Blue Sage Realty in Westminster Sucks!

I also posted a review of Blue Sage Realty, Westminster CO at Yelp.

There are a few other listings for Blue Sage on the interwebs, so this is the one that he had this bad experience at:

Blue Sage Realty, Inc
8471 Turnpike Dr, Suite 220
Westminster, CO 80031
(303) 432-9898 Office

http://www.bluesagerealtyinc.com

Something that has been in the back of my mind for quite awhile was to try out wet shaving using an old school safety razor and associated supplies. I finally got around to putting together a very basic wet shaving kit and I’m very glad I did. My kit looks something like this:

• Merkur “Hefty Classic” Safety Razor
• Vulfix #850 Pure Badger Shaving Brush
• Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Cream
• Proraso Shaving Soap
• Neutrogena Razor Defense Aftershave Cream
• A Pack of Assorted Razors
• A Bowl from Target

As far as creams and blades go, you’re supposed to try some different things to see what you like best which is why I have various blades and shaving cream. All of this ran me around $100 or so– the upfront cost is a bit steep, but in the long run I only pay around 50 cents per blade for the ones I’m currently using, and have samples of some that are as low as 25 cents a piece which are also supposed to be decent. The Proraso shaving soap is available at Target in the Spa section, so I really only ever need to mail order blades.

I first started wet shaving for a couple of weeks using my normal mach 3 razor just to get used to the process, and finally moved to the safety razor this week. I’m happy to report that I’ve shaved successfully without any nicks with the safety razor, and my skin seems to generally be much happier with the wet shaving. Even the fun “neck bumps” (ingrown hairs I assume?) are starting to go away. It does take a lot more time for me to shave this way, but I limit it to a few times a week in the evening. I’m also getting a much closer and longer lasting shave, and my face doesn’t feel like it’s on fire after shaving. Actually with the Proraso shaving soap it’s quite the opposite– it has glycerin menthol in it which feels nice and cool.

I’m definitely glad I made the switch, and highly recommend checking into it! I have a few links here if you’d like to research it yourself. I think the two most helpful links to pass on is this very detailed overview on how to get started with wet shaving, as well as this video series which shows you how to actually wet shave.

I spend quite a long time researching purchases of goods, to the point of becoming a bit of an expert on the range of products that compare to what I end-up purchasing, etc. Given the amount of time I spend on research and the popularity of the reviews on my site, I decided to create a new blog titled Reviewfoo. This will be the new home of my research and reviews going forward, and I plan to write more on the subject any time I spend a considerable amount of time researching something before a purchase.

As an avid web-surfer and first adopter, I also intend Reviewfoo to the the place for regularly passing news and tips for everyday things such as finance, “life hacks”, home improvement, etc between my reviews. It’s a fairly general interest blog and you might find a new useful tip there from time to time. Check it out and let me know what you think!

On Monday I started off at REI and rode down the South Platte Bike trail for close to four miles (a bit past University) when it started to downpour in BUCKETS. Luckily I was able to turn around and take shelter under a train bridge (which had a train on it). It let up just a little bit and stopped hailing, I decided to make a run for it and head back to better shelter (I was still getting rained on since only the train was protecting me for the most part).

I finally ended-up soaked, under a bridge near 6th Ave. I got a kick out of my company being a homeless person whom I’m had a brief conversation with until he decided to push his cart further down the trail. I waited around until I’d dried off a bit and decided to head back to REI for some coffee before hitting the Cherry Creek bike path (which was really quite awhile since it rained for a good hour or so).

After drying off a bit more and warming-up with a cup of coffee, I headed down the Cherry Creek bike path. It quickly became obvious that the drain water of Denver ends up in that area, and it was smelly, disgusting, and muddy which did not make for optimal riding conditions. I decided to brave it anyway since a little mud and stinky water had never hurt me.

Once I made it to the area of the Cherry Creek shopping center (about 5 miles down the path), it had been awhile since I’d had food so I stopped by Jamba Juice for a smoothie, where I saw local comedian Josh Blue and his girlfriend ride by (and exchanged hello’s with him). I headed back down the path for a way and decided to turn back since it was getting late and I wasn’t completely sure if I’d been riding uphill or not.

Sometime in August I’d like to attempt a ride that I did many years ago when I rode regularly and was in good shape– a ride between Dillon and Keystone which is somewhere around 40 miles round trip IIRC. I don’t think it should be a problem and will probably give it a try sometime in August.

A few tips I’ve learned along the way, in no particular order:

• Wearing some sort of bike short is important for comfort
• You should roll with at least two insulated water bottles or a Camelbak when riding 10 miles plus
• When riding by water, you need sunglasses to at least protect you from getting bugs in your eyes
• Mountain bikes are overrated. If you mostly ride on pavement, you should consider a road bike or hybrid, instead of the “what if” scenario which keeps you tied to mountain bikes
• A key to repeating something is to make it as easy as possible. That said, a bike rack is a good investment if you want to transport your bike to trails, etc
• The right accessories make all the difference on long rides. Current favorites: Cyclometer, LED Headlight & Taillight, Specialized Handgrips, riding gloves, and insulated water bottles.
• Biking shoes are a good thing to have because they are hard soled. While I don’t have any yet, I think it will help my pedaling quite a bit to use them (and I won’t use the clips, cleats, etc.. I just want some plain, hard soled biking shoes).

I’ll probably post here and there when I reach new milestones and what not, but otherwise I realize how boring it is to read about someone riding a bike.

Other photos from the trip:

Lately I’ve been getting back into biking for many reasons, including the health benefits (I can certainly use the exercise), fun, and of course it’s not a bad idea given the price of gas. I’ve been riding a bike I bought quite a long time ago, a Mongoose mountain bike. I’d never really felt all that comfortable on that bike (turns out it was too big for me), I could never seem to get the shifting aligned correctly so gears 4 & 5 never really “caught”, I accidentally overtightened the front brake and stripped the screw in the caliper, and I felt like I was putting money into a bike I would never be happy with, etc. I think the last straw for me was riding it to “Bike to Work” day– it was just way too bulky (for me) to climb steep hills. It was simply just not the bike for the type of riding I like to do.

Basically I wanted to get a new bike which was meant for riding in an urban environment which was light and fast, yet was not a road bike and didn’t have a super uncomfortable position. It also needed to be fun to ride, or I wouldn’t hop on it much. Turns out, a few bike manufactures have been making hybrid bikes for the past few years which combine parts of mountain bikes and road bikes and was exactly what I was looking for! After spending a few evenings researching what I wanted, it finally came down to the Trek 7.5 FX Disc.

Here’s an overview of the bike compliments of its marketing literature:

You get the best of both worlds with Trek’s 7.5 FX Disc, plus unmatched stopping power. The Alpha SL Aluminum frame is light and fast, yet sturdy and durable. Avid disc brakes easily check your speed, even on rainy commutes. Bontrager SSR wheels with Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires are equally at home on roads, paths, and trails. Plus, a 27-speed drivetrain gives you a wide range of gears to choose from.

My local Bicycle Village (a Colorado local chain) had them in stock and had a Grand Opening sale going on, so I picked one up on Saturday. They also do free adjustments and tune-ups for the life of the bike, so all in all I feel like I got a good deal (about $150 below MSRP).

I took it out for a quick ride on Saturday evening after I finished installing a few accessories. I was planning on only riding it about 4 miles or so, but I enjoyed it so much I ended-up riding for almost 13 instead. I’m really amazed by how fast this bike is.. it’s definitely a road bike in mountain bike clothing. I ended-up averaging a little bit above my normal cruising speed on my old bike while going uphill, and the trip back downhill (keep in mind it was just a very low, steady climb/descent) took almost time at all. My average MPH for the trip was almost 4 MPH above what I last did on my mountain bike, and I think this will only improve as I strengthen the muscles used in the riding position I have on this bike. Last night I took a ride on my old bike and realized how heavy and clunky it was compared to my new bike.

If you’re looking for something light and fast but not quite a road bike either, I’d highly recommend giving the Trek FX series a look!