[Toshi]

Mr. @Toshi, I am curious to hear your thoughts on the ColoradoCare universal healthcare proposal.

I think we need single payer health care. Personally this would hit me hard in the pocketbook* but I think for the state as a whole it'd be a good thing. I'm all for reducing administrative costs and eliminating ridiculous CEO salaries that go to no useful purpose.

* how it'd affect me per the Green Booklet: https://www.coloradocare.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Green-Booklet-5_5_16.pdf

Currently I pay $19/month for a family high deductible plan. My employer covers $1200/mo, iirc. Might be $50 off there one way or another. I get to participate in a HSA so get to deduct $6,750 from my yearly taxable income. I also pay the SS/Medicare FICA taxes on the first $118k or so of income then that stops.

With ColoradoCare instead I'd pay 10% (+ the invisible payroll component) of my full income since I make less than the $450k/yr cap for that tax. I wouldn't get a HSA so couldn't deduct anything there. What's up in the air is what would happen to the $1200/mo subsidy I get, which even if transferred over in full would only lessen the pain somewhat.

One can see that this would be a shitload more money that I would personally pay (even in the worst case currently where I use up all my HSA money for the year to actually pay for healthcare), but given how screwed up the system is overall I probably will still vote for the amendment.

 

[StiHacka]

I think we need single payer health care. Personally this would hit me hard in the pocketbook* but I think for the state as a whole it'd be a good thing. I'm all for reducing administrative costs and eliminating ridiculous CEO salaries that go to no useful purpose.

* how it'd affect me per the Green Booklet: https://www.coloradocare.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Green-Booklet-5_5_16.pdf

Currently I pay $19/month for a family high deductible plan. My employer covers $1200/mo, iirc. Might be $50 off there one way or another. I get to participate in a HSA so get to deduct $6,750 from my yearly taxable income. I also pay the SS/Medicare FICA taxes on the first $118k or so of income then that stops.

With ColoradoCare instead I'd pay 10% (+ the invisible payroll component) of my full income since I make less than the $450k/yr cap for that tax. I wouldn't get a HSA so couldn't deduct anything there. What's up in the air is what would happen to the $1200/mo subsidy I get, which even if transferred over in full would only lessen the pain somewhat.

One can see that this would be a shitload more money that I would personally pay (even in the worst case currently where I use up all my HSA money for the year to actually pay for healthcare), but given how screwed up the system is overall I probably will still vote for the amendment.

All single payer systems I know heavily regulate costs - drugs, resources, labor. In my home country, being a doctor/surgeon is considered a "life mission" - you get to help people but don't expect to bring home big salary. I don't see how a single payer system can co-exist with the outrageous expensive costs of private hospitals and healthcare staff. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Toshi]

All single payer systems I know heavily regulate costs - drugs, resources, labor. In my home country, being a doctor/surgeon is considered a "life mission" - you get to help people but don't expect to bring home big salary. I don't see how a single payer system can co-exist with the outrageous expensive costs of private hospitals and healthcare staff. Any thoughts on that?

Any big hospital currently survives on a mix of private insured, self-pay, no-pay/indigent, and Medicare/Medicaid patients. Mine certainly does, yet we're profitable: I get a bonus each year only because my department is in the black, as the bylaws state at least half the profit gets paid back to us.

It's not like private insurers don't try to reimburse as little as our negotiators will let them get away with as it is. Medicare and especially Medicaid reimburse at lower rates, sure, but the sky is not and will not be falling.

 

[StiHacka]

Any big hospital currently survives on a mix of private insured, self-pay, no-pay/indigent, and Medicare/Medicaid patients. Mine certainly does, yet we're profitable: I get a bonus each year only because my department is in the black, as the bylaws state at least half the profit gets paid back to us.

It's not like private insurers don't try to reimburse as little as our negotiators will let them get away with as it is. Medicare and especially Medicaid reimburse at lower rates, sure, but the sky is not and will not be falling.

You can't eat a cake and have it at the same time, though. Either the single payer payments are going to be a significant burden on all taxpayers, or the costs (including wages) will have to go significantly down, it is a zero sum game after all. In many EU countries, the healthcare tax is about 13-15% of salary (with varying split between employers and employees) - while the healthcare costs there are a fraction of those in the US. The numbers just don't add up.

 

[Toshi]

Negotiating drug prices and cutting administrative/billing overhead would do a lot. Restrict use of $10k/month medications and $20k/pop spine surgeries that have little long term benefit and then we're really talking.

 

[Adventurous]

Negotiating drug prices and cutting administrative/billing overhead would do a lot. Restrict use of $10k/month medications and $20k/pop spine surgeries that have little long term benefit and then we're really talking.

Would it be a double whammy for you? As in you get hit with an additional tax to help fund the system and reduced yearly compensation as a result of the squeeze put on medical care providers? Of the two doctors they interviewed about the subject on NPR this morning that seemed to be the general gist of the opposition to the program. Well that and, whether it's real or not, migration to the state from people seeking healthcare and doctors leaving as a result of the program.

I know it affects you a lot more than some schlub like me who thinks it would be great to go to the doctor without fear of getting nailed with some ridiculous bill. Instead I just don't go. Might wanna get on that, my last checkup was over a decade ago...

 

[Toshi]

I'm sticking around here until I retire barring something major, and I don't see the effects of ColoradoCare causing enough disruption to meet that major criterion.

 

[StiHacka]

I'm sticking around here until I retire barring something major, and I don't see the effects of ColoradoCare causing enough disruption to meet that major criterion.

Quoted for future reference.

 

[Toshi]

I dig Sheldon Brown's site's gear inch calculator, as one would expect knowing me.



Here are the ratios I have on my current commuter. I use the 92.5 gear inch ratio on long downhills, but most of my time is spent in the 57, 63, 71, and 80 gear inch ratios.

More on this idea since my 29er's cranks or BB are creaking up a storm and the desire to go to a 1 x 10 setup is therefore intensifying once more.

Recall that the 109 gear inch ratio is useless with my current setup. The 57 through 93 gear inch ratios are very useful, however.

I think I'd get annoyed with the 36t setup with the 11-36 cassette, as the gap between gears 9 and 10 is pretty big. That's too bad because the Zee crankset comes with a 36t ring and looks both burly and reasonably priced:

38t seems like it'd be quite nice, essentially the same as I have but just down a gear. 39t would work, too, which is nice because it opens up the floor to that same Alfine crankset I had my eyes on before:

That brings up the question of the low range. I have a sandy, somewhat steep hill on my route to work. I typically will drop down to 32 x 21 or 24t, which is 42 or 36 gear inches, respectively. This means if I'm running a 1 x 10 setup I could go with a smaller cassette with closer spacing as long as my low end is in the 40 gear inch ballpark…

Hmm, that could be the ticket indeed. 39t up front, 12-25 in the back. Much more even spacing for my finicky ass, a ~40 gear inch climbing gear for my mild hills, and close ratios with ~90 gear inches on the top end. I like this concept, and with any luck a new crank + BB setup (again on my commuter–both of my bikes creak!) would be silent to boot.

 

[Toshi]

39t up front, 12-25 in the back.

I ordered up this stuff last night. Have I mentioned this has been a very expensive month? Oh well, it's only money, or rather more years to work before retirement due to buying shit.

Anyway, once I replace the wheels (planned for late October due to Dave's schedule) then I believe the only original parts on the 29er will be the frame, fork, and headset. I will do my best, which apparently isn't very good, to resist upgrading those final bits (Moots with rack eyelets?) until at least the car notes are done, and ideally until the burden of student loans is off my back.

 

[Toshi]

So Jessica did an REI intro to mountain biking course today, up in Boulder. She liked it, enough that this upcoming Saturday we're going to try to round up a babysitter, rent a bike for her locally on Friday night, and ride that same trail in Boulder (so I can see if these rock gardens she talks about are the real deal or are IMBA-fied).

If I disappear from the internet after next weekend look for my body up in Doudy, slaughtered after offering up one too many helpful tips on how to ride this or that section.

 

[Westy]

So Jessica did an REI intro to mountain biking course today, up in Boulder. She liked it, enough that this upcoming Saturday we're going to try to round up a babysitter, rent a bike for her locally on Friday night, and ride that same trail in Boulder (so I can see if these rock gardens she talks about are the real deal or are IMBA-fied).

If I disappear from the internet after next weekend look for my body up in Doudy, slaughtered after offering up one too many helpful tips on how to ride this or that section.

All mountain biking problems can be solved by going faster. The only advice you need to give.

 

[StiHacka]

All mountain biking problems can be solved by going faster. The only advice you need to give.

The other only advice you need is "just huck it".

 

[Westy]

The other only advice you need is "just huck it".

Correct. Any issue you have with clearing a section can be solved by going over it.

 

[Toshi]

Apparently I read 19.5% of my section's total volume in August. For context, we have about 9.2 FTE as part of the denominator. In other words, I read about 178% of what should have been my share, because other people are slacking and I have a strong interest in getting home on time to see my family.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Apparently I read 19.5% of my section's total volume in August. For context, we have about 9.2 FTE as part of the denominator. In other words, I read about 178% of what should have been my share, because other people are slacking and I have a strong interest in getting home on time to see my family.

 

[Toshi]

9.2 FTE == we have 7 full time employees, 2 job sharers that equal 1 full time employee between the two of 'em, and an extra 0.2 since our chairman is in the reading room one day per week usually. (Edit: Just realized this doesn't add up to 9.2 but to 8.2. I think we have 8 full time.)

Our work is in units of studies read. Our total volume is best expressed as RVUs, which is what was the unstated unit for "total volume." Total volume == the total of revenue producing activities in my section, in other word.

Therefore I should be doing 1/9.2, or 10.9%, of the section's work based off of how many people there are. I did 19.5% of the section's work last month. This means other people in my section are not pulling their weight, despite my Ridemonkey and NASIOC posting during the day.

 

[Toshi]

Mr. @Toshi, I am curious to hear your thoughts on the ColoradoCare universal healthcare proposal.

given how screwed up the system is overall I probably will still vote for the amendment.

My employer sent out an email advertising some info sessions on how ColoradoCare would affect our system. I'm going to attend since this is something relevant to me on multiple levels. October 5 is the date and I'll follow up here if there's anything of note.

 

[Toshi]

Me riding at Winter Park:

I didn't include the green trails I ran at the beginning of the day (sorry Jack and Cory/Kory--got cut on the video editing floor) or my sad slow run at Rainmaker.

more years to work before retirement due to buying shit

I'm quoting both of these because they're both relevant. I don't think that I mentioned it in here but I returned that GoPro Hero Session 4, as featured in the Winter Park footage. Why? Battery life, unsharpness at 1080p, and a realization that I'd need to step up to a gimbal setup + chest mount if I wanted truly good biking footage.

In the "more years to work before retirement due to buying shit" vein, GoPro just claimed a chunk of my future money in what they announced today, the Karma. The Karma's drone bit seems entertaining but not super compelling, but what is compelling is that it includes a gimbal that can be used handheld or on mounts (like the Chesty chest mount), and can be had as a package with the new GoPro 5. The Black 5 still "only" does 4k @ 30 fps but it'd do 2.7k @ 60 fps or 1080p SuperView @ 80 fps, and likely with more sharpness than the returned Hero 4 Session.

I'd wait for a Black Friday or post-Christmas sale but would go for the whole package ($1100 minus whatever sales) of 4k cam, stabilizer, drone instead of cam + stabilizer sans drone for $700. $400 extra for the drone seems like it'd be pretty easy to justify, even if it is apparently missing a follow mode at release. Having such a setup would be better motivation than Strava to string together some fast downhill runs, so that I don't look too stupid.

 

[Adventurous]

My employer sent out an email advertising some info sessions on how ColoradoCare would affect our system. I'm going to attend since this is something relevant to me on multiple levels. October 5 is the date and I'll follow up here if there's anything of note.

Thank you! I look forward to hearing a bit more of an in-depth analysis of how it will impact the system. I mean, I intend to vote for it either way as I think the system we have now is absurd, but it's still nice to know the consequences of my choice. Seems like that would be the responsible thing to do.

 

[Toshi]

Coming full circle: I used to rock a 4 bike setup on an early Thule T2 rack back in my Portland days, shuttling Post Canyon and heading up to Whistler.

Now I'm back to the same setup to facilitate group rides out here, namely the one coming up on Sunday. Since then Thule has come out with a new T2 rack ("Pro" vs mine, which is now reduced to "Classic") but I'm set in my old ways/already had the 2 bike rack. The grey 2 bike part was bought in 2012 out in Long Island, a period of my history I'd like to forget already, and the black "Classic" add-on was picked up from REI Denver on Sunday.

It's really heavy now. With only the two bike setup I think it was something like 45 lbs, so now it's probably 80. That's a lot of leverage: I hope this one doesn't end up bending like the old one did, admittedly under the load of multiple 45 lb DH bikes…

 

[Toshi]

I drove around the neighborhood to kill some time as Mariko napped at the tail end of the Lariat Loop trip and revisited the two bad-for-bikers/pedestrians interchanges, along Peoria and Havana when they cross I-70.

Upon second thought I think either actually could work. Havana would be nicer but 2 miles longer. Peoria would probably be best attacked with a big set of balls, riding in the (stop and go morning traffic) traffic lanes... Unless I'm shooting for "I got hit by a car... again!" sob stories and resultant sympathy it'd probably be better to take the extra time along Havana. Peoria also absolutely wouldn't work with a trailer, whereas Havana would be trailer-amenable.

Bicyclist hit, injured on Havana during morning rush hour

Yeah, that's Havana at I-70, the "safer" of the two intersections I wrote about in the quoted post. :nopenopenope:

On the other hand, my current route (which doesn't involve dropping the kids off) on the Sand Creek Greenway is pretty good. My only car exposure is on campus, which in theory has 15 mph and 25 mph limits. Less likely to be killed, at least.

 

[Toshi]

You know what would make my life better? A small couch or recliner in my office. Yes, that'd do it. Sitting here in my swivel chair with my feet up isn't cutting it these days.

 

[canadmos]

You know what would make my life better? A small couch or recliner in my office. Yes, that'd do it. Sitting here in my swivel chair with my feet up isn't cutting it these days.

Hammock?

 

[StiHacka]

Hammock?

I need a Martini maker in my office!

 

[Toshi]

New drivetrain bits for the commuter.

Chainring clearance via liberal application of the BFH. I had to bash the chainstay back a solid 4 mm or so to get clearance for the 39t ring given the chainline that the Alfine bits mandated. I thought briefly about adding spacers since Hollowtech spacers do exist, but it seemed as if spacers would screw up the interface on the left side, keeping in mind that a large part of this drivetrain refresh's purpose is to quash creaking noises.

100% less front derailleur.

12-25 Ultegra cassette. In putting it on I noted that the jockey pulleys on my derailleur were absolutely filthy. Probably 3 mm of solid build up on each pulley, and these pulleys were clearly freer spinning once their coat of crap was removed. I'd been pretty good about cleaning and oiling the chain but not great about the cassette and apparently had totally ignored the derailleur pulleys.

 

[Westy]

 

[Toshi]

The 40 years of side marker lights bit reminds me of my own illustrious past thread on tail lights:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2131451

That didn't generate much traction when posted here but on NASIOC has 149 posts! (admittedly many of them in addition to the OP penned by yours truly )

 

[Westy]

The 40 years of side marker lights bit reminds me of my own illustrious past thread on tail lights:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2131451

That didn't generate much traction when posted here but on NASIOC has 149 posts! (admittedly many of them in addition to the OP penned by yours truly )

When I read "painful car geek and insufferable pedant" with "40 years of side markers" my first thought was you.

Respectfully the rest does not apply.

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

New drivetrain bits for the commuter.

Chainring clearance via liberal application of the BFH. I had to bash the chainstay back a solid 4 mm or so to get clearance for the 39t ring given the chainline that the Alfine bits mandated. I thought briefly about adding spacers since Hollowtech spacers do exist, but it seemed as if spacers would screw up the interface on the left side, keeping in mind that a large part of this drivetrain refresh's purpose is to quash creaking noises.

100% less front derailleur.

12-25 Ultegra cassette. In putting it on I noted that the jockey pulleys on my derailleur were absolutely filthy. Probably 3 mm of solid build up on each pulley, and these pulleys were clearly freer spinning once their coat of crap was removed. I'd been pretty good about cleaning and oiling the chain but not great about the cassette and apparently had totally ignored the derailleur pulleys.

how is the 1x working for you?
imo, 1x-whatever sucks... the range isnt there, the jump from sprocket to sprocket is huge, and the durability of the AL big rings should mean I´m in for a new $200 cassette in a couple months.

kinda regret going 1x.

 

[Toshi]

I like SRAM X01 1x on my 5010. On my commuter I'm running a 12-25 Ultegra cassette. For all its faults gear spacing isn't one of them! That's all the range I need for my commute.

 

[6thElement]

So Jessica did an REI intro to mountain biking course today, up in Boulder. She liked it, enough that this upcoming Saturday we're going to try to round up a babysitter, rent a bike for her locally on Friday night, and ride that same trail in Boulder (so I can see if these rock gardens she talks about are the real deal or are IMBA-fied).

If I disappear from the internet after next weekend look for my body up in Doudy, slaughtered after offering up one too many helpful tips on how to ride this or that section.

Heil Ranch?

 

[Toshi]

Doudy Draw/Clearwater? Clear something.

 

[6thElement]

Sounds like this: http://www.mtbproject.com/trail/520343

I thought Heil Ranch was a bit adventurous for a learning to ride spot.

 

[Toshi]

Ah, fuzzy memory. Doudy Draw + Spring Brook. Knew it had something to do with water

http://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/doudy-draw-trail

Yes, no shocking the newbies with hard features. My wife was proud that she did more of them than most of the other beginner women on the ride, which is why I want to see for myself what these features are.

 

[Toshi]

BB/crank creak has been eliminated with the switch to the Alfine crankset. For the record, that crankset is quite nice. Looks just like XT in the spindle/crankarm interface design, arms are forged and shiny (albeit coated with the fine moondust that is the surface on much of my commute route), and the new ring and spider are of course true unlike the old, beaten parts replaced.

On the other hand, I still have a creak. The symphony has been reduced to a solo voice, and this solo voice appears to be coming from the seat tube, seat post, seat, or interface thereof. (It only happens during seated pedaling. I had a handlebar creak, too, but that is fixed with more torque and this is different in that it happens with hands-off pedaling, too.)

Time to take more stuff apart and liberally apply Park grease to everything, I guess… The struggle is never ending.

 

[Toshi]

I should commute to work in this thing. I'd have to get them to make a version with a more rotund egg-shape (and extra bubble for my big head), though.

More reading:

https://gizmodo.com/this-bullet-shaped-bike-just-set-a-human-powered-speed-1786845993?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_twitter&utm_source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5500421ce4b028ce8ab9d39c/t/57e31939f7e0abcdf2d85c5b/1474500926321/Aerovelo+-+Battle+Mountain+2016+Release.pdf
https://jalopnik.com/this-record-breaking-bicycle-operates-at-the-equivalent-1787094575

Analysis of the vehicle performance showed that Eta requires less than 198 watts of pedal power at 90 km/h, which translates to a 9,544 MPGe highway fuel efficiency. This is the highest per-passenger MPGe of any existing transportation technology at this speed.

Also a speed record of 89.59 mph. This is with only human power, on flat ground, not in the wake of a leading motor vehicle a la this stupid 147 mph "record":

 

[canadmos]

Butt cheeks are awfully close to the ground on that thing.

 

[Toshi]

Butt cheeks are awfully close to the ground on that thing.

Also note the nut-proximity to that tire surface, at 90 mph nonetheless.

:nononocat:

 

[Toshi]

this solo voice appears to be coming from the seat tube, seat post, seat, or interface thereof.

Time to take more stuff apart and liberally apply Park grease to everything

Taking everything apart and greasing all of the interfaces (saddle rails, multiple fiddly bits in seatpost head, seatpost/seat tube) did the trick. Bliss this morning with a creak-free bike at long last.

We'll see how long this lasts.