Skip Navigation
InitialsDiceBearhttps://github.com/dicebear/dicebearhttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/„Initials” (https://github.com/dicebear/dicebear) by „DiceBear”, licensed under „CC0 1.0” (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)SH
Showroom7561 @lemmy.ca
Posts 208
Comments 3K
Lectric XPedition 2.0 First Ride Review | Hello, Upgrades!
  • From the Lectric site:

    "Every XPedition 2.0 purchase is backed by a full U.S. customer service base and a 1-year warranty."

    I honestly can't take any vehicle company seriously if they warranty their vehicles as if they were a children's toy.

    Such a bummer.

  • I used to hate winter cycling - here are five ways I made it bearable
  • For sure, a belt drive aluminium bike would be way easier to manage. I've got to work with what I have.

    I finished coating the inside of my steel frame for the second year. No signs of internal rust when I inspected it, except for the bridge of the chainstay.

    For some reason, my fender doesn't cover this hole, so wheel spray goes directly into it. 🤔

    Replaced all bolts with SS, packed marine grease in front of any bearings, and made sure that all rustable parts have either a bit of oil or grease on them.

  • I used to hate winter cycling - here are five ways I made it bearable
  • hot waxed chain with no drip wax ever and a bottle of 99% isopropyl that I use to flash off the water.

    Can you elaborate? This will be my first year with waxed chains, and your method seems interesting.

    Do you just wipe the waxed chain off after returning home, then hit it with 99% isopropyl alcohol?

    How many km between immersion waxes?

  • I used to hate winter cycling - here are five ways I made it bearable
  • None of these are problems that prevent me from riding in the winter.

    The biggest issue I have with winter riding, by a long shot, is road salt. I hate the fact that riding in the winter, even once, means that I'm ruining my bike somehow because of road salt. If not for that, I'd be out nearly as often as I would during the warmer months.

  • Synology hurries out patches for zero-days exploited at Pwn2Own
  • To that note, anyone have any idea how to get Hyper Backup to stop telling me that my backups are "partial" because Video Station is no longer found? It's not even on the list of apps, but tells me that it's been disabled as an option to back up because it's not available. Annoying!

  • Linkwarden - An open-source collaborative bookmark manager to collect, organize and preserve webpages | November 2024 Update - Browser synchronization, custom icons, custom preview image, and more! 🚀
  • Does this new version fix the issue where it ends up capturing "choose your country", cookie popups, and generally something NOT intended?

    I was having problems like that all the time, so I had to uninstall it.

    Compared to something like the FF extension "SingleFile", I wish Linkwarden worked better :(

  • Most criminal cases in Ontario now ending before charges are tested at trial
  • I think it's fair to say that there are a lot of cases that can be expedited without the need to drag them along.

    The problem with our current justice system (at least in its current state) is that it HIGHLY favours criminals.

    Rapists walking free, drunk drivers getting their fourth or fifth "warning", people being arrested for crimes while breaching a previous court order, people murdering cyclists and getting off with a minor traffic ticket, etc.

    With more judges, a more efficient process, and more Crown prosecutors, hopefully things will move along more quickly. That won't happen unless our government gets their priorities straight.

    Either way, victims should always come first; society second; criminals last.

  • How do you guys endure the hunger pains while losing weight? I was told to eat more protein, but what kind of protein tricks my brain into feeling full longer that has low calories?
  • What's your calorie deficit per day? If it's too much, you'll constantly feel like you're starving.

    If you reduce your calories by only around 200 or so per day, the weight will come off in a controlled way, but without feeling like you're not eating enough.

    I lost around 30lbs earlier this year using a combination of calorie deficit and cycling. On long days riding, I'd often end up thousands of calories short, even while eating as much as I could. I never felt like I was hungry during those few months needed to reach my goal.

    And the weight has stayed off.

    I also used the advice found in Dr. Greger's "How not to diet", the audiobook version.

  • Most criminal cases in Ontario now ending before charges are tested at trial
  • It has more about the courts not having enough judges or enough rooms to process every trial than the police.

    Maybe we should get rid of court buildings and do everything virtually. If you've even been to a court, 90% of the time is basically wasted for everyone involved, simply due to how slow things are when you are in a physical building.

    If we don't modernize our justice system, we'll never have enough judges or rooms to prosecute every criminal.

    Maybe Dougie wants to explain why he's able to find money to rip out existing bike lanes, or to build a FUCKING TUNNEL UNDER THE 401, but not have enough to make sure that our justice system moves as the speed of crime.

  • Most criminal cases in Ontario now ending before charges are tested at trial
  • The majority of criminal cases in the province have ended with charges being withdrawn, stayed, dismissed or discharged before a decision at trial since 2020.

    Meanwhile, 30% of my property taxes go to police services, and doesn't matter in the end whether a criminal is caught or not.

  • toronto.ctvnews.ca 13-year-old cyclist dies after being struck by vehicle in Ajax

    A 13-year-old cyclist has died in hospital after being struck by a vehicle in Ajax on Thursday morning, police say.

    13-year-old cyclist dies after being struck by vehicle in Ajax

    Absolutely heartbreaking. Seeing where this crash took place, I can only guess that the driver failed to stop and ran right through the cross-ride.

    3
    toronto.citynews.ca 'Fight for Bikes' rally takes over Toronto

    Hundreds of cyclists descended on the downtown core this afternoon to have their voices heard over Doug Ford's plans to remove some key bike lanes. The protest began at Christie Pitts, with bikers of all ages and skills pledging to fight Bill 212 and

    'Fight for Bikes' rally takes over Toronto

    You guys make me so proud! Keep the pressure up!

    3

    Insight needed re: friction shifters

    Hey guys,

    I'm looking to possibly upgrade the shifters on my 90s MTB from grip shifters to friction thumb shifters.

    I'm currently eyeing the microSHIFT SL-M10 (https://www.microshift.com/models/sl-m10/), which is listed as being compatible with Shimano MTB 2/3×10.

    Currently have a 7 cog cassette using an Alivio 7 speed derailleur. I also have a Deore LX M567 (8 speed) derailleur available, which would be a nice upgrade if compatible with the friction shifter.

    Here are my questions:

    1. Would that 10 speed shifter work with lower speed derailleurs?

    2. What advantage, if any, would i get with a friction shifter listed for 8 or 9 speed derailleurs?

    3. On the SLM10 shifter, it's got an indexed mode, too. Would that work with 7 speed, and if so, are limits set by the derailleur or do these things have hard stops built into them?

    Thanks in advance.

    3

    CBC News: Fact-checking claims from Ontario that only 1.2% of Torontonians commute by bike

    Forget the misleading bike use numbers, the low rate of people using their car is fascinating!

    Ford makes it seem like 99% of the Toronto population are driving everywhere with their cars.

    While traffic congestion makes it seem like everyone is driving, the reality is that fewer than 40% are in the areas that Ford wants bike lanes removed.

    So why on earth do we allocate so many resources to car traffic?????

    100% of the people living in the city suffer because of cars, parking lot space, noise pollution, air pollution, lack of safety for pedestrians, congestion causing all other forms of transportation to be slower.

    Wouldn't it make more sense to give car traffic less priority, and other forms of transportation more? Between cycling and non-car users, car drivers are the minority, yet they demand every square inch to themselves!

    Why do we continue to allow this entitlement?

    0

    Upgrading 90s MTB F/R derailleur: possible to use newer generation parts in the same product line?

    So... I discovered that I can still get parts for my mid-90s MTB, which is the bike I use for everything hauling, winter, and off-road.

    Initially, I was thinking of upgrading to more modern parts, but the components have been so good that I'd rather just refresh them.

    I did order a "new old stock" crank/chainring, which I'm really excited about. Since I wax my chain, I don't see me ever having a need to replace it again.

    But, I'd like to get a front and rear derailleur that are in better condition.

    Both are the original Shimano Alivio RD-MC10 and FD-MC10, which I can still buy as used parts (which look like they are much better condition than the ones I've got).

    But I'm curious to know if newer models in this series would be directly compatible with my existing cassette/chainrings and grip shifters. Things like the MC11, MC12, etc.

    Does anyone have a clue? It's hard enough to find information about vintage bike parts, but I figure it's worth asking before I go with the same ones.

    2

    Province says 3 Toronto bike lanes could be entirely 'ripped out,' mayor vows to fight

    > Sarkaria (Ontario's transportation minister) said Friday that only 1.2 per cent of people use those bike lanes to commute to work, compared with 70 per cent who drive, and the lanes are taking away nearly half of the infrastructure on those roads, making commutes longer for drivers.

    Why hasn't anyone challenged the use of that statistic?

    Commuting isn't the only way to use transportation infrastructure and bike lanes, so it's incredibly dishonest to say that "only 1.2%" are using those particular bike lanes.

    If I use bike lanes for 100% of my errands and 0% for commuting, does that invalidate those lanes?

    By the same token, at what point would they consider removing sidewalks if people aren't using them specifically to walk to work?

    11

    Who's to say that the Ford Government won't ban cycling on all major roads?

    Why would he stop at removing bike lanes?

    The MTO is on his side, and when his plan to reduce and remove bike lanes fails to ease traffic congestion (hint: because they aren't causing it), why wouldn't he go after banning all cycling from major roads using the same reasoning (that cycling itself is the cause of all our traffic problems)?

    I don't see any end to his overreach, and it'll be a matter of time before ebikes, then regular bikes, become highly restricted in Ontario.

    Convince me otherwise.

    8

    A bit of a rant, but what to do about new smartphones?

    Samsung has gone hard promoting AI in their phones, and now OnePlus has also announced some heavy AI-based features in their new Android OS. Pretty much every other brand is now doing the same, so you can't escape it.

    I've been in the market to upgrade my nearly 6-year-old phone, but seeing all these AI features, especially when they rely on Google's Gemini (or other cloud AI), and it feels deflating.

    Will privacy ultimately have to be sacrificed "from now on"?

    By not using these AI features, you pay a lot for features you won't be using. And the usefulness of the device becomes limited as nearly all functions now have AI-based components to them.

    I'm totally fine with on-device AI, but many features I'm seeing don't seem to be on-device, and I've spent years trying to stop sending my data to companies like Google. I don't want to go backwards for the sake of market trends.

    What are your future plans when it comes to smartphones?

    42
    www.thestar.com ‘You build safe streets, or people die.’ Hundreds rally at Queen’s Park to protest plan to tear up bike lanes

    Ontario has tabled a bill which forces municipalities to seek approval for new bike lines, as well as allow the province to remove existing ones.

    ‘You build safe streets, or people die.’ Hundreds rally at Queen’s Park to protest plan to tear up bike lanes

    I wish I could have been there!

    And 500+ people attended, at 5pm on a weekday? Imagine how many thousands would have turned up if this took place on a weekend!

    Keep up the pressure, guys!

    0

    Does Warmshowers have a general map that isn't paywalled?

    I'm totally happy to pay the fee associated with joining, but I'd like to have some idea of how many hosts might be available along certain routes.

    Even knowing how many hosts might be in a particular city could be very helpful.

    Does this exist?

    7

    Best practice for tagging bike routes with no road markings (i.e. no sharrows or bike lanes)?

    We have bike routes all over, and they are signed with something as shown.

    But most of these will have a bike lane or sharrows along with the Bike Route signs.

    However, I ran into one road that doesn't, it's just signed.

    What's the best way to tag these roads? I don't want to cause confusion, but these unpainted (but signed) roads do actually lead to/from better cycling infrastructure, so they should be known.

    UPDATE: Thanks for all the input, guys. Having looked into this further, I'm comfortable using the designated tag, at least for this specific road.

    My municipality is a bit bipolar with their application of these signs. Most are signed as bike routes with toad markings, but a few are signed only.

    Because these "bike routes" connect to more significant cycling infrastructure, I think its more than valid to tag them as “designated” as opposed to "yes" (which would be pretty much every road).

    To add even more confusion to the situation, the official Cycling infrastructure map for my municipality seems to not include several areas that have both bike route signs and road markings, so i will ask them if the data is just lagging or if it needs to be updated.

    So, unless there's a critical reason why the "designated" tag shouldn't be used in this context, I will leave it at that.

    11
    www.thestar.com Ford government unveils more details on plan to curb new bike lanes on major roads

    It's expected the bike lane plan, limiting municipal powers, would appeal to suburban voters who rely more heavily on cars to get around.

    Ford government unveils more details on plan to curb new bike lanes on major roads

    So, when this plan inevitably results in MORE traffic congestion, who will Ford target next? Pedestrians and the removal of sidewalks?

    And Transportation Minister Sarkaria should honestly be ashamed of himself for the way he blames and attacks cycling infrastructure. Is he the transportation minister or the cars-only minister?

    6

    Maintaining a waxed chain is WAAAAY easier than maintaining a wet lubed chain

    I wanted to share my experience with waxing my bike chains.

    I was resistant to waxing my chains because it seems that a lot of people felt it was "too much work".

    But having to constantly clean black shit off my chains after every ride, then spend time degreasing and re-lubing, I figured I'd try waxing when I got my gravel bike.

    Now, thousands of KM later and having converted all three bikes to waxed, there's no way I'd go back. The time saved could be measured in hours per month.

    First, the biggest complaint is chain prep. Yeah, regardless if you're waxing or not, you'll need to prep a new chain by removing the factory grease. With waxed, you do this once, and no more worrying about degreasing ever again. Make like easy and get Silca's chain stripper, and it's a 10 minute, one-step process.

    Ongoing chain maintenance couldn't be easier. After every ride, give the chain a quick wipe (or not). My chain stays clean, even after a 200 km ride.

    And if you ride in wet or dirty conditions? Guess what, you're in for a LOT of work if you lube your chain. With waxed, keep a second (or third) chain ready to go, and you just swap it out (10 seconds of effort). Take the dirty chain, give it a wipe if it's only been wet, or pour boiled water onto it if you want to "reset" the chain to bare metal. Then drop it into the waxing pot for a re-wax. You don't have to stand at the pot, so there's no real time commitment here. I've spent more time completely dirtying large microfiber cloths trying to get my chain "clean" when lubed (hint: it's never clean if you use a wet lube, not without solvents and an ultrasonic cleaner).

    For actual immersion wax, I do it every 1000 km (sooner than you need to), and use a drip wax every 200 - 250 km to keep things fresh.

    Honestly, wax is easier, cleaner, and takes less time to maintain vs wet lube.

    The only downsides? The initial cost to get started. But this is offset by not having to replace chains or other components prematurely. You actually save money in the long-term when using waxed chains.

    Some might argue that "you can't run waxed chains in muddy or constantly rainy conditions". Well, at the same time, your wet lube isn't really helping matters in those situations, either. Waxed is still better, and you can swap chains much faster than you can clean the grinding paste from a wet lubed chain.

    Who would I not recommend waxed chains to? Someone who rarely uses their bike. Drip lube will be "good enough" in those cases. But anyone else would benefit from waxing their chain.

    77

    A bank referred me to their website to get more details about their products...

    ... and they use YouTube to host their informational videos.

    "Please allow us to interrupt your research with intrusive targeted ads, so you can have a superior browsing experience." 🤡

    7

    It's always worth asking for a bike rack!

    This store just opened up a few months back, and they had zero bike parking.

    I emailed their head office, saying that I was planning to shop there, but not until they added a bike rack.

    Went to check last night, and boom! Bike rack!

    19

    ‘They are not safe’: Richmond Hill residents at traffic meeting want bike lanes installed this year removed immediately

    > “They are not safe. They are anything but for safety,” said a woman who added vehicles in the two-block section sometimes drive in the middle of Springbrook to avoid the bollards.

    Oh, so drivers behind of the wheel of an automobile are the danger. Why remove the bike lanes rather than the car lanes?

    I heard that Etobicoke's NIMBYs are insane, but this is a new level of stupidity from Richmond Hill.

    13

    If you were never a "fuck cars" person, hang out near a school

    Walking my grandkid to/from school, it absolutely floors me how many dangerous drivers there are around kids.

    In a matter of maybe 10 minutes, I've witnessed:

    • at least a dozen cars illegal parked. It's not the parking that bothers me, but the fact that these cars are often parked on turns or just before intersections, making it impossible for other drivers to see small kids.
    • Several people not stopping at stop signs, including at the exit of the school parking lot.
    • One car, who completely blew through a stop sign at the front of the school, made a left turn and nearly hit a guy walking his kid. The driver didn't even slow down.
    • Super fucking huge pickup trucks parked in the school parking lot, but their long ass hangs well over the sidewalk near the kindergarden area, leaving very little space to use the sidewalk.
    • Speeding. Obviously, you have to have speeding in school zones, right?

    This happens every day, during drop off and pick up. I was told that bylaw were “cracking down”, but no, they aren't. If they were, our municipality would generate $5000 in fines each and every day at every school.

    The other day, I rode my bike past another school as kids were getting out. Not only was their massive parking lot completely full, but they had blocked the bike trail (WITH PYLONS) to make space for more cars. Then as I entered onto the road, cars were illegally parked along the road and on a bridge for a like 100m. Making it extremely difficult and dangerous to cross because they blocked visibility for me and other drivers on the road.

    I asked the cross guard if these students all lived out of town, requiring every parent to drive them home; he obviously didn't get my joke.

    Seriously, fuck cars. All of them!

    81

    Ontario eyes barring new bike lanes where car lanes would be cut

    Been watching the Q&A with this guy... total clown. He evaded every question about bike lanes and keeps pounding the idea that "We will always be building! [more roads]".

    I will tell you one thing, I'm not usually one to take the lane unless absolutely necessary, but I'd be happy to do so every time in protest of any Ontario's proposed actions to go backwards on sane, cycling infrastructure.

    Also, the focus is always about reducing congestion and gridlock... guys, YOU ARE THE CONGESTION AND GRIDLOCK! Stop making cars the only way to travel, and you'll magically solve your problem.

    1
    toronto.citynews.ca Female cyclist in critical condition following hit-and-run in Brampton

    OPP said it happened around 9 p.m. on Wednesday in the Steeles Avenue West area and the northbound Highway 410 ramp.

    Female cyclist in critical condition following hit-and-run in Brampton

    Toronto, please don't normalize hit-and-runs.

    0
    www.fox4news.com Avid cyclist killed during group ride along Benbrook bike trail

    A Benbrook man who was an avid cyclist was killed Saturday morning. He's being remembered as a dedicated, retired educator who enjoyed riding with friends.

    Avid cyclist killed during group ride along Benbrook bike trail

    > "She said she didn’t see us. Didn’t see us. She was very, very upset."

    > The driver did stop and is not expected to be charged.

    This makes me furious, but it's completely expected.

    Cars are the only weapon where you can kill someone without consequence, even if it was pure negligence or entirely on purpose.

    25