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walden@sub.wetshaving.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

I have a lot of hobbies, and I decided a while ago to trim my time down to wetshaving and RC airplanes.

Tinkering with electronics will be reserved for an “as needed” basis, like when something in my smart-home setup stops working, and I sold most of my woodworking stuff.

Unfortunately, RC airplanes and shaving do nothing for my physical fitness, and I’ve always had an interest in biking. I have a nice road bike, but I refuse to ride it on actual roads so I don’t get run over, and having to put the bike in my car to drive to the nearest rail-trail isn’t much fun.

I have a mountain bike from 2004 (20 years old!) which has a steel frame, a hard tail, and 26" wheels. I’ve tried riding it on the trails behind my house, but it doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Modern mountain bikes have changed A LOT, and I’ve wanted one for the past few years…

So I got one. It has full suspension, an aluminum alloy frame, 29" wheels, a dropper post, and geometry that’s “slacked out” as the kids say.

I’ve been on 2 rides so far, and already feeling stronger. It’s much more fun to ride than my 20 year old bike, and we’re lucky to have numerous trails to ride around here. I have a small trail system right in my back yard, or I can throw the bike in my car (I know I said I don’t like doing that, but it’s worth it if it’s fun) and have access to probably 30 miles of different trails within a 10 minute drive.

I’m stoked! Gnarly!

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gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Nothing like new toys! I have almost given up on RC. If you fly FPV quads, and thermal gliders there’s a guarantee you will repair something almost every time you fly. My home shop has been reducing in size over the years as my basement converts into a storage facility for the rest of the family. It is cumbersome for me to do RC building or repairs these days, and I find that I don’t miss it much.

There are a number of trails near me and I like to hike; though, this time of year the bugs are tough. The trail bikers are all over them. The modern bikes look well worth it!

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- walden@sub.wetshaving.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I just put a new prop on my 60" Extreme Flight Laser. Between the spinner and the prop there are 6 screws and 4 bolts, so it took me 2 an hour and a half to drill holes in the new prop, balance it, and install it.
  
  I bought a simulator recently and it’s really helpful for learning new tricks. All of the old farts at the club feel like they’re getting a free airshow when I fly!
  
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  - gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Yeah, the simulators are terrific. I have several and I generally put some time in before I fly. For FPV, they are essential.
    
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DaveWave94@sub.wetshaving.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Sounds great, congrats on the new mountain bike! It surely helps to have one hobby that’s physically demanding to stay active. Having great bike trails near you helps too. My bicycle is older than me (so over thirty years!) but still ok to ride around shorter tracks for conditioning.

Reading your post made me want to get back into something more active/“sporty” again; jogging isn’t my strong suit thanks to joint issues but hiking might be a contender. Due to my knee problems I fear that my old love for strength sports will be solely limited to a spectator role.

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- walden@sub.wetshaving.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I’ve never been able to go to a gym for exercise, so it has to be something outdoors. Hiking is great exercise if your knees can take it. It’s gentler than a lot of other stuff, but downhill can be a knee-buster.
  
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