Show #637 – September 26, 2023

Guest: Johnny Coast

This episode was supposed to air a week earlier to coincide with an event my guest was having at his Brooklyn, NY workshop.  Due to COVID and nasty weather, it was postponed to this coming Sunday, October 1st

Also, I want to preface this episode with an important announcement from Shimano.  Last Thursday, September 21st, Shimano issued a massive recall of over 760,000 cranks. 

Instead of reading you all the information about how to tell if your Ultegra or Dura Ace crank has been recalled, here are pdfs of  Consumer Notice_Shimano Crankset Recall, Final_FAQ_Consumer_and the USA_CAN_Poster_Shimano_Recall that shops are being asked to display.  Everything you need to know is there.  Please take heed as Shimano is really doing a great job with this recall including reimbursing dealers and even helping out if you have a power crank.  Shimano has asked that dealers post the information until February 1, 2024.

NOW – let’s talk about my guest because I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too. 

You know how I love speaking with custom frame builders about their work and their lives.

Today though, I’m speaking with custom builder Johnny Coast from Coast Cycles in Brooklyn, NY about his experience supporting “Team Coast” at this year’s PBP – Paris Brest Paris.

The event only comes around every four years and two of Johnny’s clients trained for two years to make the journey to France and compete in the grueling 90-hour event.

At one point, the riders approached Johnny, who built their randonneuring bikes, about forming “Team Coast” and asked if Johnny wanted to come along as support. His answer was yes and his experience was almost as exciting and ratifying as his riders’.

I think he’ll go back and do it again in four more years. That’s not all we talk about though, so let’s get to it. 

And, oh, by the way, we mention “Shermer’s Neck” in our conversation and if you don’t know what it is, it’s a condition where the neck muscles fail from fatigue and can no longer support the head. It is not gradual either; after feeling the first symptoms, the neck will usually stop functioning within two hours.  It happens a lot to RAAM riders and others who do super long-distance events that keep you on the bike for extended hours.

You can find Johnny at coastcycles.nyc and on Instagram @coastcyclesnyc.

Next time on TOC my guests are ground-breaking engineer Georgena Terry, whose women-specific bikes paved the way for more women on bikes and more companies to follow in her footsteps; and Veronica Davis, whose work in transportation started when she was just a little girl.  In her own words she said “At the age of 22, I wrote a life strategic plan. The career objective was, “To be a World Renown Expert in Transportation.” And so she is… and her new book, Inclusive Transportation her manifesto for repairing divided communities.

Transcript_September 26_TOC

 

Show #438 – February 2, 2019

Guests: Deb Banks; Michael Roth

Our show this evening begins with a delightful conversation! Deb Banks, AKA the Rivetress, IS in fact the proprietor of Rivet Cycle Works manufacturing a line of classically beautiful and functional leather saddles. But wait, there’s way more to Deb than saddles. With a PhD in education, Deb spent 30 years in academia before deciding to head out of Boulder and back to California where she grew up.

Today, she wears not only the Rivet hat, but also has a key role in RUSA, Randonenneurs USA, as well as putting together a brevet series in Northern California.

Still recovering from a major crash back in 2014, Deb is hoping to get to PBP this year too.

After a break, we chat with Michael Roth from AEG, he world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. AEG is the producer of the Amgen Tour of California, among a whole lot of other things, and this week the 2019 routes were introduced, touting the longest and most challenging men’s and women’s routes in the race’s 14 year history.

We’ll ask Michael about the routes, who might be showing up to race, and about some of the charitable things that have come out of the partnership between Amgen and AEG – including a very respectable donation to the Red Cross after the California fires last fall.

I want to give a shout out to longtime bicycle fanatic and self proclaimed aficionado Jim Langley for reaching one amazing milestone.
When we spoke with Jim way back in 2013, he had just completed 73,000 miles over a 20 year period – not missing a day of riding. Fast forward to this week where Jim just posted 9,164 daily consecutive riding days – equaling 25 years! He told me he wasn’t always sure he was going to make it, getting older and all… but, clearly that is NOT the case. So, if you have a moment and want to congratulate him, you can find him at jim@jimlangley.net.

Show #276 – December 12, 2015

Guests: PBP American Record Holder Paul Bacho; Brett Horton from the Horton Collection

After a quick update about Charlie Cunningham’s rehab progress (you can help his cause at GoFundMe.com) we are pleased to welcome endurance athlete, athletic trainer and therapist, and PBP record holder Paul Bacho to our show this evening.

Paul has successfully completed 8 Paris-Brest-Paris events, spanning 32 years, is a successful Hawaii Ironman, and as the only American, has ridden the 5-month-long Paris to Beijing ride to celebrate the 2008 Olympics.

Paul, who has a masters in athletic training, is also a Neural Integration Structural Therapist – a modality that is both gentle and effective and will explain what it is and what it accomplishes.

After a break and some news, we head on out to the west coast to reconnect with Brett Horton, owner and curator of the Horton Collection. His new book, “Shoulder to Shoulder: Bike Racing in the Age of Anquetil”, has just been released for the holiday season with a beautiful collection of photographs depicting our sport during the 50’s and 50’s.

So, sit back and enjoy my conversation with endurance athlete and athletic trainer Paul Bacho.