DadStillRides profile

Where I grew up in Western Wisconsin finding a latched tick or 3 was a regular occurrence after a day playing outside. That being said, when I saw the tick puller in the pics, I thought Andrew was deburring some frame linkage out on the fire road or something. You'd probably have to shed a few of those glove layers, but fingers do the trick 99.9% of the time. Appreciate everything else about this, especially the battery when you don't use one yourself.

Slyfin, this is exactly what I'd be looking for in a winter bike boot. Will keep in a note for next time I'm in the market. Thanks for the tip.

That fizik also looks like a great shoe, but I cannot believe it would be warm enough for my needs.

Totally agree with your frustration in the lack of appropriate options. Like Mr. Brett, I've had better luck just finding normal winter boots that have good soles for riding. For several years I used a pair of Columbias that had amazing pedal feel, but they finally became too beat to continue repairing. Switched to a pair of keen revel 4 high polars last year. They aren't as good on the pedals, but adequate for moderate tech and keep my feet warm enough for a ~90min ride down to 0°f.

Not exactly what you're looking for, but I have a Leatherman skelatool that has a bottle opener. It's pretty minimalistic as far as multi tools go, but I mostly just use it for camping and ski touring.

For daily carry my $50 Kershaw has been great and wedding ring handles any bottle opening needs.

Preamble was unnecessary, but still entertaining. Not sure why you were self conscious about publishing this other than ensuring anonymity. I think you are spot on. Unsanctioned trails have their place and can be special in a way that sanctioned trails can't, but also need to be limited in their sprawl and built respectfully.. as much as one can building an illegal trail. Even if everyone basically agreed there would still be issues. The individualistic nature of unsanctioned trails makes them both unique and problematic.

I would agree. Just got a new bike with mt7s and was wondering why they don't bite as hard as my old mt5s. Possibly I need to start with a fresh bleed, but more likely it's that I haven't switched to the galfer green (metallic) pads yet as I had with the mt5s. I still have xts on my hardtail, and while they have a good amount of power the lack of modulation feels out of control after getting used to magura

This has to be the most interesting article on gx transmission we'll see. I appreciate the way you reinforced the unjustifiable price while simultaneously describing some invaluable performance characteristics.

I think you are also the first person I've seen cite vw as a quality brand, or at least one that isn't specifically bad quality. ..Unless you count a guy I met from Germany who said they are better than French made cars. Both of the vws I've worked on must have found their way off the ship bound for the bottom of the Atlantic.

Are you sure SRAM generates most of it's profit from high end? Economies of scale is usually the name of the game in manufacturing.

Steel is real, but some steel is realer than others.

My DMR 898 and All City Nature Boy had the magical perfect flex that I think gives steel it's reputation. My Ragley Piglet and Knolly Cache, on the other hand, have me feeling a bit like I got tricked into paying more for a heavier option than comparable aluminum offerings. I've noticed the full spectrum in friends' bmx frames as well (all steel, of course).

My conclusion is that you either need to custom order or test ride if you're looking for a specific frame feel.

When are we going to see a review of that banshee hardtail? Very curious about that one.

So relatable and a fun read!

I agree the trailer is the most practical kid hauler until they grow out of it.

Sadly, my dj is my least ridden bike since I've had kids. Probably has more to do with where we now live having no bmx trails scene and that trail bossing a set is a full time job on its own.

For me, the kid-free rides depend most upon quality of lights and living with less sleep. I've been surprised how much fun I've had riding tech trails in the dark. Find another dad in your situation, and it can be a magical thing.

Cool placement of the tent on the toptube.

I've got a Big Agnes -20 degree bag that has kept me warm enough for winter bike packing with my summer tent. I especially like how the liner can clip right into the bag to keep tangles to a minimum.