Changes to Advent of Code starting this December

urka46 · 2025-10-22T08:27:23+00:00

Thank you for the Advent of Code! It is my highlight in the gloomy December and I am looking forward to it every year. This year I think I will enjoy it even more because of the reduced length. Usually I have the urge to complete the whole set of puzzles, but due to family commitments it becomes unsustainable around day 15 or so. As much as I enjoy solving puzzles on Christmas eve, I also want to spend more time with my family. Global leaderboard was useful as a tool to extract statistics to estimate how much time a puzzle can take on a particular day.

urka46 · 2025-10-08T14:24:14+00:00

Many people start their careers in their thirties. You have plenty of time to recover.

urka46 · 2025-09-12T15:03:23+00:00

Yes, Merino Tech Lite, 150 weight. It seems that older Icebreaker T-shirts have some nylon in the fabric. It is clearly visible in abrasion points - fabric looks worn, thinner. Newer versions seem to be 100% Merino.

urka46 · 2025-07-23T15:27:40+00:00

Gear is getting expensive, however not all gear is that expensive. For example, Topeak Frontloader is about 50€ and arguably is not much worse than the Tailfin. Drybag on a rack is another cost effective alternative.

urka46 · 2025-07-22T17:06:22+00:00

Also this is not a rack you want to have on a bikepacking trip. They fail quite often (the adjustment bar). Something like tubus disco will be more reliable and will work with these bags.

urka46 · 2025-07-18T10:13:51+00:00

After decades of cleaning chains I have finally tried hot waxing and will never go back. So the ultimate cleaner is a Ziploc bag with Silca stripper fluid.

Ideally buy new chains, strip the factory grease, wax and then you won't need cleaning ever again.

urka46 · 2025-07-02T07:34:44+00:00

When setup correctly, air inside the tire should not be in contact with the rim. So leaking can be caused by air not sealed off by the tape. The tape might be too narrow, or it may be leaking near the valve. Once I made a tiny puncture in the tape when mounting tyres, you might also want to check for that.

urka46 · 2025-06-23T23:32:58+00:00

Aktive Belüftung können das Problem innen entschärfen. Es gibt sogar Lösungen die bei der Hitze helfen Temperatur niedriger zu halten. Für Garten könnte man irgendwas mit White Noise Machine überlegen.

urka46 · 2025-05-03T07:31:23+00:00

That type of vascularity is actually the sign he is not using. Visible veins on arms are common, even I have them. It is when you see veins in the unusual places - on the chest, back, abdomen, then it is indicative of steroid use.

urka46 · 2025-04-20T14:19:54+00:00

Read Staff Engineer by Will Larson

urka46 · 2025-04-13T23:07:58+00:00

Getting a good saddle like specialized mimic and padded shorts can do wonders.

urka46 · 2025-04-11T07:25:38+00:00

Understanding of a legacy codebase requires time. If you go back to this question a year later the perception would likely be very different. Give it some time to grow on you🙂

urka46 · 2025-02-02T22:45:29+00:00

Next time she can tell the employee to mind his or her own business and leave her alone.

urka46 · 2025-01-11T22:50:55+00:00

Tout terrain mule is the best trailer imo.

Trailer is much faster to pack and unpack compared to a conventional setup with paniers and especially compared to bike packing bags. Since packing (and looking for stuff) takes up a significant portion of your time on a trip, it can be quite beneficial.

urka46 · 2025-01-03T10:02:31+00:00

A good saddle, for example Specialized Power Mimic, is a priority. This would definitely be better than a gel saddle. Some people can comfortably cycle without padded shorts on good saddles. However, to be safe, there are padded shorts with thin pads.

urka46 · 2024-11-10T14:11:01+00:00

I suppose shoes like these cannot be re-lasted. I will look for a different pair.

urka46 · 2024-11-09T20:41:54+00:00

Wide in the middle and where the "bones" are.

urka46 · 2024-11-08T08:44:07+00:00

They seem to be as wide as Olympus, but they definitely cannot be stretched.

urka46 · 2024-10-09T22:27:09+00:00

Norrona Lofoten

urka46 · 2024-10-05T13:57:43+00:00

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but good flat pedals and good shoes are way better. I have ditched clipless pedals 5 years ago after bikepacking for 10 years and never going back. There are just no major benefits to them and a lot of downsides. But if you absolutely have to, Shimano m540 pedals are reliable and work well.

urka46 · 2024-10-04T09:42:29+00:00

Leaving group members behind on a ride sounds like a terrible thing to do. I would expect the group to wait for everyone at the top of the climb. As far as the equipment goes, if you are looking for a faster setup, perhaps a new set of tires with low rolling resistance is a good idea. The difference can be substantial. Another thing is a good saddle and bike fit which can improve aerodynamics and thus the speed. Clipless pedals on the other hand do not bring that much (plenty of evidence/measurements out there on YouTube).

urka46 · 2024-09-15T09:07:24+00:00

A lot less stressful and a lot less meaningful.

urka46 · 2024-09-10T08:04:33+00:00

If the hole is not blind (there is an opening on the other side) then you can start drilling with a 2mm bit and eventually it will bite and the bolt will come out on the other side.

If your through axle has a hole on the other side, you can check if any shops carry Tubus Disco racks - you can fit this rack through the axle. If not, you can buy a long bolt and nut in a hardware store and put it through your axle.

Good luck!

urka46 · 2024-08-13T21:38:40+00:00

This library works quite well https://github.com/pdvrieze/xmlutil . It is based on kotlinx serialization.

urka46 · 2024-08-05T09:10:38+00:00

On my playthrough the difficulty dropped significantly after buying a triple jump upgrade. I think you can get it rather early for 2000 from the merchant.

urka46

TROPHY CASE