Category: Radio Show

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Show #222 – November 29, 2014

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Guests: Chef Biju talks leftovers and Little Curry Shop; Inga Thompson, new inducted Bicycle Hall of Famer

On our post-Thanksgiving show, we’re offering up some leftovers! No – not an old show; REAL left overs!!

And the perfect person to give original ideas for leftovers is Chef Biju Thomas. Chef Biju, co-author of the Feedzone Cookbooks, talks burritos, chilis, and more. He will also tell us a bit about his new book (won’t be out until Fall, 2015) as well as his background and how that has evolved into his new restaurant, Little Curry Shop that will open in Denver next week.

We’ll have news – most of it GOOD; and, then we will have the first half of a great conversation I had with newly inducted Bicycle Hall of Famer, Inga Thompson. Along with three other cycling luminaries, Inga was awarded her place in bicycling history at a ceremony earlier this month.

Inga, who is an outspoken advocate for cleaning up the sport of cycling (her interview in Velo News in June, 2014 is worth the read)

As always, Inga is fun, informative, and thought provoking and because our discussion was so interesting, I just couldn’t bear to cut it off.  So, we’ll have the second half of our conversation next week.

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Show #221 – November 22, 2014

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Angie Schmitt from StreetsblogUSA; Carlton Reid, author of “Roads Were Not Made for Cars”

This week, we talk Bike Share and Bike Rental – is there a difference? And, if so, does one offer advantages over the other? I welcome Angie Schmitt from Streetblog.USA back to our show to discuss her recent blog entries about Bike Share as well as her thoughts on what private vs. public funding for bike share programs might mean in the long run.

In the second half of our show, we’ll head over the the U.K. to have an in-depth conversation about roads – from the materials that make up the surfaces upon which we walk, ride, and drive to the evolution of the roads from the pre-historic age of the Mastodon to today.

Carlton Reid, editor of Bikebiz.com and author of the much awaited and now acclaimed Roads Were Not Built for Cars joins me for this conversation in what turns out to be one fascinating subject!

Already sold out in print form, the book is available for almost every conceivable electronic device. AND, the digital version is fun, informative, and creative.

Consisting of 480 pages (the iPad version) the e-book contains 10 short videos, 2 sound clips, and 581 illustrations. The opening instructions include a great music piece too.

The notes for the book are so extensive – 91,000 words to date – that they occupy an on line link.

Happy thanksgiving to all – and enjoy this week’s show!

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Show #220 – November 15, 2014

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Guests: Mia Kohout, Momentum Magazine; Sarah Johnson, Omaha Bicycle Company

It’s a fun show tonight! Even though we experienced a HUGE snow dump this week, the sun is shining today and life is good!

My first guest is the managing editor of Momentum Magazine, Mia Kohout. Momentum’s focus being active lifestyle, family, and transportation, I wanted to ask her about holiday gift ideas for children and parents as well as her favorite stocking stuffers and indoor storage ideas.

We have some interesting news then we’re going to speak with Sarah Johnson, owner of The Omaha Bicycle Company (and coffee shop). Featured in an interview by the League of American Bicyclists this week, I was instantly interested in her story as it seems to parallel my own – only with a much more confident and modern twist. As it turns out, she’s also hilarious, smart, and savvy.

So… as my friend Kim always says… Let’s Do It!

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Show #219 – November 8, 2014

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Guests: Jonathan Ingram, “Beer Connoisseur Magazine”; Rebecca Rusch – “Queen of Pain”

While I attend the Philly Bike Expo this weekend, we put together what I think is a most interesting show.

Most cyclists like beer, right? So, I decided to find the best source for the skinny on beer – how it’s made, what’s new for the holidays, and whether or not beer is good for you. I discovered the mother-lode when I found the managing editor of Beer Connoisseur Magazine, Jonathan Ingram.

Jonathan helped me to understand some of the nuances of craft beers and what is trending for the holiday season. He also filled me in on what is and isn’t healthy about beer and why some beers actually do taste better when they’re warm.

After we talk with Jonathan and offer up some of this week’s tasty news, we come back to speak with the amazing Rebecca Rusch.

Her nickname is the “Queen of Pain” – but, she isn’t the biggest, or strongest, or even fastest. Rebecca Rusch IS the grittiest and most determined athlete on the endurance-athlete scale by any and every measure.

Now, at age 45 she has conquered what might take multiple lifetimes for others and ourconversation covers everything from her younger days of insecurities, her failures, and her triumphs. Her new book, Rusch to Glory:Adventure, Risk and Triumph on the Path Less Traveled, is out on Velo Press and might be just the inspiration you need to push yourself to that next level.

So, pour yourself a frosty one and let’s go.

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Show #218 – November 1, 2014

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Guests: Keri Caffrey, Mark Friis, Ron Gurth – A Discussion of NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show

Happy November! Welcome back to The Outspoken Cyclist Show!

Our show “covers” another show this week. On Thursday, October 30th, NPR’s Diane Rehm Show offered up a one-hour segment about cycling; specifically, “Sharing the Road: Adapting to a New Culture of Cycling”. With 5 invited guests from 5 different areas covering transportation, Highway Safety, and even a dissenting voice on allowing cyclists to ride the streets in San Francisco, the show covered statistics, complaints, safety, and legislation.

My question was – did it accomplish what it set out to do and, if not, what was missing? So, to that end, I invited a trio of guests to comment on Diane Rehm’s show and to offer up what was good, bad, ugly, or ???

My first guest is one of my favorite cycling advocates and the founder of Cycling Savvy – the instructional program out of Orlando that is training other trainers to teach riders not only how to be safe on the road, but to become confident predictable cyclists. Keri Caffrey is one of the smartest people I know and has her finger on the pulse of just about every aspect of bicycling advocacy.

Then, we’ll head on out to Redlands, California to speak with Mark Friis, Executive Director of the Inland Empire Biking Alliance. Mark has some interesting counterpoints to some of Keri’s comments as well as some dissenting words about the way we train children to ride today. Much of our conversation though mirrors Keri’s thoughts about the effectiveness of the DR Show.

Finally, we go back down to Florida to catch up with retiree Ron Gurth. Ron is a Cycling Savvy Instructor (CSI), a League Cycling Instructor (LCI), and because of some recent actions taken – or more to the point NOT taken – by the League of American Bicyclists has recently withdrawn his support and membership from the organization. Besides being an avid single ride, Ron and his wife ride a tandem – another topic that makes some of the issues raised on the Rehm show questionable.

Sit back and enjoy!

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Show #217 – October 25, 2014

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Guests: Kansas City, MO Councilman John Sharp; Urologist Dr. Dudley Seth Danoff; Ex CAT 1-Pro Racer Michael King

Every once in a while, I think we have a show that will knock you out of your socks; I’m thinking maybe this will be one of those shows.

My first guest is Councilman John A. Sharp of Kansas City, Missouri. Last week, we spoke about the unanimously passed anti-harassment law protecting cyclists, pedestrians, those in wheelchairs, and yes… to my utter amazement and dismay, even service dogs. The law went into effect on October 12th and this week, I asked the Councilman all about it. I really liked his answers.

Then we talk about “Penis Power” – yep… you heard that right. Dr. Dudley Seth Danoff is a board certified urologist who practices in Los Angeles and really did write the book – Penis Power. He talks to us about prostate health, TRT (testosterone replacement therapy), what you and/or your partner can do when one of you wants sex and the other doesn’t, and why E.D. is such a BIG deal – or is it?

In the second half of the show, I talk with an old friend – one with whom I lost contact for a while. In reconnecting and catching up, I was troubled to learn that his life had turned upside down and wanted to know why. Mike King had it all – successful CAT 1-Pro racer, beautiful family, top-selling salesman 18 years in a row – cars, house – literally… he had it ALL. And then, as he says – “the pendulum began to swing in the opposite direction.”

Suddenly he lost it all and found himself incarcerated on an array of charges including selling drugs and public intoxication.

He also found out that the extreme success and extreme failure are all part of being bi-polar; and, without shame or embarrassment, Mike tells us all about it.

Sit back – it’s going to be an incredible ride.

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Show #216 – October 18, 2014

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Guests: Philly Bike Expo’s Bina Bilenky Trahan, Rails-to-Trails director Keith Laughlin; Brett Horton of the Horton Collection

As bike shows go, the Philly Bike Expo is one of the best! And, as the weekend of November 8-9th approaches, I thought it would be a good idea to check in with show director Bina Bilenky Trahan and find out what is new for 2014. The Outspoken Cyclist herself will be attending the show this year too!

As we ramp up to the midterm elections here in the U.S., and with a possible changing of the majority party as an outcome, I wanted to find out how transportation issues might be affected. So, I always like to go to the “man-in-the-know”, Rails to Trails director Keith Laughlin. Keith has been in Washington, DC for many, many years and knows what is happening in Congress as well as anyone. He’ll also catch us up on some new and exciting developments with Rails to Trails for 2015.

Even though it’s still 10 weeks until the holidays, I wanted to get a jump start on some ideas for the gift giving season and, as everyone knows, I LOVE books!

From the over 170,000 photographs of the 1920’s and 1930’s of what racing looked like in the early 20th Century, Brett Horton, owner and curator of the Horton Collection was able to choose 106 of them to offer in a lovely hardbound book titled “Goggles & Dust – Images from Cycling’s Glory Days”. The book celebrates the grit and determination of the bicycle racing pioneers who established the records, traditions, and distinct flavors of Europe’s most hallowed races.

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Show #215 – October 11, 2014

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Guests: Brendan Lyons; Shannon Galpin

Get ready for another great show this evening. After congratulating ourselves for beating Pittsburgh in the National Bike Challenge, we head on out to Arizona to learn about “LOOK – Save A Life – Arizona” and the story of Brendan Lyons and Lorena Evans. Last October the couple was hit from behind by a distracted motorist while training for the El Tour de Tucson. After a year of recovery, they will be awarded the Dedication Award at this year’s event.

We will also speak with activist and philanthropist Shannon Galpin. Shannon’s non-profit Mountain2Mountain was formed to create education and opportunity for women and girls in conflict regions around the world. in 2013, Shannon received the National Geographic Society’s “humanitarian of the year” award, and this month her new book, Mountain to Mountain details the work she’s done to help put girls on bikes in Afghanistan. The story is fascinating.

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Show #214 – October 4, 2014

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Guests: Rodney Hendrickson; John Schubert; Steve Hampsten

Hey – it’s October! And, if it’s October, it’s also time for Rodney Hendrickson’s “Thriller Ride”. The spooky 4-route event takes place next weekend and, as always Rodney has lots of ghoulish things planned for the event.

Then, we take up the continuing story we’ve been covering for most of the summer and now on into the fall.

When Cherokee Schill first moved to Jessamine County in Kentucky, she did so to take a job driving a fork lift. She wanted and needed to support her two teenage children AND she was also 90 pounds overweight.

With little or no money, she couldn’t afford to fix her old car, which had 300,000 miles registering on the odometer. She also couldn’t afford the insurance. She began riding a bike the 18 miles to and from work; and that’s when the real saga begins.

She was given tickets, she has been charged with reckless driving, (in this case riding), and she’s been thrown in jail. In a trial where 4 expert witnesses all agreed that the safest place to ride her bike on US27 – the ONLY route to and from her job – was IN the lane and NOT on the shoulder, the judge disagreed and found her guilty.

Tonight, we talk with one of those expert witnesses. John Schubert has been doing this work for 30 years and he will give us his explanation(s) of what went down at the trial and what he believes SHOULD have gone down.

After our break, we’ll head on out to Seattle to speak with frame designer and builder Steve Hampsten. Most folks think – Hampsten? – must be Andy! But, older brother Steve is no less talented or less fun. The two started out riding together; but, Andy turned pro and Steve went on to become a top level chef. Steve’s explanation of how being a chef is so like being a framebuilder is just the beginning of this delightful conversation.

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Show #213 – September 27, 2014

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Guests: Donna Holdiness; Aili McConnon

Sometimes life throws you so many curve balls, that eventually you just surrender and try to find a new road. Donna Holdiness did that and that road is unfolding in magical ways to help her keep the unbelievable positive perspective she now has on life.

Ten years ago, her son was involved in a distracted driving crash resulting in the loss of life; two years ago, her husband was killed as he was on a training ride by a juvenile driving an SUV.

So, Donna dug deep and started the (Dr.) Gary Holdiness Bicycling Fund and the results are nothing less than stunning. Donna will tell us about the work she is doing to educate and improve safety along the Natchez Trace where both accidents happened. And, her work may just make all the National Parks in the U.S. a safer place to ride your bike.

After our break and the news, we will speak with author Aili McConnon whose book, The Road to Valor, offers a stunning look at Italy, bicycle racing, the resistance, and a famous cyclist just prior to and through World War II. Gino Bartali, who is the only rider to win the Tour de France twice – ten years apart – has a much less known story woven with secrecy and piety. McConnon’s telling of it is riveting.