Show #603 – June 18, 2022

Guests: Allison Burson & Kristine Keeney – ECG Guests: Sara Studdard & Zoe Kircos – City Thread

With flowers in bloom and trees in full leaf, we look to put the cold weather behind us and take to the paths and trails.

Which takes me to our first guests – Allison Burson, National Director, and Kristine Keeney, Northern New England Manager – with the East Coast Greenway.  

It’s been almost a year since I’ve checked in with the Greenway and with all the great legislative wins, state and local funding options, and a carbon reduction program, I wanted to hear how things are percolating along the trails.

 

In the second half of the show, we learn about City Thread – a new non-profit start-up that has been leading the charge in getting trails done – FAST.

When we look at our local cycling and walking infrastructure, are we seeing great networks of connected paths and trails?

In some places that answer is yes, even here in the U.S.

But, in many places, that answer is not only no, there isn’t even much of a plan in place, or that plan, having been on the drawing board for years if not decades, still only sports a series of disconnected and unprotected byways.

But, what if you could harness the powers that be – local, state, federal – and especially every-day folks like you and me, and get our dream networks finished and paid for – quickly and efficiently?

Sara Studdard and Zoe Kircos are two of the three principals at CityThread and in a relatively short time they’ve taken their combined 50 years of experience in urban planning, marketing, communications, equitable public participation, fundraising, grant making, community engagement, strategic planning, and campaign management to bring hundreds of miles of trails to fruition.

When they were working with People for Bikes, Sara and Zoe , along with Kyle Wagenschutz, who has been on the show in the past, collaborated to plan and implement the Final Mile – a project that took 5 cities including Providence, RI and Austin, Tx,, either of which had a comprehensive mobility plan for protected bikeways, and from soup to nuts, completed hundreds of miles of connected trails in under three years.

And, as a side note, if you like following cross-country riders – you know – voyeuristically speaking  – you can follow our friend Mike Ball.  His photos are breathtaking and his blog is excellent.  You can find it at Mike’s Life On A Bike .

Show #601 – May 9. 2022

Guests: Noa Banayan; Steve Magas

This week we speak with Noa Bayanan.  Noa is the Director of Federal Policy for People for Bikes, and she helps us unpack the America’s Recreation Act of 2022.  This a bi-partisan piece of legislation that was introduced in the Senate in November of last year.

This bill provides for additional recreation opportunities and facilitates greater access to federal public lands

In it, there are two bills that pertain specifically to bicycling – one that helps to open up and connect “long trails” and the second that frees up some time and hassle for tour directors, ride directors, and even race directors who are tasked with the permits required to use state and federal lands.

Here is the information on how to contact your legislator(s) regarding the Recreation Act of 2022.

My second guest is Steve MagasThe Ohio Bike Lawyer.  

While I intended to just sort out the crash statistics for Ohio, hoping to be able to extrapolate them across the country, we actually do a lot more than that, diving into some of the reasons that fatalities – which were very high in the 1970’s began to decline until the early 2000’s – then began an upward trajectory.

In 2021, 21 people were killed on our roadways while riding their bikes.  In 2022, it was even more devastating when the total rose to 28.

Attorney Steve Magas has been tracking the statistics on fatalities as well as noting other pertinent facts in Ohio and Kentucky for many years.  In our conversation, Steve gives us some very important and detailed information about what is and isn’t important when it comes to being involved in a crash in addition to some observations about how and why things are so much worse these days.

Here is the information on the Ohio Bike Federation and the maps mentioned on the show.

Show #590 – January 22, 2022

Guests: Ash Lovell; Craig Calfee

We begin today with Ash Lovell from People for Bikes.  Her official title is Electric Bicycle Policy and Campaign Director and our topic is important and timely. If you ride an eBike or are considering purchasing one, you will eventually need to consider the disposal of your used-up battery.  The estimated lifespan is about 5 years – although I don’t have a good translation of that in hours and/or miles. During the Consumer Electronics Show a couple of weeks ago, Ash was a presenter at CES and the topic was about a new program for recycling eBike batteries. Partnering with manufacturers and bike shops, People For Bikes is leading the campaign to make sure these batteries are appropriately recycled so they don’t end up in landfills.

Then, we check in with one of my favorite industry people – Craig Calfee. Craig and I have known each other for a very long time and I have a heap-o-respect for his work, the way he looks at our industry, and the efforts he puts in to share his knowledge and expertise across the globe.

While carbon fiber has become the “material of choice” among virtually every manufacturer, Craig still pushes the envelope with his ideas and designs.

Today, we talk about the Calfee Nautilus carbon wheelsets, what’s selling at his manufacturing facility, eBike conversion kits, his carbon repair business, and more

Show #583 – December 4, 2021

Guests: Tom Flood; Marc Sani

When your work and your reality start to clash, what do you do?

In the case of marketing expert Tom Flood, he followed reality and has found himself a wanted man – wanted for lectures and ideas and advocacy.

In his previous life, Tom worked in marketing for an ad agency creating content for some car manufacturers.  He was also commuting to and from work by bike.

Then, he started taking his son to school and, from the perspective of his bike saddle, he began to see the absurdity of our car-centric culture and what it has done to discourage any other types of transportation – especially biking and walking.

In our conversation, I jump up on my soapbox for a moment to voice both frustration and resignation about the lack of a cohesive way of getting biking and walking across to the people who need to hear it – not those of us who already do.

Tom is one of the first people – who not only gets it, but is doing something about it.  You can check out some of his cool ideas, including his videos, at www.creativebyrovelo.com

Dana Point, California warns eBike riders to slow down as you come into the community, which begs the question – how many are riding eBikes and why are they going so fast?

eBikes really are taking the world by storm and, People for Bikes conducted a short summit bringing in a wide variety of folks to talk about how eBikes are impacting the bike industry and some of the pitfalls that seem to be arising for which there are no concrete remedies.

Marc Sani, penned an article in the November 22nd issue that broke down the PFB summit and I wanted to pick his brain for the show this week.

Marc and I break down what was discussed at the Summit, answer a few questions, ask a few more questions, and still haven’t come to concrete conclusions about many of them.

Show #560 – June 19, 2021

Guests: Carter Strickland; Kyle Wagenschutz

Their motto is “public land for public good”… and today, we speak with the NY State Director for the Trust for Public Land, Carter Strickland.

TPL was founded in 1972 on the conviction that all people need and deserve access to nature and the outdoors, close to home, in the cities and communities where they live, as a matter of health, equity, and justice.

From transforming schoolyards into parks to working with communities and organizations to procure land and rights-of-ways for creation and expansion of trails and greenways, TPL works its magic across the entire country.

Kyle Wagenschutz, the VP of Local Innovation for People For Bikes, talks about this year’s most bikeable cities. The 2021 City Ratings came out recently and of course, I rushed to see if any Ohio cities made the list. (listen in to find out!)

When People For Bikes starts working on their “most bikeable cities” ratings
list each year, and the work begins on the next year as soon as the current year’s results are published, the criteria come from a lot more places than one would imagine.

It’s at the ground level – towns and cities and even villages – where PFB’s looks to gather data that shows how easily one can get around by bike… and, that data is crunched up and spit out to produce not only a list of great places to ride, but some comparative ideas to adopt or adapt to make every city more bike friendly.

PS – Here is the story about Harrison Ford riding 40 miles per day getting ready for Indiana Jones 5.

Show #521 – September 26, 2020

Guests: Jen Malik; Tobie DePauw; Lauren Hefferon

Sometimes you meet someone – even just in a phone call – and the enthusiasm and excitement for the work she is doing just jumps right out through the phone.

Jen Malik – Dr. Jen Malik as she is a PhD in biomedical engineering at THE Ohio State University where she is a post-doc fellow full time – also races cyclocross professionally, has taken on the task of bringing the first NICA league in Ohio, is on the board of the Central Ohio Mountain Biking Association, and loves to garden and paint.

For those in Chicago and surrounding areas – and, perhaps even those who might just want to get yourself TO Chicago sometime during the month of October, People for Bikes along with the Chicago Race Riot 19.org project, SRAM, The Newberry Library, and a slew of other great sponsors, all come together to ride a historic route and raise funds to benefit the Blackstone Bicycle Works.

As demonstrations and riots rock so many of our cities, this quiet and historic ride winds through the Bronzeville and Bridgeport neighborhoods, stopping at key historical sites relevant to the riot and the events that lead up to it.

And, there is an audio clip you can download and listen to a brief description of each of the stops along the way. Tobie DePauw, Ride Spot Affiliate Manager will be with me to explain it all.

And, lastly, we speak with Lauren Hefferon owner and founder of Ciclismo Classico. The company, long known for exquisite European Bicycle Tours, has brought it home for two fall tours out of Keene, NH.

Finally, I’d like to mention Chloe Dygert – the world champion cyclist. In her race to defend her world time trial title, she lost control of her bike in a turn and hit a barrier that apparently didn’t have any padding- resulting in a serious leg injury.

Chloe was airlifted to a hospital in Italy where she was treated and underwent surgery. Fortunately, she is expected to make a full recovery. Her coach, Kristen Armstrong. was quoted as saying, “Chloe Dygert’s crash is devastating but she will come back stronger.”

Sending healing thoughts to Chloe! And, wondering why the barrier padding ended before the barriers did… to be continued I’m sure.

Show #513 – August 1, 2020

Guests: Roff Smith; Noa Banayan; Sarah Timleck & Madison Giger

 

(Photo Courtesy of Roff Smith – “Ground Mist Sunrise”)

As we continue to see Covid19 taking over our lives – in so many ways – we also are seeing events, companies, and people who want to carry on with some semblance of normality come up with some innovative and imaginative ideas.

Take my first guest this evening. Roff Smith is an award winning photographer and writer who has worked with National Geographic for many, many years. This year, he’s pretty much grounded and so, has come up with a fabulously creative way to use his bicycle to tell his photographic story.

After we speak with Roff, we head to Minnesota where PFB‘s Noa Banayan, the Federal Affair’s Manager is sheltering in place while still attending to her work – mostly out of D.C.

Noa shares some great news – which we can all use these days – about the always in-process transportation bill, a new report from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and an upgraded commuter reimbursement deal for cyclists.

Finally, I check in with Madison Giger and Sarah Timleck, two of my Sea Otter peeps, to talk about the new platform that the organization has put together for 2020. With the cancellation of so many events, and Sea Otter being the place that is often used to launch new product, the people behind the scenes have been working to put together a smashing new idea – Sea Otter Play; and, we’re going to tell you all about it.

Show #501 – April 25, 2020

Guests: Jenn Dice; Dr. Michael Lewis

I hope you are safe and well and, as we begin to re-enter the world more fully, will continue to be mindful of taking care of yourself and those around us.

First I’d like to say thank you – thank you all for your kind words about the 500th episode of the show last week. Looking back, it just doesn’t seem possible that I’ve been hosting this podcast for almost 10 years! And, it’s still mostly a lot of fun – of course, nothing is perfect and especially all the time!

As the weather continues to improve here on the east coast and, even though we may find many of the plans we had were disrupted, postponed, or cancelled entirely, I thought an upbeat conversation about getting back out there was in order.

I remember many years ago when a fledgling organization People For Bikes asked that people sign a pledge that supported getting more people on bikes with the hopes of getting 1,000,000 signatures. At the time, I wasn’t at all certain about that lofty goal – but, I put the paper petitions on the counter in the shop and watched people sign.

Fast forward to today? 1.3 million people have signed on to support the notion and People For Bikes is a force to be reckoned with as their programs – from community grants and statistical gathering to their political work and industry-wide partnerships – show.

Today, Jenn Dice, the COO of PFB, joins me from Colorado where she is still staying at home and working, to talk about their newest resource for all of us – Ride Spot. It’s an app. And, it is an encouraging sign that bicycles are going to play a bigger role going forward.

Dr. Michael Lewis is back to talk about his work with the brain. 

Originally working in epidemiology, Dr. Lewis was tapped by the Army to work with his idea that Omega-3 might help to balance the inflammatory problems with the brain – especially when injured by a TBI. His work resulted in his book, When Brains Collide. And, I wanted him to explain his work and how it might apply to anyone who hits his or her head – even when wearing a helmet.

Show #426 – November 10, 2018

Guests: Tim Blumenthal; William Bevington

This week I speak with People for Bike’s Tim Blumenthal. He’s got a free gift for you… just offer up your email and name and you will be able to participate in any number of great programs and advocacy initiatives!

PFB has become a mighty force for cycling since it was launched in 1999 and now boasts more than 1.2million members! And, the work they are doing is getting great results!

Then, William Bevington, Professor of Information Design at the Parsons The New School for Design in NYC speaks with me about his long awaited book Japanese Steel – Classic Bicycle Design from Japan.

The book boasts 300 gorgeous photographs, covers the peak export years of the many brands that came out of a post war Japan, and offers up some fascinating details about the industry and its many quirks.

It’s all good!

 

 

Show #271 – November 7, 2015

Guests: Senator Sherrod Brown; Keith Laughlin, Tim Blumenthal

(Note: This show was recorded on Wednesday and Thursday, November 4th and 5th, before the passage of the Surface Transportation Bill Thursday afternoon. Who knew???)

This week we dodged a HUGE bullet when amendments that would have cut funding for bicycle related initiatives including the Recreational Trails Program and the Transportation Alternatives Program were tabled and another amendment, #36, was introduced that will make it EASIER for states to commit funds to bike/ped projects.

News from a variety of sources sent up alarm bells on Tuesday and then, literally overnight – poof! We were “home free”.

I wanted to know what was going on in Congress that suddenly put the transportation bill front and center, creating such a hot topic, and so went looking for answers. I found it in three very tuned-in sources.

My first guest is the senior Senator from Ohio, Sherrod Brown (D). Senator Brown always brings his incredible insight and energy to questions and issues and this week tells us what he thinks might be the outcome of the vote on the Surface Transportation Bill** as well as how and why things might or might not change with the new Speaker of the House. He also explains how important it is that we once again make the U.S. a world class country in terms of infrastructure and transportation.

We then talk with the president of People for Bikes, Tim Blumenthal. Tim explains many of the reasons that Congress, and especially those responsible for programs that make communities more sustainable from an economic perspective, tabled those program slashing initiatives. PFB is now a strong 1.2 million voices and carries some serious clout!

Finally, my go to guy, Keith Laughlin who is president of Rails-to-Trails, gives us his inside-the-beltway understanding of the whys and wherefores of the transportation situation as well as some insight into who helped quash those amendments and what the passage of a new Surface Transportation Bill will mean going forward.

Three great guests – three intelligent and informed perspectives.

Take a listen!

(according to the U.S. Congress web site, the bill passed on November 5th!)