Tag: Philly Bike Expo

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Show #579 – October 30. 2021

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Guests: Jeff Bock; Bina Bilenky-Trahan

This week, we are getting back to our roots a little bit with a new frame builder conversation.

When I contacted master builder Jeff Bock to arrange our interview, his comment back to me was how I found out about him as he isn’t – and I quote – “a household name.”  Clearly, he doesn’t know our household!

Located in Ames, Iowa, Jeff and I go back to his beginnings talking about bikes not cars, his scholarship as an artist, and more.

Jeff Bock has been building lovely steel lugged frames since 1975.  Back in college, he studied art and also became an art teacher.

Today, Jeff continues to think and build like an artist, integrating his designs to include racks, fenders, and an overall aesthetic that appeals to anyone who loves classic bikes.

We start at the beginning and bring it right up to date with his thinking about today’s equipment and who is buying classic bikes.

Next Saturday and Sunday, November 6th and 7th, is the 11th annual Philly Bike Expo at the Philadelphia Convention Center.  By all rights, it should be the 12th anniversary of the show, but as with many things Covid .. it was put on hold in 2020.  We talk with the show’s owner and producer, Bina Bilenky-Trahan.

This year, even though masks are required inside the building and the test track has been eliminated to expand the space, there is a long list of exhibitors, some terrific seminars – including a talk that I’m delivering on the ethics of bicycle fitters as part of a symposium on bicycle fitting – and a whole slew of other great exhibitors.

I’d also like to give you a quick update I just received from my friend Shannon Galpin about the continuing evacuations of cyclists and others out of Afghanistan.  We are into week #10 and counting

There was a grueling 17-hour crossing into Pakistan of three different groups over the past week and five more small groups will be moving on if the border remains as it is.

One of the articles that was recently published might give you some breadth of the work as well as some perspective.

VeloNews did an extensive article about Sylvan Adams, the founder of the Israel Start-Up Nation and his involvement early on in helping to rescue many, many athletes from Afghanistan.  And, for those who have asked, yes I am the reporter he mentions at the beginning of the article.  There is a link to the article on our blog for today’s show.

The work is still ongoing and the need is still great. You can read Shannon’s updates and offer your support at https://fundly.com/support-afghan-cyclists

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Show #476 – October 26, 2019

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FRENCH FENDER DAY – PART II

(Photo courtesy of Brian Jenks, Artispin)

Part II of our coverage of French Fender Day!

Four great new conversations to add to last week’s list!

This week, in order of appearance, we have:

Marc Elliott
Mark Finch
Johnny Coast
Sam Dickenson

Then, it’s a conversation with *Brian about his thoughts on French Fender Day before we head on over to Philadelphia to speak with Philly Bike Expo owner and director Bina Bilenky about this year’s show – its 10th Anniversary

*You can also read all about Brian’s review of French Fender Day on his blog.

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Show #424 – October 27, 2018

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Guests: Molly Hurford, Alex Gjendem Gvoren, Johnny Coast

This week it’s a diverse group of interviews.

We begin with the Outdoor Edit‘s Molly Hurford and her advice for cool weather riding.

We talk about base layers, jackets, fingers and toes, and more.

Then, it’s a new product line from Norway – ReTyre. Instead of trying to match your tires to the terrain and weather as it changes, you can “zip” a new skin onto your tire to accommodate gravel or snow and ice.

Pshaw you say? No no… it’s real and Alex Gjendem Gvoren will explain it all.

Then, it’s off to Brooklyn, NY to speak with frame builder Johnny Coast. His name kept surfacing all over the place at French Fender Days and leading up to this weekend’s Philly Bike Expo.

So, I called and we talked! It’s a great conversation.

I hope you enjoy the show!

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Show #318 – October 22, 2016

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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!

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Show #269 – October 24, 2015

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Guests: Bryan Ball; Bina Bilenky Trahan, Scott Fitzgerald

It’s Saturday so it must be time for The Outspoken Cyclist. And, this week’s show is crammed with “stuff”.

Besides the mention that Cleveland beat the wheels off Pittsburgh in the “National Bike Challenge” (by a mere 300,000 miles), Shinola also announced that a retail store would be built in Shaker Heights, Ohio opening fall of 2017. So, when we say Cleveland Rocks – we mean Cleveland Rocks! (And Rolls of course) (video is older, but lots of fun!)

So, whose on our show? Well, let’s start at the beginning with the man who has probably forgotten more about recumbent bikes and trikes than I will ever know! Bryan Ball is the managing editor of THE recumbent site bentrider.bike
AKA bentrideronline.com (either brings the site up in your browser).

Besides a rich history in cycling, Bryan has also long been a writer and his book, “How Recumbents Are Exactly Like Beer” is one of the several topics we cover in our conversation this evening. Oh, he’s also a stand-up comic!

Then, with the Philly Bike Expo just two weeks away, I check in with show manager Bina Bilenky Trahan to find out what is new for 2015. Bina runs down some of the newer exhibitors, seminars, rides, and events.

Finally, after a “back to the future” news cast, we head on out to Idaho to speak with former bike shop owner and now author/publisher Scott Fitzgerald about his new book – and projects – “B Is for Bicycles”. Meant to offer grown-ups a chance to give their kids a sophisticated look at bicycles and bicycling in rhyme and beautiful illustrations, Scott giv

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Show #219 – November 8, 2014

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Guests: Jonathan Ingram, “Beer Connoisseur Magazine”; Rebecca Rusch – “Queen of Pain”

While I attend the Philly Bike Expo this weekend, we put together what I think is a most interesting show.

Most cyclists like beer, right? So, I decided to find the best source for the skinny on beer – how it’s made, what’s new for the holidays, and whether or not beer is good for you. I discovered the mother-lode when I found the managing editor of Beer Connoisseur Magazine, Jonathan Ingram.

Jonathan helped me to understand some of the nuances of craft beers and what is trending for the holiday season. He also filled me in on what is and isn’t healthy about beer and why some beers actually do taste better when they’re warm.

After we talk with Jonathan and offer up some of this week’s tasty news, we come back to speak with the amazing Rebecca Rusch.

Her nickname is the “Queen of Pain” – but, she isn’t the biggest, or strongest, or even fastest. Rebecca Rusch IS the grittiest and most determined athlete on the endurance-athlete scale by any and every measure.

Now, at age 45 she has conquered what might take multiple lifetimes for others and ourconversation covers everything from her younger days of insecurities, her failures, and her triumphs. Her new book, Rusch to Glory:Adventure, Risk and Triumph on the Path Less Traveled, is out on Velo Press and might be just the inspiration you need to push yourself to that next level.

So, pour yourself a frosty one and let’s go.

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Show #216 – October 18, 2014

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Guests: Philly Bike Expo’s Bina Bilenky Trahan, Rails-to-Trails director Keith Laughlin; Brett Horton of the Horton Collection

As bike shows go, the Philly Bike Expo is one of the best! And, as the weekend of November 8-9th approaches, I thought it would be a good idea to check in with show director Bina Bilenky Trahan and find out what is new for 2014. The Outspoken Cyclist herself will be attending the show this year too!

As we ramp up to the midterm elections here in the U.S., and with a possible changing of the majority party as an outcome, I wanted to find out how transportation issues might be affected. So, I always like to go to the “man-in-the-know”, Rails to Trails director Keith Laughlin. Keith has been in Washington, DC for many, many years and knows what is happening in Congress as well as anyone. He’ll also catch us up on some new and exciting developments with Rails to Trails for 2015.

Even though it’s still 10 weeks until the holidays, I wanted to get a jump start on some ideas for the gift giving season and, as everyone knows, I LOVE books!

From the over 170,000 photographs of the 1920’s and 1930’s of what racing looked like in the early 20th Century, Brett Horton, owner and curator of the Horton Collection was able to choose 106 of them to offer in a lovely hardbound book titled “Goggles & Dust – Images from Cycling’s Glory Days”. The book celebrates the grit and determination of the bicycle racing pioneers who established the records, traditions, and distinct flavors of Europe’s most hallowed races.

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Show #167 – November 2, 2013

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GUESTS: DR. KRISTEN DIEFFENBACH, BINA BILENKY TRAHAN, HECTOR PICKARD

As amateur or recreational athletes, most of us feel the need to continually go faster, farther, or finish feeling stronger. A little friendly competition, whether it’s with our own past performance, or against other amateurs, is a good motivating tool. But where is the line between motivation and obsession? Exercise scientist Kristen Dieffenbach, Ph.D. of West Virginia University is here to talk about this and more on today’s Outspoken Cyclist.

Meanwhile, the Philly Bike Expo has a new date and a new location this year. It’s not only moved to the second weekend in November, and to the PA Convention Center, the Expo has also grown in size and variety for 2013. Expo director Bina Bilenky-Trahan stops by during the second half of today’s show to tell us all about it.

And wrapping up today’s show is an interview with triathlete Hector Pickard, who lost all of his right arm, and part of his left arm in an industrial accident. That might seem like a major impediment, at least to swimming and biking, but Hector disproved that assumption by completing three Ironman Triathlons, among other accomplishments. Hector talks with Diane about his journey and his future exploits, and you can learn more at dontstopliving.org.

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Show #112 – October 13, 2012

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“Cello” Joe Chang, Brett Davis, Bina Bilenky

That’s more than just the usual Fall chill you feel in the air this week. The USADA’s release of its Reasoned Decision in the Lance Armstrong case, combined with admissions of doping from both George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer, have served to frost a lot of pumpkins in cycledom. Happily, there are other things going in in bicycling, and we have three of them for you on today’s show.

What do you get when you cross beatboxing with cello playing and bicycling? Cello Joe, of course: the “wildest beatboxing cellist in the west.” Joey “Cello Joe” Chang has toured the U.S. and Mexico on his bicycle, with his cello in tow, playing a unique brand of classical-inspired music. Today Diane brings you a conversation about his adventures, along with a sample of his music.

Over the summer, there’s been a hive of activity in Cleveland’s Broadway Avenue neighborhood. Fast Track Racing, along with volunteers from the Cleveland cycling community have been busy constructing Ohio’s only velodrome. This week we welcome back Brett Davis, board president of the Cleveland Velodrome board to talk about the first couple months of operation, and what they have planned for 2013 and beyond.

Wrapping up, we check in with Bina Bilenky, who is busy putting the final touches on the Philly Bike Expo, which drops on October 27th and 28th. This year’s theme is “Artists, Activists & Alternatives”. Should be a great chance to see lots of cool cycling stuff in the freedom city.