This can't be right. How do the Houthis have a hypersonic missile when the superpowers can barely field them?
Ya'll need to start calling people dirt-hats
DCA broke me because I know about 90% of those buttons and switches
I'd be happy just having bikes be viable as an individualized transportation method. I'd much rather a 30-minute bike ride than a car ride every day
Velomobiles are neat but the idea is more practically executed in something like the Electrom LEV
I used to be acquainted with a guy who would buy billboard time and put fake joke ads on them. This seems like something he'd put up
Discs are asexual. It's why they can make offspring without a partner.
I want to be optimistic that the industry will learn from these failures but they only ever seem to learn the wrong lessons
Even worse, I can identify most cars at night using just the taillight/headlight shape
I know nothing will be done but it's at least nice to hear someone official say it
Primarily I just think the difference is overall good design between the OS and the phone itself. There are a lot of little thoughtful details that improve the experience.
The 'glyph' lights are a good example. When I was researching the phone I thought they were just a gimmick. Like sure they're neat and all but I didn't really see much value added. However, in practice you start realizing how valuable they are.
The notifications lights can be customized so important ones turn on a light until the phone is checked. This makes ignoring your phone so much easier. The Glyph Timer is really useful, especially if you need a silent timer. There's also a Glyph flashlight. This seems redundant at first because there's already an LED flashlight on the back of the phone, like every other phone. However, the Glyph flashlight is much softer which is perfect for navigating a dark room where someone is sleeping.
People will point out that most of Nothing's features can be replicated in some capacity on any Android phone. This is absolutely true, but I think they're discounting how thoughtfully these details are implemented by Nothing on their phones.
...and just so it's perfectly clear: I am VERY happy with Nothing OS and the 2a. Like, happy enough that my next phone will likely be a Nothing phone as well. It's been the best out-of-box user experience I've ever had with a phone
I'm writing this on a 2a and the only thing 'missing' for me is an SD card slot but I'm told that's out of fashion these days anyway
Allegorical, but I have 2008 Mercedes C300 (W204). I purchased it in 2017 with 90k miles and I'm currently at 190k. It's still my daily driver and overall I remain pretty happy with it.
The tl;dr of this car has been toyota-like reliability with maintenance/repairs being uncommon but more costly when they need to be done. I wouldn't assume my experience is indicative of Mercedes overall.
I'm not a mechanic but I am an engineering technician and test driver in automotive T&V
Ann Arbor is pretty nice. I'm about an hour away but I have a friend near there. If you like mountain biking there's also some very good trails nearby
Trying to decide on the right 'Specialized' eBike for a long commute
tl;dr: have long commute. Want eBike. Am fat. Should I buy Specialized Veno 4.0 or Veno SL 4.0 EQ?
Hello everyone,
For multiple reasons I'm looking to purchase my first eBike for my long commute to work. My local bike shop (who I would like to work with on this) sells Specialized. It looks like the Vado 4.0 and Vado SL 4.0 EQ can both be had for around $3200 and these seem like the most likely candidates for this role.
My bike shop is recommending the SL. I normally wouldn't question them but Specialized's website claims I would get more range out of the regular Vado. It also has the added advantage of having a removable battery which means I can charge it at my desk and have a full battery for the commute home.
On the other hand the SL seems more approachable for someone who has a lot of experience with non-assisted riding. Additionally it's light enough that it should function decently as a conventional bike should the electric drive train turn off.
About my commute:
By bike my commute to work will be about 26 miles (42km). Terrain is mostly flat and I will be on dedicated bike paths for 85% of the trip. This commute is located in SE Michigan and I intend to ride 2 or 3 times a week as weather permits. I will likely still ride in rain and cold conditions but snow may be a limiting factor as the bike paths are not plowed during the winter. My workplace has lockers and a shower. I can keep changes of clothes at work but would prefer to not have to use the shower unless absolutely necessary.
About me:
I'm 6'4' (193cm) and about 260lbs (118kg). That may seem too fat to consider this commute, but I race XC (Beginner/Clydesdale) and Enduro (Expert/Open) so I am decently in-shape for my size. For reference Strava has me at 2,458 out of 5,827 at the local hard XC loop, and 75 out of 6584 on one of the downhill sections so I feel capable enough to make this happen. Additionally I used to commute by bike more regularly but the trips were shorter and I would just use one of my mountain bikes.
Google claims that the commute will take 2 hours but I'm guessing that is accounting for a slower rider on a conventional bicycle. If I can get the time down to 1hr 30min then this should be entirely feasible. Especially considering my normal commute takes between 40min to 1hr 30min in my car.
Additional notes:
The bike shop loaned me a demo bike. a Specialized Globe Haul ST. Neither they or I think this is the right bike for me but they had one that's a demo model and suggested I try half my route to see how bad the commute will be. This will give me a decent sample of the route and will be a nice introduction to eBikes in general.
Sorry for the long post. Curious what your thoughts are. Has anyone used these bikes or have any tips or recommendations? Thanks!
Edit: I tested the route today on the Haul ST I'm demoing. I decided to do the route to the halfway point and turn around as this would roughly simulate the total distance.
The good news is despite a couple hiccups with the bike (mostly due to me inexperience), and having to slow down for busy Saturday trail traffic (my rule was 12-15mph anytime I was near any other trail user) I still made the halfway point by 45 minutes. This is exactly the time frame I was hoping for.
The bike shop told me they didn't think the Haul had the range to make the trip at the speed I wanted and they were right. The Haul preformed admirably overall. I ran PA level 3 until halfway back I realized I had misinterpreted the 'RNG' indicator and checking the app showed that I only 9% battery remaining. I switched to PA level 1 for the rest of the trip home. the Haul is an absolute pig on PA 1 but I was able to limp it home without further issue.
If I had a slightly shorter commute and needed to carry more than a couple light bags the Haul would be perfect. However, it's designed to carry heavier loads than I need.
Here's the Strava track if anyone is curious to see how it performed: https://www.strava.com/activities/10121452712