It was chilly and rainy most of the day. Had written it off as a do-nothing afternoon/evening and then I got word that I didn’t get a job I’d applied for. I knew if I just sat around I’d be miserable, so I got on some warm biking clothes and headed out for a ride. Still bummed but glad I tried to do something to better my day rather than just feeling despondent.

Still here some 30+ years later. For a lot of people it was a passing phase and there was a lot of tough-guy bullshit that I think many people who felt marginalized bought into. But not everyone…

I read an interview one time (I think with one of the guys from Snapcase) that SE is just the beginning. If all you did was apply that label to yourself but not use that as a stepping stone for anything else in your life, then what good was it. That resonated with me a lot.

I don’t really go around advertising SE because I’m a middle-aged dude at work or at his kid’s volleyball game and I don’t really define myself by one label or lifestyle choice anymore. Being punk/alt/whatever at almost 50 looks different than it did at ages 16-22.

I’m grateful for the HC/punk family I grew up with and the memories of that scene I have and that I was able to avoid some of the pitfalls around me in my younger days.

Bookmarked to check this out. Thanks

Bandcamp is great, but man trying to keep track of what’s happening there is a chore. I really wish artist store pages would give an insight as to what’s already in my library, already on my wishlist or what might be marked down for a sale or pay what you want.

DJI Mic Mini that arrives today to pair with action camera and cycling.

I probably won’t get a ton of use out of it, but any time I try to capture my rides just for family to see what I’m up to, it’s all just wind noise.

Thanks for the reminder to go delete my old comments and posts. Reddit is dead to me. I stopped using it two years ago. I’ll occasionally go there if there’s a legit looking search result for what I’m looking for, but I don’t bother logging in or interacting with the platform. Reddit is blocked by my work, which is typically what I’m searching for from there so it’s useless anyways.

Mass Effect: Andromeda - I knew 1 & 2 were held in high regard, but I hadn’t played them. Actually, I’d played about 10 minutes of one of them a couple years before and it just wasn’t what I was in the mood for at that time. So, I went into Andromeda without any expectations really and thought it was a perfectly fine game.

Days late to this thread but another vote for RideWithGPS. I paid ~$50/yr to access the lowest tier of paid features (can’t remember what all is/isn’t included with that but their site should have a breakdown - I feel like I needed it for an organized event I was riding in). I have mine integrated with Strava (free version) so my rides and segments are still tracked there too.

Grew up riding mountain bikes, skateboards (street) and snowboards 25+ years ago. I laughed at the snowboarders wearing helmets and told friends who were getting into the sport not to bother with them. Got married and my wife made me get a helmet (lame, but whatever), then I had some kids.

8 years ago, I crashed snowboarding on an easy green run when going in for lunch. I was with a friend (rare for me as I usually went alone) and was taking it easy on an otherwise chill day. I ended up with two broken vertebrae, a tibial plateau fracture, a broken shoulder, and a concussion - i have no recollection of the accident, going down the hill in a sled on a backboard with patrol, taking an hours-long ambulance ride from the mountains, or any of my time in the ER - I apparently just kept repeating the same couple of lines to anyone I talked to, including my wife.

I got back into biking a couple years ago and am now riding more than I ever did growing up - I avoid cars/paved roads and mostly ride gravel, single track, and multi-use paths now. I wear a helmet every time i go out. I went over the handlebars a week and a half ago while riding alone. I didn’t hit my head - just a hard landing, some scrapes and a bruised ego - but just another reminder how quickly things can go bad and how little control over the situation you have when it does.

A sweaty head and some random person thinking i don’t look cool aren’t really big concerns of mine (i also don’t think I look very cool so I guess that makes two of us).

The network TV spin-off for this FBI task force is going to be great.

Cycling now that the weather’s warmer. My family and pets. Coffee and word games.

Thanks for the reminder to look for the good. I often feel like there should be so much more, but I know that’s more than some people have, so I should feel lucky.

Enjoy counting how many times I tell it it’s a piece of shit on a daily basis. Half the time it doesn’t play anything remotely close to the artist/album I request when listening to music. Other times it just flat out doesn’t work. We got a few years ago when they were discounted around holidays - don’t think we’ll be buying any more.

…and nothing of value was lost

Trump has been trash since the 1980s. He was a garbage president in 2016. If you “fell for it” in 2020 and/or 2024, you’re dumber than dirt.

I like that… Make the best of the nicer days and push there rather than trying to hit some other quota, riding when it’s unpleasant, and getting de-motivated.

Lately it’s been cold + actively snowing, so it just hasn’t been appealing to go out and ride. Like another commenter mentioned there’s also the factor of it getting dark early. So, it’s really just been a lack of motivation on my part recently.

I’ve been trying out different layering to try to get temps in the sweet not too hot/not too cold spot. Still got more work to do, but am getting there. One thing I found has helped was to throw a handlebar bag on in colder temps - makes it easier to stash something if I get warmer than expected or have some additional if it’s colder… beats having a backpack that gets my back sweaty.

Getting dark early is what kind of kills it for me too. By the time I’m getting off work the light is fading fast and the temperature is dropping with it.

Dealing with mechanical issues always sucks, but that’s another thing I’ve had in the back of my mind - it would be tough to deal with that kind of stuff with chilly or gloved fingers.

I went out this afternoon and it was about 34°F but the wind was chilly and pretty strong at times. I went my normal route where the paved path was plowed and clear, to a dirt road that had packed snow, and finally had to turn around where the trail had over 12 inches of snow.

I just took it slower than usual.

It wasn’t too bad with some layering, but my hands and feet got cold (should have just bulked up what I was wearing).

I think I’ll probably look to get a used trainer for when I just can’t be bothered to bundle up and get out. Sounds kind of boring, but at least fulfills the exercise factor. Then, make the most of any fair weather days and try to enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoors.

Thanks for the replies everyone

The Past Is Still Alive by Hurray for the Riff Raff.

Easily one of my most played of 2024. Shame I missed them when they came through my city. Loved the songwriting, the music and the singing. The whole album was strong and the vibe resonated with me.

Biking is also pretty dependent on the individual and their setup. The elevation changes, distances, sustained speed, and terrain one individual and their equipment can handle can vary drastically with another person. Not to mention someone’s tolerance for whatever the weather might be doing at the time while you’re completely exposed to the elements on a bike or walking.

It’s just them taking a “your results may vary” approach while covering their own ass.

Anecdotally, while driving in Colorado, I put in a destination that I was driving to in bike mode on accident. The destination was like 80 miles away from where I was and involved climbing and descending a mountain pass. Google Maps was very optimistic about how long it would take me to bike there…all without knowing my anything about my health, the kind of bike I have, if I would be able to bike at that elevation, etc. (being Google they probably knew)

I switched over to Ride with GPS for the most part (my activity there still syncs over to Strava), but I grabbed the route files from here: https://ridewithgps.com/users/171708

How was the WP area? I thought their rides up there looked really nice. I’ll have to try one soon.