Show #447 – April 6, 2019

Guests: Joe Lindsey; Larry Pizzi, Happy Freedman

Three guests – three topics.

First, it’s a controversy! Everyone loves a good he said – she said; only in this case it’s WaveCel vs. MIPS helmet technology.

On March, 19th Matt Phillips published the following headline in Bicycling Magazine “Bontrager Says Its New Helmets Can Prevent Concussions 99 out of 100 times.”

And, it didn’t take long for those who developed the MIPS technology to refute Bontrager’s claims, citing an inability to replicate the testing.

Reading the article reminds me so much of just how the bike industry makes its claims – one company reports its sales in dollars while another reports in units. And, the same is true in this article. Case in point?
The article states: The company says that a helmet with Wavecel will prevent a concussion 99 out of 100 times. A standard foam helmet, for comparison, can only prevent a concussion 42 percent of the time. See what I mean?

So… rather than trying to sort it out myself, I turned to freelance journalist Joe Lindsey. Joe breaks down the controversy and puts some thoughtful ideas into what you might do if your head DOES hit the ground in his April 2nd article for Outside Online titled: Trek’s WaveCel Helmet Technology Is Causing Controversy”

Joe ALWAYS does his homework and that is true in this case. He’s my first guest.

Then, we head out to L.A. to speak with Larry Pizzi, the president of Accell North America. The last time we spoke with him back in 2013, he was with iZIP, an electric bike brand; and today, while iZip is STILL a brand in the stable, Larry oversees several other eBike brands.

Today, we talk about how eBikes are faring in the world of cycling – their growth, who is riding them, and how regulations around the use of eBikes is being developed and implemented.

Finally, it’s a discussion with one of the #1 bike fitters in the country, if not on the planet. Soft spoken and serious, Happy Freedman has decades of experience coupled with the use of the Leon Root, MD Motion Analysis Lab a state-of-the-art testing facility at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NY City.

Yet, with all the fancy-schmancy equipment at his disposal, Happy has a straightforward and relatively simple way of making the adjustments needed – and they aren’t what you

Show #287 – February 27, 2016

Guests: U-Bikes Doug Emerson; Professional Bike Fitter Happy Freedman

I’m off to the 2016 North American Handmade Show this weekend; but, not before Tim and I produced a great show for you this week.

First up is bike owner extraordinaire Doug Emerson from University Bikes in Boulder, Colorado. He knew bicycles were his destiny from the time he was in high school and he’s never looked back since then.

His philosophy about his store, those who work with him, and those he serves is an example to us all!

Oh, and did I tell you that he realized a 30+ year dream of building a velodrome in his area? Yes, he did!

After a break and the news, we take off for the east coast to speak with Happy Freedman. Happy started out in bicycle retail and started bike fitting way back when. Today, he works at the Hospital for Special Surgery where his skills and knowledge are coupled with the expertise of great specialists in many fields as well as cutting edge technology and equipment to offer a wide range of solutions for many cycling problems.

Happy with explain his work and give us some basic tips onnot only why you might not be comfortable on your bike but also what to do about it.