Show #318 – October 22, 2016

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!