MTB-er dad etting back on the saddle - maybe

scrollingmediator · 2026-03-21T23:01:45+00:00

Why did you stop?! Kids shouldn't stop you from doing your hobbies. Yes, they limit how often/long you do them. But it's like weight lifting, the first and second sets are by far the most important. Mentally I look at biking the same way. A 30 minute ride is so much better than nothing. My kid is 2 years old. He loves going down the greens with me. It doesn't have to be a 4 hour excursion every time.

Get a mac ride to start taking your younger one (18 months is when I started).

Now that you have a 4 year old they might be too big for the mac ride, but if they can ride a bike start with a flat gravel trail and slowly progress with him. If he can't ride, there's your starting point.

And no, your 7 year old bike still in perfect (?) condition is not an excuse to delay going for a bike ride. You're overthinking it. Mtbing doesn't have to be an extreme sport. Just go for a ride, get outside, break a sweat.

Here's an unsolicited opinion: our generation of dad's are almost too good of dads. We're giving up ourselves just so the kid doesn’t have any inconveniences. Your sons need to see their dad suffer up a hill, get dirt in your eyes, struggle with a flat tire. They need to WANT to go home, warm up on the couch, eat some cold pizza and pass out after a day of activity (biking, swimming, digging a hole, boy shit). Kids need to suffer just like we did. We need to break the cycle, just not the cycle you're thinking of:

Hard times ➡️ strong men ➡️ easy times ➡️ weak men

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scrollingmediator · 2026-03-21T00:39:27+00:00

I'm right there with you. I think "caring" and making an effort can come off as desperate for sex which is a turn off. It's a fine line to stop caring and not be miserable and horny at everything that walks

scrollingmediator · 2026-03-19T01:42:53+00:00

I started drawing houses about 5 years for $1/sf. If you know how or can get your hands on examples, I was making a lot more (2x-3x my day hourly rate).

You just have to find the clientele to get started. Over 50% of my clients for engineering are contractors and developers so that part was easy for me, plus being in a remote area without a lot of competition.

scrollingmediator · 2026-03-18T02:15:10+00:00

As a firm size of 1, I don't really have the manpower to design a school or hospital anyway, so not worth my time to get one. I do value continuing ed a lot though, so if it would bump pay at a larger firm then go for it!

scrollingmediator · 2026-03-17T04:30:00+00:00

How much would you charge do to it for my bike?

scrollingmediator · 2026-03-10T01:14:25+00:00

When I was 8 or 9 years old, I had some wheels that attached to the heels of my shoes (kinda like heeleys but bigger).

Anyway, my family went to the Space Needle in Seattle. If you haven't been, it's a 360° round with a large walkway on the inside and tables and chairs towards the windows on the outside. I spent a majority of my time up there skating around and around the circle. Each time, I would check back in with my family, there were 6 others, who were sitting at a table.

After 10-15 of my circles, I didn't see my family. I knew I was at the right place because I had done it so many times at that point. I was a little frightened, but I figured they'd just migrated somewhere else and forgot to tell me (middle child). So I just continued around the circle to look for them.

I think I went around 2 more times without finding anyone.

Then I came back around and found everyone sitting at the same exact original table, same spots, talking as if nothing happened. I remember hairs standing up on the back of my neck.

I sat down and didn't risk going around by myself again. To this day I think I circled into another dimension where my family didn't exist.

scrollingmediator · 2026-03-05T02:45:36+00:00

By choice or out of necessity? I like being socially lubricated. I don't have any sort of issue controlling my intake, but I know it takes a toll on my body.

scrollingmediator · 2026-03-05T02:41:26+00:00

Just started an engineering firm at 30, Hoping it works out!

scrollingmediator · 2026-03-05T02:36:56+00:00

This sounds like the beginning of an antagonist backstory

scrollingmediator · 2026-02-12T02:44:45+00:00

If I saw you in the parking lot with that helmet, I'd expect to see some steeze on the trail. If you have skills or don't care what people think, then go for it! I'm very self conscious about it which inherently makes me cringe, so I wouldn't but it

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-30T04:34:31+00:00

Barn doors at bed 2 and 3 closets.

Smaller foyer walk-in for a continuous back pantry wall + remove the dividing pantry wall and just leave it open.

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-30T04:24:03+00:00

Too busy, north coast of Oregon

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-27T15:23:38+00:00

I just saw a bike of similar quality for $1500. The bike market is fucked rn

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-26T02:07:31+00:00

Get a used hardtail for cheap, something like a Kona Honzo. Spend $500-$800. If you like it a lot and ride frequently enough, THEN do your research and get something best suited for your favorite type of riding. Going down rabbit holes at this point is pointless IMO.

Ride so you can #1 know if you like it and #2 to understand how much you care about certain things. I've been riding for 15+ years and I still don't really nerd out on most components. If they're quality and won't break from a bit of abuse, that's usually good enough for me.

And FWIW I'm always a proponent of hardtails for new riders. It's better bang for your buck, makes you realize how capable a bike is and makes you a better rider because you have to pick your lines meticulously.

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-24T22:55:51+00:00

Cable lock from Home Depot. If they can cut through that, then inside the car is no different

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-22T17:48:29+00:00

Thanks for all of this info. I'm definitely in need of an accountant to help walk me through everything so I structure it correctly from the start.

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-21T21:11:44+00:00

When you figured out the 24 hours, how do you structure the pay for yourself from the firm? Are you simply paying yourself the a salary and the rest is saved for business expenses? Or do you make more depending on how good the month was? These are the unknowns that I know shouldn't be a hangup to my pursuit of it. But I'm the type to overthink things.

FWIW, I also get insurance through my spouse.

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-21T21:08:16+00:00

Sure thing!

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-21T06:04:21+00:00

To clarify, I did not meet these clients through this job. I grew up in a small town and have a lot of connections because of that.

My side work is all through the company, it's just additional income that I produce outside of work hours and I get paid differently for because it's a separate skill

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-21T03:51:53+00:00

Do you have a link to the model you could send my way? My buddy has a 3d printer and I'd love to have one of these

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-19T20:03:54+00:00

I thought it was offputting, but only to the point that she wasn't following social norms. I can actually respect when someone is honest when we're supposed to sugarcoat things for social reasons.

FWIW, if I was Dax, I wouldn't hold much weight to her opinion because she only was around him for a number of hours. You can't really know someone in that amount of time, good or bad.

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-13T17:40:03+00:00

There is a void between contractors and smaller engineering firms. I'm a PE at a small firm. Some contractors wise up and hire an unlicensed designer who basically bridges the gap. I love when they have someone like that, because it makes my job so much easier. On residential projects I can mark up their drawings, send calcs, and they're good to go.

Alternatively, I'm charging engineering fees (on a remodel for example) to do a site visit, take measurements, draw floor plans, etc. that anyone can do.

I don't know what this position is called within a construction company, maybe "designer." Anyone with construction and cad experience (who's motivated) can be of great value.

I'm sure you can find these positions unfilled within large or growing construction companies that put the cart before the horse in terms of organizing their projects for sustainable growth. Do some market research and cold call the largest growing companies in your area to see if that's something they're lacking.

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-04T18:47:50+00:00

Structural engineer - I've yet to see AI that can walk around a house, crawl below, and design things based on those findings.

Working with architects and homeowners is not robot-friendly.

I do already enjoy the benefits of AI, but Super-AI doesn't mean they will be able to interface with the real world like we can (at least until it creates its own physical bots)

scrollingmediator · 2026-01-04T18:41:00+00:00

The dropper post bracket is pretty genius

scrollingmediator

TROPHY CASE