Category: Radio Show

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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.

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Show #212 – September 20, 2014

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Guests: Jacob VanSickle & Lambert vanBeers talk NEO Cycle; Joe Prisel – mountain bike park designer and builder; author and historian Richard Moore

#ShutUpHour! Jens Voigt makes history – no surprise – riding 51.115km in one hour, smashing the old record! GO JENS! Someday I hope to have a chance to chat with Jens – just to yuk it up with him.

This week the Outspoken Cyclist offers up a brand new weekend of cycling with NEO Cycle – an urban cycling festival sponsored by a whole host of great companies including The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Ohio Savings Bank, General Electric, Forest City Enterprises, and Spynga – Cleveland Heights.

The director of Bike Cleveland, Jacob VanSickle tells us about the event and the co-owner of SpyngaFlows, Lambert vanBeers talks about his involvement in the Grand “Fundo”.

Then, we talk about indoor mountain bike parks – only this is about the MOTHER OF ALL INDOOR MOUNTAIN BIKE PARKS. Opening in January, the Louisville Mega Cavern Mountain Bike Park will offer 350,000 square feet of mountain biking that will include some fascinating options you may never have imagined. Joe Prisel helped build the original Ray’s Mountain Bike Park, went on to help design and build the “Lumberyard”, Portland, Oregon’s Park, and now lives outside of Seattle where he designed and built the Burlington Mountain Bike Park.

Lastly, we welcome author and Tour de France historian Richard Moore back to the show. Richard’s new book, Etape: 20 Great Stories From the Modern Tour de France, highlights all new interviews with both famous and sometimes obscure riders from a variety of stages beginning with 1971. Richard, who also wrote Slaying the Badger and Tour de France 100 knows so much about the riders, the routes, the stages, and the stories and is able to recall and share them with us this evening.

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Show #211 – September 13, 2014

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Guests: Robin Bylenga, Richard Fries , David Trimble

September 13th and it’s FALL here in NE Ohio! Temps are cool, winds are blowin’, and the leaves have started turning colors.

September is also Interbike time and we will hear about this year’s event from a colleague of mine from Greenville, SC. Robin Bylenga is the proprietor of Pedal Chic. Robin gives us a glimpse into what the industry is offering for 2015 as well as her thoughts about the IBD and what s/he is up against when it comes to competing with on line marketers.

Richard Fries, who is one of our perennial favorite guests, will fill us in on what he’s been up to including an opportunity to announce the UCI Para Cycling World Championship races for television audiences. He shares his work with Anthony Shriver and the Best Buddies Challenge and gives us an update on the Providence CycloCross progress toward becoming a World Cup event.

Finally, we will speak with David Trimble, the director and founder of the Red Hook Criterium Series. Starting with a simple birthday ride idea back in 2008, the Red Hook has become one of the premiere non-sanctioned events growing from one race in Brooklyn, NY to a worldwide series. The final race of 2014 will be held in Milano, Italy next month.

So, hang on to your handlebars and we’re off to Las Vegas!

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Show #210 – September 6, 2014

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Guest: Albert Eisentraut

As we begin our fifth year of The Outspoken Cyclist, I wanted to reach out to someone who most listeners know OF but perhaps don’t know a lot ABOUT (pardon the prepositions at the end of the … ah, never mind)

From his early childhood memories of Oscar Wastyn’s shop in Chicago to his experiences of being a runner at the 6-day races as well as his views on frame building and today’s bicycle business, my interview with Albert Eistentraut is probably one of the most lively and interesting of our many, many wonderful conversations over the past four years.

This evening, the show is dedicated to just Albert and I think you will find it delightful! Enjoy!

Have a great week!

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Show #209 – August 30, 2014

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Guests: Chris Coburn, Cyclocross Superstar Katie Compton, Matt Shad, Jan Michael Ramery & Jonathan Strauss

To everyone who is in and around Napa – we hope you are all safe, well, and recovering from the earthquake!

This week, we talk briefly with Chris Coburn. Chris’ brother Dr. Miles Coburn was a much loved biology professor, father, husband, son, and brother. He was killed in a bike accident back in 2008 and since then, we honor Miles and his commitment to cycling and the environment with the Ride for Miles, a commemorative ride that starts and end right here on the campus of John Carroll University.

Then we head on out to Colorado Springs to talk with SUPERSTAR Katie (FN) Compton. There isn’t a more dominant or successful cyclist when it comes to cyclocross than Katie. Amassing twenty two World Cup wins and four medals at the Cyclocross World Championships, as well as 90+ UCI wins, Katie shares her story with us this evening.

After a break and some news, we head on down to Columbus, Ohio to speak with Matt Shad. Matt is an urban planner as well as the director of the Great Placemaker’s Lab, a 3-day workshop that offers cuty planners, landscape architects, and anyone else involved in the planning, design, and management of neighborhoods and public spaces.

Topics for the workshops range from walkability, art, and retail to aging, transit, and parking. The plenary speaker will be Jeff Speck, who we interviewed back in June, 2013. Speck’s Walkable Cities is still one of my preferred books when we talk about downtowns and transportation.

And finally, we go to Miami, Florida to speak with the organizers of an event that rivals any amateur ride or race anywhere: The Road Titans 300+ Cycling Challenge. You just might want to get your low gears on and head on down to Oconee County, South Carolina for 3 days of riding, climbing, mid-November. Jan Michael Ramery and Jonathan Strauss will fill us in on all the nitty gritty details.

So, click the download button and let’s go!

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Show #208 – August 23, 2014

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Guests: Encore presentation of interviews with Ross Shafer & Richard Schwinn

This week we bring you an encore presentation of interviews with two of my all-time favorite people.

Our first interview, which took place August 27, 2011 is with one of our industry’s true Renaissance Men – as Greg puts it. Ross Shafer has done a bunch of cool things in his career, including launching and running Salsa Cycles from 1981 to 1997. These days, Ross runs his own design, fabrication and consulting company called Six-Nine Design from his home base in Petaluma, California.

After a quick break, we’ll be back to bring you my conversation from August 13, 2011 (see a pattern here?) with the venerable Richard Schwinn from Waterford Precision Cycles. From the economics of transportation to bike polo, there is no part of our business that goes unturned when we talk with Richard.

Even if you’ve heard these two interviews when they originally aired, I know you’ll find them fascinating with something you missed this time!

We will be back next week with a brand new episode of The Outspoken Cyclist when we talk with super-star Katie Compton!

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Show #207 – August 16, 2014

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Guests: Nancy Gibson in Rwanda; Sue Knaup with a new project; Phil Burt on Bike Fit

After watching “Rising from Ashes“, which tells of the Rwandan Cycling Team and how it began from the aftermath of unthinkable human suffering in Rwanda, the “Cycling Hairstylist of London” Nancy Gibson knew she wanted to do something to help the team – especially the fledgling Rwandan Women’s Cycling Team.

After raising $5,000 dollars – mostly from her supportive clients – Nancy set off for a three-week ride around Rwanda. She’s about to begin week #3 and I caught up with her on a rest day at the Rwandan Cycling Center for a chat.

We’ll also talk once again with Sue Knaup. After being involved with both successful and not-so-successful non-profits for the past 40 years, Sue has decided to share her broad knowledge and deep understanding of the issues small, non-profits face. She’s taken all that knowledge and written a new book, “Cures for Ailing Organizations.”

From the smallest events to worldwide efforts to bring relief in any of its many forms, Cures for Ailing Organizations points out the problems and offers solutions that keep an organizations vibrant, healthy, and profitable. You can read about the project and perhaps get involved yourself – it’s a very modest amount needed to get this book to those who need it – at Kickstarter.com

Lastly, I head on over to London to speak with physiotherapist Phil Burt. Phil’s new book “Bike Fit – Optimize your Bike Position for High Performance and Injury Avoidance“, as just published by Bloomsbury Press this week and Phil’s no non-sense approach to fit, whether you are a top level pro or the touring cyclist, offers up some great solutions to most of the common problems the occur between you and the bike.

Phil’s work with the British Cycling was obviously pretty impressive as he took members of the team to gold in two Olympics and a first-place podium finish in the Tour de France. (It doesn’t hurt that Phil and I have very compatible philosophies on fit either!)

Enjoy the show!

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Show #206 – August 9, 2014

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Guests: Angie Ridgel from the Gay Games; Krysti Scrymgeour of team Specialized-Lululemon; Patrick Brady, “Why We Ride”

This week, we welcome the Gay Games to Cleveland! And, I speak with Angie Ridgel about her role as coordinator of several of the cycling events. With over 8,000 athletes and 35 events, Cleveland will be rocking and rolling from North to South and East t West! Welcome!

Women’s cycling is finally becoming the star that needs to shine brightly for our sport. The famed Specialized-Lululemon team will be ending its contract with these two sponsors at years’ end and I speak with the team owner/manager Krysti Scrymgeour about Project-X, the new crowd funding venture to give everyone an opportunity to “own” a pro cycling team. Krysti believes that this innovative idea will bring a lot of attention, not only from likely sponsors, but to the dilemma of funding women’s racing in general. It’s time to step it up a notch!

Finally, poet, author, and Red Kite Prayer blogger Patrick Brady will talk with us about his book “Why We Ride” and read a chapter. Padraig has thought long and hard about the many years and many miles he’s ridden and has eloquently put those thoughts into short beautifully written chapters you can pick up and read any time of day or night.

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Show #205 – August 2, 2014

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Guests: Attorney & Writer Seth Davidson; Adventure Cyclist Magazine’s editor Mike Deme; 2014 RAAM solo finisher Dennis Johnson

So, last week we reported on one Laura Weintraub, the now ex-cop from Santa Paula, California, who decided to make a little video that happened to go viral.  As she filmed herself while her husband was driving, she not only made fun of cyclists – so sticks and stones, etc. – but she also decided it might be a good idea to talk about running a cyclist over.  Well… that went over like a lead balloon and within the nanosecond that the interwebz can broadcast something, she was suspended and then resigned.

The silver lining in this story is lovely and attorney, cycling advocate, and writer Seth Davidson, called Police Chief Steve McLean to see if law enforcement might meet up and have a face-to-face.  To Seth’s surprise, the Police Chief not only WELCOMED the conversation but took full responsibility for his errant officer.  It’s a story with a very happy ending – except for Ms. Weintraub of course!

We’ll check in with Adventure Cyclist Magazine’s editor, Mike Deme about a new collaboration between AC and EuroVelo.com.  For the past couple of years, AC has been working on the U.S.B.R.S. map. To date, the national network of bicycle routes, which will link urban, suburban, and rural areas using a variety of appropriate cycling facilities, has established 6,790 miles in 15 states and more than 40 states are working to create more US Bicycle Routes for the mapping project.

But, when a U.S. cyclist wants to go to Europe to ride, the map system is a bit different and Mike, along with AC’s Ginny Sullivan, came up with a way to join forces to offer more routes on both continents.

Lastly, we’ll speak with Dennis Johnson.  Dennis is a stay-at-home Dad for his young adopted daughter.  Dennis is also is a long-distance, endurance cyclist.  At RAAM 2014, riding a recumbent bike, Dennis placed 7th overall out of 48 soloists, the largest starting field ever. It was the first time a 60+ rider has ever finished in the top ten. Also, it was the first time a 60+ rider was the first American to finish.  But, wait, there’s more… Dennis set other records too.

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Show #204 – July 24, 2014

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We have a winner! Vincenzo Nibali has won the 2014 TdF handily… even did well in the Time Trial. I guess losing Contador early in the race opened the door for this quiet, determined rider.

TeeJay VanGarderen clinched 5th – just killing it in the time trial. So… another long, twisty Tour is in the books. Whew.

But wait… we have a BIG show this week! Pretty impressive stuff too!

First up is our Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, . With the release of a brand new report from the NHTSA titled “Safety in Numbers” the Secretary and I discuss the need for better education for both drivers and cyclists as well as what Congress is – or more appropriately ISN’T doing about a long-term transportation bill.

We talk with WomanTours’ owner Jackie Marchand about the Around Lake Erie Tour that began right here in my town, Cleveland, last Monday. 26 women pushed off for the 14-day trip, the third in a series of rides that will eventually cover all 5 of our Great Lakes. Jackie also talks with us about who takes a “womantour” and why they keep returning.

After a break and some news, we come right back at you with Bryan Hance and his work to recover stolen bikes – even bikes that went missing decades ago! Recently merging with BikeIndex.org , Bryan explains how his new “twitter bot – isitstolen” works to return instant information on stolen bikes. Thieves might want to begin thinking about stealing something besides your bike in the future.

Lastly, we speak with 16-year old journalist Luke Allingham. Watching the Tour de France with his Dad and brothers in 2009 as the riders climbed Mount Ventoux, Luke decided then and there that he wanted to know more about the riders, the race, and the sport. Since then, he’s written for some high profile magazines, conducted a slew of great interviews, and manages his own blog.

So – get your ears on and let’s go….