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The bicycle is a wonderful tool for minimizing expenses. We plan on moving to a place very close to work when toeshoes gets posted. Like, <10km away, and biking as much as possible. Ideally we would avoid having a car after April until we're debt free.
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Dec 18, 2012 00:52
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Except that the frame is literally too large. Like I can't stand with the frame between my legs with both feet flat on the ground. Raising the seat and lowering the bars has made it usable, but the bike is just too large, guys.
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Dec 18, 2012 00:55
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So the seat at the lowest point is still too high for you? When you get the next bikes make sure the seat height will allow for almost full extension of your leg with the pedal the lowest point. I'm not sure how you're biking with your current configuration but it's probably terrible for your back. e: If you can stand both feet on the ground while straddling the frame it's probably too small. Devian666 fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Dec 18, 2012 |
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Dec 18, 2012 01:00
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tuyop posted:Except that the frame is literally too large. Like I can't stand with the frame between my legs with both feet flat on the ground. Raising the seat and lowering the bars has made it usable, but the bike is just too large, guys. Wait, you bought the bike five months ago, you used it for regular commuting for at least a month or two, you bought all sorts of tricked out gear for it, and you're only just now figuring out that the bike is too small? Are you sure you're not just coming up with excuses to go through with your pre-existing plan to buy a new bike next year, like you were planning on immediately after you impulsively blew some money on a road bike, because you still want to buy a new bike but have realized that you don't have any real justification for doing so?
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Dec 18, 2012 01:06
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His description sounds like it's probably the right height. I'm not sure what's going on here but it sounds like an excuse to get a BMX tricks bike.
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Dec 18, 2012 01:10
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Devian666 posted:You do realise that you can adjust the seat on the bike? Also knee warm ups prior to cycling (especially in cold weather) do not take long to perform and are generally a good thing to do. To elaborate, your leg needs to be close to straight when the pedal is at the lowest point of its revolution. This allows the knee joint to lubricate itself properly and reduces wear on the joint. Other possibilities are that your $300 shoes+pedals are not properly adjusted, or that you simply went and did too many km too soon, instead of easing yourself into it like a sensible person. All of which could have been easily discovered with a simple search for 'knee pain while cycling'. Someday you may learn that the follow-up to "I have a problem" is not "I must buy more expensive poo poo", but you're not doing so well at that thus far, are you? e: beaten
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Dec 18, 2012 01:11
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tuyop posted:Except that the frame is literally too large. Like I can't stand with the frame between my legs with both feet flat on the ground. Raising the seat and lowering the bars has made it usable, but the bike is just too large, guys. This is actually not an accurate assessment of whether a bike is the right size. I thought it was at one point too, but it isn't. The only thing that matters is the fit while riding the bike. I would go into more detail but you know where to find YLLS and the bike thread therein, I've seen you there. It is true that a bike can reduce expenses by a lot, but this is probably only the case if you can manage to go without a car entirely. This means every part of your normal life has to be within biking distance. How far is the grocery store? How far is the gym? How far are your relatives? Do you have a bike rack/fenders/panniers? Otherwise, you still have to make car/insurance payments and buy gas (less of this though). Have you calculated how much your daily gas would cost in this <10km scenario so you know how much you'd be saving? Devian666 posted:His description sounds like it's probably the right height. I agree. the littlest prince fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Dec 18, 2012 |
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Dec 18, 2012 01:13
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edit: I put up a sizing chart that was specific to one brand. But: google "bike sizing" and there's a wealth of information. Here's an online calculator. What gets me is the idea that noted gear-whore Tuyop apparently went and bought a bike without having any information about sizing first. Like, not knowing what size bike to buy, somehow. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Dec 18, 2012 |
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Dec 18, 2012 01:15
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Tuyop you should go and talk to someone at a bike shop. I don't know if you got your currently worthless gear from a local place but they will be able to answer your questions very easily. And the other people telling you your bike is not too large are probably correct; on a properly fitted bike you will not be able to put your feet down flat while straddling the top tube. This is not a problem.Leperflesh posted:What gets me is the idea that noted gear-whore Tuyop apparently went and bought a bike without having any information about sizing first. Like, not knowing what size bike to buy, somehow. Bike fitting can be surprisingly contentious, and there is a longstanding folk knowledge about how the top tube of a bike shouldn't hit your nads. This is basically a false belief that can make people think bikes are too large for them. There are millions of web pages from serious cyclists with decades of ridding experience talking about tiny insignificant details relating to fitting bicycles. Tuyop you don't need to read them. Just talk to someone who works at a local bike shop and ask them about the fit of your bike.
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Dec 18, 2012 03:53
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Dr.Spaceman posted:there is a longstanding folk knowledge about how the top tube of a bike shouldn't hit your nads. To the people that believe this they should stop riding on their nutsack and instead use the seat.
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Dec 18, 2012 05:12
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I'm not going to go back months to see where tuyop bought his bike but if it was at an actual local bike shop and they didn't make sure it fit him before selling it, then he should go somewhere else. Because that's like Bike Selling 101. If he bought it at some big box store that's different. They don't know (or give a) poo poo about the bikes they sell. IMO bikes are one of the few things you should get at a b&m local specialist store even if it costs a bit more. Also, tuyop - I know you've gotten a lot of heat about this previously so I won't belabor the point, but this is yet another example of how you cost yourself money by buying things without careful consideration beforehand. Spending a little bit of time deliberating the bike/shoes purchase, making sure that you bought what you needed while avoiding unnecessary expense, would have saved you a considerable amount of money AND trouble. Please work on this for the future!
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Dec 18, 2012 05:30
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Neophyte posted:I'm not going to go back months to see where tuyop bought his bike but if it was at an actual local bike shop and they didn't make sure it fit him before selling it, then he should go somewhere else. Because that's like Bike Selling 101.
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Dec 18, 2012 06:32
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To be exact, he bought it off kijiji.
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Dec 18, 2012 07:22
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Contrary to the uproar, if it's something you guys want AND it's something you can save for, I see no problems getting/upgrading bikes. Just start putting away money now, by spring you should have a decent amount saved. From a pure monetary perspective it's pretty stupid. You guys are probably going to be lucky to spend $1000 on two bikes and related gear, that will buy a lot of gas - just sayin'. But cycling isn't really about saving money, it's having a healthy hobby that you guys can enjoy and hopefully keep from spending money elsewhere (i.e. I'm bored let's go to the store). Just don't be fooled into thinking that you're in the end saving any money. If it's a hobby, call it a hobby. You guys don't seem to do anything other than sit around and play board games and cook and stuff anyway, so it's ok to have a hobby. You just need to responsibly come up with the money to support it. I think it's been discussed before, but you also shouldn't be treating any "found" money like one-time-blow funds, treat it like your regular monthly income. It doesn't get spent right away on the current yurt/basil garden dream, it gets split up like your normal income for bills/debt servicing/savings. Like when ToeShoes gets posted you guys may have some relocation $$$, and what you're going to do is say "Look $678! We saved this for bikes we're so good at saving money!". If you guys want something, save for it first.
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Dec 18, 2012 14:19
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dreesemonkey posted:Contrary to the uproar, How is anything you posted contrary to the "uproar" exactly?
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Dec 18, 2012 21:29
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tuyop posted:The bicycle is a wonderful tool for minimizing expenses. We plan on moving to a place very close to work when toeshoes gets posted. Like, <10km away, and biking as much as possible. Ideally we would avoid having a car after April until we're debt free. So what car are you planning to buy next October when the snow is about to fall?
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Dec 19, 2012 13:36
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MrKatharsis posted:So what car are you planning to buy next October when the snow is about to fall? There are several good kit car manufacturers he could choose from.
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Dec 23, 2012 07:06
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MrKatharsis posted:So what car are you planning to buy next October when the snow is about to fall? If we can't make do with carpooling and walking/biking, probably a mid-2000s Hyundai or another Mazda or something. 4 cylinder, fwd, manual transmission, 4 door hatchback is pretty ideal for us.
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Dec 23, 2012 14:47
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tuyop posted:If we can't make do with carpooling and walking/biking, probably a mid-2000s Hyundai or another Mazda or something. 4 cylinder, fwd, manual transmission, 4 door hatchback is pretty ideal for us. Merry Christmas Tuyop 
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Dec 25, 2012 06:07
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DoctorTristan posted:Merry Christmas Tuyop You too, merry christmas, thread! I decided to have a cup of coffee this morning. I feel loving awesome! Coffee is wonderful. I'm also cooking Christmas dinner instead of buying my family anything. This is causing conflicts with my mother who doesn't agree about how much butter or sitting time or bacon a turkey needs. We shall see who's (whose?) turkey is superior.
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Dec 25, 2012 16:48
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tuyop posted:I'm also cooking Christmas dinner instead of buying my family anything. This is causing conflicts with my mother who doesn't agree about how much butter or sitting time or bacon a turkey needs. We shall see who's (whose?) turkey is superior. whose who's = who is
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Dec 25, 2012 22:57
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Holidays are basically over so, Tuyop, how did you fare (lets see some pretty pretty graphs)? What were some missteps you took this time that could have been avoided and how will you avoid them in the future? What are two things you can or will do in the near-term to better your financial position? (Don't say basil please don't say basil).
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Dec 30, 2012 22:06
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Higgy posted:Holidays are basically over so, Tuyop, how did you fare (lets see some pretty pretty graphs)? Man, if I ever did one of these threads, I would sure get tired of people asking for me to fill out homework assignments. It's still the holidays, and he's probably with his family for New Year's. He'll come back when he's done, and he doesn't owe any of us graphs or essays on what he'll do differently this year. Also, I see he started an alt account: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3524028
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Dec 30, 2012 22:16
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Financially we're sitting at about $3500 net income for December, not including gifts, which speaks for itself in my opinion. I'm looking at mint and I'm not seeing any waste there, I'll have to dig a bit deeper into the data, but this month is looking really loving positive. Edit, and hydroponics is for scrubs. I'll be growing AQUAPONIC basil.
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Dec 30, 2012 22:54
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So net for this month is 3714, which is posing another problem, what do we do with our balances at this point? It's a little bit messy and I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the various accounts: Toeshoes has: Chequing: 5500 Savings A: 688 Savings B: 251 And I have: Chequing: 3100 I don't really know what to do with this at this point. Can someone just lay out the ideal solution for emergency funds and whatnot. Keep in mind that we have 15k in a line of credit that we both feel comfortable using as an emergency fund if that's prudent. Edit: to head off confusion, we just use my PCFinancial MasterCard that gives grocery points for all of our expenses except rent, car payment, and car insurance which come out of my chequing automatically. I usually just pay off the 300-400 dollar balance out of my chequing, hence the low balance. tuyop fucked around with this message at 01:36 on Jan 1, 2013 |
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Jan 1, 2013 00:54
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The most ideal situation for an emergency fund is that it should roughly cover 6 or more months of living expenses, you don't have this right now and you shouldn't be depending on credit for it. Put something towards that emergency fund and put the rest towards paying down your debts (where are you with those right now?).
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Jan 1, 2013 01:44
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tuyop posted:So net for this month is 3714, which is posing another problem, what do we do with our balances at this point? What I did was take 1/2 month's worth of expenses, and buy a 3-month CD with it every 2 weeks. That way, I have a CD maturing every 2 weeks, so if everything goes to poo poo & both my husband and I lose our jobs, we still have several months of "income". It works for us because while we COULD cash out a CD if we need to with almost no penalties, the money isn't as easily accessible as a regular checking or savings account, so we are less likely to use it.
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Jan 2, 2013 02:01
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That's a good idea, but what should I do with my balances right now? I have 14.5k @ 9.5% in a line of credit 14.5k @ 4.5% in a student line of credit 19.5k @ 1.9% in a car loan. I really want to just throw all the money except two 1k buffers onto the line of credit and use that for "springy debt" a la Mr money mustache.
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Jan 2, 2013 04:28
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tuyop posted:That's a good idea, but what should I do with my balances right now? This is a good decision, tuyop. We poo poo all over you for the bad ones, but this is a good choice -- so know you're getting better at them!
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Jan 2, 2013 04:58
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Fraternite posted:This is a good decision, tuyop. We poo poo all over you for the bad ones, but this is a good choice -- so know you're getting better at them! Everyone keeps saying "emergency fund" though. I just haven't ever really understood why I would carry a balance and save instead of just paying off debt and then using the credit that gets freed up in an emergency.
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Jan 2, 2013 05:11
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Credit costs you interest, savings earn them. Also, if you don't have an emergency fund and an emergency comes up, then boom, you've set yourself back however many months in your debt reduction. It contributes to that "never getting out of debt" feeling, and the attitude of "I can just charge it" is part of why you're in this situation in the first place.
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Jan 2, 2013 05:17
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tuyop posted:Everyone keeps saying "emergency fund" though. I just haven't ever really understood why I would carry a balance and save instead of just paying off debt and then using the credit that gets freed up in an emergency.  In the long term you want to get out of the mindset of carrying debt or leaning on credit, and instead, relying on savings. Savings for your purchases, savings for your "oh poo poo" moments. Tuyop should be able to save Tuyop without asking Visa for another loaner thousand.
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Jan 2, 2013 05:24
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FrozenVent posted:Credit costs you interest, savings earn them. And my credit is costing me 9.5% and my efund generates .2% or something. I'm like 50k away from having any net savings. It's an expensive thing to maintain for reasons that I don't understand. Like, imagine that I won't spend my emergency line of credit balance on anything but real emergencies. (that is, any pressing lack of shelter, food, or transportation that can't be mitigated by making do with less) why should I spend ~9.3% to keep money in my bank account?
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Jan 2, 2013 05:30
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tuyop posted:And my credit is costing me 9.5% and my efund generates .2% or something. I'm like 50k away from having any net savings. It's an expensive thing to maintain for reasons that I don't understand. You obviously shouldn't. Open lines of credit with a zero balance make for an acceptable emergency fund when you still have debt outstanding. Obviously in a perfect world you would have savings for an emergency fund, but right now the choice is whether to pay 9.5% interest to keep cash in the bank or pay nothing and have access to cash (at the same 9.5% interest rate) if you need it in the future. You would be a fool to pay a lot of interest needlessly, and you're currently paying a lot of interest needlessly -- so pay off your debt. Chronojam posted:
He'll do that a lot faster if he stops paying 9.5% on his debt and just pays it off immediately. Fraternite fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Jan 2, 2013 |
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Jan 2, 2013 05:37
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The problem I see is that there are bills in life that require cash, and having some on hand is advisable. I certainly can't use credit to pay my rent.
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Jan 2, 2013 06:04
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Trilineatus posted:The problem I see is that there are bills in life that require cash, and having some on hand is advisable. I certainly can't use credit to pay my rent. It's not a big deal to pay rent or car loan or insurance by either cutting a new cheque to the vendor from the line of credit account, or more likely just doing an online balance transfer to my chequing from the line of credit. Either way it won't cost anything extra in an emergency.
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Jan 2, 2013 06:12
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April posted:What I did was take 1/2 month's worth of expenses, and buy a 3-month CD with it every 2 weeks. That way, I have a CD maturing every 2 weeks, so if everything goes to poo poo & both my husband and I lose our jobs, we still have several months of "income". It works for us because while we COULD cash out a CD if we need to with almost no penalties, the money isn't as easily accessible as a regular checking or savings account, so we are less likely to use it. That's a really good idea. I like that, especially if you can land an automatic reinvestment of the funds at whatever prevalent interest rate it's offering at the time. I might look in to doing that. Thanks! 
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Jan 2, 2013 06:38
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tuyop posted:And my credit is costing me 9.5% and my efund generates .2% or something. I'm like 50k away from having any net savings. It's an expensive thing to maintain for reasons that I don't understand.
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Jan 2, 2013 15:59
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kissekatt posted:While theoretically speaking paying off your credit is better for the reason you've stated, the idea is generally speaking that many people in high debt have difficulty handling credit responsible and will end up racking up even more debt with it than what they lose by putting their money into an emergency fund. Yes. It's probably psychologically better for you to hold an emergency fund in cash. You need to think of yourself as a recovering addict, formerly addicted to large living through cheap money (via consumer debt). Were I in your position, I would not want to be reliant on credit for survival ever again in my life.
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Jan 2, 2013 17:05
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canyoneer posted:Yes. It's probably psychologically better for you to hold an emergency fund in cash. You need to think of yourself as a recovering addict, formerly addicted to large living through cheap money (via consumer debt). Were I in your position, I would not want to be reliant on credit for survival ever again in my life. Yeah, that's exactly how I feel, but it's complicated because the easiest way to achieve a credit-free life is to use my line of credit as an emergency fund until all the debt is paid off. And this is kind of what I'm wondering about, as a blog post from a dude whose opinion seems pretty valuable: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/04/22/springy-debt-instead-of-a-cash-cushio I know you guys are probably going to think that I'm in some kind of manic phase, but I feel like I've established a sustainable financial mindset and surrounded myself with "the right crowd" that can help control any impulses that crop up. Combining finances has also made us pretty responsible and accountable with our money because we care about our future together.
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Jan 2, 2013 17:33
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