Category: Radio Show

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Show #624 – Escape Collective

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Guest: Caley Fretz – Editor in Chief

You may remember in my last episode that I spoke about how so many publications – both print and online – have either ceased to exist, have become shadows of their former selves, or have laid or and/or fired their very best reporters, editors, photographers, and more. 

So, out of the ashes rises the phoenix as they say and that phoenix is called the Escape Collective.

Along with Caley Fretz, who was the editor in chief of Velo News, a slew of these top-notch journalists have come together to offer up a product just for you – not for advertisers, not for clicks or page views – just for you.

This is airing on March 11th, and the full site should launch in the next 7-10 days.

Escape Collective isn’t free – which is exactly the point – since we all know you get what you pay for!

I know there have been other ideas to bring a more cohesive product to the marketplace, but given the stellar players – Caley, James Huang, and others whose names you will recognize from their past work – and the commitment they are making, I think it’s going to be a huge success.

I hope you agree.  Go to escapecollective.cc and take a look around.  Remember, if you work in a bike shop, you can join for $10 a year.  That’s less than a 6-pack of Great Lakes’ Dortmunder.  (For those who live, work, drink in NE Ohio… and beyond


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Show #623 – March 7, 2023

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Guests: Carolyne Whelan; Daniela Gomez & Dilshod Kohlmatov

Since this is women’s history month, I had the honor of being interviewed by Traci Berry, the coordinator of Northwoods Trails in Arkansas for the Natural State Bikes Podcast. We chatted for over an hour, and I really appreciated her thoughtful inquiry.

You can hear that episode as well as others highlighting some of the bike world’s most interesting female voices on Spotify  or you can find it on Spotify at Natural State Bikes – women of biking.

As a journalist, I’ve been watching with both sadness and trepidation as editors, writers, photographers, and the very publications that have supported cycling – in all its forms – are being dismantled.

Recently it was Velo News and Cycling Tips; this week it was Road Bike Action and E-bike Action, and I think a lot of journalists in the industry are holding their collective breaths to see what shoe drops next.

But, there are some bright spots in cycling publications and, Adventure Cyclist Magazine stands about as close to the top as any.  Now, with a total makeover and some clear-headed thinking, AC Magazine has just launched its new look and some new features.

This episode of our podcast features Carolyne Whelan, the editor in chief of Adventure Cyclist Magazine. Carolyne is a poet, a journalist, a cyclist, and has a super interesting background that led her to the position she occupies today.

And, Adventure Cyclist Magazine, unlike many other cycling publications, is not only still standing, but is OUTstanding as it launches a new look for 2023.

 

 

After a break, we’ll meet two young people whose passion for safe roads for young people shows up in some very meaningful ways. Daniela Gomez, who lives and works in Bogota, Columbia, and Dilshod Kholmatov, who is in Tajikistan, both represent the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, a program that was launched by YOURS – Youth For Road Safety – a global organization that acts to make the world’s road safe for youth.

Seems that the problems of road safety are no different in Colombia, Tajikistan, or the U.S. Too many young people are being injured or killed on the roads and there is an international initiative that is fervently working on the problems.

From the “claimingourspace.org” website that invites young people to get involved to the YOURS academy, which is offering free modules to get you started on the path to road safety advocacy, Daniela Gomez and Dilshod Kholmatov are two of the spokespeople who are making a difference in their respective countries. 

In separate but very impactful ways, both Daniela and Dilshod bring their amazing backgrounds to the table to effect meaningful change in their countries.

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Show #622 – February 6, 2023

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Guests: David Goodrich; Patrick Conlon

It is fitting that February is Black History Month as my first guest is author David Goodrich and his newest book, which will be released on Tuesday,

February 7th, is titled, “On Freedom Road – Bicycle Explorations and Reckonings On the Underground Railroad.” David Goodrich is a retired climate scientist, and in the first two books we reviewed with him, we learned about how people felt about climate change as he rode across the country and about the tar sands and their impact on the communities is as oil companies try to extract the “dirty oil” as it is known.

Now, in what might be almost prophetic, David has refocused his attentions on slavery in his new book, On Freedom Road, with an exploration of the Underground Railroad.

From “revisiting highway 61” (Bob Dylan fans will relate!) or the blues highway, all the way up into Canada, David gives us an intimate journey on the route.


In the second half of the show, I speak with Patrick Conlon, advisor and board member to BikeJC – Jersey City. I have to admit I don’t know much about New Jersey but was really pleased to learn about cycling there from Bike JC’s board member, Patrick Conlon.

Just across the river from Manhattan, Jersey City is a very different kind of cycling community – and Bike JC has had a big hand in helping to expand protected bicycle lanes, institute a Vision Zero policy that actually works, and offer up a community event that everyone can enjoy.

Bike JC began about 13 years ago and, with an all-volunteer organization and advisory board, has grown organically.  But the clout they’ve managed to muster has produced some great results and is a model many other mid-size cities might want to emulate.

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Show #621 – January 15, 2023

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Guests: David Stanley; Peter Norton

My first guest is David Stanley and he is a friend Charles Pelkey, arguably one of the nicest guys to ever grace the pages of cycling journalism – along with a lot of other fine attributes.

Every once in a while, a really good guy gets a really bad deal… and in an effort to ease some of that burden, we’re going to see what we can do to help today.

If you ever participated in the Live Update Guy episodes – a mix of running commentary, a Monty-Python like atmosphere, and even some poetry – you will remember the witty and sometimes crazy, dialog between cycling journalists Patrick O’Grady and Charles Pelkey.  They were joined, on line, by others who added their commentary to the mix.

If you don’t know about Charles, he was a Democratic State Legislator in Wyoming – okay, the ONLY Democratic State Legislator in the state, an attorney, a stellar and well-respected cycling commentator and journalist, a breast cancer survivor, a father, husband, and just about the nicest guy you would ever want to meet.

Unbeknownst to me, he has been suffering from a series of vascular issues that have required several major surgeries and hours and hours of anesthesia and when I received a message from Patrick this week, I knew I needed to delve into the situation. GOFUNDME LINK FOR CHARLES

My second guest is a professor of history at UVA – in the engineering department.  And how those two come together is the topic of our conversation today as it relates to sustainability, mobility, and cycling.

Last week, I saw a Twitter post about the history of the automobile as it relates to pedestrians and how the “car culture” became as pervasive as it has, leading to so many deaths of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users – like cyclists.

The poster referenced a book by Dr. Peter Norton, an Assistant Professor of History at UVA.  The book is titled Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City (MIT Press) and Peter teaches history of technology, social dimensions of engineering, research, and professional ethics.

In our conversation, we cover a lot of the history of how the automobile became so dominant that the streets are no longer safe for our children.

I think you’ll find that the intersection of history and engineering explains a lot about how we are finding ourselves in a culture where the car is king and we are less than mere peons. 

And, please excuse a couple of places where Peter’s audio wasn’t perfect.

Peter’s other book link here – Autonorama

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Show #620 – January 2, 2023

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Guest: Wayne Stetina

Stetina Family – Circa 1970

Happy New Year to you and I hope you had a great holiday season.

Wayne Stetina – 1977 Nationals

For our first show of 2023, I had the great good fortune to speak with one of cycling’s elite racers about his life, his family, his history in the sport, and his thoughts about the bicycle industry.

Wayne Stetina – in fact, the entire Stetina family – have had a stellar career in not only racing, but also incredibly valued input into what we ride and race today.

Wayne’s phenomenal memory of people, events, and topics will dazzle those who have an interest and curiosity into cycling – me included (and I thought I knew some stuff!)

For 37 years, Wayne was VP of North American Operations for Shimano.  Now, he is Senior Field Guide with SRAM.

From coining the phrase “never miss a shift” way back when Shimano introduced its first indexed shifting package to his comment that his favorite bike was always his most recent bike, Wayne has seen the evolution of bicycles up close and personal.

I hope you enjoy this extended conversation.

 

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Show #619 – December 25, 2022

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Guests: Jenn Hamelman; Patrick Greenwood

I hope you have had a great holiday – Christmas, Hanukkah, Qwanza, Festivus – and even just staying in and enjoying some down time.  Certainly here in NE Ohio we had little choice with below zero temperatures, wicked winds, and blowing snow.

Despite the weather, sometimes it’s really nice to be living in one of those States that is doing something so right for cycling; and Ohio is one of them.

My first guest today is Jenn Hamelman.  She’s the program director for the USBRS – United State Bicycle Route System.  We’ve spoken with Jenn in the past and I wanted to wrap up 2022’s USBRS progress.

Turns out that Ohio has done some really cool things to make traveling through the State both safer and easier to follow.

RideWithGPS

Adventure Cycling Association

Patrick Greenwood’s passion for Viet Nam and the events that happened in 1975 and beyond inspired his new book Sunrise in Saigon.

Patrick has taken his lifelong interest in the fall of Saigon and what happened in 1975 and incorporated it into a historical fictional story he wrote from what he knew growing up in the 70’s and what he experienced as he rode his bicycle through Viet Nam and on to Cambodia in 2012.

Young Jack Kendall is the protagonist of the book, and he pondered many questions about what had happened.  As he grew older, he knew that he had to take this journey and that it would have consequences. What Jack discovers, and what many people at any stage of their lives will come to regret, is not making the journey will come to haunt them.

The story follows Jack Kendall, who is struggling with a failing marriage and poor health, as he embarks on a journey to meet a beautiful Vietnamese woman as well as find out what happened to the Lost U.S. Embassy and the Catholic nuns who helped with “Operation Babylift.”

You can find Sunrise in Saigon from any of your book purveyors.  And, we’ll be watching for the sequel next summer. You can also find out more about Patrick’s espresso company at cyclewriter3espresso.com

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Show #618 – December 17, 2022

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Over the past twelve plus years, we’ve spoken with many frame builders and today, we have t he privilege of speaking with an American builder who has been living and working in Italy for several decades.

Darren Crisp didn’t start out as a frame builder – in fact, he has a degree in architecture, decided he wasn’t such a great architect, and began building very exclusive stores for an Italian company.

I caught up with Darren in between his usual shop-time and home-time, which are separate and the same.

Darren is clearly someone who thinks deeply about his work, is easily able to articulates his ideas, and has a broad set of interests.

 

Next episode, we speak with Patrick Greenwood about his new novel, “Sunrise in Saigon.”  It’s a self-discovery story about Jack Kendall as he bicycles through Viet Nam.  In addition to the story, all the proceeds of the sales of the book go to a helmet program for the children of Viet Nam.  Win-win!

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Show #618 – December 10, 2022

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Guests: Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher; Dan Cavallari

We’re rounding third and heading home – both to the holidays and to the New Year.

2022 has been – um – interesting to say the least.  We’ll take a look back at it after the New Year..

Today, we’re going to wrap-up our gift ideas for cyclists with Dan Cavallari.  Dan thought about it and, as you’ll hear, has come up with a short list of things NOT to give a cyclist!  I had to agree with him as these are items that cyclists tend to want to get for themselves or already have far too many in their stash.

Before we chat with Dan though, I want to introduce you to Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher. Or more rightly, DR Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher as the day before our conversation, she had her convocation to complete her PhD in physics.  It’s apparently similar to what we do here in the States to defend a thesis.

Her work is in data analytics in the field of bacteria and virus interaction. I found it fascinating and would have focused on that, but as you may be wondering, what might THAT have to do with cycling.  Well…

It seems that as a bicycle commuter for 10+ years and a member of Bike Ottawa, her data-oriented mind began musing about traffic and the stress of biking and walking and the inequities that occur when planning comes up against the reality of who lives where and the politics that often lead to inequities. She got hooked and pivoted to working on a project that has been funded by the University of Toronto Data Science Institute.

Then there is her Twitter feed and, when I dove into that rabbit hole, I knew I wanted to talk with her.

My thanks to Madeleine for taking time to talk with me.  You can follow her @mbonsma on Twitter and @mbonsma@mastodon.social.

My thanks to Dan for all the great advice he’s offered over the past three episodes of the podcast.  Remember to check out his show at slow guy on the fast ride, and tune in on Friday afternoons if you want to sip a bit of whiskey with him and his buddies on ThePracticalStill.com

On the next episode of the show, you’ll meet titanium frame builder Darren Crisp.  He’s from Texas but has lived and worked in Italy for several decades.  His story is different from many of the builders we’ve spoken with over the years, and I think you’ll enjoy it.

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Show #617 – December 4, 2022

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Guests: Shannon Galpin; Dan Cavallari

This week we dive into part II of Dan Cavallari’s holiday gift ideas with a focus on cool things you might not necessarily need but wouldn’t mind seeing in your stocking or under the tree.

First though, we check in with my friend and colleague, Shannon Galpin.  It’s been a while since we talked and much has transpired since our last conversation. The amazing activist, author, artist, and human rights advocate is still working to evacuate more women, girls, and families from Afghanistan while helping to work with a variety of entities to place those who are stuck in a sort of limbo. There are also some women who have resettled around the world and still need help – with education, bikes, housing, and most importantly a pathway to feeling accepted in their new countries.

There is still much work to do.  SUPPORT AFGHAN CYCLISTS

When I log in to chat with Dan Cavallari, he’s sitting in his garage with a microphone and computer, only it doesn’t look much like the inside of a garage.  As a rabid product tester for a variety of entities, Dan’s garage actually looks more like the inside of a bike shop. 

This week, he gives us 5 picks for holiday ideas.  Share with friends and family! Dan Cavallari, The Slow Guy on the Fast Ride, joined me from his garage again. 

Here are links to all the products we discussed this week: the Bivo Bottle, the Pearl Rove Shirt, the Endura Riever bibs, the PNW tiny Pebble Tool, and the Tick’r Fit heart rate monitor strap.

Next time Dan and I will discuss those things you probably shouldn’t give a cyclist – so, family and friends – listen up.

We’ll also speak with Dr. Madeline Bonsma-Fisher.  She’s a physicist turned bicycle infrastructure researcher in Canada and her story is filled with fascinating ideas.

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Show #616 – November 24, 2022

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Guests: Dave Wiens; Dan Cavallari

In our last episode, we spoke about the Davis Phinney Foundation and all the great work they are doing for folks with Parkinson’s Disease.  That immediately turned into an inquiry to Polly Dawkins, the executive director of the Foundation, for a fund-raising event for 2023.  Makes me feel so good that we – you – can have that kind of impact.

So, today we’re talking with Dave Wiens, the Executive Director of IMBA, and his thinking about mountain biking and how to support trails and paths right in your own backyard and beyond.  Dave has to be one of the best spokesperson for an organization I’ve ever met!  He lives, breathes, and rides IMBA and I always learn so much from him about the organization and his commitment to bringing more trails to more people.

Today, Dave joins me to unpack all the options for you from getting involved as a volunteer to becoming a trail champion and more.

IMBA Programs:

Trail Accelerator Grants

– Dig-In Projects

IMBA Donate Local

 

Next, we speak with the Slow Guy on the Fast Ride – Dan Cavallari about his pick for things he believes are “best in show” for 2022. He’s got some great gift ideas this year because his garage, which is also his office, studio, and general store for bike stuff, is packed full of goodies and lucky guy that he is, he gets to test them all!

Products Mentioned by Dan

NiteRider Sentry Aero Rear Lamp

Giro Eclipse Spherical Helmet

Yuba Supercargo CL eBike