Tag: Shimano

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Show #620 – January 2, 2023

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Guest: Wayne Stetina

Stetina Family – Circa 1970

Happy New Year to you and I hope you had a great holiday season.

Wayne Stetina – 1977 Nationals

For our first show of 2023, I had the great good fortune to speak with one of cycling’s elite racers about his life, his family, his history in the sport, and his thoughts about the bicycle industry.

Wayne Stetina – in fact, the entire Stetina family – have had a stellar career in not only racing, but also incredibly valued input into what we ride and race today.

Wayne’s phenomenal memory of people, events, and topics will dazzle those who have an interest and curiosity into cycling – me included (and I thought I knew some stuff!)

For 37 years, Wayne was VP of North American Operations for Shimano.  Now, he is Senior Field Guide with SRAM.

From coining the phrase “never miss a shift” way back when Shimano introduced its first indexed shifting package to his comment that his favorite bike was always his most recent bike, Wayne has seen the evolution of bicycles up close and personal.

I hope you enjoy this extended conversation.

 

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Show #555 – May 15, 2021

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Guest: Rob DeMartini

This week’s show is short – one conversation and some current news.

For many of you, it might seem as if we are beating the topic of inclusion in our sport to death; but, whether you ride with a club, race on a local team, or enter any of the many many events that will come back this cycling season, I would venture to say that the riders who participate with you also probably look a lot like you.

And THAT is what many people in the bicycle world – from local advocacy groups to manufacturers and everyone in-between are trying to address in one form or another.

In the broadest sense, and his organization, USA Cycling are trying to take on the topic in a way I haven’t yet seen and, I believe it has some merit.

As a bit of background, we recently spoke with Kendall Young who was suggesting that the UCI and by extension, USA Cycling should pull the Cross World Championships out of Arkansas, stating that the draconian transgender youth laws the Arkansas legislature passed need to be acknowledged with boycotts and other visible as well as financial means.

In counter-point, Rob DeMartini will explain why that isn’t a good idea and what USA Cycling is suggesting.

In addition, Rob fill us in on the latest about the upcoming – we hope – Olympics and the new “We Champion” initiative that will launch in two weeks.

I also wanted to offer up a GREAT video presented by Shimano as a way to bring in a little love and humor.  I LOVE love love dogs and Shimano nails it with their 9 minute video “A Dog’s Tale.”

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Show #539 – January 30, 2021

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Guests: Chris Zigmont;  Chris Carmichael, James Sonnhalter, Michael Dever, and Mary Cierebiej;

Hello and welcome to TOC.  I’m your host Diane Jenks and this is our show for January 30, 2021.  WOW – January seems to have flown by and I’m eagerly looking forward to February with an eye toward spring!

Before we get to our show this week, I’d like to make a correction from my blog entry for Bike Bentonville from  last week.   I stated that Dirty Kanza had been changed to the Big Sugar ride – nope – incorrect! In fact, Big Sugar is a NEW ride – sold out by the way – and Dirty Kanza’s new name is Unbound!  Both are Lifetime Events!  Many apologies for my faux pas.

Moving right along; I think our show this week is very interesting!

A couple of weeks ago, Shimano announced that it would take over neutral support for the peloton at the 2021 Tour de France.

Many of you know that neutral support has been the pervue of Mavic with their yellow support vehicles loaded with bikes, wheels, and other equipment.

Today, we learn a lot more about neutral support from someone who was not only part of it, but knows the history.

Chris Zigmont  has been in the bicycle world since the 1980’s starting out by stealing his older brother’s bike, subsequently wrecking it, and finding out that the bicycle would be a lifelong passion.  From working at a local bike shop in NH to a stint at Specialized at the beginning of his career, Chris has been all over the world – involved at the deepest levels of the sport.

He’ll take us from then to now… his most current project – The Alternate Route!

We’ll have our 4th and final installment of our training tips with coach Chris Carmichael.  Today, we discuss weekly mileage – whether you should take one LONG ride a week or several shorts rides.

 

And finally, we speak with a trio of folks from North East Ohio who are working to bring 30 miles of new paths and trails to the Cleveland Lakefront with the Cuyahoga Lakefront County Access Plan.

Armand Budish, the Cuyahoga County Executive, had this to say to jump start the plans for the new Lakefront Planning Effort:

“To make a huge leap forward for our region, to separate ourselves from our competitors, we must build on our best asset. And that is our lake.”

My guests, Mike Dever, Mary Cierebiej, and Jim Sonnhalter, couldn’t agree  more:   The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath – which is over 100 miles long – has been a 40+ year project that will finally see its final connector piece drop into place later this year.  This new plan will get underway a lot sooner!

 

 

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Show #322 – November 19, 2016

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Guests: Paul Brodek; Scott Kasper

It’s the week before the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. and some folks are celebrating while others are licking their wounds.

I for one am grateful for the weather that has been warm enough to ride right up until this weekend here in the NE Ohio area and for the great guests we will introduce you to this evening.

First, we meet Paul Brodek. Paul goes WAY back in our industry – back to the early days when Sun Tour, Shimano, AND Campagnolo were all headquartered in New Jersey.

Paul decided in his senior year at Rutgers that maybe what he was thinking wasn’t what he really wanted, and so turned his attention to the bicycle business, putting his college career on extended hold..

He worked for Sun Tour USA and was right in the thick of it when index shifting began to change the world of bicycle components forever.

As the story unfolds, Paul has amazing recall of events and people throughout the 80’s including a fascinating dinner in Asia where Paul learns some unsavory Japanese fueled by competition and booze.

In the end, Shimano emerges victorious as the sun in Sun Tour sets and Paul is one of the few people who knows the story from beginning to end.

In the second half of the show this evening, I catch up with Scott Kasper as he prepares to ride the El Tour de Tucson with 200 JDRF riders.

Scott is intimately involved with Type I diabetes as two of this three sons, his mother, and his sister-in-law all suffer from the disease. Scott became immersed in the cause of searching for a cure and tells us his story along with an excellent explanation of the disease, what research is in the works, and what breakthroughs have been made.

 

 

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Interbike 2012 – Dirt Demo

 

Hot doesn’t even begin to describe the weather in Nevada!  You could have friend eggs on the ground at Dirt Demo in Bootleg Canyon today. But, Dirt Demo was a smashing success!  It was jammed pack with vendors and attendees alike.  I saw some beautiful kits on riders; I saw some great looking bikes.
There were two DJ’s – each working about 2 hour shifts – that just kept the shaded tent rocking.  Sierra Nevada was giving out beer.  There was free food, free ice cream and popsicles, and every electrolyte drink product on the market.  Shimano gave out free ice-cold towels – a very welcome idea that kept me on my feet when I felt woozy about two hours in.
I think one of the big highlights of the day for me was the introduction of a group of Ride2Recovery riders who had biked in from Las Vegas to Bootleg Canyon and then were heading back out to  Las Vegas.  There were armed service personnel, firefighters, and police – many of whom were amputees.  I will be talking with John Wordin, President and Founder of Ride2Recovery and Chris Spyer from Raleigh.  Raleigh has a department that researches and develops adaptive bikes for these amazing athletes.  Very inspiring!
As the week unfolds, I will be “tweeting” (I thought I’d NEVER say that) at #outspokncyclist on Twitter and on the Outspoken Cyclist Face Book page.
Stay tuned!