Future Shock is pretty spot on with it’s predictions. Reading it convinced me to try and take things slower, and to spend less time on the phone, on the internet, which helped. Then covid came along, and pushed me right back into information overload…

!plural@lemm.ee

If the big squishy one was comfortable, I’d just put it back on and ignore the squeaking from it, and if you start going on rides that are long enough for it to become uncomfortable, then think about swapping it. It takes some time riding for your body to get used to sitting on a saddle, and if your body isn’t used to sitting on a saddle, then a hard narrow saddle is going to suck, even if it is otherwise a good fit for your body.

When picking a new saddle, the most important thing is to get something that is the correct width for your sit bones. Many bike shops have devices to measure this. Your position on the bike also influences the type of saddle that will work best for you. If you ride a road bike with a leaned forward, aggressive position, a saddle that is a bit more narrow with less padding can be more comfortable over long distances, as long as it fits your body well. For more upright bikes, a slightly wider saddle with a tiny bit more padding often works better. Saddles with a ton of padding can often be uncomfortable for rides more than a few miles, as they can put pressure on the soft tissue between your sit bones. Finding the right saddle can take a few tries, but it is worth it. Cycling shorts also help a ton.

The saddle in the article is not what I would start with. Designs like this can result in less control of the bike due to the saddle not having a nose. There are a few people who find that a saddle like this works well for them, but there is a reason they are not widely used.

They might all be there inside me, but there definitely is at least one wolf too.

The more you ride a bike up hills, the easier it will start to become. But if it feels like too much of a wall to ride up the hills around you, you could look into swapping out your chainrings or cassette to get lower gearing so the hills aren’t as much of a challenge.

Another valid reason to fly one is self defense. If you are bold enough to exist on rural american roads while riding a bicycle, having an american flag visibly attached to your bike can do a lot to disarm the types of people who would otherwise run you off the road.

Not great. Taking turns being burnt out from fronting, and it looks like we get to live the rest of our lives in fear.

Seeing some activity in this community is nice though.

This is great to hear. Maliit does work, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

Winter Cycling Tips:

Studded tires make riding a bicycle on ice much safer. The front one insures you won’t fall on your face, the rear one helps give you enough traction to move forward.

Full coverage fenders will keep your bike significantly cleaner, which means it corrode far less. And they keep snow/slush/water from flying up at you too.

Cold drains batteries much quicker. Consider getting a dynamo lighting setup so you don’t have to rely on batteries.

Your body generates a significant amount of heat while cycling, so it is best to dress so you will be somewhat cold the first mile or two, then you are more likely to be comfortable for the rest of the ride.

I’d rather imagine a world without monarchs, but with more opossums.

VI comes with a clock up in the corner of the screen so you actually have something tethering you to reality.

Already got plenty of people to talk to in my head, a Wilson wouldn’t be necessary. Could make one anyways if there is enough boredom.

A hut sounds more appealing than a cave, but the right cave could make me consider it.

Osees - A Foul Form

Run the Jewels - RTJ4

KGWL - PetroDragonic Apocalypse

Overhaul as in pull the bearings out, clean them with degreaser, then inspect them. If the bearings are not pitted and the retainer isn’t bent out of shape, you can reuse them. If they are messed up, they are very cheap to replace, many bike shops will have replacements on hand. Once you have cleaned or gotten new bearings, pack the cups they sit in full of grease, and reassemble. Typically bearing retainers will have a side that is more rounded and a side that is more flat, you usually want to put them into the cup rounded side facing in.

Once you have it back together, you want to adjust it. The goal is to have the bearings be as loose as possible while not having any play in them. You also want to make sure the locknut is tight against the cone.

This page has info that will be useful for the bottom bracket.

Pro-tip: These bikes usually come with little to no grease in the bottom bracket, headset, and front hub. I would recommend overhauling them sooner rather than later if you want the bearings to last.

BMX hubs tend to come with 3/8" axles rather than 10mm, which can potentially make it more difficult to find spare parts.

Cheap hubs, whether BMX or not, do sacrifice durability to get a low price. If you want your wheels to last, don’t go too cheap. With single speed hubs, if they use sealed cartridge bearings, then they are probably nice enough to last a long time. There are options for high quality loose ball bearing hubs too, but they will typically cost more than an entry level cartridge bearing hub.

For someone who is overweight riding a bike, the weakest part of the bike is the rear wheel. If you have issues with spokes breaking or the wheel goes out of true easily, consider going to a bike shop and asking them to hand build you a wheel with a nice beefy rim and a decent quality cassette hub. The wheel might cost $200-$300, but it is worth it to get something solid you can depend on.

Your bike should be compatible with most rear racks.

You have a suspension fork up front, which limits options for a rack there. Sunlite makes a cheap rack that attaches to the cantilever studs that will work but doesn’t have a high weight capacity. Old Man Mountain makes very durable racks that attach at the axle, but cost quite a bit more.

Lots of fenders out there that will work, Planet Bike Cascadia fenders are fairly durable and have a good amount of coverage. Whichever fenders you get, you will need a set of p-clamps to attach them to the fork.

Cheap option for a trailer is to find a used kid trailer. Quite capable of hauling all sorts of things. If you go new, a Burley Flatbed or another trailer of the same style will be nicer to use.

Saddles are a very personal thing. What works great for one persons body will be an ass hatchet for someone else. First, ride the stock saddle for at least a few weeks to get your body used to sitting on a saddle. If it still isn’t great, try making some small adjustements in the angle or moving forward or backward. If it still hurts, go to a bike shop and get fitted for a saddle. This usually involves sitting on a device to measure your sit bones.

Only other essential accessory is a good set of lights. If you ride at night a lot and hate remembering to charge batteries, consider investing in a dynamo hub and lights.

Have fun!

Offer them a hug. 2074 sounds like a scary time to be alive.

Adding a trailer to your ebike let’s you have 4 wheels and the ability to carry gear without having to use a car.

Nah, many brands are capable of making a decent MTB. If you are grabbing something new, $1000 gets you an OK hardtail, $2000 gets you an OK full-suspension. Spending more gets you higher quality parts and lighter weight. Spending less, better to go used.