Tag: Ben Serotta

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Show #652 June 13, 2024

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Guests: Carla Francome interviews Diane

On my last show, I spoke with London cycling advocate and the truly delightful Carla Francome.  Not a moment after we ended our conversation, Carla sent me a note asking if SHE could interview ME.

Carla had many questions for me, and I hope I didn’t bend her ear too much.

She asked me about my childhood, how I got into the bike business, and of course, about Brian.

I’ve created a gallery of some of the photos we spoke about and you can check out Brian’s great “Be Careful What You Wish For” post,  Bike Cleveland and its executive director Jacob Van Sickle, Ben Serotta, and The Ohio Erie Canal Towpath.

As for some of the books I mentioned (and I haven’t read all of them,) authors include Carlos Castaneda, Richard Bach , and Shirley McClain, among many others that have helped me along the way.

I hope you enjoy it.

Show Transcript June 13 2024

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Show #573 – September 18, 2021

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Guests: Brendt Barbur; Phil Cavell

Today, we’re going to the movies! The Bicycle Film Festival, which is celebrating its 20th year, has been screening films virtually since last year when everything was shut down. with over 50 cities already screening films this year, Cleveland is up this week.

Brendt Barbur is the founder and owner of the Bicycle Film Festival. To get YOUR ticket to the Cleveland screenings, log on to bicyclefilmfestival.com and click tickets. Then scroll down to find the link for Cleveland. And, don’t forget the popcorn.

Beginning this past Friday, September 17th, you can purchase a ticket – good for an entire week – and log on to see the 90 minutes of short curated films.

Phil Cavell is one of the founders of CycleFit and the author of the new book, The Midlife Cyclist: The Road Map for the +40 Rider Who Wants To Train Hard, Ride Fast, and Stay Healthy. And, we explore it all.

Are you a micro adjuster or macro absorber? Are you flexible and hyper-mobile or stiff and un-bending? These are some of the ways Phil Cavell, professional bike fitter and author of the new book The Midlife Cyclist: The Road Map for the +40 Rider Who Wants To Train Hard, Ride Fast, and Stay Healthy, asks and answers as we discuss his thinking about being a midlife cyclist.

Oh, and please excuse the rattling of the paper in the second part of our conversation – I take copious notes and needed to turn the page!

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Show #524 – October 17, 2020

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Guests: Rob DeMartini; Tia Martinson; Ben Serotta

We turn to racing this week with a keen eye to the future. Rob DeMartini, the new CEO of USA Cycling, didn’t come from a cycling background and brings what I believe will be a fresh and welcoming approach to a national organization that we all can and might finally want to embrace.

From his forward thinking about the 2021 Olympics to every day riders being proud to display a USACycling sticker on their cars, Rob is asking that we take another look at what bicycles mean to us here in the U.S.

Then, as many long time listeners know, as we approach the holidays, I like to speak with non-profits that are doing really important and heartfelt work with an eye toward the giving season.

This week, it’s FreeBikes4Kidz Minnesota. A couple of weeks ago, Allina Health, which is a not-for-profit health care system based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and owns or operates 12 hospitals and more than 90 clinics throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin as well as employing over 27,000 people, and which sponsors FreeBikes4Kidz collected 7,000 bikes in a one-day effort. 7,000!

Tia Martinson, Executive Director of Free Bikes 4Kidz joins me to talk about the organization and how you process what is more than 10,000 bikes in total for the holidays.

Finally, and as promised, it’s a check-in chat with Ben Serotta – the iconic frame builder talks about what people are asking for from him, his thoughts on how the pandemic has affected cycling – not all for the bad – and what the future might hold.

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Show #383 – January 13, 2018

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Guests: Ben Serotta; Max Leonard

This week, we catch up with the iconic and ever re-inventing himself Ben Serotta.

Like the Phoenix rising, Ben launched his new serottadesignstudio.com website on Monday and I’ll have a lengthy conversation with him about his new venture.

We cover a lot of ground – including the bike models he is offering, why he chose steel and aluminum for materials, and which groupsets he decided to offer.

In the second half of the show, it’s off to the French Riviera to speak with author and avid cyclist, Max Leonard.

Max’s book, Lanterne Rouge, talked about the “last rider” in the Tour de France.

In his new book, Higher Calling, Max recounts stories dating back to the beginning of grand tour racing and bringing us right up to the present – as they relate to the seeming obsession cyclists have with the mountains. He talks of the victories and defeats – great joy and deep sorrows – in a beautifully researched history.

This may just be one of those books we can’t put down.

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Show #335 – February 18, 2017

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Guests: Ben Serotta; Sam Ollinger

After a two-year stint with a bike share company that has changed the way he looks at the bicycle industry, Ben Serotta has a torch back in his hand as he explores the next chapter of his professional life.

In a lengthy interview that includes his thoughts on bike share, the artisan bike world, what building bikes means, and a discussion about fitting, Ben and Diane catch up for what we think is the first part of an on-going conversation.

Then, it’s off to San Diego to talk with Sam Ollinger. Sam started out as an accountant; although, bicycles were always in the picture. When she and her husband landed in San Diego, she started a blog about cycling in the area. That has morphed into Bike San Diego, a powerful laser focused organization that “gets it done” when it comes to changing the way government thinks about transportation.

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Show #227 – January 3, 2015

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Guests: Journalist Dan Wuori; The Legendary Ben Serotta

Happy New Year Everyone!

As promised, we are wrapping up the 2014 season and looking forward into the 2015 cycling season on tonight’s show.

My first guest is journalist and commentator Dan Wuori. His 2014 Velo News “At the Back” column about Robin Williams was named one of the top 14 stories of 2014 and as always, Dan has great insight into the pro cycling world. We talk about the races, the riders, and the teams in our annual wrap-up.

My second guest this evening is also my first guest… well; he WAS my first guest on the first episode of The Outspoken Cyclist way back in 2010.

Ben Serotta is without a doubt one of the most legendary and iconic figures in our industry and as we begin a new year, Ben looks back on his career and gives us his unique perspective on the bicycle business today.

This show is chock full-o-stuff, so you may even want to take notes!

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Show #161 – September 21, 2013

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GUESTS: ENCORE PRESENTATION OF MY FIRST INTERVIEW ON WJCU WITH BEN SEROTTA & A QUICK INTERBIKE COMMENTARY

 

This week, Diane was away at Interbike, and the John Carroll football Blue Streaks are playing under the lights (which means we’re podcast-only today). So we thought this would be a good time to take a breath and reflect.

Just over three years ago, The Outspoken Cyclist began with Diane’s interview of Ben Serotta, who was at that time the CEO of Serotta Cycles. Ben was recently ousted by new ownership at Serotta, and he’s getting on with the next chapters in his life. This week we present an encore of that conversation, and get Diane’s brief first impression of this year’s Interbike.

Next week, we return with an all-new show, in on-air, web-stream, and podcast formats, featuring interviews captured at Interbike.