Show #317 – October 15, 2016

Guest: The Laidback Bike Report’s Gary Solomon

This week, it’s podcast only so the show is a bit shorter than usual. WJCU’s football game has preempted out broadcast!

While attending Recumbent Cycle-Con last weekend, I met up with Gary Solomon. Gary is a retired pharmacist who lives in the Columbus, Ohio area and has been riding a recumbent tandem with his wife for 15 years. Last year, he started a new venture – the Laidback Bike Report, a monthly interactive video production that is broadcast on You Tube.

His “shows” cover the gamut of recumbent news, interviews, and reviews. His viewers can also participate in the show as it is happening. I wanted to know more and, since we do audio and he does video, I thought it would be an interesting conversation. In fact, it was! And this week I’m sharing it with you!

Let’s get to it!

Show #316 – October 8, 2016

Guests: Neil Flock; Michael Charney

Brian and I are attending Recumbent Cycle-Con in Sharonville, Ohio this weekend. It’s cool and sunny with hundreds of folks trying out all kinds of cool bikes on the outdoor test tracks.

Our show this week runs the gamut from a new line of affordable, smart, and well designed internally geared, belt drive bikes to a smart concept that, once adopted, will save lives!

First, we talk with Neil Flock from Cycle Monkey. Neil’s new line of Link Bicycles previewed at Interbike last month to rave reviews. Three simple offerings – mixte, cross, and road – 5 sizes from x-small to x-large – and internally geared, belt driven – will be available in Spring 2017.

Neil tells us about his philosophy and the market he thinks these bikes will best address.

In the second half of the show, we talk with Michael Charney in Boston. Michael is a retired doctor who abandoned his car many, many years ago and instead began cycling. He came across the “Dutch Reach” concept of exiting your motorized vehicle and dove head first into bike advocacy.

Michael’s case for changing the way you get out of your car is catching on and he wants everyone to we jump on that bandwagon.

Show #315 – October 1, 2016

Guests: Jeremy Powers, Niall Gengler, Charles Coyne

This week we have three guests including the “winningest” American cyclist ever!

With 60 UCI international wins and 4 USA National Cyclocross Championships, Jeremy Powers shares his not-so-secret-secret as well as some tips for anyone aspiring to race a bike. He also tells us about his JAM non-profit organization that is reaching out to promising athletes who might not be able to get in to the sport for a variety of reasons.

I also talk with Charles Coyne about next week’s Recumbent Cycle-Con and Touring Expo at the Sharonville Convention Center in Sharonville, Ohio (just north of Cincinnati).

Charles gives us a glimpse into the who, what , where, and why of the 3-day event that begins on Friday, October 7th with a “trade day” that then opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

This year, there are two test track courses – one for 2-wheel recumbents and one for trikes, giving the trikes the room they need to be put to the test.

After a short break for some news, we head to Easthampton, Ma to speak with Niall Gengler from Pioneer Valley Frameworks.

Niall builds some sweet steel bikes and gives us his philosophy about what it takes to get a rider dialed-in for optimum performance and comfort.

It’s a jam-packed show… so let’s get started!

Show #266 – October 3, 2015

Guests: Ian Sims; Suze Clemitson

Just back from Recumbent Cycle-Con and the Bicycle Tour & Travel Expo in Sharonville, Ohio. To say that there was abundant enthusiasm would be a gross understatement! Many, many recumbent bikes and trikes and so many people from all over the U.S. who came in to try them.

Before we get to our guests for this evening though, I want to say congratulations to Peter Sagan for his amazing win at the World Championships in Richmond, VA where he came from behind to take the Rainbow Jersey after 200+ kilometers! He is also one of cycling’s most vociferous humanitarians and the accolades and win are both well deserved!

Also, our video of the week is the 4:36 video of the Late, Late Show’s host James Corden coming down on some of the residents of Coronado, California for their beyond ridiculous “reasons” for not adding bike lanes to the city. And, guess what… Coronado decides to strike down new bike lanes… Maybe we need to get ourselves out to Coronado and do what James Corden is suggesting!

So, on with the show…

Our first guest is the CEO of Greenspeed Trikes from Melbourne, Australia. Ian Sims has been in the recumbent business for 25 years and Greenspeed Trikes are at the top of the food chain in recumbents.

Ian was in the States to show off his trikes at Recumbent Cycle-Con and to accept the Industry’s Recognition Award for 2015. But, before he left to return home, I was able to catch up with him to talk about his work, motorcycle sidecars, the meteoric ascent of trikes, and more.

After our news, we head on over to France to speak with Suze Clemitson. Suze is a journalist and author who loves the language of cycling and, along with illustrator Mark Fairhurst, has just come out with “P is for Peloton – The A-Z of Cycling”.

The book is absolutely delightful! Covering everything from Arriveé to Zabel, no letter is left unturned in detailing some of cycling’s lexicon in a colorful and entertaining format. The hardbound book contains 159 pages and we are adding this one to our holiday gift list!