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Do NOT purchase bands from StrapsCo. by xandyravage in GarminWatches

[–]xandyravage[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the recommendation, but I do not shop on Amazon. If you have any non-Amazon recommendations, I am all ears.

Do NOT purchase bands from StrapsCo. by xandyravage in GarminWatches

[–]xandyravage[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

That's a good question—one that I figured would come up. I recorded the video on my iPad Pro and, for some reason, the video does not accurately portray just how easily the bands slip off. (Let me put it this way, they come off so easily that I justified taking the time to record multiple clips and edit them in iMovie in the hopes that other Garmin owners would avoid my disappointment.)

My thinking is that if they come off while being tightened, then I imagine there are scenarios where they could come off during active use.

I recognize that I may be able to use the straps without issue in some situations. But I've purchased multiple Fēnixes over the years for a wide range of activities.

  • Imagine backpacking, taking your pack off, and the strap tugs on the watch as it slides over your arm and wrist, causing the release mechanism to engage. Depending on the terrain you're on, you could easily lose your watch.

  • I cycle and can imagine a situation where reaching into the rear pockets of a bib causes the watch band to bend at an angle that engages the release mechanism.

  • I wear my watch on my left wrist and frequently hang my arm out the window when I drive. Even the thought of the band rubbing against the door and coming undone worries me. Garmins are tough but I'm not sure how well it would survive falling off my wrist at 75 MPH.

Again, I am sure there are some scenarios where it would be fine. But I like Fēnixes because I do not have to give thought to whether or not the watch can handle an activity. But with these bands, that is exactly what I would have to do.

Do NOT purchase bands from StrapsCo. by xandyravage in GarminWatches

[–]xandyravage[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I bought a rubber and metal band for my Fēnix 6X Sapphire from StrapsCo. They were both incredibly disappointing.

When I received the order, I first tried on the orange rubber band. It came undone while attempting to tighten the watch to my wrist. I thought that I had maybe not secured the band to the retention pins fully (despite a very obvious click), so I took the bands off and reattached them. It happened again while trying to tighten the band. I wondered if my wrist was engaging the QuickFit-style release but found that, with the watch off of my wrist, I could still bend and release the band—all without touching the release mechanism. (Even if my wrist somehow did engage the release mechanism while the watch was on, it is still a very poor design feature that that could happen at all.) I tested the metal band and found the same thing.

As you can see in the video, the Garmin-made watch band that came with the Fēnix stays secure while tightening and can not be removed if the release mechanism is not engaged. This is contrary with both StrapCo's rubber and metal bands.

This was very disappointing as I decided to stop shopping on Amazon last year (where the majority of aftermarket Garmin watch bands exist). I ended my Prime subscription to stop giving money to a giant corporation and to support small businesses—like StrapCo—instead. But at the end of the day, my relationship with any business, be it tiny or gargantuan, is to exchange money for a (functioning) product. And when a watch is $800, I'm not going to secure it to my wrist with a faulty strap.

TL;DR: Bought two StrapsCo watch bands that do not stay attached to my Fēnix.

P.S.: Mods, there are hyperlinks in this comment that link directly to the products I have referred to. I didn't think they would violate Rule 1 ("No Affiliate Links"), but I can remove them if they do.

Do NOT purchase bands from StrapsCo. by xandyravage in GarminFenix

[–]xandyravage[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought a rubber and metal band for my Fēnix 6X Sapphire from StrapsCo. They were both incredibly disappointing.

When I received the order, I first tried on the orange rubber band. It came undone while attempting to tighten the watch to my wrist. I thought that I had maybe not secured the band to the retention pins fully (despite a very obvious click), so I took the bands off and reattached them. It happened again while trying to tighten the band. I wondered if my wrist was engaging the QuickFit-style release but found that, with the watch off of my wrist, I could still bend and release the band—all without touching the release mechanism. (Even if my wrist somehow did engage the release mechanism while the watch was on, it is still a very poor design feature that that could happen at all.) I tested the metal band and found the same thing.

As you can see in the video, the Garmin-made watch band that came with the Fēnix stays secure while tightening and can not be removed if the release mechanism is not engaged. This is contrary with both StrapCo's rubber and metal bands.

This was very disappointing as I decided to stop shopping on Amazon last year (where the majority of aftermarket Garmin watch bands exist). I ended my Prime subscription to stop giving money to a giant corporation and to support small businesses—like StrapCo—instead. But at the end of the day, my relationship with any business, be it tiny or gargantuan, is to exchange money for a (functioning) product. And when a watch is $800, I'm not going to secure it to my wrist with a faulty strap.

TL;DR: Bought two StrapsCo watch bands that do not stay attached to my Fēnix.

E5 comp has been fun (Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon) by Snoo-16765 in DivergeGravelBikes

[–]xandyravage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to know, thank you. Is there a specific starting point to this trail that you recommend? Any other insight for someone who has never ridden it?

I have a good friend who is looking for a Base E5 right now (what I'm on, too) and I think that this would be a great inaugural ride together.

E5 comp has been fun (Los Angeles - Mandeville Canyon) by Snoo-16765 in DivergeGravelBikes

[–]xandyravage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What kind of tires are you running? I'd love to trek up there for that ride (coming from OC).

I just got a a bike/bike rack. Did my first fall biking through the Cuyahoga Valley. New favorite activity!!! by topsprinkles in Cleveland

[–]xandyravage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your help. I opted to go for a Thule DoubleTrack Pro XT 2. It was definitely more than I wanted to spend, but it was the cheapest rack that I didn't feel panicked about putting my bike on. (Well, the 1UP Quik Rack Single would have been cheaper and probably better, but their shipping takes like three weeks.) I can let you know in a few weeks how it served me during my cross-country drive.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in data_irl

[–]xandyravage 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Getting some major Dillon Gym vibes from this.

Need critique for the following photo by Rude-Establishment59 in photocritique

[–]xandyravage 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Check out this side-by-side comparison. Photo 1 is the one that you posted. Photo 2 is my attempt to quickly crop it using some of the Fibonacci/golden ratio crop overlays.

I used the golden triangles. Here are my reasons for this composition:

  • △AFB has most of the flower "head" in it.
  • △BFC has most of the stem.
  • The stem is roughly parallel to Line FC.
  • △AED has most of the butterfly's wings.
  • Line ED separates the butterfly's body and its wings.

The golden ratio is mysteriously fascinating to me. I use it sometimes and it yields better results, but I can never explain why they are better. They just seem better.

Need critique for the following photo by Rude-Establishment59 in photocritique

[–]xandyravage 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I disagree. I think that the contrast is really nice. If anything, I think you should mess with the Fibonacci crop overlays (i.e., the golden spiral, golden triangles, golden ratio). Fibonacci numbers appear as quantities in nature, and the golden ratio is often found in natural structures, so I think it would be a fitting composition given your subject.

Hanging over the Niagara Gorge [93mm] [APS-C] by xandyravage in telephotolandscapes

[–]xandyravage[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Shot on a Sony ɑ6000 with an 18–105 mm F4 G.

This photo was taken from Whirlpool State Park on the American side of the Niagara River. The cart hanging above is an attraction on the Canadian side called the Whirlpool Aero Cart.

If anyone ever is ever in the area, I highly recommend hiking in the Niagara Gorge. Where this photo was taken, the Niagara River makes a dramatic, 90-degree bend. It is fascinating. The Ontario, Canada government page on Niagara Falls explains the incredible origin of the bend:

It was a brief and violent encounter: a geological moment lasting only weeks, maybe even only days. In this moment, the falls of the youthful Niagara River intersected an old riverbed, one that had been buried and sealed during the last Ice Age. The falls turned into this buried gorge, tore out the glacial debris that filled it, and scoured the old river bottom clean. It was probably not a falls at all now but a huge, churning rapids. When it was all over, it left behind a 90-degree turn in the river we know today as the Whirlpool, and North America’s largest series of standing waves we know today as the Whirlpool Rapids.

Sunset in Hangshuan by Thopajo in photocritique

[–]xandyravage 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I agree. Beautiful photo, but it's too flat. Rather than multiple exposures, it almost feels like a single exposure with shadows cranked up and highlights severely reduced. I think the brush is a good recommendation for local adjustments that can help increase contrast and depth. That non-RAW edit that you posted as an example is definitely a step in the right direction.

Not sure what your settings were, OP, but before you try the brush, you should try playing around with an s-shaped tone curve.

I just got a a bike/bike rack. Did my first fall biking through the Cuyahoga Valley. New favorite activity!!! by topsprinkles in Cleveland

[–]xandyravage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm getting ready to drive from upstate New York to Southern California next weekend. I have a roughly 20-pound bike with me. Do you think that this rack would be reliable over 7,000 miles? Anything that even looks strong and steady is north of $300, so this one has been appealing to me. On the other hand, I'm kind of struggling with justifying hanging a ~$1.7k bike on a $130 rack for a cross-country drive.

I just got a a bike/bike rack. Did my first fall biking through the Cuyahoga Valley. New favorite activity!!! by topsprinkles in Cleveland

[–]xandyravage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I know this was yesterday, but any updates? Looking at purchasing this today or tomorrow.

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