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Show # 321 – November 12, 2016

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This week we begin the first of our “holiday” shows with a delightful conversation about bicycle paintings. Taliah Lempert’s work is immediately recognizable for its style and color.  Her “statement” says:

“Bicycles are important, beautiful, and worth a close look.

Most bikes I paint are, or have been, used daily for transportation, recreation, messenger work and/or for racing, They are worn and customized uniquely,
being at once a specific bike and a collective symbol of empowerment.”

Her work has been applied to all kinds of “stuff“: magnets, coffee cups, coloring books, and T-shirts.  And, she uses her talents to paint custom bike portraits, much like you’d have a painting of your wife, husband, children, or pets.

It’s a fun and chatty conversation!

Then, we wrap up 2016 and look at the new cycling season with one of my favorite cycling journalists and man-in-the-know, Dan Wuori.  Author of the popular column “At the Back” for Velo News, Dan breaks down the 2016 season from the Spring Classics to the Olympics.

We talk about winners and losers, teams and riders, and who to watch for the upcoming year.

 

 

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Show #320 – November 5, 2016

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Guests: Ayesha McGowan; Keith Laughlin; Marlaine Koehler

First show of November and it’s a great one!

We start with a bright, energetic go-getter by the name of Ayesha McGowan. Ayesha began racing at 28 and quickly shot up the ladder – winning the Cat 4 NY State Criterium Championship in 2015, she took first place at the 2016 NY State Road Race, and has her sights set on stage and time trial races for the upcoming season.

What’s so interesting besides the quick one-two wins? She’s a music teacher and is involved with the tandem group InTandem that trains captains to ride with sight-impaired stokers .

There’s a lot more to this young lady; just listen in!

Then we head to Washington, DC to talk with Keith Laughlin, executive director of Rails To Trails. Keith is a Washingtonian who has a great feel for what’s happening that might impact biking and waling at the highest levels of government and I always like checking in with him before a big election.
We also talk about what’s happening with the Rails to Trails organization including the roll out of a new program after years of study.

Lastly, we learn about Canada’s Waterfront Trail from executive director Marlaine Koehler. The Trail began as the vision of former Toronto Mayor David Crombie when the country started putting together the environment, the lake front, and bicycling.

Today, the Waterfront Trail is approaching 2,000km with dozens of great stops in historic places along the way.

Marlaine gives us some history, some travel information, and some incentive to put the Waterfront Trail on our cycling bucket lists.

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Show #319 – October 29, 2016

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Guests: Jacob VanSickle; Euan Wilson; Mighk Wilson

Great Show with 3 guests and 3 topics.

First up, Bike Cleveland’s director Jacob VanSickle talks about the Cleveland Refugee Bike Project. In its initial fund-raising phase, the project is “looking to fund a one-year pilot program, launching officially in Spring 2017. Before the project officially launches, the project partners – Bike Cleveland, Catholic Charities Migration & Refugee Services, and the Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op – will work together to secure the necessary supplies and develop culturally appropriate training curricula to provide to participants.”

According to the information on the fundraising platform, ioby.org:

Approximately 1,000 refugees relocate to Cleveland each year. They can provide new life and serve as an economic driver for our region, but only if they are able to access opportunities. Most new refugees lack access to a car, and many struggle to get around on a public transportation system that continues to cut service and raise fares.

The Cleveland Refugee Bike Project will provide refugees with a bike – an economic lifeline that can connect them to new employment, educational, and social opportunities. We will also give participants the training and tools they need to learn how to safely bike around the region. In this way, the program will help them to build a new life in Cleveland and guarantee that the city benefits from all the assets they bring to the table.

Then we head all the way over to Inverness Scotland to talk with Euan Wilson, director of H+I Adventures. The company offers mountain bike tours worldwide and just introduced a brand new 8 day tour to the Fjords of Norway they are calling Into the Labyrinth. Not for the faint of heart, the tour is rated “advanced” and offers spectacular riding along with breathtaking views.

Finally, we head down to Orlando to catch up with Mighk Wilson from Cycling Savvy. Mighk will be heading up to Philadelphia for the Philly Bike Expo where he and John Schubert will be talking about the instructional courses that Cycling Savvy is offering along with some current information about riding safely and confidently on the road.

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Show #318 – October 22, 2016

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Guests: Patrick Brady, Stephen Bilenky, Jason Sumner

Earlier this week, NPR’s Terry Gross (Fresh Air from WHYY in Philadelphia) interviewed Columbia Law Professor Tim Wu. He coined the term Net Neutrality and studies how and what we see on our screens. In a new book, The Attention Merchants, Professor Wu discusses how we are literally sucked in to such applications as FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, and pretty much everything else we see and search on our electronic devices. He also notes that we want everything for free – but is that the best way to get what we really want?

So, while this doesn’t directly address the conversation I have with our first guest, it does preface the proposal of paying for what we like and want with Red Kite Prayer‘s Patrick Brady. Earlier this week, Patrick introduced the idea of a “subscription model” to the popular cycling blog and I wanted to find out his thinking about asking for support in this way, how it might affect his sponsors as well as his readers, and what he sees the future might be for this kind of thinking.

We also talk with master frame builder Stephen Bilenky. He and his daughter Bina, started the Philly Bike Show a short 6 years ago and today it is one of the premiere bicycle events on the east coast . The PBE Show is coming up next weekend and I caught up with Stephen on the road to the new east coast Interbike Show Cyclofest to hear what is new at this year’s Expo.

Finally, we review the Bicycling Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills – 2nd edition with its author Jason Sumner. Jason’s book offers practical, intelligent, and cleanly described information on how to ride faster, stronger, longer, and safer!

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Show #317 – October 15, 2016

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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!

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Show #316 – October 8, 2016

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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.

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Show #315 – October 1, 2016

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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!

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Show #314 – September 24, 2016

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Guests: US DOT’s Barbara McCann;  Arsenal Cycling’s Thomas Prehn; Ornithologist Eric Masterson

Hey – it’s The Outspoken Cyclist here!

Big show this week as we explore what’s happening at the federal, state, and federal level in bicycle and pedestrian issues with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Barbara McCann. Barbara is the Director of the Office of Safety, Energy, and Environment

Well known and widely considered the architect of the Complete Streets program that has been almost universally adopted here in the States, Barbara tells us about the Mayor’s Challenge Awards that came out of 2016 Summit for Safer People, Safer Streets last week as well as the new Federal Highway’s recently published Strategic Agenda for Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation.

With an eye on safety, Barbara tells us how important our transportation system is and what it needs to be doing to keep us safe and efficient going forward.

I talk with Thomas Prehn, author, former pro racer, and now inventor. His new product, the 4Sync lighting system, is a synchronized system of 3-4 lamps, adding to the pattern of visibility that the human eye will follow. Thomas’ hope is that this new system will add to our visibility on the road in a way that catches the eye of anyone looking.

Lastly, I speak with ornithologist Eric Masteron. Eric is on a 5,000 journey following the migration of the broad winged hawk from his home in New Hampshire to South America.

500 miles in, I catch up with Eric in Gettysburg where he tells us about the birds he is following and what he hopes to see and learn.

Oh, did I say that he is traveling by bicycle? Why yes, that’s the connection!

Enjoy!

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Show #313 – September 15, 2016

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Guests: Richard Fries, Eric Weis, Kelly Hodgson

Middle of September already and we are deep in cross season.

This week, Diane talks with KMC Crossfest’s consummate announcer – and promoter – Richard Fries. While we do discuss Crossfest, we delve into a lot more of the issues and successes that Richard is addressing as the head honcho at Mass Bike.

After two fatal crashes in one day, Richard dropped into high(er) gear than he usually uses to pursue his passions and the results of what might be coming next are quite thought provoking.

Then, we catch up with Eric Weis, who is in full-tilt boogie mode as the New England Builder’s Ball nears the launch date.

Last year when we spoke with Eric, he was wrapping up his long tenure as the head of the East Coast Greenway Director of Development. He’s passed that baton and after a couple of months off to pursue some of his long-held dreams of bike touring and more – which of course did not turn out exactly as planned – he is hard at work putting the finishing touches on the New England Builder’s Ball and KMC Vendor Expo.

The Ball and the KMC Crossfest move to a new venue this year – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, CT (I know you can hear that announcer yelling “Sunday-Sunday”).

The NE Builder’s Ball is a one-of-a-kind event, taking place from 7-11pm on Friday, September 30th. The new venue, which is a huge storage barn for vintage cars, is going to see some interesting action as the cross races ride right on through the middle. Oh, and did we mention there will be free beer?

Let’s let Eric tell you the rest.

Finally, we hear a heartwarming story about United Cycle and Sport Central in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. United Cycle’s Kelly Hodgson fills us in on the details of the $500,000 in sports equipment and supplies his organization promised after a devastating fire forced more than 80,000 people our of their homes in Ft. McMurray last year.

Sport Central’s commitment doesn’t stop with the 53’ semi that delivered the equipment; rather, it has set up a permanent office to continue to help the community rebuild.

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Show #312 – September 10, 2016

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Guests: Award winning author Edward Humes; Bike Attorney Peter Wilborn

It’s a chock-full-o-stuff show beginning with my first guest, Edward Humes.

Ed is the author of 14 books, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and his new book, Door to Door: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation looks “under the hood” of transportation in ways we never imagined.

From the total flop that was dubbed “Carmageddon” in 2011 when a portion of Los Angeles’ 405 freeway was shut down for “expansion” to how cat food shows up on your step hours after you ordered it on line, Ed shows us how our transportation systems reek of inefficiency and waste.

We talk about whether we have the guts to make the changes we need to make going forward and where it needs to start.

Then, I talk with bike attorney and founder of BikeLaw.com, Peter Wilborn. Peter grew up a cyclist, lost his brother to a cycling related crash, and has dedicated his career to defending cyclists as well as giving great advice to anyone who needs to know his or her rights.

We discuss Peter’s well reasoned ideas about cyclists, drivers, and the attitudes we all take when we both get behind the wheel of a car or on the seat of a bike!