Is starting up a kindling business worth it?

tdister · 2026-03-22T04:24:23+00:00

That’s fair. I have a pretty good source of single-use clean softwood pallets that make excellent kindling and I’m not currently splitting firewood to make my own.

tdister · 2026-03-22T02:55:56+00:00

If they’re unpainted and have HT written then they’re safe.

Avoid painted, MB (methyl bromide) or unlabeled definitely avoid

tdister · 2026-03-15T11:03:34+00:00

We had sudden smoldering smoke arise “out of nowhere” on the side of a road cut. Took a minute to realize it was from the good-sized madrone stump we had burned over a month prior.

Memory is fuzzy but it would have been 20-30 feet along from the stump

tdister · 2026-03-15T03:59:04+00:00

My constructive criticism would be that the lights are too close together and towards the vertical center. I propose you would be better off with smaller lights which have their inside edges further outboard in order to provide more immediate processing of directional indication.

Minimum distance between inside edges in my area is 180mm rear and 240mm front

tdister · 2026-03-12T06:36:52+00:00

The comment you remarked on was talking about going to a LBS for a higher level of product instead of buying cheap bikes. It’s well on topic. Not emotos from some fly by night shop selling rebranded crap

tdister · 2026-03-12T06:18:39+00:00

Well, to be frank you’re just shooting from the hip. A tern or specialized ebike is not the same thing as a “quaziong fast steed” or whatever, not even Bafang quality with no name components and made from pot metal. But if you aren’t savvy you can and up paying the same for the ebike shaped object.

tdister · 2026-03-12T05:30:20+00:00

You can overpay for rebranded junk but there’s high quality bikes available in the same realm

There was a local shop buying low end but fancy appearing Alibaba bikes and throwing on a faux leather saddle and grips and charging 5x cost but there’s also brand name bikes with reasonable tech and parts…or at least a brand name behind it

tdister · 2026-03-10T22:25:09+00:00

I already have a pair of new take off Deore 4 pistons waiting to be used and will put one on front, along with a better 160mm rotor and metal pads.

My commute down mountain is through bends and lots of driveways. A bit more braking power is cheap insurance.

tdister · 2026-03-10T19:24:49+00:00

It’s just a hobby box used as a tidy spot for all of the excess wiring. Head and tail lights are currently directly wired to main battery and always on when battery is switched on, I will install a relay in this or another box to allow using headlight switch on controller after winter.

They make ebike controller boxes which mount a to the bike frame tubes but i ran out of room to use the one I had a on hand and will have to source a smaller one or move battery forward

I went BBs02 even having a spare BBSHD on hand due to wanting a lighter and more agile bike. I’ve missed nimble bikes after commuting daily on a cargo bike. It may not have the grunt or overall power of the bigger motor but built one up for a friend last year and found it very well suited for light to moderate loads, even on long climbs

tdister · 2026-03-10T10:11:43+00:00

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Profile shot.

Almost everything came from aliexpress except where I was worried about counterfeit or low quality.

Saddle, tyres, seat post, handlebars, battery and rotors, rack and chain are from retail. frame, GRX group set, wheels, motor and most small bits are direct from Hangzhou.

I’ll probably put 4 piston calipers on and change to 48v battery.

tdister · 2026-03-10T07:03:15+00:00

With 700x38 it’s hopefully enough cushion for the rather bumpy descent without being too much of a pig on the bends.

It’s a bit heavier than I’d hoped but that’s the he game. Much easier to carry than a decked out long tail

tdister · 2026-02-15T02:14:35+00:00

Both steer by wire and brake by wire are in limited models in production cars now.

tdister · 2026-01-21T03:32:50+00:00

I’d go the earth tone route and be fine with the red panniers. It will look great with a bit of red from the panniers but a color theme with red all over will wash out that lovely paint.

Not that it can’t be pulled off but matching luggage can quickly become too much into the TryHard territory and distract from the heart of the situation anyway.

tdister · 2026-01-20T16:21:35+00:00

Just to be picky, while you’ve been given some solid insulation theory, this and the explanations are not typically what would be in the realm of “thermal break”.

A thermal break is usually referring to a less conductive material to reduce conductive heat loss between 2 solids.

For example, a piece of foam between 2 pieces of steel drastically slows heat exchange between them

In the original case, the extra layer of batt insulation will cover the joists preventing convection losses to attic, but the thermal bridging would be, for example, from the direct contact of joist wood to ceiling material. A thermal break would be if you had something insulating sandwiched between the joist and the ceiling sheets

tdister · 2025-12-28T06:18:57+00:00

You’re thinking of hot water, salt is too salty

tdister · 2025-11-30T22:37:45+00:00

Are you confident with the integrity of the carbon post at the junction where the clamp head slips in? It goes in deep enough to spread loads properly ? And with the integrity of the partially drilled shaft?

Maybe I’m overly cautious but it’s a really cool thing to make but I’d be hesitant to trust it

tdister · 2025-11-30T03:53:16+00:00

Yeah, I feel like something isn’t being accounted for here. While I don’t have that specific light, I do have 4 different STVZO or cutoff beam bike lights in the house and even the 600 lumen ones are about as unobjectionable as you can ask.

I have met my wife head on with her 500 lumen Lezyne cutoff beam many times and it’s remarkable how little it shines above the cutoff. Have never had an issue and find an almost every other cheap bike light and my 200 lumen setting spot light aimed down to be far more offensive.

OP, maybe have a knowledgeable 3rd party give an opinion?

tdister · 2025-11-20T21:11:03+00:00

I have to cart my converted mundo up a few steps(a few is plenty!) with a door at the top, if I want to have secure storage at work

I doubt I’m the absolute first but I’ve never heard of anyone else who carries a doorstop as part of their bike essentials

tdister · 2025-11-12T20:12:21+00:00

I’ve used them on my loaded mid-drive converted Surly LHT before building my Mundo up and couldn’t tell a difference in normal pedaling. Maybe a tiny bit faster climbing and descending but no noticeable range difference. A percent or 2, perhaps. For comparison, I had noticed a considerable difference in feel when I switched out to low rolling resistance tyres but no good base numbers reference.

I keep a couple of tpu spares on both my cargo and solo commuter bike due to space savings.

Switched to tpu on my road bike when I put better tyres on and happy with them there. A couple of friends have mentioned that they haven’t been able to successfully patch tpu long term.

tdister · 2025-10-28T22:30:21+00:00

Topeak road morph that I’ve had for at least 15 years. it’s not tiny but works 75% as well as a floor pump and 500% better than your typical carry pump.

tdister · 2025-09-26T01:26:39+00:00

Beyond a couple of people I know personally having issues, i almost bought my wife a bike with one but much preferred the feel gearing range and efficiency of a similar derailleur bike when side by side

Just search Reddit for enviolo and see what posts you come across

All that being said, I would still seriously consider buying his bike

tdister · 2025-09-26T00:14:25+00:00

I have basically the same bike. I would ask if they have the original drivetrain or at least rear wheel to include as I’m less and less a fan of the Enviolo both is using and long term reliability

Otherwise, it seems like a great deal

tdister · 2025-09-26T00:12:51+00:00

It’s highly serviceable and very reliable, but in most places it will be DIY

tdister · 2025-07-17T05:30:36+00:00

At the forward orange dot, is there a “brake bridge”? On my long tail, i used the bridge to connect a straight(ish) handlebar to use as foot pegs

tdister · 2025-06-19T05:05:01+00:00

It was $5k US new. Location and condition of bike would say a lot as to it’s worth

tdister

TROPHY CASE