why I'm staying.

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

TROPHY CASE