pc486

joined 1 year ago
[–] pc486@reddthat.com 3 points 9 months ago

Ah, that's totally fair. I thought you had a tight storage situation. Roll on. :)

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 4 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Have you considered a folding bike, like a Brompton? They tend to be easier to carry up stairs or in an elevator. And they're space efficient to store.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 13 points 9 months ago

Another deeply disturbing tale. RIP Ben.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 7 points 9 months ago

I've had many coworkers roll into the office with their carbon bikes because it makes quick work of a long commute and it's so easy to carry a lightweight machine up the office stairs. They'd wear a backpack if they needed to carry a laptop. No cars involved; not even a bus.

There's no need to gatekeep which kind of bike someone chooses to use when the objective is to not drive a car. They can ride a carbon bike if they want too.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 5 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Those are value judgements. How does a carbon bike get stolen if it's never locked in a public place? Why would a carbon bike be loaded with anything more than a bottle of water and a small saddle bag?

These considerations are important for commuting, touring, and other fun activities, but are perhaps less important for the bike racer.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 75 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The advice is good (steel and aluminum are much underappreciated) yet this op-ed is weird and mean spirited. Yeah, carbon fiber bikes are expensive and quirky. They're a specialty bike for racers squeaking out tens of seconds to a minute or two of time. No one is seriously advising new riders to get a 10 grand bike. Why the gatekeeping? Let racers spend their money on their favorite, healthy, and engaging hobby.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 2 points 10 months ago

Congratulations and welcome to the world of collecting radio equipment that you swear you'll use someday!

That's a fairly full-spec DMR HT. Others to consider around that price point and lower are Yaesu VX-6R, FT70DR, and FT-60R as well as Icom's IC-T10. They all have their quirks, but they're quality radios and can be field programmed easily.

One thing to consider is how much budget you can afford for accessories. Things like:

  • Antennas
  • Extra batteries
  • Charging stand
  • Hand mic
  • Band pass filters

I recommend at least getting a roll-up J-pole antenna, like the Ed Fong DBJ-2. Stock HT antennas will work, and they do their job well, but they're just not the same as a full-sized, resonant antenna. A roll-up J-pole is a full sized antenna that you put up 10 feet into the air, yet it can be packed into a small pouch. You'll reach out to much further away repeaters or be able to make simplex contacts further than three or four miles out.

If you have a specific area of interest in the hobby, then drop a reply with some details. I, and others here, can help narrow you in on the right kit without spending big bucks.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 13 points 10 months ago

There's a whole suite of vaccines which do not provide what you're asking for: sterilizing immunity. That's the penultimate ability of a vaccine. It's incredible we're even able to create anything of that character given we're fighting against living, evolving things.

Setting the minimum bar to "I must never get sick" instead of "won't find myself in a grave" or "I wasn't able to work for a month and was stuck in a hospital for three weeks" is a crazy thing to hang onto.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 2 points 10 months ago

I own a Jeep (TJ) that I've built up for off-road excursions. I'd like to clarify about how these vehicles handle dirt, country roads, or mountainous terrain compared to bikes: Jeeps are nowhere as good as bikes.

Crazy, right?

It's not like what the marketers would love you to believe, but it's true. A 1.5 ton, four wheeled vehicle will struggle in all kinds of situations where light two wheeled vehicles will have no trouble at all. There's a reason why you'll see so many people standing around in videos of us four wheelers trying to make progress: walking is faster and easier! Pushing a large, heavy box through difficult terrain is a large part of the fun of a Jeep.

My recommendation for a bike is a gravel or all-terrain bike (ATB). Today's mountain bikes are built for fast descents, very rough terrain, and large jumps. They're amazing on certain trails but, IMHO, not the best for dirt and gravel tracks. Gravel and ATBs are also more flexible with mounting points for things like racks, cages, etc for outdoor excursions. As a bonus, they're cheap right now. Gravel was all the rage during the pandemic and now stores are overstocked. You can get a great deal on new or last year's models from your local bike store.

Or, if you really want that four-wheeling experience, take look at recumbent quadricycles. They're quite unique! With fat tires they'll float over just about any soft surface.

As others have stated, do not go to a box store or online with very limited exceptions. A LBS will generally employ a mechanic who knows what they're doing, will stand behind any issues that arise, and can work on the bike after it breaks in. You'd be lucky if a Walmart employee manages to put a handle bar facing forwards.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 2 points 10 months ago

Absolutely. My comment is about why a regulation would be 2 hours when today we can get more capable, air rated parts. US regulation is lagging behind, but it was based on what was within reach 20+ years ago. Heck, I bet most craft would eventually become 25 hours voice recording as older standard recorders become no longer available.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Flight recorders have a very long history with modern ones being engineered in the 1960s. They used film and magnetic tape loops, having very limited capacity. That's where we get 2 hours from. Early ones only ran for 30 minutes, so 2 hours is pretty good in comparison.

It's time to upgrade the regulations to match our current technology instead of 1990s limitations.

[–] pc486@reddthat.com 5 points 10 months ago

Uber has posted profits for the last two quarters. Lyft hasn't yet been profitable, but they have been reducing their losses quite a bit.

I don't think either of them will fail this year. Some AI gold rushing unicorns out there certainly will. It's hard to know which though; they're still private companies.

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