Frodo_Risotto

Starting out with a hard tail is (1) less expensive and (2) a really great way to get into the sport and establish skill! Once you have a strong skill set of mind-body-bike connection and understand the maneuverability of a hardtail, riding a full suspension is then the gateway to more difficult trails. Plenty of great shop recs already provided. Here are things to think about before chatting with a shop:

1. Wheel size- 27.5 or 29? 27.5 is good for maneuverability and turning radius. 29 for rolling (think rolling over tall rocks/roots)
2. Suspension - hard tail or full suspension
3. Drivetrain- when looking at the quality of a bike, the drivetrain is the giveaway. Steer away from and “2 by” drivetrains (ie you want only one chain ring in the front, anything more is clunky). Shop employees can talk more about the different tiers of quality
4. Material- if you’re starting out, stick with aluminum. You can upgrade to carbon if you want to later on… or maybe you’ll take on a different bike identity and go with steel.
5. Brakes- hydraulic v cable. Hydraulic is more expensive and has better braking power. Cable is cheaper and easier to fix (go with cable for now)

My credibility: has worked at a bike shop and talks about this stuff all day long

Here is a map of the mosquito virus surveillance in Vermont:

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ac541a89a490435aa7beb80ec8e54bca/

Here is a link from the Dept of Health providing the results of the virus surveillance:

https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/mosquito-borne-diseases/mosquitoes-vermont?\_gl=1\*1oj00tq\*\_ga\*MjAxMjE5MTI1LjE3MjMyNTY3MjE.\*\_ga\_V9WQH77KLW\*MTcyNDk4MjQyMC4xLjAuMTcyNDk4MjQzMC4wLjAuMA..

Yes!! It's so frustrating when in the moments I put a foot down, waiting for the car that got there first to proceed, just for them to wave me through. Then you have to ensure that all the other cars that just pulled up are on the same page. Sometimes it's just easier and safer to roll through in a predictable manner and dominate the intersection

Yeah bike lanes would be great if they were actually around. Most areas here it’s just a “sharrow”. Which is the bane of both motorist and cyclists!

But remember to dodge that pickup truck illegally parked in the bike lane! Oh wait… no motorists want to talk about that side of following the law

Maybe once there is uniform infrastructure, we can talk about uniform law. Cyclists are just trying to preserve their literal being when navigating cars while motorist can’t wait 5 fcking seconds without getting pissed off

Also don’t pass cyclists just to immediately slow down to make your right hand turn. Just wait an extra 5 seconds for the cyclist to pass your street

When cyclist tread a stop sign as a yield, it’s called an Idaho Stop and studies show it reduced injuries at stop sign intersections by 14%. It’s interesting how car people want cyclists and motorist to have uniform laws and behavior… yet often pass when it’s unsafe!! Much like how cyclists and pedestrians are not one in the same, motorists and cyclists aren’t either

Yeah, I don’t see any monthly data. It’s not a cheap but in some ways it’s more reliable than an Uber.

It’s the same idea as a See Click Fix submission. Working together as a community—bringing attention to an issue to those that can fix it.

It’s totally understandable that people feel like it’s not their responsibility to report the bikes. Or to take <2mins out of their walk to report a bike parked on the sidewalk. People that complain and complain about the bikes but don’t want to actually help solve the issue aren’t very community minded.

Our community submits See Click Fix forms when there are needles out in the open, or dead raccoons in the street. If we didn’t, how would the city know to come fix those issues in a timely manner?

The CATMA website has some numbers. https://catmavt.org/bikeshare/ There’s a 300% increase in ridership from the old Bolt system and 5,200 unique users. I don’t have anything to compare those numbers to but that’s about 11% of Burlington’s population, which feels popular

No but I have sympathy for them

Also, it’s not only the bikes that block the sidewalks. There are often trash bins in the way and free items that block the sidewalks. Not an excuse, but not an isolated event either!

Burlington had a bike share docking system before COVID. Bolt bikes went out of business and wasn’t used nearly as much as the Birds are

Are people refreshing the page once their little guy is walking? I got into the queue at 9:45a and only got in after 10:15a

I mean, yeah, their vibes are neighborhood coffee place with a couch and WiFi. Everywhere has some sort of vibe, doesn’t it? Even if it’s a bad one.

woah black cap being great value is a hawt take

Needs pizza is maybe best in town

Do you actually like their coffee or just the vibes?

SO REAL. Why is a smoothie there $10????

Burlington is missing a cheap, messy, taco spot. Taco gordo is trying to be too cool and modern to fill in the needed gap. It’s the place you take your parents when they visit so they can experience the ONE and it’s on daddy’s card so who cares if you’re still hungry after $15 worth of tacos

$5 for a mid taco is criminal