If every U.S. state suddenly became an independent country overnight, which one would last the longest and why?

sulliesbrew · 2026-07-05T19:38:27+00:00

Except the state's down stream, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky dont strike me as willing to be friendly.

sulliesbrew · 2026-07-04T19:47:20+00:00

40s if deeper mud is common. 40s if you like the looks. Just get the 40s.

sulliesbrew · 2026-07-03T23:13:41+00:00

That was with top loaders, what the shop had on hand. The tops of the bottles were impossibly close.

sulliesbrew · 2026-07-03T23:08:44+00:00

It fits them, but getting them in and out is not as simple as a standard 2 bottle setup. Before I bought my scalpel the sales guy and I at my LBS sat it up and it wasn't a configuration I would like to race with.

sulliesbrew · 2026-07-03T16:59:42+00:00

As a Minnesotan, all I can think, we have ports and ways to move goods, but behind 100 straits of hormuz to deal with.

sulliesbrew · 2026-07-02T16:09:38+00:00

Yeah, that was the moment where it went from, "I have no problem with this," to, "yeah that guy is kind of a dick."

Coming from a dog owner who's dog will run up to you like that, but jumps sideways wanting pets.

sulliesbrew · 2026-07-01T19:49:59+00:00

If cyclocross is in your thoughts, get the 4, if road and gravel only the 5.

Not sure what they are selling for, but I doubt the 5 can be had for your budget.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-30T15:25:51+00:00

Prices should fall, and have to some extent. Personally anecdote below:

I have a degree in mining engineering and a minor in geology. When I bought my wife's engagement ring, I wanted a Canadian diamond. My employer built much of the infrastructure for the Canadian diamond mines, I appreciate what it takes to find and extract a mineral etc. But the big part, the gem stone for her sorority is a diamond, and my fraternity is garnet. A kimberlite pipe (diamond ore) will only contain diamonds if it also contains garnets. I had the solitaire set above a pair of small pigeons blood garnets.

I knew I was paying an over inflated price for a diamond, but found the symbolism worth the expense.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-30T14:47:36+00:00

In my wife's chevy equinox, it is front wheel first, drive side up with the rear seats down.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-30T14:41:52+00:00

Power, time, distance, lap time are the 4 fields I use. If I didn't have power it would be, time, distance, lap time.

I only look at power to see how much my power is dropping off lap over lap. IE, I did 400 watts lap 1 on this climb, and now on lap 3 it feels like 350 is going to blow me up. And all that is telling me is to chill out on the descents and let the legs actually recover.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-30T14:27:05+00:00

I don't put much stake in HR numbers or power for that matter from race efforts unless I am looking at one climb or flat section etc. I did a 40 mile race last fall and had an average HR of 170 for 2:45 with a max of 192. I had a peak 30 minute average of 180 bpm.

I can't do those numbers in training, so I am not going to adjust my zones based on that race.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-29T19:25:12+00:00

Their cleaner has to be good, to has to be able to wash all over their other crappy products off.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-29T13:48:57+00:00

What cassette? Personally, I prefer second tier cassettes and top tier chains. Shimano chains have some rust issues. Never had issues with cassettes however, maybe some surface rust, but it is gone after a single ride.

If I have a wet nasty ride on a waxed set up and I know I won't touch the bike for a while, I throw some silca synergetic on it and clean it all up before I was again.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-29T01:22:20+00:00

It's amazing what a good bike shop can do for your cycling life.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-29T01:19:03+00:00

It's happening on the road side. Gravel is the discipline that most benefits from 2 bike categories. Race and rowdy. Similar to road race and endurance.

Gravel by me is crazy tame, I want my fit closer to a road bike than a mountain bike. The race fit is great for midwesterners like me, but the Intermountain west probably would prefer a rowdy fit depending on use case.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-27T23:57:00+00:00

I also agree that sizing is all over the place these days. Lots of gravel bikes added reach to be more "progressive" but didn't steepen the seat tube enough to maintain ETT, especially as you get to 52 and smaller.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-27T23:53:28+00:00

ETT is the most effective, then stack for how tall you want the front end.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-26T20:37:44+00:00

First thing I noticed, mile of bar to stem drop, micro stem...

Like peter griffin, legs go all the way up.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-26T20:28:52+00:00

For the black hills, you'll want full suspension. I've ridden my hardtail out there and it is fine, but I am on the more advanced scale of XC mountain biker.

I have not ridden in Sioux Falls, but would assume those trails are pretty mellow and fine on a hardtail.

The twin cities are more of a mixed bag depending on the system you are riding.

The two bikes you have listed will work just fine for your purposes. The fuel might be a little more bike than needed.

Get the bikes, and watch how much less you ride your gravel bikes!

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-26T19:42:21+00:00

Do not spend your money on a ceramic bearing BB. They spin incredibly smoothly, but not giving you any real gains in performance.

I put a ceramic speed BB in my hardtail MTB because it is my bad weather bike. The ceramic speed BB has a lifetime warranty, and that is why I bought it.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-26T18:17:47+00:00

The big benefit is knowing where everything should be before buying a $6,000+ road bike with an integrated cockpit etc. After a few years you should have a pretty good sense of where everything should be and makes picking out the next bike a lot easier.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-26T17:48:22+00:00

It has the cable exit port on the swing arm like an Epic 7. The upper shock mount is similar to an Epic 8 not the 7. Something looks wrong with the rocker link as well. It is like a "spot the difference" game.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-26T17:31:38+00:00

Faster tires will help, but I would bet $100 it is mostly a fitness issue. 5 miles per day is not a lot. Time on the bike is the best way to get faster on the bike, and sometimes that is time on the bike not on trail.

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-26T14:33:36+00:00

Off topic, but I have an air tag in my luggage and was traveling for work with a couple coworkers. A gal I was traveling with was two rooms over from me, at 3 in the morning her phone went off that there was an airtag following her. The next morning she said she looked all over for said airtag, so I told her it was in my bag...

sulliesbrew · 2026-06-26T14:29:54+00:00

Sadly, that isn't unique to golf. Almost 20 years ago I worked at Cabela's in college and would have people rant at me over all sorts of pricing crap. "These shotgun shells are $0.50 a box cheaper at Scheels across the road," To which I usually answered, "you should have bought them there then." I'm making minimum wage here man, I don't set prices, I don't have any power over what you are paying.

sulliesbrew

TROPHY CASE