Toshi's thread
- Thread starter Toshi
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I love the ElevenSix. Best shock I've ever ridden bar none, plus the two compression valves feature for versatility. It's not a climb switch. I use one valve for trail riding and another is set for a loose faster, less damped but similar setup for just descending or shuttling. I've not had more traction, especially climbing is where it's obvious. Descending is ridiculous compared to the Float or Monarch. They only con I could try to call out is the weight, there is no getting around an extra weight but IMO it's well worth it.
What are you trying to change/improve on your bike? What isn't working with the shock? Have you spent any time really dialing it in? Shockwiz? Tried other shocks which offer more adjustability? (x2, CCDBa)? I don't remember which shock you have but maybe we can spend an hour tweaking over a section of trail and see what comes of it.
Riding with Watz I felt compelled to do all climbing sitting down to avoid bob, and motions felt underdamped when climbing--crest an obstacle with some power and then the bike is a bit loosey-goosey for a second. Part of that is most likely low air pressure for, as I wrote, I didn't touch the fork or shock all winter.
Going downhill it actually felt fine, with the limiting factor my ability to read a new trail at speed.
I have not spent any time really dialing in settings on either. Probably could use that.
Looks like my stock shock is a FOX Float Factory EVOL.
Going downhill it actually felt fine, with the limiting factor my ability to read a new trail at speed.
I have not spent any time really dialing in settings on either. Probably could use that.
Looks like my stock shock is a FOX Float Factory EVOL.
I haven't actually used it, but Cane Creek has a tuning app that might assist in the on-trail testing...
Interesting. I think it'd probably be higher yield to ride a rock garden up and down a bunch of times with Nick watching and telling me what to turn.
Hmmm...Interesting. I think it'd probably be higher yield to ride a rock garden up and down a bunch of times with Nick watching and telling me what to turn.
WG anyone?
This posts are from April 2015, I believe, predating my return to pedal-powered mountain biking (that being June 2016?).
Relevant reading regarding self-shuttling developments in the interim:
https://peopleforbikes.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PFB-0529-E-Bike-Law-Handouts_CO_V2.pdf
http://www.cpr.org/news/story/e-bikes-on-trails-it-s-a-question-you-only-ask-if-you-re-ready-for-coloradans-to-sound
https://www.singletracks.com/blog/trail-advocacy/electric-mountain-bikes-allowed-singletrack-colorado-yes-no/
Food for thought...
My pushing-the-future-3-years-out plan seems to be sound based off of what manufacturers are planning to offer at lease end:
http://www.autonews.com/article/20180601/BLOG06/180539956/fca-5-year-plan-ram-pickup-jeep-marchionne <-- links at bottom
Jeep plan in particular:
http://www.autonews.com/article/20180601/BLOG06/180539956/fca-5-year-plan-ram-pickup-jeep-marchionne <-- links at bottom
Jeep plan in particular:
This is more useful as an overview of what these things are and what they're not, although the Specialized does appear to have some things going for it, namely quietness and freewheeling operation (so can run downhill and feel "normal" albeit not a light bike).
Actual examples of these ungainly beasts:
Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Expert 6Fattie
Pivot Shuttle
Commencal Meta Power Race 650B+ Fox
Focus Jam2 C Plus Pro
Cannondale Moterra SE
Does Big Ring or GBS still have shockwiz for rent? I'd split the costs if we can get a few of us on the right trail for an afternoon.
I think Eric has one at his shop. I'm going up there this weekend to pick up a warranty part. If it's there I'll grab it for a few days.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2018/05/this-rugged-electric-off-roader-from-nikola-has-specs-to-rival-a-tesla/
I’d be all over this were it not the lack of fancy cruise and CarPlay.
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No can do for a week for me.
The Land Cruiser is not among the small group of Toyotas that have stop and go adaptive cruise: Prius, Prius Prime, Camry, C-HR. None of those would do, although maybe that list will be longer 2 years from now.
But the Lexus list is longer, as per my prior writings on this hang-up of mine: some cars (GS, LS, LC) but also the NX, RX, and the 2016+ LX, the latter being the uglified Land Cruiser variant. Hmm. Full circle from a few years ago, possibly?
Sweet jeebus are they still expensive:
https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchresults.action/?mdId=21371&mkId=20070&normFeatureId=20003502&normFeatureId=20006101&normFeatureId=20004525&page=1&perPage=20&rd=99999&searchSource=GN_BREADCRUMB&showMore=true&sort=price-lowest&yrId=35797618&yrId=30031936&yrId=58487&zc=80238
On the other hand, for the comparable 2018 new it's something on the order of $90-95k...
woons:
That’s 5 year total cost to own as of now for a 2016 LX. That’s a shit ton of depreciation.
For me I’d be getting one at “year 3” or 4 time points, as this would be used in 2021. First year taxes would be rough. Gas would be lower, as this is for 15k/yr. My own insurance and financing runs lower, too, and I doubt the maintenance and repair bills would be that high, either.
Still goes to illustrate that it wouldn’t be cheap to own, if for nothing else due to that depreciation. I can live with depreciating $500/mo as that’s essentially what this Volvo is. $1k/mo is harder to swallow.
They screwed up the paperwork somehow. I signed a second lease agreement last night and got it off via FedEx today (at least on their dime this time). Payment and terms same. They accounted for some taxes wrong, I’m told?For certain values of "all set"...
Renting this thing from Commencal's Golden HQ on Friday June 15. That'd be a Commencal Meta Power Essential 650B+ Mango 2018, to be specific.
I'm planning on doing at least a long loop at White Ranch with it.
Isn't that the day we're going to do a Pano->Down day?
Renting this thing from Commencal's Golden HQ on Friday June 15. That'd be a Commencal Meta Power Essential 650B+ Mango 2018, to be specific.
I'm planning on doing at least a long loop at White Ranch with it.
If you're down with me futzing with a potentially whirring monstrosity of a bike let's do it. Ride ALL the trails.Isn't that the day we're going to do a Pano->Down day?
I can pick up the bike at Commencal in Golden at 9. Where/when do you want to meet?
We need to get the rest of those fools on board, including @Adventurous since that fucker is abandoning us. That and I'm gon' miss his party.
Was thinking of you the other day Toshi.
When the earth fucker was in the shop for new ujoint I was driving around in a Fusion hybrid.
It immediately turned me into the hybrid driver I loathe, with my focus being avoiding use of the gas engine and soft pedalling off every light mesmerized by the dash display.
Wasn't too impressed with the transition to fossil fueled power in that car which had me thinking you dodged a bullet on that one.
When the earth fucker was in the shop for new ujoint I was driving around in a Fusion hybrid.
It immediately turned me into the hybrid driver I loathe, with my focus being avoiding use of the gas engine and soft pedalling off every light mesmerized by the dash display.
Wasn't too impressed with the transition to fossil fueled power in that car which had me thinking you dodged a bullet on that one.
dammit toshi...ebike’s got you on my kill list. i’m sure @jonKranked’s had his eye on younfor some time now as well...
ride it to work...*maybe* ok...rode on trails? punch yourself in the face please.
ride it to work...*maybe* ok...rode on trails? punch yourself in the face please.
But why that reaction? It's legit and legal now. I like descending much better than ascending. I figure it's worth a few demos at least...
best argument I´ve heard so far for ebikes:
"you have limited ride time, maybe once a week; probably less... on any given morning ride; you can do 3 laps (600+ ft elevation each) on an ebike, or you can do 1 on a regular bike. all under your same-watt-output."
When they are 32 pounds, and I am sixty, I'll probably get one.
Whichever comes first?
I wrote this in January 2018 after testing the Nissan Rogue's ProPILOT Assist. As you all know, I currently am leasing a Volvo with Pilot Assist. (The name similarity is coincidental, but both systems are sourced from Mobileye, as best as I can tell.)
Having driven both I think Volvo's implementation is better, as I had guessed back in January. Notable differences that make this so are the clean control layout on the Volvo steering wheel, and (the big one) much better visual notification of when Pilot Assist is active on the Volvo's 12.3" dashboard LCD as opposed to the crappy little low-res monochrome LCD in the center of the Rogue's dashboard.
Pilot Assist isn't of tremendous use off the highway, though: I use it when the line markings are good, but I often revert to steering myself and using the adaptive cruise alone because it is unreliable (random course deviations) or unavailable. On the highway it works pretty well but the "touch the wheel every 10 seconds" aspect of using it is annoying.
But I digress.
The real reason I quoted myself here is the line about Super Cruise. It was introduced on the 2018 Cadillac CT6 to modest fanfare, but GM announced no greater availability for it. Thus it was a bit of an oddity at best, for me, since Lexus LS-flirtation aside, I really have no use for a big luxury sedan given my lifestyle.
Well, that changed today. Only Ars Technica seems to have picked up the story so far, but this is big:
Call my Sally and slap me silly. I would have to think it over, of course, but if the choice for me in 2021 comes down toArstechnica.com said:
A) a Lexus LX 570 that has my coveted suspension articulation, luxurious materials, and stop and go adaptive cruise but is quite hideous, very large, and ostentatious
or
B) a Cadillac (or by 2021, GM) that has no off road pretensions but can drive itself on highways indefinitely hands-off as long as my eyes are directed on the road
I may well end up picking the latter. Hmm.
My 10yo is 110...
I saw a carbon ebike from specialized the other day... thing was about the same weight the scott gambler I used to pedal around town (20+ mile rides) back in 2010....
OK, I have to modify.
When they are 32 pounds
When I am 60
When I am rich?
When they are 32 pounds
When I am 60
When I am rich?
I found my next ride! Alt: I knew there was a reason why I’ve been keeping my motorcycle endorsement current.
Honda is bringing the Monkey back to the US in January 2019.
That’d be a riot. I’d look like this, but with more full face, beard, and less white.
(Yes, that’s the Isle of Man.)
((See post 3969 in this thread for an ADV Monkey.))
Honda is bringing the Monkey back to the US in January 2019.
That’d be a riot. I’d look like this, but with more full face, beard, and less white.
(Yes, that’s the Isle of Man.)
((See post 3969 in this thread for an ADV Monkey.))
Turns out the new Monkey is actually much bigger than the old. 30.5" seat height for reference. Hmm.
Also, I think I posted this a few years back but can't find it.
Land Cruiser 200 series durability testing. Would be nice to have an official Toyota copy of this in higher resolution.
Also, I think I posted this a few years back but can't find it.
Land Cruiser 200 series durability testing. Would be nice to have an official Toyota copy of this in higher resolution.
Re random course deviations, see death of Walter Huang:
Admittedly he wasn't paying attention for at least the last 6 seconds before the crash--no driver input. Whether or not he would have been an idiot playing with his phone or not in a regular car is actually of import here, because a regular car wouldn't have followed the poorly marked left lane marker off into the median but rather continued on its path. (Also of note is that Mr. Huang probably won't have died in the crash if the crash attenuator in the median hadn't been already used--he basically went from 70 to 0 in the space of half of his car's wheelbase.)
Ars Technica has a writeup on the Huang/Tesla incident that briefly touches on the development path of these systems. The short version is that because adaptive cruise/collision mitigation and autosteer functionality were originally developed separately, and in an era where sensors had limited fidelity their interactions can lead to these adverse outcomes of crashing into fixed objects +/- the car swerving toward it.
Deep thought of the night: Can I get away with not having a car post-Volvo?
There's an Enterprise scheduled to open in a new location in Q1 2019. This new location will be 0.8 miles away from me, easily accessible on foot (<20 minutes) or bike (5 minutes). Even with inevitable delays it'll certainly be open by Volvo-lease end time in 2021.
In 2021 my kids will be 8 and 6 in elementary, and theoretical Thing 3 would be 2 and in preschool. I wouldn't be on kid shuttling duty most days, and certainly could pick up a car at 7:30 AM, pick up a kid and a car seat from the garage, and drop off said kid at a reasonable hour in a pinch.
For getting to work I could ride my belt drive commuter, Uber, or perhaps add a motorized 2 wheeler +/- pedals to the stable.
For getting to the trailhead I could rent an SUV or minivan from Enterprise and either use the hitch if it's not blocked off somehow or toss the whole bike in the back.
Skiing is the tougher one. No snow tires on rental vehicles, as far as I know. Per the horse's mouth:
Why would I do this? The garage would seem a whole lot roomier. It probably wouldn't be any more expensive than the increasingly outlandish vehicles I've been considering. It resonates with my desire to own less stuff. It'd automatically keep my vehicle fleet somewhat new. When Ubering it'd give me the self-driving car experience, only with the car operated by a fellow meat popsicle instead of a fancy algorithm. It'd give me an excuse to get a motorcycle again.
Hmm. Maybe?
There's an Enterprise scheduled to open in a new location in Q1 2019. This new location will be 0.8 miles away from me, easily accessible on foot (<20 minutes) or bike (5 minutes). Even with inevitable delays it'll certainly be open by Volvo-lease end time in 2021.
In 2021 my kids will be 8 and 6 in elementary, and theoretical Thing 3 would be 2 and in preschool. I wouldn't be on kid shuttling duty most days, and certainly could pick up a car at 7:30 AM, pick up a kid and a car seat from the garage, and drop off said kid at a reasonable hour in a pinch.
For getting to work I could ride my belt drive commuter, Uber, or perhaps add a motorized 2 wheeler +/- pedals to the stable.
For getting to the trailhead I could rent an SUV or minivan from Enterprise and either use the hitch if it's not blocked off somehow or toss the whole bike in the back.
Skiing is the tougher one. No snow tires on rental vehicles, as far as I know. Per the horse's mouth:
That said, rental cars don't have some special tires that reject snow chains. Don't ask, don't tell, and just buy a chain size that'd fit whatever full-size SUV rental they carry (e.g. Armada)?Enterprise.com said:
Why would I do this? The garage would seem a whole lot roomier. It probably wouldn't be any more expensive than the increasingly outlandish vehicles I've been considering. It resonates with my desire to own less stuff. It'd automatically keep my vehicle fleet somewhat new. When Ubering it'd give me the self-driving car experience, only with the car operated by a fellow meat popsicle instead of a fancy algorithm. It'd give me an excuse to get a motorcycle again.
Hmm. Maybe?
Death is a pretty good weight loss program.You'll never be 60 pounds, Fatty.