Tag: IMBA

Posted on

Show #616 – November 24, 2022

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

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

Posted on

Show #615 – November 12, 2022

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Guests: Polly Dawkins; Andrew McLemore

As we approach the holiday season, I’ve put together several episodes highlighting charitable gift giving opportunities that relate to cycling.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Scott Bachelor

This episode focuses on Parkinson’s Disease and especially the Davis Phinney Foundation.

Davis Phinney is probably one of the most important U.S. cycling icons winning 328 races in his career, which spanned the 1980’s and 1990’s

But, at the age of 40, Davis was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease, and instead of succumbing to the worry and terror that the diagnosis might engender, he launched the Davis Phinney Foundation.

One of the first projects that the Foundation invested in was the work that Dr. ay Albers was doing here at the Cleveland Clinic, showing how cycling could reduce the tremors of Parkinson’s.

Now at 63 Davis’s symptoms are still worsening, but his resolve to live his best life every day is stronger than ever.

Executive Director Polly Dawkins takes us from the inception of the Foundation to present day and what we can do to support those with the disease as well as helping those who are care givers.

In the second half of the show, I speak with Andrew McLemore, the associate news editor of Gear Junkie. As he says, he’s a general news reporter for what he likes to call the REI sports – you know, climbing,, backpacking, kayaking, and of course, cycling!

Andrew talks with me about a virtual reality experience at the upcoming UCI World Track Champions League in London next month – and I know less than nothing about virtual reality.

We also discuss the crazy Walleye Fishing Contest where the alleged winners were found to be cheating, stuffing their catches with weights and other fish fillets. It sounds really weird, but we’re talking $30,000 in prize money!

Then, next time, we’ll be speaking with Dave Wiens, the E.D. of IMBA.  Usually when we speak with Dave it’s about what IMBA does for us – this time, the conversation goes to how we can offer our support for the organization.

We’ll also have Part I of our gift guide with Dan Cavallari – things you absolutely positively would LOVE to have!

Posted on

Show #602 – May 25, 2022

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

My first guest is Dave Wiens, the executive director of IMBA – the International Mountain Bike Association.  We’ve spoken with Dave in the past and I always learn so much about mountain biking.

This conversation is a bit different though because it isn’t just about mountain biking – it’s about trails – all kinds of trails, and what it takes to build them, finance them, maintain them, and ferret out the best places to build them.

As Dave says – “IMBA’s all about helping communities realize the best possible trail system that they could have…”

In our conversation, IMBA Executive Director Dave Wiens gives us some great insight into how trails are found, funded, and maintained as well as how you can find local trails with crowd sourced apps like Trail Force and MTB Project as well as IMBA’s Trail Champions.

Then, we speak with the Amanda Carey, the president of NICA, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association.

In the past, we’ve learned about the organization, but it’s been morphing and growing at an amazing rate, and I thought revisiting it right now would be a nice complement to my conversation with Dave Wiens.

In fact, in my conversation with Amanda, you’ll hear some familiar commentary because the work NICA does with kids leads right into the long-term goals that IMBA has too.

Starting as a volunteer for NICA, the National Interscholastic, Cycling Association, back in 2015, Amanda Carey has risen to President of the organization.  Her unbridled enthusiasm for the organization is evident, as you will hear in our conversation.

NICA – which was founded in California in 2009 with one school – now has 31 leagues in 29 states with 27,000 kids and 14,000 coaches.  It almost boggles the mind!

Posted on

Show #512 – July 25, 2020

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Guest: Dave Wiens – Executive Director of IMBA

You know, it’s not too often that we talk about mountain bikes, mountain biking, or even speak with a mountain bike legend.

Today, we thoroughly cover two of the three.

Dave Wiens is a 6-time consecutive winner of the Leadville 100,  besting both Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis. He’s a mountain bike hall of famer.

He developed the mountain sports program at Western Colorado University and is one of the movers and shakers of the Gunnison Trails network.

And, if that isn’t enough, he’s the executive director of IMBA – the International Mountain Biking Association.

Posted on

Show #379 – December 16, 2017

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Guests: Leah Missbach Day; Aimee Ross; Patrick Brady

Twas the week before Christmas and there is snow on the ground here in NE Ohio.

But, we’ll bring some conversations to warm the heart as we look at our last “gift giving” show for the season.

My first guest is the co-founder of World Bicycle Relief, Leah Missbach Day. When Leah and her husband F.K. learned of the devastating tsunami in 2005, they flew to Indonesia to see how they could help. Out of that trip, World Bicycle Relief was founded and now, 12 years later, the organization is approaching 400,000 bicycles on the ground and working in a variety of African and Indonesian countries.

Leah gives us some insight into who needs these bicycles and how they help to keep people healthy, educate the young girls and women who receive a bike, and keep businesses thriving.

Then, IMBA‘s director of brand development Aimee Ross tells us about the “Dig In” campaign that is giving 68 mountain bike projects a lifeline in the form of grants and assistance. Aimee takes us back to the beginning of the mountain bike era and propels us forward explaining how IMBA helps facilitate projects all over the U.S. with its local chapters and millions of volunteers hours.

Lastly, Red Kite Prayer’s Patrick Brady gives us his first-hand insight into the fires that have been and are still devastating California. Evacuated from his home for almost two weeks, Patrick tells us about the scores of boxes that have arrived to help local riders who lost everything to the fires as well as what the Sonoma Pride campaign is doing to get peoples’ lives back on track.

If you are ready to write those year-end giving checks, perhaps one of more of these three conversations will help you make up your mind.

Happy holidays from The Outspoken Cyclist! And, here’s to a peaceful, healthy, and happy 2018!

 

 

Posted on

Show #95 – June 23, 2012

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Here is my report from Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah where I attended Press Camp. I had the opportunity to interview a wide variety of folks from different corners of the cycling press and trade community. Here’s a list of who you’ll hear on this week’s show: