So my Christmas and Birthday Wish List and Revised Fitness Wish List, are all focused on the fitness end, though the Christmas list does feature a gaming laptop, that laptop is near $4k. While the Macs here can’t run the games at the same level, they can most all do at least Zwift really well, stream really well, and edit videos, and the like well enough to really well. I put some of the items here on a Apple Mac Wish List via Amazon, as I don’t think there’s a way to put them on a Wish List at the local Apple store at Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh, the closes store to me, and while there are other Apple stores in the Pittsburgh area, that’s just the easiest to get to, but moot as you can’t just wish list at stores. Now, most of the desire for a Mac is a combination of wanting to stream Zwift, and other content creation. A good Mac Mini, MacBook Air/Pro, would go a long way towards that. So to that end, here is the list.

With none of these does one need Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro, as for video editing I’d be using DaVinci Resolve, where the free version does more than enough that I’d ever need it for, though the Studio version is only $295 which is a huge deal, just a tad more than Adobe Premier Pro costs each year… a year…, and Apple’s own Creator Studio suite, which includes Final Cut Pro, at $129 a year. Apple Care Plus should be included in all cases, or better yet Apple Care One, which would cover the iPhone and the Mac, and anything else. A couple of iPads are mentioned in order here, and generally more expensive than the Macs that I’d prefer over them, but put them on the list as they are somewhat related. That said, as the main purpose is streaming, the iPads don’t work as well as one of the MacBooks or Mini.

At the ultra cheap end is the MacBook Neo. These start at about $600, though I think those entry level ones are sold out at most locations. This is sort of bare bones, and the biggest limiting factor is the memory is only 8 GB. The storage of 256 GB is a bit too small, so the ideal starting point would be the 512 GB model, which is another $100. But again, the memory limit is the problem with the Neo. That said, the Neo is the laptop I’d recommend to most people, say parents, and the like. Especially over cheaper Windows laptops, and Chromebooks. It is a great machine at a great price. But, for what I want to do, it is a tad under powered. It’d run Zwift okay, and might stream it at the same time, but, it’ll run into limits, especially with video editing.

Really an iPad Air might be next, and while those start at about $600, once you get the 13″ version, up the storage to 512 GB, add Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, you are at $1547, which is more expensive than the Mac Mini below, heck is more expensive than the MacBook Air, and getting close to MacBook Pro levels. The keyboard is a must, and really, if one is using an iPad Air or Pro, then the Pencil Pro is really needed too.

Mac Mini is next. These start at about $800 (the cheaper $600 models are no longer available). These likely will be updated to the M5 versions either this June/July or near the fall. There is an M4 and an M4 Pro version, for what I’d be using it for, the regular M4 is fine (or regular M5 version once that’s available). It comes in both 16 GB and 24 GB RAM versions. 16 GB is okay, but 24 GB is MUCH preferred, more for video editing reasons. For storage, the 512 GB is okay, and indeed the price Apple charges for their storage, makes it better to get an external drive, and use that… and there are plenty of options that direction. 1 GB Ethernet is okay, but as I’d be uploading, the 10 GB Ethernet might be better for only $100. Like the M4, 24 GB RAM, 512 GB storage, and 10 GB Ethernet comes to be only $1099, which is amazingly cheap for what one gets. Even upgrading that to 1 TB storage is only $1299, which again is ultra cheap for what you get. I’ve got a wireless keyboard and mouse I can use, and probably would use that on the TV (though really at that point one probably would want a better TV like the ones on the Christmas/Birthday list above mentioned in the $600-800 range).

Moving out of Mac again, and going back to iPad, the iPad Pro would be about here on want list. These start at $999, but again, going to 13″, 512 GB, standard glass (the nano is only available at the 1TB and higher, and the iPad Pro is one of the only cases where I’d say it is worth it), Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, both of which are as needed here as they are with the iPad Air, at least keyboard in both cases, you are now at $1977, which is even more expensive than the most wanted MacBook Pro below.

Next up is the MacBook Air. These have the M5 chips, so a bit more advanced. The 13″ would be okay, but 15″ would be preferred. Either CPU. Again, 24 GB RAM would be preferred, again, mostly for editing reasons, though 16 GB would be okay, the 24 GB version does require the better CPU. And just like the Mini, the storage would be the same 512 GB okay, Upping it to 24 GB RAM, and 1 TB storage brings the Air to $1499. At which point, the MacBook Pro starts looking better.

The MacBook Pro is the dream machine. These, are likely to get an M6 before the end of the year, but for now they use the M5. These start at $1699, so not much more than the Air above. The 14″ display is plenty in this case. Standard display, no reason to go nano-texture, in fact the standard is preferred. Basic M5 is plenty, not to say one would say no to a better one like the Pro or Max, but for my use cases, the regular one is plenty. Zero reason to stick to 16 GB RAM here, upgrade to the 24 GB for the extra $200. It already comes with 1 TB of storage at that point. At this point it is $1899, and well worth the $400 over the Air, as it is more stable for longer.

If one was really generous, then the Apple Studio Display XDR would be a nice bonus. It’s in insane $3299, and likely overkill for whatever level of video editing I’m ever likely to achieve (there’s a non XDR version that is half the price, this article talks about the difference between the two, comes down more to faster refresh, more dimming zones, and far more accurate color, color and HDR being it’s main things). But hey, wish list. And to really justify this, the MacBook Pro above really should be upgraded to one with the M5 Pro or better yet M5 Max, the more GPU cores the better, and may as well go 16″. The 48 GB or RAM is probably more than enough, though again, the more the better, same with the SSD, the 2 TB is probably okay, but again, more the better. Lol. Though honestly, external storage would likely be used, so not as useful as the RAM end. Heck, at that point, one almost better upgrade to the Studio version of DaVinci. I drool at the idea of a MacBook Pro with M5 Max with the 40 core GPU, let alone being able to pair that with a near professional level display like the Apple Studio Display XDR.

So I tried Rouvy. Did the 7 Days, did a bit of the 30 day trial I had after that, though didn’t use it nearly enough in that time, and during that time Zwift, my main riding platform, announced it purchased Rouvy.

My overall impression of Rouvy is fairly good. I just can’t afford it at this time, and afford Zwift, and for me, Zwift is the better value.

I love, that on Rouvy you ride real routes, using real video of said routes.

I love, repeat LOVE, that you can add pace partners to any ride. Not just the ones that the pacer bot is riding at the time. Of all of Rouvy’s features that I hope Zwift adopts for their side, this is number one on my list.

I like the idea that if I had the action camera I wanted, I could go out, and add real rides from my area, and import it into Rouvy, and then ride that ride with the full video. If I don’t have a video of it, then Rouvy can still import a ride, it just won’t have a video of it, and you’ll just see yourself on the overhead map, but still get the ride feel. I think this is something Pro Bike Run in North Park should do, start at the corner by their shop (at Walter Rd and Kummer Rd, but stay on Lake Shore), do an e-bike or something, and record the lake loop, and maybe some of the other loops in the area, the shop in Robinson could do some of their gravel rides… The North Park location has the advantage of being right there as you pass it, so somewhat advertising as you pass it as you turn off Ingomar and onto Walter to make the turn back onto Kummer. I’d probably record that loop twice, once turning onto Tennis Court Rd, and staying close to the Boathouse and all that, and avoiding one of the big hills, the other would turn onto Pearce Mill Rd from Walter, making you go up the hill that you skip if you go Tennis Court Rd… I know most of those makes no sense to anyone not in the North Park area, but anyhow, that’s what I’d do if I had the action camera. Biketerra, can also take any route, and let your ride it, and it’ll create it virtually, so you aren’t just riding an over head map.

What I don’t like is how the companion app doesn’t bride Bluetooth, so if like me, you mostly want to use it on the Apple TV, you can’t add all your devices, unless you have a trainer that can do that for you. Like come on, Zwift and MyWhoosh both let you bridge. I’d hope that’s something the Zwift team can help push to Rouvy.

There are no sounds, and while I don’t mind that on a ride, on workouts, I’d like sounds to indicate when I’m about to change zones. This same problem is in MyWhoosh. Not sure why they don’t have sounds at least for the workout notifications.

Also, right now, it isn’t as easy to import Trainer Road workouts into it as it is on Zwift, which just auto syncs them. Now, do to cost, I don’t have Trainer Road active, so somewhat moot, but that is something that I have to consider.

If I could afford two subscriptions, I’d keep it… well, I guess three, because two would be Trainer Road, then Rouvy. It is impressive, and I hear the mass start races are much better on Rouvy then races on Zwift, but for me, Zwift still is the best.

Oh, and one more thing, now that Zwift owns Rouvy, hopefully they add the ability for rides on Rouvy to count in Zwift and vica versa.

I streamed myself playing the board game Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era (ESO: BotSE), made by Chip Theory Games, same people who make the excellent Too Many Bones, and 20 Strong, among others. Here’s the YouTube clip of it, with notes to follow. I originally streamed it to my Twitch.

Now a few notes. First I was playing with an app called Dized, which is used by various board game companies to help people learn to play the game. That is the voice one can hear in the background that isn’t me. Next I’m using my Razer Kiro Pro webcam , attached to this microphone arm that I got with my mic (Fifine XLR/USB Microphone set), though I had to add an adapter to make it fit… This all running to my much outdated computer. Ideally I’d have a proper overhead tripod, ideally with a light on it, something like this, trick is finding one that can be used with a webcam, or action cam, and not just phones, which a lot seem to be focused on, and I stream from my PC for now (though a laptop like a MacBook Neo would be sweet, or better yet a Mac Mini). All of which is sort of besides the point. It was a less than ideal setup, but I think it worked well enough for now.

The main point I’m trying to get to here is things I’d like to add to this game. With Too Many Bones, I got the Premium chips for that game, and I’d LOVE to have the Premium Chips for ESO: BotSE ($40). The Premium chips add a lot to the game feel. The next premium item on my list are the Deluxe Adventure Inventory (4 pack) ($60, sale priced from $80). These help when putting the game away in the middle of a session, or in between sessions, to keep things organized. The next, nice to have premium item, would be the Deluxe Draw Bags ($40). These are the bags one puts the enemy chips in to draw from, and are just a bit nice to have.

I have the first expansion Valenwood ($45 normally) on order from a retailer, where it was less than that, and included shipping. That said, if that falls through, that would be high on my list, but that would have to be gotten through the Gamefound noted below.

Other items direct from Chip Theory Games, but probably after the items that are still on Gamefound below, would be the Blacksmith Pack ($20), where the only really nice bit are the pegs are now premium, and the round tracker is now a nice metal one, instead of plastic, the other part I don’t know if I’d use much, as I sort of like the chip, and there’s a version 2 of this below that I’d probably prefer. The Chef class ($10) adds a class, but not sure when I’d play it in a session. Cheeses of Tamriel ($10), seems like an April Fools product that they make off and on, though sometimes they are actually really cool, like Trover ($30) is a character for Too Many Bones, that if I were wish listing TMB stuff, would be on that list. I don’t know as if I’m obsessed enough to go for the Art Book ($45), I mean I’d take it, but most of the premium stuff, and class items are much preferred.

Now, they recently had a funding campaign for a series of expansions titled The Elder Scrolls: Heroes of Tamriel. I’m likely getting the New Gameplay Bundle. As noted above, if for some reason I can’t get the Valenwood expansion ($45) on sale, this is likely the only spot to get it, but let’s skip that for now. First Premium item wanted is the BotSE Basic Organizer Pack ($18 now, $25+ retail later) which helps to organize all the items… like this is a seriously huge box, and this pack helps split things up to make it a bit easier to organize. Next is Blacksmith Pack 2 ($25 now, $30+ retail later), changes more of the items from the base game from plastic to metal, just like the other blacksmith pack, and between the two blacksmith packs, I’d rather have this one. The Magnetic Bookmarks ($10 now, $12 retail later) are sorta cool too, and cheap enough I might get them myself. Down near the end of the premium things, would be the Alternate Entrance Tiles ($12). I already have a Chip Theory Games dice tray, and don’t have the space for the Battle Mat ($85). The only other premium item left is their Guild Vault ($175 +$20 shipping on top of any other shipping you have), which will hold everything they’ve made, and will make for the game. That said, it is mostly meant for people who have a Kallax, as it fits in one of those squares. Really, for me, the Basic Organizer above is probably the much better fit.

For this years list, I’ll do it by price range. Then mention where that item falls in the overall wish list. This is a modified version of the Revised Fitness Wishlist. There’s also my post about streaming ES: BotSE, and items wanted for that and a Mac Wish list so I can stream board games and Zwift from, and content creation…

Cash is king, to help pay things down. But after that…

So order:

• Cash ($0-$14 million)
• New Watch ($500)
• Bike pump ($88-110)
• Cassette ($50-65)
• Cycling Shoes ($200)
• Mac Mini ($600)
• Monitors ($140-260 each)
• Better Trainer ($400-550)
• Zwift Membership ($200)

$0 to $50

Okay, first up in this price range, and even more expensive, is my Steam Wishlist. Sort by Rank, and the first 30 or so items are in proper ranked choice order. (Some of those do cost far more then this price range, which to be clear, on that one, the only one wanted is either the 512 GB OLED, or the 1TB OLED, the 256GB LCD is basically useless. Anyhow, those start at $550, and at that price there are plenty of other items I’d rather have). Overall ranking, fairly middle of the road. I’ve got a lot of games already, but some of those titles in the first 5 or so are fairly high overall.

Carnation Breakfast High Protein 10 Pack, 6 Count ($41.82). I use the High Protein version of Carnation Instant Breakfast with Fairlife 2% milk after a bike ride, sort of a recovery, but not nearly so. Overall, fairly middle of the road. I can buy a carton at a time at Giant Eagle, but a carton is about $9, so this is a fairly deep discount, though about the same as the Walmart price.

$50-100

Cycplus AS2 Pro ($88-110) bike pump with gauge. This is a rechargeable bike pump that can inflate up to 4 bike tires. One of those must have items.

New cassette for my trainer. While Zwift can do virtual shifting, most of the other apps can not, at least not easily, especially using Apple TV 4K. If I were using my computer, I could use the keyboard to use virtual shifting, just need a way of easily reaching the keyboard… Anyhow, the trainer I have has a generic 11 speed cassette, however, my bike is indexed to the microSHIFT Advent X ($64.99, on sale for $52.50 as of writing). In order to change the cassette, one needs specialized tools, a cassette removal tool and chain whip, like this Oumers Bike Cassette Removal Tool with Chain Whip ($17.29). Overall rating, high.

Chianlift V2 ($60-90 depending on if one gets the $30 discount). This helps lift the chain out of the way, when I put it on and off the trainer, or the wheel. It also holds the chain when the bike is being transported in the back of the car.

Added 21 December. Rocker Feet Adapter for my trainer. Getting one from Etsy, they are Elite Suito-T Rocker Feet Adapter: Stability Enhancement Accessory ($81.78-109.04), or Elite Suito-T Rocker Feet Adapter directly from Wax Wing Wonder (the people who sell it on Etsy) (€67,50 about $79.07 in USD). If I had a 3D printer, I could print my own, or if someone has access to one, here are the Elite Smart Trainer Foot Suspension at Thingverse.

$100-200

A year of Zwift is $199.99. Sadly, sort of hard to gift this, as basically I have to put one’s CC number in as a form of payment, they don’t have a gift card that works for memberships (their gift card is only good for physical items off their shop).. Basically pay for 10 months, get it for a year, so saves 2 months of the monthly rate. Very high, and most wanted at this price range, and probably overall most wanted after the bibs.

I need a new monitor for my computer. At the cheap end, and probably the best my current computer can drive. KTC H27T22C-3 ($164.99). In in ideal world, as I run a two monitor setup, I’d have 2. The problem is that my current monitors are 1080p, while this is 1440p, so I’d realistically have to get a second one at the same resolution, if different size. Different sizes is okay, but different resolutions is a problem. The better monitor AOC Q27G3XMN ($259.99) is another, or its cheaper sibling the AOC Q27G4XN ($139.99) would be good. The dream primary monitor (would still need one of the other monitors here as the second, as it’d be silly to get two of this dream monitor) is the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG ($759), but for the price of that, could get two of the AOC Q27G3XMN, or two of the other monitors and have budget left over for something else, and I don’t think it’d be worth it, rather have two of the AOCs, and something else… not saying I’d complain having the Asus and one of the others.

Cycling Shoes. For cycling shoes I’m looking at the Specialized Recon 2.0 ($90-199 depending on sale price. I’m size 42. I’ve tried these on, and they fit really well. At the moment, Pro Bike Run, where that link goes to, is out of them. I didn’t see them on Amazon. Short of those, the basic idea is size 42, SPD mountain bike, with at least one BOA (the Recon 2.0 uses BOA for the top, and Velcro for the bottom), with good walk-ability. Realistically, shoes will likely fall closer to the $150 range, such as my second choice shoes, the Pearl Izumi X-Alp Summit ($165 at REI). Now, to use those on my bike, I’d have to get pedals (as these clip into the pedal), though those I can get as cheap as $50 or $70 or so. Overall, fairly high, but we’ll say high end of middle.

Bike radars detect if a vehicle is approaching you from behind, it alerts you via the bike computer, or app on your phone. They also can be setup to flash a warning to the driver to be careful. They are a very helpful thing while being on the road. There is a Wahoo Trackr radar ($199.99) coming out May 6th, and that might be my primary choice for radar. The Garmin Varia RTL515 ($199.99) is a bike radar that helps alert you to cars approaching from behind on your bike computer. In theory, this should be higher than the shoes, but most of my rides aren’t on roads, so overall, lower end of mid, to low.

Silca Chain Waxing System ($100), with Silca Hot Melt Chain Wax ($40), but before I can use those, I need to clean the chain with Silca Chain Stripper ($36). So one can use specialized oils on their chains, but that is messy, and not super efficient. To that end there is wax, which keeps the chain cleaner, longer, and more efficient. One can use an old crock pot, and ruin it, to do waxing, but it isn’t as effective as a dedicated wax pot, such as the Silca chain waxing system above.

$200-250

A Whoop strap with Peak Membership ($199-239). Whoop is amazing at fitness, especially recovery, and health. However, it is an annual membership. The strap becomes useless without the membership. A better value is the Garmin Venu 4 listed below, which while it costs another couple hundred, gives all those insights (if not as well), without the annual fee. Would be cool, but the Venu 4 would be better.

$400-600

So as noted on my Revised Fitness Wish List July 2025, I have an issue with my current trainer. It has a very low power floor, and most importantly, it only broadcasts on one Bluetooth channel, so it can’t broadcast to both Zwift, and say a watch. It’s an older model. So at the lower end of replacement trainers is the Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 ($399.99 to $549.99 depending on the sale going on at the moment, normally on sale closer to $450 to $499). I mean, very high, but the price moves it way down. The alternative to the Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 is a JetBlack Victory ($399 + shipping + tariff, about $70 total). This is a smaller brand, and some reported issues, though others seem fine, seems to be more a mixed bag. However, they both fix the Bluetooth problem I’m having now.

I need a replacement watch, as mine doesn’t record power, and missing some other features, especially in terms of recovery, that would be helpful. This basically comes down to the Garmin Venu 4 ($499.99-549.99). This can be found on Amazon, and special orders via Target, and others. I’d probably want slate with black band. This is probably near the top choice overall, perhaps tied with a year of Zwift, and right behind the bibs. Mostly as it would be more useful overall.

$600-800

So our TV has lots of dots in the background. The caps for the dimming zones fell off, so the dimming zones not only don’t work, we see the big dot where the bulb is that controls that zone. To that end, there’s a few TVs. At the semi-budget end is the TCL QM6K ($527.99 Amazon, $529.99 Best Buy), or stepping up TCL QM7K ($749.99 Amazon, $749.99 Best Buy) are the better 55″ TVs in the lower mid range. TCL QM8K ($1499.99 Amazon, $1499.99 Best Buy) steps up to actual mid range, and by this point, one is sort of stuck going 65″, which really gets a bit big for our space. Not too big, but is getting there. The dream TV is the Samsung S95F OLED (Best Buy 55″ 1899.99, 65″ $2299.99, and at that nice of a TV, you really should go 65″ or bigger), but really, for that extra grand, I’d nearly rather have the QM6K or QM7K, and something else on the list. Ideally, to go with the better TV, would be a 4K Blu-Ray player, ideally the Panasonic DP-UB820 ($549.99), I mean, not ideally, but better than the “cheap” Sony UBP-X700U ($285), but it’s a bargain compared to the Panasonic DP-UB9000 ($1589) which is the dream player. The Sony player is lacking the ability to play some formats though, so really the two Panasonics is the way to go.

A Mac mini M4 (starting at about $600). Don’t need the M4 Pro, especially as the M5 versions are going to ship this year. The 16GB of memory is probably okay, but 24GB is obviously better. Storage is the tricky part, the 256GB is a bit small, and so is 512GB, but Apple’s prices, especially after that, are just insane, and one is better using an external drive. NOTE: As of May 2026, you can no longer get the low end Mac Mini, as they are sold out. EDIT 2: There is now a Mac Wish List as well that goes into more details.

$800 range

Power meter pedals. The Favero Assioma Pro MX-2 power meter pedals ($809) allow me to train outdoors. These broadcast the power I’m putting out at the pedals. Basically the same thing the trainer does in the house, using Zwift, or whatever, but can do the same outdoors. Obviously a bit expensive compared to indoor training.

$1500 Plus

Okay, getting a little silly, but the dream trainer would be a Garmin Tacx NEO 3M with Zwift Cog ($1499.99-1799.99), though it really also needs the Garmin Tacx Smart Network Adapter ($129.99) to give it the features the much cheaper Wahoo KICR Core 2 above has, and may as well throw in the Garmin Tacx Alpine Gradient ($1099.99) to simulate gradients at that point. Seriously though, at that point, I’d probably prefer that in cash, to pay things off then have an overly fancy indoor setup.

Then a proper gaming level laptop, these will be near $4k, short of going for one of the Macs above or in their own wish list. So the minimum specs on this would be ideally an AMD CPU, which one is sort of moot, as the next spec is more important, and any that has that next spec is going to have plenty of CPU. The main important stat is which Graphics Card. The minimum is a GeForce RTX 5060, 5070, 5080, or 5090, BUT the minimum VRAM is 16 GB, which likely means a 5070 or better. The next minimum stat is storage, needs to be at least 1 TB, preferably 2 TB. And Memory needs to be 32 GB, though 64 GB is okay, but a bit more than needed on a laptop. If you configure a Razer Blade 16 like that, it’ll be about $3999.99, a Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, about $3439.99. Not cheap, the Mac Wish List might be a bit cheaper in the long run… just can’t run as many games as the gaming level laptops can.

So I did my first bike race today. A short Time Trial of about 1.6 miles. I came in 8th of 9, according to Zwift Power… Zwift itself says 10th of 11th, but I’d guess some of those are disqualified for not having the power requirements or something. Considering I’ve just been on Zwift a couple weeks, and haven’t done too much training, especially no race training, I think my results are okay.

Strava – Zwift – TT: The Stampede Challenge by Herd Racing on Macaron in France – My First Race is the Strava results, and ZwiftPower – The Stampede Challenge by Herd Racing is the Zwift Power results.

MyWhoosh is one of the main platforms I use for my indoor rides, along with Zwift. MyWhoosh has the advantage of being free, while Zwift has a monthly fee, though my Zwift referral can give you 30 days free. I’ll also refer to both MyWhoosh and Zwift as games below, though they are more virtual sports applications that are gamified to various degrees.

Accusations of Sportswashing

The big issue out of the way first. Many people take issue with MyWhoosh in that they see it as sportswashing. And I certainly don’t want to minimize such complaints, as they are perfectly valid. My own personal opinion of the UAE, and other Arabian area countries doesn’t change based on this or anything else related to it. If one has issues with such things, then they are best served sticking to Zwift and the others. It’s a complex issue, and there are no judgements for use or refusal to use based on that issue. None of what follows is about that though.

Graphics

First off the game looks great. Zwift is fun looking, and more than good enough for virtual riding, though if one wants super good looking, then go with Rouvy, which uses videos of the actual courses. But MyWhoosh really looks good. These looks come at the cost of performance on lower end computers, but it works fine on my near 4 year old PC, and my Apple TV 4K (3rd gen). I was having problems on the near 8 to 10 year old PC, but that would have been expected. It looks amazing, and there are features I love about the UI, like how the power number turns green while in the draft, something Zwift lacks, and one of the things people complain about the most.

Continue reading My Initial Thoughts on MyWhoosh →

Some background. As noted in my MyWhoosh Power Passport Test for 13 July 2025, MyWhoosh estimated my FTP to be 114, which seems fairly reasonable…

Further back. I learned to cycle as most people do, as a small child, around elementary school. I rode off and on throughout the years, early 80s going the Sheridan Colorado area, riding to downtown a couple times down the South Platte River Trail (about 12 miles), to a mall in Littleton (about 8 miles)… then again in the later 80s, when I thought I could become the next Tour de France type star… got a nice bike, then living in the Akron/Canton area of Ohio, and realizing that it was near impossible to even make it around the country block (probably only a mile or so).

Then in 2020, getting back into cycling. First with a hardtail mountain bike, aiming to do the trails in North Park Pittsburgh, and realizing, that such a bike is really hard on the roads. Sold that bike eventually, then got my current Cannondale Topstone 4, an entry level alloy gravel bike. Even with the hardtail mountain bike, 80% of the goal back in 2020, was to do training on Zwift and the like. Even more so after getting the gravel bike. So not sure when I’d say I started cycling, probably more semi-seriously about 2024, and now that I have a way to train, 2025 on.

Putting that background out there in case it matters.

Anyhow, so we’ll say I’m fairly new to cycling on a serious effort. So I’m still confused on some things that might be basics.

The main questions coming up are how to keep power from going too high, when it wants you to do say 50% of FTP? When it wants you to do 85 RPM, how do you keep from spiking in power? My “natural” cadence is closer to 70-75, so when I push to 85, it seems harder to keep it power down… I guess I’m having a hard time breaking cadence from power. I’m also assuming that while doing a workout in ERG mode, that you aren’t supposed to shift gears.

Continue reading Cycling Training Questions RE: How not to go over power, and especially in regards to cadence →

NOTE: Some of this has been updated in the Christmas 2025 and Birthday 2026 Wish List.

As the old wish list was originally written in 2023, and I now have a functional smart trainer, I decided rather than do a full edit of that list, I’ll just make a new one.

The prices below are almost all before any of Trump’s Tariffs go into effect, and were accurate when they were originally written, between March of 2023 and some additions in 2025. Obviously Trump’s tariffs will make things far more expensive.

One can see my older General Wish List for details on the help beyond these items. Of note is the car section near the bottom, as it is probably what I need most after paying things down.

A small note, as of August/September 2025. I’ve learned that my Elite Suito only allows one Bluetooth connection at a time, so I can’t say broadcast the data to Zwift, and then also have it broadcast to my watch (once I have a watch that could recieve power data, or a head unit when I get one of those). It’s not a deal breaker to be sure, but even entry level trainers from the others include 3 channels usually. 2 for broadcast, 1 for control, and the newer ones include WiFi. In fact Wahoo Fitness released the new Wahoo Kickr Core V2 ($549 via Wahoo there or via Zwift’s shop) that will include WiFi, and other features to be more competitive against the features that the JetBlack Victory ($399 plus shipping, plus tariff fees) . So anyhow, a new trainer is somewhat back on the wish list, but as neither my current watch can receive power data, and I don’t have a bike computer, the other gains are fairly marginal… although power accuracy might be better enough with the Core V2 that it might make it worth while, plus it’s slightly quieter.

Primary Wants

The long and short of it is that the item wish list order is (with all these, see their related sections below): [Car, things paid down], New Watch, Power Meter Pedals and cycling shoes to use said pedals, bike computer, chain cleaner and wax, then if I could get away with it, a rocker plate (if I had space for it).

Some of the below are on this Amazon wish list, though many of the cheaper more preferred choices, aren’t available from Amazon. However, to make it easier on some people, I put on the Amazon list what I could.

A New Smart Watch

I am mostly a Garmin guy, I like my old Garmin Venu that I’ve had since 2020. They are now on the on the Venu 4. However, the Venu is more a fitness watch series then an actual sports watch. My older model won’t connect to power meter pedals, which at this point would be essential.

The series I prefer is the Garmin Forerunner series. This is more geared to the type of activities I do. There’s the newest model the Garmin Forerunner 970 ($749.99), which is great and all, but the Garmin Forerunner 570 ($549.99) is a decent deal (it doesn’t have the much more advanced sensor of the 970, or the flashlight, or EKG abilities, but I’m not 100% sure I’d say those features are worth that much extra money). The new Garmin Venu 4 ($549.99), is basically a touchscreen version of the Forerunner 570, and adds back in the EKG and Flashlight, and might be the way to go, even if it is more a fitness watch than a sports watch. There is also the Garmin Fenix series, which is a bit more expensive, then the Epic series (Gen 2), but those are overkill for me, so one of those two Forerunners would be the first choice.

That all said, the Amazfit Balance 2 ($299.99, and it would need to be the Balance 2, note the older Balance), is very nice for the price. It’s not as amazing as the Forerunners above, but it is a decent watch for the price. To be really worth it, it should be paired with the Amazfit Helio Strap ($99.99 on it’s own, but only $79.99 if one gets it at the same time as the watch). Note the Strap isn’t a watch, it’s a strap.. which is more then I’d get into here.So both together come close to being fairly decent, they aren’t as accurate as the Garmin Venu 4/Foreunner x70 though, and there are lots of compromises. Still, cheaper.

Continue reading Revised Fitness Wishlist July 2025 →

So I took the MyWoosh Power Passport Test today, 13 July 2025.

Normally one takes this test with a much longer video showing proof of height and weight (and the weight test is done with stepping on the scale zeroed out, then on the scale to show weight, then with a hand weight or kettle bell that has the weight printed plainly on it, step on the scale again, so it shows the weight going up by the printed/stamped weight), then showing the serial number of the trainer (hard in my case as it’s under the legs of the trainer, so I’d have to leave the bike off for a moment, then put it on), then the serial numbers of the secondary power meters, which is required for full verification, proof that you are using a chest heart rate monitor, and show everything being paired. And all that has to be done in one long continuous shot, then the stream of the ride has to show the rider in frame the whole time, with legs, trainer, and all that, in frame the whole time, while also showing the ride itself. The video below, is just the ride itself… because I had no way of doing all that at this point, and this test was more to get where I am at for the purpose of training.

Continue reading MyWoosh Power Passport Test for 13 July 2025 →

I’ve got to be a part of a beta for a coaching program, like TrainerRoad I guess, but on more sports, and adding nutrition and other information. It is built by a prior cycling coach, turned airline pilot, and based on ChatGPT, called Samba (no link yet that I know of, I got it off a post on the Zwift reddit). Currently free, not sure if there’s a planned cost down the line.

This is the initial workouts it created for me, with me just tossing things together for it. There are dates on what do do at which workout, but as Zwift doesn’t yet have a calendar built in to schedule such things, I’ve got to read it off the schedule it gave me.

I didn’t give it a bunch of details yet, and didn’t yet ask for nutrition or any of the other advice it can give.

It can also give running, and triathlon plans.

Anyhow, off hand, those look near ideal for my current level… the 30 30s don’t look fun, nor the 40 20s, but a 30 30 that looked fun, wouldn’t be effective. I’ll review it more fully at a later date, at least to what I can from a newbie level. The group ride simulations particularly have me interested, as I’ve never seen those say on Zwift’s own training plans.

I might start with that workout, see how it goes, then adjust it if I start it, and need to give it more information. Then at the end, readjust it if needed, as one checks in at the end, and I can tell it my current numbers, and goals, etc.

And yes, one can make their own plans using ChatGPT, but having it give you the prompts and more details than ChatGPT can give on its own.

So as it may be obvious, one my the biggest things I wanted on my Fitness Wishlist was a trainer. And on May 19th, 2025, I finally got one, for free, off a Facebook cycling group for my area. It is an Elite Suito. It had a major issue in that the magnets on it wouldn’t work. After doing a few things here and there trying to do things myself, and just not working on it, I made a video about it on June 9th, and submitted a ticket to Elite. By the 12th I had the part ordered, coming from Italy. And by the 25th of June, 2025, I had it installed. And not only did I have it installed, Elite refunded all the costs with it, the part, and shipping. I somewhat doubt that they doubt they did that because of this blog, and the YouTube, and Twitch, but because the day before, the Suito disappeared from their site, and got replaced by Rivo, which is a few orders better, it’s got Wi-Fi, and heart rate bridging, and the like. So maybe because it’s end of life, or near end of life, they decided to refund it. Regardless, massive shout out and bravo to Elite for going well above and beyond in customer service.

The Elite Suito

So that brings me first to the Elite Suito itself. So far so good. The control board was fairly easy to install, and soon after I had it installed, I was able to see that it was working as wanted. Increasing resistance changed how hard it was to move the wheel, and then easier as I moved it down. Later that morning, I put the bike on, and did a quick spin to make sure it worked, same process of using their app, then did a calibration spin down, and all seemed to be good.

I can’t comment on accuracy as I don’t have power meter pedals to compare it. DC Rainmaker reviewed the Elite Suito/Suito-T, way back in December of 2019, and he said it was fairly good, well within the +/- 2% advertised, and I’d trust him, he’s one of a few highly reputable reviewers in this space.

I’ve also never had, or used, another smart trainer, so I can’t compare it to other trainers on that front. I can say it is super quiet, and if the Wahoo Kickr Core is somehow quieter than this, not sure how. Like polite conversation, the fan, the phone playing Zwift (and I’d guess an actual TV or computer), all were louder than the Suito.

I am glad the next version, the Rivo, does seem to fix the only real downside, the lack of Wi-Fi, heart rate bridge, and the other newer features that seem on most other newer trainers… so hopefully Garmin when they refresh their Trax line, they can add those features, but that will be a whole article in of itself.

Anyhow, as I said before, I was beyond impressed with Elite’s customer service, and I think the trainer itself is very good, so if one is looking for a new trainer in the $500 price range, based on the Suito, I’d guess the Rivo will be great.

EDIT: August 2025, I learned that it only has one Bluetooth connection, which is a bit of a bad thing. Not a deal breaker, but most everyone else in the entry level category, of which this is, have 3 channels at least. I’m a bit bummed to say the least. So the wish list might be getting a trainer added back on, but near the bottom, as I’ve said, it isn’t a deal breaker, but could do better.

Health near the start

On the health side, as of June 23rd, I was 142.4. My goal weight remains low 130s to mid 120s. We’ll say 125-130, which is a good weight at my height. Garmin puts my VO2 Max at 43, which is in the top 25% for my age and gender, with a fitness age of 37… Not sure about that Garmin, I feel all of my 56 most of the time. Lol. VO2 Max goal would be to just up that into the top 20%, maybe 10% if I could. We’ll get to other goals in a bit. Do note however, that Zwift estimates my VO2 Max to be 23.5. I might need to pair my watch to the Zwift workout for things to get right maybe… Maybe they might get closer to one another. Given how easily I get out of breath, I’m tending to favor the Zwift estimate at the moment.

25 June 2025

The very first ride I tried was a quick spin on MyWoosh which was okay. I was mostly just testing that the connections were working, and didn’t really have the time to commit to actually doing a real ride yet.

As things were working, I initiated my Zwift membership, and gave that a try (I’m still not sure if I got the free 30 day trial or not, since I had an account, just never used the cycling end, just the free running side)

Break time at work, and I do my first Zwift ride. I specifically picked a route I was sure I could do in the short time I had to try it.

Lunch time at work, and I join a Pacer Group on Zwift. I also tried to steam that to my Twitch. That link will come later…

Continue reading The Zwift Journey Starts →

I know, a new post, first since March of 2023, other than updates to my General Wishlist post, it’s been a while.

I have cross posted most of this in Lots of Different Feedback – Character Selection, On Death and Other Mechanics, and Many Others on the PoE 2 forums. Also note, for those who don’t know, GGG refers to Grinding Gear Games, the company in New Zealand, who makes Path of Exile.

So I’ve been enjoying the hell out of Path of Exile 2. Path of Exile was long one of my favorite games. I have been on the forums at least since 2012, though not sure when I first started playing as I’ve generally deleted most of my characters once they moved to standard from a league. I do remember I quickly bounced as it was too complicated for me at the time. Eventually with the help of some build guides, I did eventually get to the end game. I’ve never made it too far in the end game, back in the day I’d get to one or two of the main bosses in the corners of the atlas, then now, basically the same point, early red maps where I run out of the ability to progress further. Always with a build guide though, and at that point, it’s usually gear that I’m lacking in, and skill I’m sure. And while I play in trade leagues, I am fairly solo self found in trade. 

With PoE 2, I am once again going mostly without a build guide. Trying to understand it myself. So we’ll see how it goes. As I write this, I have finished Act 3, and started Act 1 Cruel (EDIT, time played to about 30 minutes into Act 1 Cruel was 1 day, 15 hours, 10 minutes, 26 seconds, 121 deaths, and killed 24,562 monsters). So not in the endgame maps yet, and some of the thoughts on end game are based on what I’ve seen so far. The rest is more or less based on what I’ve experienced so far in the game. EDIT 9 January 2024, I’m in the End Game, Maps now. Total play time before that was 2 days, 16 hours, 29 minutes and 5 seconds, I died 236 times, and killed 43,107 monsters. So about 40 hours first 3 acts, 24 for the second 3…

I’ve been playing the game off and on, on my Twitch channel, and uploading the highlight (basically the whole stream) to my YouTube.

I got to say that I love WASD for movement. That is perhaps one of PoE 2’s greatest achievements. While I haven’t tried controller support, I hear, aside from a few menu related things, and chat, it is an amazing achievement itself too. So bravo on that. It is one of the game’s best features. I do wish it had a Grim Dawn like ability to spin the camera, which would have been the chef’s kiss in terms of movement and looking around. 

I also enjoyed the campaign. It took me 1 Day, 15 hours, 10 minutes through the first 3 acts and to get to Act 1 Cruel. That’s with learning things, trying things on my own, and exploring nearly every nook and cranny. Probably would be closer to 20 to 30 on a normal run. If Act 4 to 6 take about the same length of time, I’m good. I don’t think we should listen to those who are complaining about the campaign length. It takes me a fairly good time to get through the campaign in regular PoE, certainly not as long, but a lot of that is experience with the game, and not exploring as much as I have with this character in the game.

Continue reading My Initial Thoughts on Path of Exile 2 →

NOTE: As of July 2025, this list is mostly depreciated. With there being a new Revised Fitness Wishlist. The exception is the money section below, and the car section near the bottom. Car is technically number one need at the moment though…

Before buying things here myself, money would be used to be ready for any potential financial emergencies, such as much needed replacement ca, home repairs, and especially for paying things off, etc., then the items below. But if one wants, money can be given via PayPal and credit card donations can be made here, though there is a fee (not sure the percentage), also generally 10% of all donations I get there I give to The Trevor Project (suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQIA+ youth) since that is part of my commitment for donations to my Twitch streams, if it is noted that this is for wish list / bills, I might skip the donation if you want. Or there is my Venmo, I’m not sure how much they take in fees. The main use of money right now would be to pay things down, and towards a much needed new to me car.

As most of this is for my fitness wishes, so here’s my Strava profile, so when, if, I get this stuff, one can see how I do. I also believe this is my Zwift profile. My Twitch and YouTube where I will upload rides from Zwift and the like should be in the bar to the left. I’ll also likely blog about my progress here.

NOTE, as of April 2025: The prices below are almost all before any of Trump’s Tariffs go into effect, and were accurate when they were originally written, between March of 2023 and some additions in 2025. Obviously Trump’s tariffs will make things far more expensive. Also, while a new car is posted much further down the list, that likely has to be number one, as my current car has over 200k miles on it, and it’s a Ford, not some super reliable Honda, Toyota or something like that, so back to the cash above, or the list further down (or search for like Crosstrek on the page, it should take you to that part of the list).

Primary Wants

The long and short of it is that the item wish list order is (with all these, see their related sections below): [Car, things paid down], New Watch, Power Meter Pedals and cycling shoes to use said pedals, bike computer. Note the trainer is both the number 1, number 3, and end points on that, just depends on when/where, etc.

Some of the below are on this Amazon wish list, though many of the cheaper more preferred choices, such as the cheaper bike trainer (even the Wahoo trainer on there are not as cheap as they are direct from Wahoo or Zwift), aren’t available from Amazon. However, to make it easier on some people, I put on the Amazon list what I could.

Oh, and a car. Really, car, then computer, watch, power meters and shoes.

Power Meter Pedals and Proper Bike Shoes for the Bike

See new Revised Fitness Wishlist for the updated version of this part.

Cleaning Supplies and Chain Wax

See new Revised Fitness Wishlist for the updated version of this part.

Secondary Wishes

We now get into more specialized items. Here we go with a multi tool for bike maintenance (I’ll probably get on my own anyhow), proper bike shoes/peddles, a bike radar (for greatly enhanced safety on the road), a battery operated portable power washer, and new headphones.

Multi Tool for Bike Maintenance

See new Revised Fitness Wishlist for the updated version of this part.

Warmer gear

I need warmer base layers for going out in the cold. I don’t have what size I am in these yet. The idea is to have some of the ECWCS Gen III layers. These are mostly for outdoors in the winter, or cold spring/fall days, and some could be called for work and the like. But these are last on the “primary wants” list for a reason.

The one that seems most recommended is Brynje Wool Thermo Mesh, at least for just going outside period, not necessarily cycling. Then one wears a regular Merino Wool Base Layer with a zipper part way down, then one can do other layers over that. The Brynje can also be wore by itself in summer to keep cool. Again, that might not be best for cycling, not sure. This would be more for work, walking, range days, hiking, anything that isn’t super aerobic I guess.

The best cycling specific base layer seems to be Spatwear Basez 2 ($89.99) which would be a bit better if it had a zipper to the sternum or so.

Those two items, or the regular Merino Wool Base Layer would be the Level 1 on the ECWCS list. Level 2 would be used mostly for at home, or standing type situations.

Winter level bibs might be a bit of a more tricky find. Assos Mille GT Winter Bibs ($175), Gorewear Distance Winter Bib Tights ($200), or local Aero Tech has some Fleece tights ($199), not sure of sizes on those.

Cycling jacket would be the Castelli Men’s Alpha RoS 2 ($299.99), which has layers built in, so you can open each layer itself. This is basically a Level 3.

For regular days, not exercise the Level 3 would be done with either a warm fleece or sherpa. Though sherpa is more used as a lining and is harder to keep clean, which is probably why ECWCS specifies fleece.

I’m less sure about the soft shell jacket, more a wind breaker, water coat thing, Level 4 on the ECWCS scale. Near the end I do talk about one waterproof option.

For socks, there are these Keecow Merino Wool Ski Socks ($15.99). Other Merino Wool would likely be fine too, such as the lightweight and heavyweight ones from Aero Tech Designs (more on them later).

Overshoes, which would go over the bike shoes noted below… Spatz ‘Roadman 3’ Super-Thermo Hi-Viz Reflective Overshoes with Kevlar ($76.99).

In the unlikely event I wanted to go out in the rain and cold… then there are waterproof wind breakers to consider. At the high end there’s a C5 Gore-Tex Shakedry 1985 Jacket ($300). Though I’m sure there are far more affordable options…

A Merino Wool hat to wear under the cycling helmet.

Core Body Temperature Sensor

The CORE Body Temperature Sensor does what it says… That said, I’m not sure I have a real reason to use it, it’s expensive, and I’m not heat training…Just would be more data to have on hand for training overall.

Sleeping Earbuds

Soundcore Sleep A20 ($104 now, retail later will be $149) are sleep ear buds that act like a sound machine that is highly customizable, and has sound blocking.

New TV

Hisense U7K ($449) is the semi-affordable TV to replace the current TV. This U7K TV is a rather decent TV, and a good bang for the buck. This is 55″ or 65″. Can’t really go much bigger than that in our current space. Though if I was getting a dream TV, I’d go LG G4 at either 55″ ($2,499.99) or 65″ ($3299.99) as best TVs one can get. Note, that’s to replace our main TV, not the one for patio use which as noted above would be a basic 32″, so long as it was 1080p, or 1440p monitor…

Books

The Ninth House series by Leigh Bardugo, starts with Ninth House ($13.48), then Hell Bent ($12.73) is the second book in the series (the 3rd and last book isn’t out yet). She’s got a new book out, but not in the Ninth House series. The Familiar ($17.98).

Rest of the Saga graphic novel series. I have book one. Saga Book Two ($33.94), Saga Book Three ($34.42)

S. ($23.72) by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst.

The Electric State ($24.49) by Simon Stålenhag, then maybe their book Labyrinth ($29.14).

Tertiary Wishes

Now we’re getting to true wishes. Most of the above can be a bit more justified, but these still have their place. The video card might be first here, but it is far more expensive. The power meter peddles for the bike are actually secondary (nearly primary), but they are sort of expensive to justify putting them up there.

A New Video Card

Technically this would be a secondary wish list item, but the issues I was having with the current card seem to have been fixed a bit, plus it’s expensive. The card here is a GeForce RTX 4080 (aprox $1200 – $1400+). There are better graphics cards out now, but the price/value sort of drops off, at least without going for 4k gaming… and really, the 5070, 5080, and 5090 likely will be out by Q3 2024, which will have a far greater improvement over the current 4000 series… and that’s not counting AMD’s offerings… but the 4080 sort of hits what I need and want from a video card, and unless it’s near the Q3 2024 launch of the 5000 series cards, it’s likely to be the main choice until then.

A New Monitor

The above graphics card would be far overkill for my current monitor. ASUS TUF Gaming 27″ – VG27AQL1A ($410 last check) is the monitor of choice… problem is as I run a dual monitor setup, I’d need another1440 monitor for the second one, though wouldn’t have to be as high end. That is about the best I can do on my current graphics card (I’d probably have to turn some things down), and near the top end of what the graphics card I want above can do without turning graphic options down. Sure, I’d prefer a 4k monitor, but that does require a much higher end graphics card than I have, and even the one above would be hard pressed to do 4K properly.

New Wheels and Group Sets for the Bike

EDIT: For the groupset, See new Revised Fitness Wishlist for the updated version of this part.

So one of the main problems with a Gravel Bike is that the tires are a bit too big and knobbly for efficient road use. The wheel set that comes with the bikes are a general middle of the road between road and gravel (gravel being part way to a proper mountain bike). The first wheel set I’d want would be more specific to road, then after having those, then if I was serious about gravel racing, then perhaps gravel specific, but that would be way down the line. Road set would be high on the list… now a wheel set includes the wheels, tires, and in the case of the rear wheel, a cassette that would work with whatever bike I have (technically road cassettes and gravel cassettes are a bit different, so long as the derailleur could handle it… and that’s where I’d have to see the bike dealer, otherwise just get a matching cassette) . So obviously this all depends on what bike I had.

As far as the groupset, I’m currently thinking upgrade to SRAM Force AXS (preferably with the dual-sided Quarq power meter crankset), then an SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS rear derailer, and a SRAM X01 Eagle, 10-52t cassette, and SRAM Force AXS brakes).

New tires that are more appropriate for gravel and roads. Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M (about $90 each, Amazon link will be later) in 45mm wide. My existing wheels (wheels here I’m referring to what the tires are mounted to, then to the bike itself, the part in between the two) are 700c, and I’m not 100% sure it’d let me put these on, though in theory that shouldn’t be the main issue. Not sure if it would be worth going for 650b size wheels, or sticking with the 700c size wheels… but new wheels would likely be in the cards with the new tires, though that’s where it gets expensive… 650b might be the best choice overall. Wheels get very expensive though, and most wheel sets would require changing which gears I use too… which I’d want to do anyhow. Like these Mason & Hunt wheels are fairly cheap at $419.30 for the full set (front and back). I’d probably switch to the Sram Red XPLR AXS (however, that’s over $3500 for the full groupset)… that is if that groupset is compatible with the bike’s hanger… Like this assumes sticking with the current bike, which is a good enough bike. If I upgraded, I’d probably want a Titanium, but for more “affordable” I’d go with Lauf Seigla Ultimate (about $6k), and if stuck with a mainstream brand dream bikes, I’d go with either the Specizlized Crux (S-Works), or Trek Checkpoint SLR 9… but at those price points (near $12k), may as well go with a Titanium dream bike either No. 22, or Sage, which get into full on dream territory… No. 22 being slightly more into dream territory as then the bike is custom built to one’s exact size, as in you have to go to a special bike fitter and get the sizing absolutely correct.

Quaternary Wishes

The fourth, but not last section of this wish list probably should have the cash and games near the top. The AirPods are more the luxury item…. Well, so is the Headwind… The hitch and rack being the most sensible item after the cash. The SUP is sort of like a… would be nice, but don’t know if I’d use it enough to justify…

Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board

The SUP section of the Fitness Wish List is still mostly accurate. With the SereneLife Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board ($389.99, though on sale 44% off while typing this 27 May, for $219.99) still being plenty for my use, though I’d need a PFD and electric pump still, as noted on the aforementioned Fitness Wish List. This is here more for giggles than being serious… but still would be somewhat fun to have, though wouldn’t be used as much as much of the stuff even below it…

Go Pro Hero 11

To record rides, a Go Pro Hero 11 ($399.99 @ Amazon)… more coming later… Also, this Hover Camera X1 ($329 or $469 when it goes retail), is a pocket sized drone that would help make sweet videos of rides. Or more likely for the action cam, an Insta360 ONE X2, which I’d need to add mounting stuff, but probably the better camera for what I’d be doing. As of February 2024, I’m less sure about a camera, like cool, but I might move this down the list.

Hitch for the Car and Tray Bike Hauler

So right now the only way I have of moving a bike around is a removable thing that mounts to the trunk of my car. That isn’t very secure, and is easy to steal a bike off of. A hitch mount is far more secure, safe… and well secure in lowering theft as well. If I were to go to U-Haul and have them install a trailer hitch, that would be $288.75 to $308.75 (depending on which hitch). Then one needs a rack to install in said hitch, here there’s a few choices, but the best long term investment there is a tray mount as it’s best not to hold a bike by the frame, and if you have a carbon frame, you have to use a tray mount. At the pricier end is the Thule T2 Pro XTR ($639.96), down to the RockyMounts MonoRail ($499.99). You can go much more expensive, but not much cheaper, and those are about the best two of the bunch. Of course who knows how long my current car is good for (it’s costing about $1k in repairs each inspection), so while the tray mount could be moved once a new car had a hitch, the money spent on the hitch itself might be wasted. Might be best to wait on this until a new car…

More Bike Stuff…

I also own a basic pair of bibs shorts with a cheaper chamois, and it functions okay. I might pickup a basic bike shirt if I get a bike again, the local Pro Bike Run has a good sale on their named gear… Ideally, down the line I’d get better bibs and shirts from Aero Tech Designs, a local place, known nationally, that actually designs, and sews their cycling apparel here in Pittsburgh, and was part of the original fitness wish list way back in July 2020. They also do custom designs for clubs, and others, like if someone wanted to sponsor me… lol… Seriously though, my basic bib shorts are okay for now, I’d just buy on of the sale shirts and should be good to go for a while, then upgrade to the better gear.

And one last also, apparently helmets are really only good for 5 years. Then the foam like material in them starts to degrade. Mine is about 3 years old (as of 2023), so it’s got a couple to a few more years. I might get another year or so out of it past the 5, but something to think about down the line. The important thing is it is MIPS, and is highly visible. Bonus points for having a retention system (a knob on the back), and extra points for that retention system having height adjustability.

Cash and Games

Keeping some of this section from the original birthday list… Just moved way down…

Cold hard cash (PayPal and credit card donations can be made here, though add a note it’s for Birthday, as 10% of all donations I get there otherwise go to The Trevor Project).

Steam gift cards. Or direct off my Steam Wishlist. Also number one on that list is expensive enough ($649), that it is actually much further down the list, but it comes in 3 versions, the cheapest isn’t worth it at all, the midrange version comes close, but the lack of storage space and how slow it is makes the premium version worth the extra money… Unfortunately one can’t specify in the Steam wish list which one wants. The first few games are in order, but after that… so really a Steam Gift Card is probably best.

Proper VO2 Max and Heart Rate Zone Testing

So next on the list. Going to get my VO2 Max tested. While the watch is likely accurate for this, what’s more important is that while testing that and metabolic rate, they can find my actual heart rate zones.

There are times that according to my watch I’m past zone 5 and I feel I’m still well in max. In fact, I think that all my zones are off a tad. Likely because I used an age based calculator to find my heart rate zones.

My VO2 Max on my current watch, has me at a fitness age of 33, so nearly 20 years younger than I am… Now fitness age I wouldn’t put much stock in. It says my VO2 Max is in the top 15% of people my age and gender, and that might be more accurate.

The heart rate zones though, need a little more accuracy than a simple age based one.

Insurance likely doesn’t cover the costs of this. Though it’s normally around $100 or so anyhow.

Proper coaching

Not sure the costs to get a coach to help get my cycling better…

Quinary Wishes

Now we’re getting near to the end.

A New Car

So my car is getting older, nearly 10 years as I write this, and has nearly 190k miles. Any year specified is that or newer. As of April 2025, the car now has over 200k miles, and is over 11 years old. Also, as of 4 April 2025, the below list is sort of out of date. I’ll update someday…

Plug in hybrids would probably be main choice, but makes zero sense until I was in a house, with a garage, where I could plug it in overnight, so generally would be regular ICE car, then regular hybrid, then full EV, as I can still get to charging stations. I mostly note the regular version below, but if a Hybrid is available from that generation, then that would likely be preferred over the regular one.

Semi affordable: Chevy Trax (second generation, 2024 model year on, prior generation wasn’t as good). Hyundai Kona (2nd generation (2023+) preferred, but 1st generation from 2020 model year on okay). Subaru Crosstrek (3rd generation (2022+) preferred, but 2nd generation after 2021 on okay, prefer the the 3rd generation Wilderness. Toyota Prius (5th Gen 2023+, the Prius Prime same generation would be even better, but as noted, plug in hybrids make near no sense). Hyundai Tucson (4th gen 2020+).

More midsize: Subaru Outback (7th generation, especially Wilderness, very highly preferred, might be main car choice on list, but as of July 2025, not out yet, for 6th generation, 2024 Wilderness would be preferred, but most any 6th gen (2020+) would be good). Hyundai Santa Cruz 2025 XRT, though most any model is okay. Hyundai Santa Fe (5th gen (2023+) preferred, but 4th gen from 2021 on okay).

Full EV: Hyundai Ionic 9 (2025+), then Kia EV 9, then most of the rest of the Ionic or Kia EV range. Luxury end would be a Volvo XC 90, then Rivian.

Steam Deck

Remember what I said about it in the first section of this list about Steam wish list? This is where it’d go on this list.

Senary Wishes

We end things with the expense bikes… Though at this point I’d need a storage unit, and/or a new home. Lol.

Treadmill

This section will be revised soon, as of February 2024 it is out of date.

The main use of a treadmill is to use Zwift, and Zwift has a somewhat likely out of date list of Zwift Compatible Running Hardware. Again though, any basic treadmill can do if your watch, running pods, or heart rate monitor can send that data to Zwift.

Again, this would require a new house, with a fitness area (read “dry basement”), as I can’t put one at my current location (not only is there no space, seriously not allowed per the condo association rules). I mean, unless I could have internet and electricity at a storage unit and did the stuff there…

EDIT: February 2024, the no questions asked treadmill of choice would be the Wahoo Kickr Run, which runs about $5000, which seems insane, but given the level it is competing at, it actually apparently is a bargain. Again though, 100% impossible to use at current home.

Telescope

Celestron C9.25 ($1899.95) with either a CGEM II EQ Mount and Tripod ($1699) or CGX EQ Mount and Tripod ($2399). Near as I can tell, the CGX is smoother on tracking, and quieter. Not sure that unless one was getting super serious for astro-photography if it is worth the extra money, but it does sort of future proof that way…

The Jell-O Brand Instant Chocolate Pudding used to come with a recipe for pie. It still says on the box, pudding and pie filling. But the box only includes the pudding recipe, not the pie one which cuts the milk.

I can’t even find the recipe on their website. They got variations of it, with Cool Whip, and Peanut Butter, etc, but not the old basic one for just the basic chocolate pudding pie.

After some searching I found this:

Directions
5 min. Pudding Directions: 2 cups of milk. Beat pudding mix and 2 cups cold milk with whisk 2 min. Pudding will be soft-set in 5 min. Makes 4 (1/2-cup) servings. Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Classic pudding pie: Makes 8 servings. Prepare as directed for pudding, reducing milk to 1-3/4 cups. (For fuller pie, use 2 pkg. [3.9 oz each] and 2-3/4 cups milk). Pour at once into Honey Maid Graham pie crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (3 hours for fuller pie) or until set. Top each serving with 2 Tbsp cool whip whipped topping. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Why that can’t be printed on the box anymore, I don’t know…

So I got to play a bit of the Ashes of Creation alpha, an upcoming open world MMORPG. The eventual promise of the game, is that every action you take, can impact the world. You can help build a settlement into a city. It’s sort of EVE Online, but in a fantasy roll playing world, and perhaps not as complex… we’ll see.

To be fair, I generally don’t care for full PvP, open world MMORPGs, I prefer my games to be more theme park, like Final Fantasy XIV, which is a super great MMORPG, that I enjoy thoroughly, and I only use the Demo version of so far… World of Warcraft lost me a long time ago, long before the current player base drift.

Continue reading Ashes of Creation – Promising Alpha, Unfortunate Timing →

As I try to get myself more fit, I’ve created a Fitness Wishlist Page that goes over the stuff I could use to help me get to that end.

While I haven’t been posting much here, I have been streaming off and on, on my Twitch channel. So please be sure to check the stream out, and old VODs…
Potentially coming soon, with the proper fitness equipment, will be more YouTube content related to me trying to get fit.

First, I’m not going to be answering that question, I’m asking it, and arguing why it should have been on the Solstice (when being setup, not now), and not some random day after. This isn’t some cute way of raising the question then providing the answer, such as “why is it dark at night?” Which while it may seem a clear answer, we’re on the shaded side of the Earth from the Sun. But given the number of starts out there, that every spot you look at has tons of galaxies, even in the gap of stars, the night sky should at worst look like the Milky Way all over the place, to being even a bit brighter, even on a night with no moon overhead. There would still be night, it would still be “dark”, but it should be brighter than it is. There is of course a rather simple answer, and I’ll let you go about exploring that on your own.

This is just a simple question of why didn’t the Gregorian Calendar set January 1st on the Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice? Why some random date 11 days later? Continue reading Why Isn’t January 1st on the Solstice? →