Good on you! Do you have any sort of budget at all? Single speed bikes can be a bit cheaper than those with gears. By single speeds I don’t mean fixed gears, which I am even weary of riding even though I’ve been an avid cyclist for like 12 years. If you look on craigslist or Facebook marketplace (if you’re in the US) you can usually find bikes for decent prices that are used! If you go that route and find a single speed, make sure the brakes seem to work okay how I do this is ill stand by the bike, press both brake levers down, and try to push it forward. If it only moves a bit or not at all, it’s probably fine. I’d try both the front and back individually. If the levers press all the way down to the handlebars before they start to give any resistance, that means the brakes need to be replaced (cheap), but could mean they need to be adjusted. Not a bad thing necessarily as you can bring it to a shop, but just something to look out for as an extra immediate expense.

Depending on where you live, there may be shops that refurbish old bikes for discounts too so search around. There may also be bike rentals, too. Might be a good option so you can try a bike without committing to purchasing at first.

Getting on a bike can feel intimidating but you’ll get it. Practice riding in a straight line in a place where there is no car traffic. If you go too slow, you will probably fall because it takes a lot more balance to keep yourself up if you’re barely pedaling; that’s why “track stands” are so difficult. So try not to be afraid, you have your breaks and your feet so if you feel yourself tilting you can always put your foot down while gently pressing on the brakes to keep yourself from falling over. You could even just push yourself forward kinda hard with your foot without pedaling to get a feel for how the bike moves and you can stop yourself with brakes/feet. You wont fly over the handlebars when you’re learning. In my opinion the worst that might happen is that you fall on your side if you’re pedaling too slowly, or if you trip over yourself when biking. The worst thing to be hurt is your ego, though lol.Always a good idea to get a helmet too. I’d say it’s mandatory.

An important thing is to make sure that the bike is a good fit. This is a chart. You can ask the seller what the size is if they haven’t specified. Some people like the feel of a bike that’s a little smaller or bigger but youll want to generally follow the guide. You can adjust the saddle size to fit you as well. Ideal saddle height is when the saddle hits your hip bone. It might feel a lil scary/tall if you’re just starting to learn but that’s what it should be; your pedaling will be most effective and your knees will thank you. When you bring the bike home you can slam the saddle down lower so that you can learn to ride and get comfy on the bike but once you learn to do it raise the saddle back to your hip bone. Youll get used to it and you’ll probably be able to tell the difference.in comfort and that your pedal strokes will feel more “powerful”.

Let me know if you have any other questions and I’m happy to help!

I read an article yesterday, may have been from CBS News or something??? It took FOURTEEN PARAGRAPHS before ANYTHING at all was mentioned about the “death to arab” chants and burning of Palestinian flags. Before and after that paragraph it was all talking about jews being chased down in the streets, it’s horrifying that people would do this, in ashamed of our country, it was a pogrom…then just casually dropping the real reason it happened. I couldn’t believe they even included that info at all

So are you saying that in your daily life you never walk around with your shoulders or arms exposed?

And are you saying that your arms/shoulders are more apt to burn than the rest of your body, or you notice that they tan more easily?

Lolllll Kool-Aid man! That’s fair, I’m so used to people automatically dehumanizing homeless people (thanks reddit) that I’m ready to throw hands when the conversation comes up lol. I appreciate you being rational

I’m not a shrink lol I’m a case manager.

I disagree with the idea that so many homeless are so mentally ill that conversing with them isn’t worth it. It should take the most minimal ability to read human behavior to see when someone is having a hard time and you shouldn’t engage but there are many who don’t experience persistent psychosis who you can talk to, or at least give a nod and hello.

Care to explain what you mean by “actual professionals”?

So I work full time with homeless people who deal with mental illness and substance use issues.

If you are struggling with surviving yourself, you can only do what you can do. This world is fucked up and you shouldn’t be struggling, and those people on the street shouldn’t be in that position either, and it always seems like the burden to assist the poorest in our society is put on to other poor people, because we can actually understand what it’s like at least a little.

There may be times when you can only spare some change, other times maybe 5 or 10 dollars. Other times, nothing at all. If you have the ability at all, even the smallest amount can be helpful even if you don’t think it will be. But, if you feel hesitant, don’t beat yourself up for it. You thinking of giving ANYTHING AT ALL means you’re doing more than most people would.

Also, I think it’s important to try to let go of the moralistic thinking when it comes to people using the money for alcohol or drugs. People end up using drugs because of mental illness, people gave told me that at least when using they feel like they HAVE a reason why theyre hearing voices and seeing shit and its in their control.Because they lost their job due to becoming disabled and doctors won’t prescribe painkillers so they have to find something to numb the pain on the street. They were a foster kid who got kicked out with nothing, no family or friends and we’re physically and mentally abused for years so using drugs is the only way they know how to cope.

Another very real story I heard recently as to why someone drowned themselves in liquor for 15 years is because his nephew was playing hide and seek and hid under a pile of clothes in a closet. A fire started in the house; he was searching everywhere for the kid, and was digging and digging but couldn’t pull him out before the firemen forced him to leave. So he had to stand there and watch as his nephew burned alive because the firemen would not go back in to get him. You don’t know someone’s story and why they got to where they are. If you don’t want your money going to drugs or alcohol, you can make the choice to not give anyone money on the off chance that they happen to have a substance use issue, but remember they are people too with a lot of trauma.

Crash Bandicoot, Star Ocean 2, Legend of Legaia, Klonoa, Final Fantasy 7 of course, Kingdom Hearts 1

Earthbound, Super Mario World, Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country, Sonic & Knuckles, Bust-a-Move, Vectorman

TENACIOUS D! I unironically listen to their first album a lot lol. Weird Al, obviously. Suburban Lawns, the Aquabats, Reel Big Fish, Green Day (the album Dookie in particular), Presidents of the United States of America, Primus, Mr. Bungle, the Adicts, the King Kahn & BBQ Show, Nobunny, Weedeater, Spazz, Gravy Train!!!, the Pixies, GWAR, King Diamond, Busdriver, MF Doom, Talking Heads

Your mileage may vary with some of these; some don’t mean to have a funny shtick but I just find them funny personally

Thank you for this!

Those look pretty cool, I’ve never heard of them before. So it sounds like since components are so easily replaceable that you could kinda keep it as long as the company exists and just replace components as you go?

I’m hoping that as a good compromise, I can get a monitor and a keyboard to hook up to it for working at home, that would work out I assume?

Ohhh I never thought about a recycled laptop, that’s a really great idea. I had a laptop that lasted me 8-9 years so 3 isn’t a problem lol. Does double booting have to do with how much memory a computer has to be able to store both OS’?