Bike advice, roleplaying advice

[jack]

My bike has got sufficiently doubtful in various ways I'm going to treat myself to a new bike, and maybe try to fix this one up as a spare. I moderately know this, but what do people recommend looking for most in a new bike? I would usually be using it for commuting, but for now using it for similar commuting-type journeys.

I think I don't need a racing bike per se. And I don't want a bike so expensive I'm scared to leave it locked up anywhere outside. But it's probably worth investing in anything that does make my life easier for cycling several miles on Cambridge roads. Having my main transport be inviting makes things a lot better.

Roleplaying Advice

I am *still* not quite making time to plan the games I want to run, but it would be nice to be able to play in something. There are lots of places I might look for games online, but does anyone recommend anywhere would be a good place to find people I'm likely to get on with? Ideally where I can play a game in one or two sessions and be done, rather than signing up a long a campaign in advance. Likely I should be looking for online cons, I'm not sure? I have previously played mostly DnD, but I'd like to play something with lighter rules and more interesting characters, but still more roleplaying than improv.

Alternatively, I have a few not-exactly-roleplaying games, Microscope and Fiasco that you run without a GM, that work with the players each contributing one element of a story, but that are very much designed to work without putting people on the spot or getting crowded out, and produce a fun result even if people don't really know what they're doing. Would anyone be interested in trying to play one online again?

Comments

[anais_pf]

Headlight and tail light, though of course you can add those. Upright handles for me, but that's a personal preference.

[lydy]

I really strongly prefer an upright body position. The bike I bought was the Electra Loft 7i, and I've been enormously happy with it. It is considered a "hybrid". The general categories seem to be urban/commuter and cruiser, if you want an upright body position, and cruisers tend to be heavier, more stable, but fewer gears. I also really like the twist-shifter. You should understand, however, that I only just started biking this summer, so my opinion isn't all that well informed.

[mtbc]

As a bicycling novice I was most happy with the Diamondback hybrid that I used to use for a short commute to work a couple of jobs ago.

[hatam_soferet]

I think UD might be interested in games, email him?

[damerell]

That's a bit of a giant question, but what's your current bike like, and what do you like about it?

[chess]

Very interested in potential text based Fiasco or Microscope - I have too much talking-to-people-online during my work day but text based games I am much more likely to actually show up for.

[jack]

Ah! I think we're kind of at opposite points -- I hadn't realised it before, but I think I do need more face to face video time. But I would probably enjoy joining in a mainly text based thing as well if it happened.

[jack]

Did you find a good method to play Microscope online? I saw you invited people before but was too busy at the time, but maybe now I am better at getting round to things.

[chess]

There's a timeline tracking app at https://utgars-chronicles.app/

One of my friends also came up with some in between options for scenes, which can otherwise stretch out quite a bit in online text play:

'curated scenes' where everyone adds an element but then the placer does a dictated scene with those elements, and each contributor can then add an extra detail about their element if they want

'collaborative scenes' which are like the original but the placer has more control and essentially posts a dictated scene in small chunks, and others can add things based on their element between those.

[jack]

Oh, cool. Thank you!