Tag: Rody Walter

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Show #432 – December 22, 2018

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As Florida prepares to pass a bill that will not only ban texting and driving, but also forbids even touching the screen or holding the phone, two more cyclists were hit and killed by motorists.

One step forward and two steps back!

Matt Austin is the evening news anchor at WKMG – Channel 6 in Orlando, Florida and he is a BIG proponent of any and all distracted driving regulations that will crack down on the dangerous habit.

Matt has a chilling story to tell and explains why he and his television station have gotten solidly behind the upcoming legislation. Will it pass? He’s my first guest on the show this week.

Then we revisit Drew Guldalian, owner of Engin Cycles and the Wissahickon retail store in Philadelphia.

Last week, when we spoke with Jim Kersten from CABDA, I got a sense of hope and inspiration for a resurgence of the IBD. This week, Drew has quite a different tale to tell.

We also talk about what direction he’s heading and about the bike he, along with Rody Walter from Groovy Cycleworks, built up for the iconic titanium master Gary Helfrich.

Lastly, we finally get to have our chat with tandem couple Tracy and Peter Flucke.

As a stoker myself, I always find other tandem adventurers stories really interesting; and this one is definitely that – and more.

Riding together for well over 20 years, they’ve already made 3 long-distance trips. Their 2014 book, Coast to Coast on a Tandem, details that first cross country trip in a he says-she says day-by-day entry from their on the road diaries

We chat about all kinds of things including what they’ve learned from those tandem trips, about riding long distances, and about each other

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Show #388 – February 17, 2018

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Guests: Peter Wilborn; Mary Wisnewski; encore interview with Rody Walter

RADIOTHON 2018!!! Yep – it’s time to log on to wjcu.org and pledge your support for the show AND the station. We only do this once a year and all of the money raised goes directly to the station! Any amount is greatly appreciated – and, thanks for listening!

Over the past year, we have reported on cyclists who have been hit – often fatally – while riding. We haven’t however, talked much about cyclists who crash by virtue of obstacles in their paths – obstacles like potholes or sewer grates or raised barriers that are difficult if not impossible to see.

Cyclists have been badly injured – sometimes sustaining permanent disabilities – and their equipment has been damaged.
Now that the roads are beginning to show the ravages of winter, I thought it would be a good time to talk about what you can and probably should do if you encounter these types of issues.

My first guest is Bike Law’s Peter Wilborn. Peter knows all too well about cyclists who are injured and equipment that is damaged as he has devoted his legal career to their causes. We walk about what to do if you encounter a road hazard, what needs to change when it comes to being less vulnerable on the road, and ends with a plea to “keep on riding”.

After a break, Chicago Tribune transportation reporter Mary Wisnewski talks to me about the work she has been doing in her town to shed some light on the disparity among residents who are being ticketed to minor cycling infractions. Her 2017 article “Biking While Black: Chicago Minority Areas See The Most Bike Tickets” was followed up this week with her column Black neighborhoods still see most bike tickets, police data show.

Mary and I talk about what the statistics show and how, while the number of tickets is decreasing, the disparity is staying the same.

Finally, since this is NAHBS weekend – and, unfortunately, circumstances did NOT pan out for me to attend the show, I thought I’d bring back one of my favorite people in an encore interview. Rody Walter from Groovy Cycles in Wooster, Ohio has been my guest a couple of times and was also a member of my frame builder’s panel in Sacramento.

He has a smart and unique view of the custom bike world and I thought hearing this conversation again would whet your appetite for some fancy bikes.

#nahbstweets will be goin on all weekend and beyond to showcase some of the beautiful equipment being exhibited in Connecticut.

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Show #234 – February 21, 2015

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Guests: Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer; Rody Walter from Groovy Cycleworks

As we dig out from yet another snow storm, Tim and I want to thank you for your generous support during Radiothon 2015! We are pretty certain the station met its lofty fund raising goals AND you helped that, so thank YOU!

And, in an effort to take our minds off of the weather this week, we think ahead two weeks when I will head on down to Louisville, KY to attend NAHBS 2015.

With a promise of 55 degrees and sun for our weekend visit to NAHBS March 6th through 8th, Greg Fischer, Louisville’s pro-cycling Mayor, talks with us about all the important things that are happening in his town – Bourbon, The Cyclocross Worlds from 2013, the Mega Cavern Underground Mountain Bike Park, of course NAHBS 2015, and did I mention bourbon?

Mayor Fischer leads two cycling rides each year and 10-12,000 folks show up to join him. Bubbly enthusiastic about his city and its cycling amenities, Mr. Fischer is a forward thinking guy who is looking to “calm traffic”, increase ridership, and make Louisville a showcase for a good place to live, work, and ride.

After our news, we head on down to Wooster, Ohio to speak with Rody Walter from Groovy Cycleworks. (Remember, it’s not WOO-ster, it’s Wuh-ster.)

In his unique and eloquent style, Rody explains his version of handmade – a holistic way of looking at his work – that produces his one-off creations. Rody shares his advice on how business works – not only for a frame builder, but also for anyone who is thinking about entrepreneurship.

At NAHBS, Rody and 4 other frame builders will join me to talk about the “custom business” and our conversation this evening will give you some insight into what that discussion will be.

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Smoked Out Live! from NAHBS 2013

Last Saturday evening, I was honored to co-emcee a Velocipede Salon “Smoked Out Live” special along with Josh Simonds.

We had a rock-star panel of frame builders who all graciously gave up a couple of hours of their evening to answer questions for both a live audience and a live web cast.

Included in our evening were:

– Gary Smith of Independent Fabrications
– Nick Crumpton of Crumpton Cycles
– Tim O’Donnell of Shamrock Cycles
– Eric Estlund of Winter Bicycles
-Dave Wages of Ellis Cycles
– Rody Walter of Groovy Cycleworks

LISTEN & WATCH THE VIDEO!

The “Smoked Out” session begins around 29:30.  Previous to that, there are some interviews and talking among ourselves!  Enjoy!

 

Out thanks to George Thomas of “Over The Top Radio” for his patience in recording this!

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Show #63 – November 5, 2011

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Jim Ochowicz (needs no intro!), Rody Walter, Groovy Cycleworks

Here in northeast Ohio we’re enjoying some unseasonably gorgeous weather, knowing that the ‘gales of November’ will be upon us soon enough. ‘Every day’s a holiday and every meal’s a feast’ as the saying goes, and this week’s Outspoken Cyclist is both.

Our first guest is none other than Jim Ochowicz, cyclist, speed skater, former manager of Team 7-Eleven, and current manager of BMC Racing (you know, Cadel Evans’ team). Jim, or “Och” as he’s known was the catalyst for the first U.S. pro cycling team to have success racing in Europe, and his new book, Team 7-Eleven: How an Unsung Band of American Cyclists Took on the World – and Won has just been released. Jim joins us from Palo Alto, California to talk about how he moved from the road to the ice and back to cycling as a team manager.

For the second half of the show, we stick a little closer to home as Diane welcomes Rody Walter of Groovy Cycleworks to the studio. Rody trucked on up from his home in Wooster, Ohio, where he’s a mountain biker, family man, firefighter/paramedic, and the mind and flame behind Groovy, not necessarily in that order. If you’ve got the patience and some cash, Rody can build you a custom road or mountain machine that fits you both physically and aesthetically, and it’s almost guaranteed that he’ll make you laugh out loud at least once during the process.