Show #230 – January 24, 2015

Guests: Elden (The Fat Cyclist) Nelson; Don (Mr. NAHBS) Walker

We’re getting into that time of winter where we long for sunny skies, warm temperatures, and green! So, probably one of the best ways to forget the winter doldrums is to laugh – at it, about it, or just find some funny stuff.

And, this week we did indeed find humor. Back at the beginning of the month, we spoke with commentator and journalist Dan Wuori. During our conversation, Dan mentioned that he had participated in the forward of a new book by the “fat cyclist” and I said… “Who’s that?”

Well, this evening, we get to talk with the “fat cyclist hisself”… Elden Nelson isn’t fat and he IS a cyclist. In fact, he’s an avid cyclist having completed 17 of the 18 Leadville 100 events he’s entered (there’s good reason he was DNF on the 18th!)

Elden writes the irreverent and mostly outrageously funny blog fatcyclist.com. His new book, “The Great Fatsby – Absurd Cycling Stories Disguised as Expertise and Insight” is a compendium of his blog from 2007 through 2010 and in it he adds many of the incredibly funny comments that were left after each entry.

But Elden isn’t just a humor monger – he’s the real deal and has raised millions of dollars for charities near and dear to his heart including Livestrong (yes, he believes in the organization and what it does), World Bicycle Relief, and the Kesem Camps (just listen and you’ll learn about them).

Then, after our break and some news, we hustle off to Louisville for the skinny on this year’s NAHBS show with founder and owner Don Walker. Oh yeah – NAHBS #11 is only 6 weeks away and Don gives us some excellent reasons to head over to the show and to the city of Louisville for some great cycling culture.

So, get your ears on and let’s listen in to my conversation with Elden Nelson – MR. Fat Cyclist.

Show #173 – December 14, 2013

GUESTS: Bicycle Advocate Janna Chernetz; CEO & President of LiveSTRONG Doug Ulman

 

The psychology of people and their transportation choices fascinates me. Think back to when motor vehicles were the new kid on the block. The then-dominant horse-drawn carriage lobby called automobiles dangerous, noisy, and uncivilized. They were probably convinced that equine-powered transport would be around forever, and that cars were an impractical toy. Except for Amish country, we know how that worked out for them.

Fast-forward to the present day, and the players have changed, but the arguments and beliefs are the same. Our first guest today, Janna Chernetz, of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, has seen this play out recently in Rutherford, New Jersey. The Rutherford Bike Ring is an ambitious project to add bike lanes and traffic-calming infrastructure to the area around the Meadowlands sports complex. It has broad support from a host of government agencies. And yet, the project was gutted in the space of three months, by a minority of vocal residents. Janna is here with us today to talk about what happened, and to talk about TSTC’s plans for bike/ped friendly rebuilding on the Jersey Shore.

After the news and a break, we’re joined by Doug Ulman, President and CEO of LiveStrong. Doug is a cancer survivor himself, and although LiveStrong’s prestige and fundraising ability has taken a hit in the wake of Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace, the organization continues to pursue its mission of support to cancer patients and survivors. Doug also explains how LiveStrong is attempting to evolve beyond the twin shadows of cycling, and its famous founder. It’s a complicated environment for anyone selecting a charity to support, and we hope this interview will help you make better-informed choices about your giving.