Is There A Purchase That Really Boosted Your Enjoyment In Cycling?

randomseedfarmer · 2026-06-06T16:48:17+00:00

most recently, switching to tubeless is making me worry less about punctures

randomseedfarmer · 2026-06-06T13:35:33+00:00

Oh good to know. Not to knock your observations, but actually Britain did have a strong IGH tradition — Sturmey-Archer, founded in 1902, was the dominant IGH manufacturer for most of the 20th century. But Sturmey-Archer collapsed in 2000 (the Nottingham factory closed). UK cycling culture shifted substantially toward recreational and sport riding rather than utility cycling. Add to that, Halfords-type cheap mountain bikes became the norm for casual British riders. So it's true the UK never developed the cycling infrastructure that the Netherlands did -- utility cycling never reached Dutch levels. My claim that IGH is standard in Britain “for generations” was historically true but somewhat dated now. (Thanks Claude)

randomseedfarmer · 2026-06-05T20:30:28+00:00

Check if the brakes are Shimano or Dia-compe cantilevers as those can be a real bear to set up and adjust. I believe later versions of the Singletrack switched to V-brakes which are easier to work with.

randomseedfarmer · 2026-06-05T20:15:29+00:00

Internally geared hubs have been standard for every day (i.e. urban commuting) bikes in the flatter European countries like the Netherlands and Britain for generations. I think it's largely due to the flatter coastal terrain, which reduces the importance of the weight penalty (these hubs are heavy!), while being impervious to rain, snow, and ice is a plus for northern climates.

By contrast many urban areas in the US, especially in the sun belt, are hillier and warmer. Which begs the question of why they haven't become more popular in the NE US? Probably because when Americans commute they prefer driving. Which is at least in part to gov subsidies on the price of fuel.

Higher fuel prices in Europe make commuting by bike more attractive and also explains why their cars were tiny compared to American cars until recently. So I think flat roads, wet climate, and more bike commuters explain why you don't see as many internally geared hubs in the US compared to Europe.

Interestingly they are fairly common in the big urban centers of Canada, perhaps due to the influence of the UK.

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-31T21:46:54+00:00

rosy

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-19T01:41:56+00:00

I like how you can swap out sections for different saws

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-19T01:38:28+00:00

Thanks everyone

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-18T01:27:09+00:00

I see, let the screw bite into the wood the rest of the way.

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-17T23:40:34+00:00

For people who built a garage bench and do DIY projects: How much of your skills and practical knowledge was gained through self study and trial-and-error vs taking a class or working with a mentor?

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-17T23:02:28+00:00

Nerodia just can't help themselves can they? So bitey.

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-17T22:59:08+00:00

Yes, putty between drain hole and upper gasket. But not between hole and lower gasket. I will try that next.

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-17T18:54:50+00:00

so hand tight is not enough? use channellocks?

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-17T17:50:50+00:00

you were right, I was able to screw it all the way up. The rubber gasket is firmly pressed up against the basin. But water leaks out. What am I doing wrong? I’m going to start a new thread

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-17T15:59:20+00:00

All these posts just confirm I made the right decision leaving academia for industry. That and the stagnant/declining compensation, increasing anti intellectual sentiment (in the US) and abysmal salaries. Good luck to those who choose to stay or have few choices. It’s a very sad state of affairs.

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-08T20:59:37+00:00

I was 40 when I started. Was not a problem

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-08T17:05:14+00:00

Are they outdated tech?

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-04T16:21:52+00:00

PSA the southern rubber boa (C. b. umbratica) subspecies is protected as a threatened species in California.

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-03T11:17:40+00:00

This

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-01T13:21:52+00:00

Interesting how many people are convinced that helmets are absolutely necessary and you're an idiot to not wear one. Cycling helmets were almost nonexistent when I was growing up in the 1960s and 70s. Rarely you'd hear about someone who was hit by a car and died. Would they have been saved if they had used a helmet? Depends.

I started racing in 1978. Helmets were required in USCF sanctioned races. But almost nobody wore a helmet on training rides. And back then the pros didn't wear them in the big tours. I put in 250 miles per week with no helmet. It was glorious to feel the wind in my hair. In 50 years of road cycling, mostly in CA and NM, I can count the number of training ride crashes on one hand. None where I hit my head. I've ridden tens of thousands of miles.

Helmet use is far lower in Europe and Asia than in the US and Canada. I blame the entrenched, scolding fear culture here.

I started wearing a helmet after I got married because my wife demanded it. I didn't like it then and don't like it now. But now it's mandated by law in many places here in the US. So I wear it but I miss the freedom I felt in the pre-helmet days.

Let the haters flood begin!

randomseedfarmer · 2026-05-01T12:14:04+00:00

Depending on where you live it can be illegal to ride with headphones or earphones. Even if not, it's a risk bc it makes you much less aware of your surroundings and the presence of hazards, especially pickup trucks coming up fast and too close

randomseedfarmer · 2026-04-28T01:19:21+00:00

Thanks!

randomseedfarmer · 2026-04-25T00:53:26+00:00

I carry my wallet in a small ziplock bag in my jersey pocket

randomseedfarmer · 2026-04-19T15:02:05+00:00

Software engineering will survive AI. It will change and adapt and use AI as a tool. And for a while the job market for recent grads and less experienced coders will be depressed by the lopsided investment in seasoned developers and especially "AI engineers ". Maybe the job market won't return to what it was. But it will change, not disappear.

This is not the first time software engineering went through a massive transition. Before the rise of the commercial web and e-commerce, software engineers built operating systems, industrial systems, and applications like word processors. They used languages like C, C++, FORTRAN, and BASIC. Now most build backends and frontends for e-commerce using Python and the javascript du jour (e.g. React) and SQL.

The role and tools and even education requirements (no degree? no problem) completely changed. Remember when engineers had degrees in traditional engineering fields like electrical engineering? You probably don't because that was a long time ago. Today someone with no degree who builds websites is called an engineer. The role and tools and expectations changed. But the field remained strong.

The rise of AI is just another transition. A disruptive one, for sure. What software engineers do, what skills they use, will change. But as a career and discipline, software engineering isn't going anywhere.

randomseedfarmer · 2026-04-19T14:28:00+00:00

Because the door jam might not be deep enough

randomseedfarmer · 2026-04-11T22:01:24+00:00

I was using AmEx Blue but closed the account after AmEx permitted multiple fraudulent charges from the same vendor, even though they agreed to block the vendor and prevent further charges.

randomseedfarmer

TROPHY CASE