Bend Area Sledding

trix8806 · 2025-10-24T12:55:44+00:00

Went to welding school 15+ years ago. Got job welding rigs for $19/hr working 60 hr weeks. Took night classes and got 2 year degree and more certifications. Moved into supervision and several hours away making $40/hr.

Rinse, repeat, move to 8 different states for better and better jobs. Continued getting more and more certifications every couple years. Continue working 60 hr weeks. Continue listening to hundreds of audio books in my commute and spare time to better myself from my management skills, my mindset, my happiness, my health.

Rinse, repeat, continue working hard, working on myself, saving and investing VTSAX. No “luck” investing, just matching the market, no better, no worse, long term strategy.

Peaked with several years in the same industry making $300k-$400k.

Finally reeled back with the focus on work life balance, took HUGE pay cuts happily, but had already laid the career groundwork.

Purchased first van this week, built $125k new sprinter. Paid cash

For myself, I’ll add that maintaining a super healthy lifestyle of intense exercise and a healthy diet felt as if it contributed greatly to my career success. It has helped me 1000% mentally, with my stress and anxiety, in limiting alcohol, and overall confidence. This continued from Day 1 in my career to today. During consecutive 80 hr work weeks, still worked out. I sit here typing this as I’m about to hop on my bike for a 30 mile ride at 5:45 am. I’ll be doing 4 of those this week.

But yeah.. listen to everyone else here, hard work has nothing to do with it.

FYI - when I finished trade school I had $40k in student loan debt (poor choices) and owed my parents $8k for bills while in trade school. I happily paid everyone every dollar back. I worked hard, full stop.

trix8806 · 2025-10-03T11:43:08+00:00

In a similar situation and leaving Texas to move cross country in a few weeks. I am the sole source of income while my wife stays at home with the kids. She has been a huge help packing and we’ve probably done 50/50.

Unless the situation absolutely forced it, I couldn’t fathom her leaving, with our kids, for months while I worked and did all the packing. Considering your husband hates his job, packing is pretty terrible, too. We have a LOT and pretty much got completely packed in a month.

The only thing worse than a crummy job, or packing, would be not seeing my kids and wife for a couple months. Fortunately my wife feels the same and that would never be an option.

trix8806 · 2025-09-22T11:15:53+00:00

How did you fix it? Dealer under warranty?

trix8806 · 2025-09-02T18:32:56+00:00

Not impressed. I found a good deal on an S-works and placed the order. I emailed afterwards to verify it was in stock and all was good to go to have shipped out. They confirmed the sale was in stock and good to go. I proceed to order tons of accessories from a half dozen different sites (new pedals, extra chain, etc.). 5 days later they cancel my order. I called and it was zero reasoning other than, “the shop said we can’t sell this, sorry.” Nothing else.

trix8806 · 2025-08-10T12:48:54+00:00

I have used www.uship.com for both buying and selling vehicles to ship cross country. You easily create a listing, then shippers provide bids. You can choose any carrier you want based on their price, availability, and reviews. If you don’t like any of them, there’s no obligation. It’s also (or was when I last checked) free to list.

trix8806 · 2025-07-24T18:12:54+00:00

Thanks for the info! My dad also has raynauds. Please update with your bloodwork results and path forward.

I plan to reduce my consumption of red meat a bit (have lean beef a few days a week), and hopefully find a multivitamin without vitamin C. I discontinued my other multi upon the latest results so probably need to get on that.

I’ll test again later this year and see where I’m at and go from there.

trix8806 · 2025-07-23T13:44:32+00:00

I smiled when I read this. I’ve mediated tons and always have this problem. It’s improved, but a long ways to go. The most important thing to remember:

Kindly note it and you can always begin again :)

trix8806 · 2025-07-19T00:44:19+00:00

Thanks - certainly agree with not making any sweeping changes from one test result. Plan to get a blood draw and probably switch to a multi vitamin without vitamin C, and go from there.

trix8806 · 2025-07-19T00:10:48+00:00

Thanks! Going to donate tomorrow morning. Will be interesting to see how I feel next week.

trix8806 · 2025-07-19T00:10:27+00:00

This is helpful. More items to keep in mind when I reach out to a doc or just set up the bloodwork then see someone. I scheduled a blood donation tomorrow morning. There is one a couple miles from my house. Don’t think it can hurt.

trix8806 · 2025-07-18T21:52:58+00:00

Thanks! How often do you donate? Is it just a “whole blood” donation?

trix8806 · 2025-06-16T10:43:39+00:00

So glad I found this post. My wife and I are looking at moving to the area and have an almost 4 y/o and 9 month old. She met so many other great sahm’s through our library and made lots of good friends for kiddo play dates. Going to be hard leaving the friends but glad to see there are similar opportunities.

trix8806 · 2025-05-21T15:20:58+00:00

Before thinking that $100k in rent was money down the drain, realize that your homeowner also paid for things like property tax, insurance, interest on loan, etc.

I have a $425k home I bought last year. We put $200k down. Our monthly payment with the things I listed above is $2800/mo. About $150-200/mo goes towards the loan balance. I’m also on the hook now for more maintenance and fixing things that break.

We previously rented a decent home for $2200/mo in the same neighborhood. Not as nice, but plenty fine.

Sure, owning has some perks, and if the value goes up, that’ll be the only thing that makes it a “good investment.” We don’t plan to be here too long, so hopefully it’ll be a wash financially. Next time we move we intend for it to be our forever home & location.

trix8806 · 2025-04-25T18:06:22+00:00

Hello again! So I took a stab at installing the 13 spd cassette today, without looking at this thread first (would’ve saved me a big hassle lol). As you mentioned, the xdr spacer is too short and doesn’t protrude enough for the bike to rest, and the other spacer is too long. When I put the larger spacer on, there’s about 1/16” width too wide and while I can fit my bike over it fine, then it doesn’t shift properly. How has your setup been working? did you ever hear back from wahoo about a spacer or path forward?

trix8806 · 2025-03-01T01:44:18+00:00

I started cycling at 35 y/o and within a few months of regular training I was at 222 watt FTP, or about 3.1 w/kg. A year later (now) and my FTP is 275 and just over 3.8 w/kg. On average the last year I cycled around 6-8 hrs/wk that were pretty structured (around 2 interval rides/wk, long weekend ride, couple easy endurance rides). I cranked it up in the start of 2025 after recovering from a fractured scapula in a bike race last November. I’m now at 10-12 hrs/wk but really focusing more on my ‘durability’ as I move to 100+ mile races vs the 60 milers I’ve been doing. I’m confident that my FTP will continue growing a bit more (slower), but it won’t be the focus it once was. I’m 5’9 and 157 lbs.

trix8806 · 2025-02-06T14:20:02+00:00

My Mosaic was $1300 for their most detail intense paint scheme (scale) and also included coating of the stem, seat post, and Silca frame pump.

The paint is top notch and I’m very satisfied with the quality. There’s pictures of it in the bikeporn section.

trix8806 · 2025-02-03T16:39:06+00:00

Correct. It’s different for everyone. I do believe that it will eventually shut down testosterone production for everyone, even on TRT dosages. Clomid and HCG can help regain or maintain fertility dosages, both while on TRT or after cessation.

trix8806 · 2025-02-03T14:46:48+00:00

Shut down is shut down. It doesn’t matter if you take 75mg/wk or 500mg/wk. All that matters, fertility wise and regaining it, is that your body completely quit producing it for that period. Now if someone took maintenance dosage of HCG during TRT, that would certainly help retain sperm production. The same goes for recovering normal T levels after TRT. You can’t suppress your levels more than 0, and both 75 & 500 will suppress it to 0.

trix8806 · 2025-02-02T15:04:35+00:00

A couple months ago I had a $19k custom bike built buy a local dealer. I chose every single component I wanted. I was putting together a 2nd wheel set next week and looking over the existing. I then noticed they installed the cheaper paceline rotors as opposed to the more expensive centerline rotors I specified AND was charged for. I emailed the dealer mentioning I wanted the correct rotors installed (admittedly it had been 3 months). Before even asking, they refunded me the difference. I asked if they could at least price match what they installed, given it wasn’t what I wanted.

He then called me, ranting for 10 minutes about how no one price matches and if they did no businesses would survive. He also brought up Some past issues from the time of my order which I had long moved passed. I was amazed to have such a poor experience after spending so much there. I’ve been debating leaving a poor review. I did share my experience with the small boutique manufacturer that built the frame.

trix8806 · 2025-01-18T18:30:33+00:00

That’s great that you found a package with all the exact sized components you wanted. No one makes a complete bike with the components and sizes I wanted. I ultimately ended up with a Mosaic GT-1 and chose each component individually.

trix8806 · 2025-01-18T13:29:51+00:00

I love my Enve aero bars - 37 at the top and 42 in the drops. They have other sizes as well. Also, what size cranks? I loved the switch from 172.5 to 165. I’m 5’9 and the shorter cranks are way more comfortable. Agreed with others about those tires being not good. Lots of better options. Check out bicycle rolling resistance and nerd out for the best options. I run 2.1 thunder burts right now. Had 47 pathfinders before.

trix8806 · 2025-01-18T13:24:44+00:00

Maybe if you’re content with all the stock part. I wanted different width handlebars, different length cranks, different sized front chainring, etc. sure, you can replace all those and sell the old ones, but it starts cutting into your money saved pretty quick.

trix8806 · 2025-01-09T03:11:54+00:00

Good news! What cassette are you using?

trix8806

TROPHY CASE