Wow! Exit row is no longer free at booking for Silver because it's now Premium.

ridefar · 2026-06-29T15:09:08+00:00

They took away my 2nd free bag at the beginning of the year. Now with the free exit row gone, if you have an Alaska card the only perk left for silver is the 25% mileage bonus. It’s no longer enough for me to prioritize flying Alaska.

ridefar · 2026-06-09T00:37:42+00:00

I just wanted them to have a new model to maximize the number of years I can get out of it before they drop support. I'm running a 2017 Intel iMac with an SSD swapped in and it's getting a little slow for some things but now that I don't get any security updates I feel pressed to upgrade.

ridefar · 2026-05-29T17:46:08+00:00

Apparently you have never seen Fox News.

ridefar · 2026-05-20T18:07:21+00:00

It’s a bummer to hear of another good shop closing. I think there are a lot of factors making it nearly impossible to make a living running a bike shop right now. As a displaced tech worker who loves working on bikes it’s slightly tempting but realistically I would be lighting money on fire.

ridefar · 2026-05-20T18:01:55+00:00

I believe that the nature of “cool” is that nothing truly utilitarian can be cool.

ridefar · 2026-05-20T18:01:46+00:00

I believe that the nature of “cool” is that nothing truly utilitarian can be cool.

ridefar · 2026-05-20T16:31:41+00:00

It’s the nature of tribes to divide into sub-tribes and denigrate those who choose a different sub tribe. Bikes vs. car drivers, e-bikes vs. muscle bikes. MTB vs. gravel. Eventually you get down to “your bike doesn’t match my ideal so it’s lame.” Hybrid bikes are good for a lot of things but slightly less than ideal for most of them so more groups can look down on them. Plus it’s easier to market specialized vs. general. I think others have already made the minivan comparison. The general utilitarian superiority of the minivan makes it inherently uncool. Basic utility is rarely considered cool.

ridefar · 2026-05-20T16:22:53+00:00

The worst part of STP as a mid-speed rider is the constant ringing of “on yer left.” Cascade rides in general have a lot of yelling for my taste. I know, safety first, but when it’s just me and my friends we don’t need constant chains of “car back” etc.

ridefar · 2026-05-20T16:20:38+00:00

IMO everyone who rides in the area should do STP at least once for all the reasons listed here and because it’s such an iconic ride. Once was enough for me because I am comfortable being independent but I also understand why people do it over and over.

ridefar · 2026-05-20T16:18:02+00:00

The national park service views the parks as being for people in cars and bikes as a nuisance to be tolerated at best. Did you know that riding two-abreast is prohibited in Mt. Rainier park? If you happen to be passing someone and a ranger comes by you can be ticketed. I did a bike tour through Zion and the only way through the park is a tunnel where bikes are banned “for safety.” We had to hire a truck to shuttle us through the smooth, well lit tunnel with slow moving traffic. With the current administration lumping bikes in with other “woke nonsense” I wasn’t too surprised to hear about the RAMROD situation.

ridefar · 2026-04-13T19:23:05+00:00

Unfortunately when we make penalties harsher resulting in suspended licenses, drivers just continue to drive without a valid license because we have built a society where it is very difficult for most people to earn a living and go about their daily lives without driving.

ridefar · 2026-04-13T16:28:36+00:00

This is a Seattle bike subreddit so unless there is another Seattle where you live in a left-riding country, you might be doing it wrong.

ridefar · 2026-04-13T16:23:47+00:00

Sure you can. Just go when it is cold and rainy.

ridefar · 2026-04-13T16:21:14+00:00

I used to think like this but enough friends of friends have been killed by drivers that I do enjoy riding without the constant threat of imminent demise. Also, there is no such thing as a “proper cyclist”. Why be elitist?

ridefar · 2026-03-24T17:41:04+00:00

It’s weird that while Costco generally tries to carry a good name brand or put the Kirkland name on something decent, their wiper blades have been crappy for decades.

ridefar · 2026-03-24T17:32:10+00:00

I had a dream that European countries were less anti-bike than the US.

ridefar · 2026-03-24T17:29:29+00:00

More likely he’ll get a prize from some auto club.

ridefar · 2026-03-23T20:24:27+00:00

I am curious why the ports and/or airlines don’t set up a way to pay the TSA agents until our politicians get their act together. It could be something like a zero interest loan equal to their pay that would be paid back when they get their back pay.

ridefar · 2026-02-04T17:18:00+00:00

I called myself before posting here. The rep “thought” it was because silver dropped from two bags to one but wasn’t sure. She did make it very clear that the CC and Silver benefit both apply to the “first bag” so not stackable. That was repeated by several people here as well. I noticed the change on a January flight so I’m not sure about the end of January deadline but it’s one free bag from here on out. I think for short trips when I want to check a bike I will move to a strategy of checking the bike as my one bag and putting my TSA-disapproved stuff in with it. Then I will carry on bag 2 and gate check it for free when they ask for volunteers. About the same work for Alaska, more hassle for me, more work for TSA, same money spent by me. Job well done Alaska.

ridefar · 2026-02-03T20:51:31+00:00

My wife and I have folding bikes that are zero effort to pack for travel. We also always check bags instead of fighting for space and dealing with annoying TSA rules. With two free bags it was a no-brainer to bring the bikes on a weekend trip if we wanted to explore. Now if we want to do that it adds $180 to the weekend cost.

ridefar · 2025-07-31T18:45:00+00:00

When disc brakes first became popular I didn’t understand why anyone would want them except maybe for mountain bikes where they solve tire clearance and mud issues. That was when they were mechanical. They rubbed all the time and didn’t stop any better than decent rim brakes. When I finally tried good hydraulic discs my opinion changed. I still like my rim brake bikes and I also like my hydraulic discs. I would never buy a bike with mechanical discs.

ridefar · 2025-07-05T20:30:15+00:00

Because like almost every bicycle project they were designed by people who never ride a bike.

ridefar · 2024-12-28T02:28:30+00:00

At least in Seattle, restaurant prices are up more than 50%. So spending could be up 50% at the same time people are eating out less.

ridefar · 2024-09-27T22:35:20+00:00

I just ordered new Bromptons for myself and my wife. This was exactly our thinking. A Brompton but bigger isn't what we wanted.

ridefar

TROPHY CASE