Recent content by Jack Watts

I'm a Spaniard now... If a churro doesn't come with some dipping chocolate, it has no right to be called a churro. If some legit churro stands open up in the PNW, maybe I'll reconsider my position about moving back! I did have a "cane juice drink" on some back street in Shanghai, where the guy...

Yeah, it's pretty amazing. The sheep herding video upthread was interesting, because there are sheep runs directly in front of our door every couple of months. The first time one of our dogs went absolutely nuts--she's now used to it. This place, especially the center part of the island in the...

A factory owner there insisted on taking me to KFC. I have never been to ta KFC in the US, and it really wasn't on my bucket-list in China. I remember having a sandwich which was half chicken/half shrimp (split right down the middle!? what the....), and some spicy wings. I was all better than it...

Besides Canada, I hadn't been outside of the US until I was in my early 40's, when I started traveling to China for work. I now live in Spain (well, a small village in Mallorca, which is sorta Spain, but doesn't really feel like Spain). Never say never and all, but I don't really see myself...

My deepest sympathies. Been through this more than I care to remember, and just enjoying every day with a member of the pack sitting on 15 years. It's never easy, but just remember how lucky he was to have you as an owner. Many/most don't live the charmed life.

I mean, I think context is important, so I'll mention a couple of things: 1) I've spent most of my adult life in the bike industry, and 3 decades training and racing. So, you know what the LAST thing I want to do in my free time? Work on my bike... With Di2, I have absolutely nothing to do after...

There were really no lightning rods attached? That's simply some folks reading their own biases into my initial post. There are tons of folks who complain about the complexity of new cars, and particularly EV's. For those people, if we weren't on the internet and they actually test drove my car...

This is not a serious question, which is why you probably don't get an answer that you consider suitable. I'm smart enough to not go down that rabbit hole and try. World-wide fossil fuel subsidies are estimated at around 7 trillion dollars, and I'm sure that you will take issue with any example...

Done a ton of riding and racing out that way, incredible riding! Sounds like a great time. My experience? The only shifter that's ever left me stranded was mechanical (snapped at the head, let the cable go too long--my fault). I have electronic SRAM on my MTB (zero cables), Shimano on my road...

keep in mind, as I said I don't think petroleum subsidizes are a bad thing! I mean, the reality is that I love my carbon-fiber bike, fast tires, and TV set. I mean, I've been a competitive cyclist for decades, and the last thing in the world I want to do is to go back to wool shorts! (thank you...

Of course! This was actually on my list as well. Funny thing is that the Up! GTi is probably the closest new-ish car you can get to the original GTi, and also puts a fine point on just how big cars have gotten over time. The Up! GTi I test drove was miles better than my MK1, RIP... They also...

Well, the sales lady said in reference to the size of the car "no fat chicks", so there's that! Funny thing is that I think that's the only 3 words of English she knew! Fortunately my wife is small, so it works...

I mean, some people will never buy an EV, no matter what. It could offer a better user experience at a lower cost of operation, and they'll still pass. And that's fine, life is full of choices. I do think there's a place for a vehicle that offers a tradition car experience, with the benefits...

On a site with fossil fuels in the name, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that EV's received the amount of shade they do here. While there of course the ultra-ridiculous "if it doesn't go 800 miles and charge in 2 minutes, I'm not interested" crowd, I think there's more it than just random EV...

I mean, I guess it depends on one's definition of "compact"... A 2002 CRV looks like a "compact suv" to me. Today's CRV looks about like a late 90's Passport in size. Cars in the US just keep getting bigger and bigger... A new CRV or Rav4 don't seem all that compact to me. Neither does this...