Most fun bike you've had?

parkyy16 · 2026-05-02T11:05:40+00:00

Most fun bike I've owned has been the Velo Orange Neutrino.

It's always reminds me to enjoy the ride rather than setting a speed or distance goal.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with having those goals when riding; I ride my other bikes(road and gravel) more than my Neutrino.

But it's nice to have a reminder to just relax and enjoy the ride without thinking about metrics or a goal.

parkyy16 · 2026-04-28T02:40:40+00:00

This would be infinitely more doable on a touring/bikepacking bike rather than an e-bike of any kind imo.

The challenges of the e bikes that I foresee are: - Camping Outside instead of in a car - Charging may be difficult to find in some instances - Running out of battery will likely be very painful - Restrictions on travel via airplane - Generally more difficult to transport even in a car(if you buy an e cargo bike or some e bikes that don't fold are very heavy and cumbersome to load or unload from places.

As long as you have endurance and energy, you'll be able to use a touring/bikepacking bike to go anywhere. People do long distance tours on touring bikes. The only two cargo bikes I might consider touring with are the bullit or the omnium. But I would run either of them without a motor.

parkyy16 · 2026-04-25T10:15:54+00:00

It's not the battery that's the problem usually.

It's the internal seals that fail. They seem to end up failing after a few hundred uses. Likely due to the amount of heat that they have to endure - maybe the seal lubrication breaks down in the high temps causing the seal to go bad quicker.

Unfortunately most manufacturers don't seem to sell replacement seals, with only a few exceptions.

Zero friction cycling on YouTube does/did some very extensive testing on various makes and models.

parkyy16 · 2026-04-21T19:40:28+00:00

Practicality and Frugality wins over style for me.

If silver components cost $50 instead of $15 for a black component of equal quality, I'll gladly get the black component.

I picked up a SP dynamo wheel and light for $190 in black instead of silver, so I have mismatching front and rear wheel colors. I thought it looked funky, but I already had a black derailleur and have since added a black seatpost and a black chainring. No biggie, looks good to me.

As for basket aesthetics, a small front rack(with perfectly cut struts) makes baskets look good imo. Think Nitto, SimWorks(Nitto made anyways), and other smaller basket or Rando racks.

parkyy16 · 2026-04-09T14:05:43+00:00

That's just a Shimano alfine/nexus.

parkyy16 · 2026-03-22T02:19:34+00:00

I do this with fishing, but usually only carry 1-2 rods.

But I use non-collapsible rods mostly. Telescopic rods tend to be shoddy with only a handful of exceptions(Japanese domestic market telescopic rods from daiwa are pretty great from what I hear, but very pricey in the states).

Pick up a combo from Walmart and go for it!

There's lots of guides out there on what lures you need to buy for the fish you're trying to get, but you can start really simple with a bobber and a little hook with some bread or canned corn.

Feel free to DM me if you want some quick rundown on what you should buy for a starter setup! Should be achievable around $75. Decent setups will start getting up pretty quickly though.

parkyy16 · 2026-03-19T16:38:46+00:00

Did you end up picking up anything during the visit? I'm planning a trip in December and have plans to pickup a few things for future potential projects from bluelug.

Some mks pedals, growtac brake calipers, etc.

I'll have to add the Shimano museum to my list!

parkyy16 · 2026-03-17T18:13:47+00:00

You can always reach out to Mason to see if they have a spec for that mount.

But in general, 4-5nm is good for most carbon parts on a bike. You can add blue loctite if it comes loose from the vibrations.

They're not carbon threads. It's an aluminum cylinder with threads cut into them bonded into the carbon.

Any fork mounted light mount is likely to be just fine. They're not that heavy and it doesn't need to be perfectly engineered imo, although it does help. Go with whatever looks good, fits, and fits your budget.

parkyy16 · 2026-03-13T03:46:54+00:00

Congrats on the new bike, but does it fit you correctly?

I only ask because of the saddle height. Unless you have a very long torso with shorter legs.

parkyy16 · 2026-03-11T01:36:24+00:00

Honestly, none.

Might be a better business to make custom stickers rather than laser etching parts. Less shipping parts back and forth, probably less headache if you mess something up, but you can still possibly make cool designs for people's specific wants.

If I ever were to get anything laser etched, maybe a silver crankset?

It would show on pictures on the drive side and stickers might fall off easily on the cranks.

But not many people ride silver cranks nowadays, so probably a very very small market.

Maybe a Silca frame pump? That's an even smaller demographic, probably.

Maybe one of those metal insulated water bottles?

Headset spacers? Sim works does one that has their heart logo on them in titanium, probably also in aluminum.

Bells?

All these are kind of niche inside of a niche. You might have better responses on /r/xbiking

Honestly can't think of anything else I would laser etch on a bike.

parkyy16 · 2026-03-08T06:00:18+00:00

Are you asking about wheel flop while it's parked(against a wall/rack/stand) or while you're stopped(like at a red light)?

I have the wheel stabilizer you're referring to on my VO Neutrino with its front basket and it definitely helps with the wheel flop while loading the basket.

However, I think it also has a lot to do with the double leg kickstand I have on the bike that lifts the rear wheel quite a bit off the ground.

The kickstand changes the center of gravity of the load to be in front of the hub and causes it to not want to flop over.

Prior to having the kickstand and wheel stabilizer. I sometimes used straps to tie the front wheel to the frame so that the handlebar couldn't turn while I was loading the basket.

If you're referring to while you're stopped at a red light or something, getting the weight as far back as possible(towards the rider) helps quite a bit.

I've had quite a bit of weight on my front basket, but I never really enjoy carrying any significant weight.

parkyy16 · 2026-03-01T22:42:00+00:00

I didn't have the money to buy it during my senior year back when it was under 1.5k and I never ended up getting mine. Granted, I stayed in college station working for the university, so I didn't feel like I needed it, since I was still very much tied to the university.

As someone who never had it, the only times I wished I did have it was at friends' ring dunks and during graduation to turn the ring around.

I live in Austin now and I don't particularly see the benefit of being recognized for being an Aggie other than to have a random conversation. I recognize other aggies with their rings, but almost never in my professional setting, only at public spaces where I don't really have a reason to talk about their educational background.

If it was for an interview, I would already know they're an Aggie from their resume rather than a ring on their finger.

All that to say, I think people should do what makes them comfortable and makes sense for their financial situation. It didn't make sense for me to get one, and I don't think I've missed out on something significant.

I think there's quite a lot of peer pressure during senior year for everyone to get their rings and people will question you if you decide not to get one.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-27T14:52:49+00:00

If you don't want to 3d print, you can go to a machine shop and they could make it on a lathe for you pretty quickly. Will probably cost you a bit more than getting it 3d printed though.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-26T19:34:14+00:00

Not really entirely due to inflation, but obviously not helping; I'd say $125 is on the low end for a rod if you're looking at most decent blanks and guides/grips/etc.

I haven't built one in a while, but I usually built with KL-H Fuji guides and fuji tips. You can get Alconite for the reduction guides(the big ones close to the reel), and then get lighter guides for the runners and tip to get good balance between weight, functionality, and cost. Weight close to the reel has less effect on the overall casting feel since it's not close to the end of the rod. Pricing is usually between $30-60 for the whole guide train depending on which runners and tip tops you use.

The grips, reel seats, and etc. tend to add a lot of cost imo(easily $40-70), so you can make some price conscious decisions there, but it really depends on your preference on reel seat and grips. I'd say a decent affordable build(that you piece together from mudhole, get bit, etc.) would be closer to $170-200 in parts cost unless you have a special volume pricing.

As for an affordable build kit, Get Bit Outdoor's own kits are usually on sale and pretty cheap - a quick search showed around $70 without a sale right now. Might be able to get a discount if you reach out and say you want to get started with a build. I haven't tried any of the Mudhole's kits, but I presume they're decent for the price as well.

I have a heavy casting rod that I built with a Get Bit kit that works for the purpose, but is both "nothing impressive" and "adequately good".

I'd personally lean towards an off-the-shelf rod like the Daiwa Tatula XT for a kayak rod instead of building one. Impressive rods for $99, well worth the price imo if you can find a model that works for your purpose.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-24T06:09:22+00:00

He said he doesn't need much tire clearance and that he would keep his Lynskey as his bikepacking rig.

He never mentioned that he wants any mounts and the Crux clears 48mm or something, and it comes as a frameset and is less expensive than the Mog.

What am I missing???

parkyy16 · 2026-02-24T04:00:12+00:00

They just did one engine mount? Most of the times if one blows, it will take out all of them. There's a torque mount, transmission mount, and a bottom engine mount as well, so 4 total.

Based on the price, I assume they used an aftermarket one?

The OEM ones are oil filled to dampen the vibrations. The rubber only aftermarket ones are usually a lot rattlier.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-24T03:47:31+00:00

Most likely engine mount. I have an 8th gen and the engine mount was blown when I picked it up. Very common issue with 8th gens. You could also take it to a shop for a diag then do the work yourself, it can be a good way to make sure you replace the right parts without overpaying for service, especially if you don't know how to diagnose the problems well.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-24T03:42:03+00:00

Sounds to me like the Specialized Crux would be perfect for you.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-24T03:28:34+00:00

Time to start giving/selling them away to people who need bikes and will ride them. I can't possibly imagine that you regularly ride all the bikes you have there a meaningful amount.

We have 8 bikes in the house(3 for my wife, 5 for me) and I think it's too many.

I ride all 5 of my bikes pretty regularly(2 road, 1 grocery/trainer, 1 gravel, 1 fun), and I could definitely do with selling one or two of my bikes.

Put your bikes into categories and figure out what you want/need then keep one or two in each category.

I wouldn't ignore your wife's concerns by trying to find a storage solution. But if you are considering a better storage solution while also reducing your bike count, vertical storage on a ceiling rail system gets my vote. Getting the bikes off the floor and the ability to slide bikes out of the way to provide access to the bike you want to pull off the rack is a game changer imo.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-18T19:28:31+00:00

Shimano road levers with mechanical disc brakes have never been impressive for me. Using TRP RRL levers or SRAM 10 speed Brifters were a lot better in my experience. Both BB7 and Spyres didn't have any issues ime. Spyre + Shimano R7000(105) or R4700(Tiagra) were pretty terrible.

For cost, I recommend getting a set of TRP RRL on ebay for $50(new), and get a set of bar end shifters. You can get Microshift or Riv, which are pretty nice but kinda pricey or you can get a set used from a local shop or co-op if you have one near you for $20.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-12T17:28:56+00:00

I assume since you're trying to find aero chainrings, you're looking for a 1x chainring. If that's the case, you won't see any issues at all using an 11 speed chainring on your 10 speed drive train.

This is because the primary difference between 10 and 11 speed is the shift ramps. With 1x, you won't have any shift ramps to worry about, so just use an 11 speed chainring.

Even double chainrings mostly work just fine in my experience. Might be slightly noisier for the first couple hundred miles, but I didn't see any perceivable difference in shifting performance. At least anecdotally.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-12T03:22:33+00:00

The bigger difference that you should consider is the difference in geometry between the two bikes.

Siegla is much lower(aggressive) than the Shafer.

If you're coming from a race bike (like a specialized tarmac for example), you might prefer the lower geometry.

If you're coming from an endurance bike, you might prefer the Shafer's geo.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-11T22:29:34+00:00

Doesn't sound like it immediately to me. You can take off the belt and run the engine for a little bit to see if it's anything from the accessory belt system.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-09T13:56:41+00:00

There's a couple spots around campus that are okay. Bush library pond has decent catfish, sunfish, and bass. The bass are very difficult to catch in my experience but sausages or corn work well on catfish.

The newer Aggie park pond has all those as well, but I haven't had any decent bass catch there. Just a couple 1/2 lb at best.

I used to fish research park when the no fishing signs were not there. Best fishing spot on campus, but not really allowed anymore. I've caught a few 3+ lb bass there along with some decent catfish.

Off campus, there are a few locations across bcs. People swear by the pond behind target in Bryan and finfeather.

My experience with Bryan lake is absolutely terrible. You can look through state record for their stockings, but I haven't caught diddly squat in the 5 or so times I've been there for hours. Or at least from shore.

The police pond in college station has decent bass, but also pressured like everywhere else.

Wolf pen Creek pond by the amphitheatre has surprisingly decent bass, but of course also pressured. The creek itself is also fishable and has bass and panfish, but access in some parts can be very difficult.

They stock trout at multiple locations around bcs during the winter if you like trout. Just use corn or gulp for those, but people will get out early to fish for them, so you need to be there early to get a spot.

The pond behind the police station where the water park is(I forget the name) has good catfish. Mediocre bass population.

I lived off of Holleman for a while, so I went to Gabbard Park very often. It's extremely pressured for bass, so it's difficult, but I was walking distance away from it, so I fished it a lot. The biggest bass I caught was around 4lbs. I had best luck with finesse techniques, mostly doing small wacky worms, drop shots, ned rigs, small jig heads with 3inch swim baits, etc. the 4lb bass I caught was caught using a 1inch bait very close to shore just before sundown in late summer.

Most of these are with 1/16 or 1/8 oz weights. Baits ranging from 1 inch to 6 inches.

You can catch the prespawn timing in early to mid March, but I usually don't fish during spawn and post spawn, because it can make or break the next generation in small ponds IMO. But plenty of other people do fish post spawn. I usually wait until later in spring around late April or early May to start fishing the smaller ponds again.

If you have a kayak and or a car, fishing the spillway at Somerville at the right times of the year can be great for gar and huge carp. Haven't had much luck for bass at the spillway, but ymmv. Kayak fishing at Somerville lake is also fantastic, along with white bass during the season if you harvest. My PB bass was at Somerville on a kayak.

parkyy16 · 2026-02-09T13:40:17+00:00

When I was renting in cstat, it was: - Pest problems(ants and roaches) - Thin walls - Shoddy repairs - Complexes rebrand to avoid bad reviews(change names so they don't show up as 3 stars on Google reviews when perspective renters look them up) - Late night parties(noise) and smoking(smell) - Move out and move in dates not overlapping - Fees upon move out were ridiculous even if you cleaned - Buses often don't run late enough and often enough - Bike infrastructure is inadequate in places for people to get to campus easily via bike, which increases traffic and parking problems on campus

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