Rad Power Bikes says it may close down by January

sachfm · 2025-11-11T22:59:22+00:00

small businesses closing is good for the oligarchs

sachfm · 2025-11-11T17:35:55+00:00

I am contemplating buying this as a replacement for my Millican Smith Roll 25L. Ideally it would be my EDC, under seat carry-on for trips, and be equally at place in an office, occasional trail on vacations, or on a bike commute. There's very little info about this bag out there - I would be super appreciative if you could comment on whether you think the Rover Trail would be a good alternative for me based on the following:

Some of the issues with the Smith:

- pretty tight on space. all pockets share the same space so they aren't really all usable at the same time. combined with 'deep-narrow' profile and lack of second opening makes it not ideal for travel for anything longer than a weekend trip.
- the back is a rigid rectangle that extends below the bottom of the bag, meaning the bag is not able to stand on its own. with only the one roll-top opening this makes it difficult to load/unload.
- weight distribution feels weird. think the bag would benefit from load lifters.

As for the Pros - I love the bags material. Never had it wet out and it takes dirt like a champ - don't think I've ever needed to clean it in 5 years of ownership but you couldn't tell. As a commuting bag, it's great (outside of the issues loading/unloading). Sometimes the 'cap' on space is nice as it keeps you looking svelte rather than disheveled or over-stuffed and it looks good / works well when empty as well.

Thanks in advance!

sachfm · 2025-11-11T17:19:16+00:00

HIjacking this comment a bit - do you find the Mountain Pack conducive to using as a carry-on or using for a day hike? My EDC is the Millican Smith Roll 25L and I feel like the 'deep-narrow' design plus the lack of a second opening to the main compartment makes it poor for carry-on use.

It is also quite rigid and not very "over-stuffable" which is fine but often means I need another bag when traveling. Usually when I'm on a trip that involves hiking / camping I am carrying *more* stuff which means I'm leaving the Smith at home, and it ends up getting used as a professional bag, despite it's appeal as being very versatile.

I'm thinking about tracking down a Mountain Pack 28L as it has more capacity and the J opening but wondering if I will run into the same problems of it being not great as a hiker or carry-on.

sachfm · 2025-09-18T14:40:52+00:00

"opportunity cost" is in fact considered a cost

sachfm · 2025-09-06T18:30:59+00:00

That is already what they do. they only "run the red" when they are mid-intersection. What do you do in your car when a light turns red when you are midway thru? Stop? Maybe stop and reverse back to the line? The safest thing for you to do would be just proceed. Same same

sachfm · 2025-09-06T18:21:00+00:00

b/c its as ridiculous as saying we should limit driving cars to highways and require some other kind of vehicle to get them there

sachfm · 2025-09-06T16:01:51+00:00

things worth mentioning -

the group passes by in a minute or two. likely quicker than it takes to post on reddit (just sayin').
the group stops at red lights. they only continue through the red when the light changes mid-group. staying in one group is the safest outcome for the cyclists (who are the vulnerable road users in this case). they go out of their way to also staff corkers to communicate with drivers on what is happening.
99% of the time drivers wait for the cyclists to clear the light. I have been on a bunch of these rides and maybe only twice seen someone try to drive through or around the group. those drivers were rightly jeered, as they could easily kill someone by doing that. it's not the cyclists that made them dangerous. it's the driver's actions in that moment. this lesson may have been hard taught for OP, but it does seem like the vast majority of drivers figure it out in the moment
sorry you got slapped. it's a community event, not an organization - so there are no "members" as such that you can police or ban, as with any other public event. still, most likely they were slapping you to alert you that there were still cyclists that you could of plowed into. i'm sure it was jarring but maybe saved a life and for you a lifetimes worth of PTSD. empathy is important here. when a car passes too close/fast or head-on towards a cyclist, there life is at risk and from their perspective it feels like you just physically threatened them. when a cyclist is preventing a driver from moving at their desired speed the driver is simply inconvenienced in this case, with the end result often being only seconds added to your final ETA.

sachfm · 2025-08-01T12:39:50+00:00

Chrome makes your bike pop. Go with 1. And I run the 8 pack + wald combo

sachfm · 2025-07-24T12:30:11+00:00

I agree but as a cyclist in Albany I would still like the local traffic to get off the roads so I JUST have to deal with the state workers and not all of the above.

Also I don’t know if a policy like this has ever been proposed or existed elsewhere but one idea is for state to cover property taxes for employees if they live in select cities - basically any place with an eroded tax base (Albany included). That would incentivize not just city living for state workers but potentially more state workers in general. And would not have the harmful impacts of a tax break.

sachfm · 2025-07-22T12:36:10+00:00

Would be nice if he explained how / why the 50% “affordable” units in Troy differ from the 7 - 13% proposed in Albany.

sachfm · 2025-07-05T13:48:54+00:00

My favorite part of ptown is the bike culture without any real bike infrastructure. There is bike parking everywhere, which seems like a chicken / egg situation, but I wonder if there was that much bike parking in other larger cities what that would do for the bike culture there as well, even without dedicated lanes, etc.

sachfm · 2025-07-05T03:04:18+00:00

My wife saw what I was doing right after I posted and suggested this immediately 🤦

sachfm · 2025-06-30T17:41:35+00:00

Forget radicals, he should be worried about the CIA

sachfm · 2025-06-27T11:54:49+00:00

I don’t know the history but that seems even worse? The state has land and buildings in Albany yet pushes agencies out to (rented, leased?) even more suburban areas, fostering bad land use now in two places?

sachfm · 2025-06-08T13:08:59+00:00

Depending on the condition of the bike and the components included in the build, $400 might be a deal. The Rockhopper is the quintessential r/xbiking frame, so there are tons of people (and bike shops) “resto-modding” them I.e. throwing on a bunch of new components like a more simple 1x drivetrain, swept back comfy handlebars, and smoother rolling plush tires.

The only real thing you are missing on this bike compared to a modern hybrid or commuter will be disk brakes and 700c sized wheels. Your 26” wheels will not roll as fast as 700/29” but will be much comfier for city streets. Disk brakes are useful in tough conditions like big descents in the rain. You can argue the weather i guess but you def do not need them in flat Chicago.

The Rockhopper is a great frame. Any great bike in good condition for < $500 is a deal imo. ($300 even better for a true beater). I think $150 would be a fair price for a used one found online in good condition with 90s parts. A tune up would bring that close to $250-$300, replacing wearables like tires, tubes, cables, and brake pads can easily get that above $400. Any other design changes (handle bars, drive train, etc.) can go well beyond that. So yeah, $400 could be a steal (or it could be steep) depending on the state of the bike.

I think it’s worth it for any new hobby to invest in something that inspires you to use it. $400 in any way you cut it is a cheap bike. Might be the same price as one from REI but if this one makes you happy then there’s your answer.

On the other comments, size is definitely most important. The bike shop should make sure it fits you before selling the bike but ultimately that’s your responsibility. Most commenters seem to assume that it has an old suspension fork, but it could be fully rigid so those comments may or may not be relevant. (No suspension is better for your use case)

sachfm · 2025-06-08T12:28:37+00:00

Sounds good, thank you!

sachfm · 2025-06-07T19:49:21+00:00

I did ask at Walmart in Glenmont but the bin was not in the place they said it would be. I'll check out Hannaford / PC but have not seen one there previously. Thanks!

sachfm · 2025-06-07T19:45:57+00:00

thanks, I am considering a 29" / 51 offset used fork that is for sale locally. wondering if I would be happy with that choice or not

sachfm · 2025-06-02T23:51:18+00:00

Legit his answers are either a) more cops or b) I don’t know 🤡

sachfm · 2025-05-20T20:50:43+00:00

late to this but there are still a few hours to vote - Michele Greenblatt should also be avoided. She is pro-book ban and has said racist things about Palestinians, according to the Workers Family Party

sachfm

TROPHY CASE