Tag: World Bicycle Relief

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Show #661- December 18, 2024

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Guests: Leah Missbach Day; Bill McGann

The holidays are literally around the corner and today, I wanted to offer up one of my favorite year-end opportunities for giving.

Leah Missbach Day is one of the founders of WBR, and World Bicycle Relief is about to turn 20.

In the years since its inception, it has grown from aiding 20,351 people in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsunami to 850,000 bicycles on the ground in 7 African countries and in Colombia, South America.

Calling it “50 kilograms of love,” Leah Missbach Day joins me to talk about World Bicycle Relief and the bicycle that is changing lives all over the African continent and beyond.

With some new components innovations as well as an independent study that showed incredible results, WBR lives up to its motto of Empowering individuals to access education, healthcare and economic opportunities through life-changing bicycles.

These bicycles have helped girls to go to school, health workers to deliver life saving aid, and farmers to get their goods to market. 

The Buffalo bike provides a sturdy, reliable machine that offers not only transportation but safety to the thousands of people who ride them.

The S2 Drivetrain
The Impact Study

 

 

 

In the second half of the show, I’m joined by Bill McGann.

Bill started out as a bicycle retailer in a 750 square foot shop in California back in 1974 with a $3,000 bank loan and a lot of chutzpah.

In his new book, Why Your Bike Is Made in Asia: My career in bicycles as I watched two continents squander an industry, takes us from early bicycle history through the 10-speed craze and on into the industry’s move to Asia as a result of some wrong-thinking on the part of American and European manufacturers.

It’s an interesting look at the bike industry from a very different perspective.

In the many conversations I’ve had with bicycle historians over the years, no one has mentioned the single tube bicycle patents OR how Asian-made bicycles came to overtake the European and potential American markets back in the 70’s and 80’s.

Bill McGann lived that transition, and he tells us all about it in his new book, Why Your Bike Is Made In Asia, My Career in Bicycles as I watched two continents squander an industry.

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Transcript_December 18

 

 

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Show #660 – December 7, 2024

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Guests: Tom & Deb Gardner; Jenn Dice

Yes, it’s been a minute – well, maybe a bit longer – since the last episode, but I’m back and today’s show is the first in our year-end series highlighting gift-giving opportunities.

That’s not all though.  My first guests are husband and wife Deb and Tom Gardner.  They live in Indianapolis and have such a great story to tell.

Both are now retired and the accomplishments they have under their belts are mind blowing.  Before they became heavily involved with long-distance cycling, they decided to run a marathon in every state.  Done.  Then it was on to some pretty spectacular bicycling.

I’ve always wondered what drives some people to aim for and achieve such amazing objectives such as running a marathon in every state or riding across country.  In the case of Tom and Deb Gardner, I think it’s just the way some people are wired – but what is so cool about this couple is that they seem to be wired exactly the same! 

My thanks to Tom & Deb Gardner for allowing ME to be the first to broadcast their newest adventure! Their blog site, “Keep Calm and Pedal On,” is full of great information as well as some preliminary details of their upcoming New Zealand trip.

After a break, we catch up with the president and CEO of People for Bikes, Jenn Dice.  People tell me I’m “so enthusiastic!”  But, next to Jenn, I feel pretty laid back!

And, her enthusiasm for the work she does is contagious!   Running PFB, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary – thank you very much –  is a big deal and from the city ratings program to eBike battery recycling, Jenn can recite chapter and verse on all the many spokes in the PFB hub.

Jenn is a bicycling powerhouse..  She was named “one of the 50 most influential people in American cycling” in 2023 by Escape Collective .

She is a tireless advocate for cycling at the grass roots level, moving a vast array of cycling projects from start to successful finish.

 You can find all of the projects Jenn and I talked about plus a lot more at peopleforbikes.org.  Join the organization, learn about the many great programs and opportunities available, and find out how your city rates as a great place to ride – or learn how to effect change in your city using PFB’s advice. And, you definitely want to recycle your eBike batteries!

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Next time, we’ll be speaking with World Bicycle Relief’s Leah Misbach Day.  It’s time we caught up with her and learn about the organization’s most recent programs and progress.

We’ll also be speaking with BikeFit expert Paul Swift.  I think we’ll have a lot to talk about!

December 7_Transcript

 

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Show #531 – December 5, 2020

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Guests: Leah Missbach Day; Mike Lessard; Dan De Vise

 

Leah Missbach Day is the co-founder of World Bicycle Relief and shares how the organization is adjusting to a new normal and finding ways to not only do what they have always done; but to expand and flourish.

Over the years, we have talked about how a bicycle can change a life – making it easier to travel for work or school or to deliver life saving healthcare.

We’ve talked about how having a bicycle empowers people in countries with little besides what they can grow or make on their own.

But, how has a worldwide pandemic affected not only the ability to do all these things, but also the organization that has been providing the bikes for over 15 years.

Then, Adventure Cycling Association‘s Tours Director Mike Lessard fills us in on some new tours for 2021.

As with most companies that offer bicycle touring, AC had to curtail and for the most part cancel the 2020 season.  But, armed with some new protocols and looking at what people might be able to do going forward into 2021, AC is offering Long Weekend Tours – just 4 days.  Already booking and, in some cases, already filled, these tours promise to get us back out on our bikes in a safe and fun way.

Lastly,  Dan De Vise, the author of The Comeback – Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legenday Tour de France, is back to give us an update on the Congressional Gold Medal we spoke about in September, 2019.

At that time, the bill had been introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Ca) to and passed the House of Representatives and was on its way to the Senate.   Last week, the law passed and Greg LeMond WILL be a Congressional Gold Medal honoree.Image result for congressional gold medal

 

 

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Show #481 – December 7, 2019

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Guests: Leah Missbach Day; Dieter Drake; Christine Acosta with Leah Shahum

As we count down to the holiday giving days – Chanukah beginning on the 22nd, Christmas, December 25th, and Kwanza December 26th, I thought it would be a great time to chat with WBR’s co-founder, Leah Missbach Day.

World Bicycle Relief, founded in 2005 after the devastating tsunami in Sri Lanka, is one of the most successful charitable organizations in our bicycle world. Its vision – to supply bicycles to help students, health care workers, and small business owners travel to and from their respective destinations – has resulted in , 487,000 bikes delivered and 2.5 positively impacted.

The original Buffalo Bike is about to undergo a new iteration though as WBR ramps up to bring its vision to South America.

After we talk with Leah, we’ll heading out to Des Moines, Iowa to the meet the new ride director for RAGBRAI, Dieter Drake. Dieter has a long history of successful events in his back pocket and is looking forward to taking the reins of the iconic event as it prepares to launch year #48.

And, finally, Pedal Power Promoters’s Christine Acosta caught up with Vision Zero’s Leah Shahum (yes, we have two Leah’s on the show this week!) at the Vision Zero Cities Conference in October. Christine talks with Leah about what Vision Zero is doing, how certain cities are adapting Vision Zero principles with great success, and, the grim facts of what happens when we don’t address the issues of traffic, equity, and public health.

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Show #402 – May 26, 2018

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Encore! Encore!  Enjoy this great show from Memorial Day 2018 and we’ll be back with a brand new episode next week.

We’ve had Elden Nelson on the show in the past; but, now he’s got a new gig and he is THE expert in the field. Elden has completed 20 Leadville 100 mountain bike races and now has a new podcast all about the event – how to train for it, how to finish it, surviving at altitude, what to eat, everything-you-need-to-know.

The podcast launched on Wednesday and I wanted to be the FIRST to cover the news!

Then, after two failed attempts – technical difficulties – I think we nailed the conversation on the third take. Joe Mungo Reed‘s first novel (his first book) is a slam dunk winner! We Begin the Ascent, out June 19th in the States, is a fictional account of a pro rider, his wife, and the cast of characters that make up the team.

The book is riveting – with uncanny insight into the mechanics of a pro team -and lots of twists and turns as the story unfolds. We don’t see a lot of cycling fiction – and this one is a winner!

Finally, as an answer to the requests I received – is an encore presentation of an interview I had with FK Day from SRAM and founder of World Bicycle Relief. It was one of the first interviews I did as The Outspoken Cyclist back in 2010 and, I must say, it’s not bad!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend! Enjoy the show!

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Show #379 – December 16, 2017

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Guests: Leah Missbach Day; Aimee Ross; Patrick Brady

Twas the week before Christmas and there is snow on the ground here in NE Ohio.

But, we’ll bring some conversations to warm the heart as we look at our last “gift giving” show for the season.

My first guest is the co-founder of World Bicycle Relief, Leah Missbach Day. When Leah and her husband F.K. learned of the devastating tsunami in 2005, they flew to Indonesia to see how they could help. Out of that trip, World Bicycle Relief was founded and now, 12 years later, the organization is approaching 400,000 bicycles on the ground and working in a variety of African and Indonesian countries.

Leah gives us some insight into who needs these bicycles and how they help to keep people healthy, educate the young girls and women who receive a bike, and keep businesses thriving.

Then, IMBA‘s director of brand development Aimee Ross tells us about the “Dig In” campaign that is giving 68 mountain bike projects a lifeline in the form of grants and assistance. Aimee takes us back to the beginning of the mountain bike era and propels us forward explaining how IMBA helps facilitate projects all over the U.S. with its local chapters and millions of volunteers hours.

Lastly, Red Kite Prayer’s Patrick Brady gives us his first-hand insight into the fires that have been and are still devastating California. Evacuated from his home for almost two weeks, Patrick tells us about the scores of boxes that have arrived to help local riders who lost everything to the fires as well as what the Sonoma Pride campaign is doing to get peoples’ lives back on track.

If you are ready to write those year-end giving checks, perhaps one of more of these three conversations will help you make up your mind.

Happy holidays from The Outspoken Cyclist! And, here’s to a peaceful, healthy, and happy 2018!

 

 

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Show #364 – September 9, 2017

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Guests: Scott Ogle; Michael O’Brien

It’s the 7th anniversary of The Outspoken Cyclist!  How time flies!!!

First up this week is a conversation with a 6-time Emmy award winning photographer, videographer, producer, and journalist.

Scott Ogle is not only all of that, he is hilarious! He and I discuss his work and some of the wild and whacky things that happen at a pro race like the Tour de France as well as some of his more eclectic ideas about cycling, food, and his lovely little dog Misha.

After our break, we head on out to New Jersey to speak with coach and motivational trainer Michael O’Brien.

I read and review a lot of books about cycling every year; and, this week I read the one we will discuss cover-to-cover in one sitting.

Michael suffered the ultimate – the nightmare that many of us cyclists hope will never happen to us – when we came in contact with an SUV head on while riding his bike in New Mexico in 2001.

Out of that crash, his subsequent months-long recovery, and his struggle to get back on two wheels, came his first book – “Shift“.

In exquisite and simple detail, Michael takes us from the day it happened, through his hospitalizations, surgeries, and rehab to his remarkable recovery.

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Show #301 – June 11, 2016

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Back in February, I spoke with World Bicycle Relief Ambassador Carlos Perea about his remarkable fund raising efforts on behalf of the WBR.

Little did Carlos know that just a few months later, he would be asked to take a trip to Africa with the WBR team to see first-hand how the work he was doing impacted the people who benefit from that work.

Tonight, Carlos and I talk about how he came to be one of the “lucky ones” to go on this tour, what he saw, and how he celebrated his 31st birthday!

After a break and some news, we head on down to Cincinnati to speak with Ohio bicycle lawyer, Steve Magas.

In light of the horrific crash in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Tuesday, June 7th, Steve and I discuss the charges against the driver of the truck that killed five cyclists and seriously injured nine more. Then we look toward the future and what we hope will be a turning point in the cars vs cyclists predicament.

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Show #284 – February 6, 2016

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Guests: VeloVoices; Carlos Perea; Matt McNees

It’s Radiothon week! Won’t you consider making a pledge to help support The Outspoken Cyclist AND WCJU? We ask only once a year and the money is used strictly for the radio station – everything from new equipment to upkeep and programming. It’s the only time we EVER ask for your help and we hope that it is worth your time and a few bucks to help us keep great college station programming on the air.

That said, we have another hour of interesting, fun, and thought-provoking cycling topics this week.

First up we welcome the “voices” behind VeloVoices.com. The wildly popular fan-based site provides up-to-the-minute information through social media, their web site, and twice-monthly podcasts on pro cycling. From coverage of the Tour down Under to the Tour de France, VeloVoices looks at cycling from your perspective. Kathy Hall AKA KittyFondue and Chris Carlson AKA Kiss_my_Panache, the voice of the podcasts, talk with me this evening to tell us more.

Then, we talk with Carlos Perea. From a hand-me-down bike as a kid, Carlos has come full circle to giving back to cycling in conjunction with his company, Yahoo – sending $55,000 in grant money to World Bicycle Relief in 2015 to help with their African Buffalo Bike program. His story is inspiring and heartfelt.

After a break, we head for North Carolina where we talk with professor Matt McNees about his new book, Sport Philosophy Now: The Culture of Sports After The Lance Armstrong Scandal.

Matt’s interest in how sport is perceived in the U.S. and why we have such a reverence for coaches, pro athletes, and the teams that we come to support began at an early age and culminates in the questions he asks and tries to answer in this new study.

Chapters such as: Childhood in Sport, Is Sport Fiction More Real than Sport Fact, and Did Anyone Win” will make you think deeply about whether we are going down the right road as a new era is ushered in with the appointment of Derek Bouchard-Hall at the head of USA Cycling.

So, remember to whip put that wallet, log on to www.wjcu.org, and pledge your support as you listen to your favorite cycling show!

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Show #243 – April 25, 2015

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Guests: Phil Liggett; Leah Missbach Day

Last show in April and it’s a doozy!

Tonight I speak with the person who arguably has the most famous voice of all time in professional cycling.  From his early days as a budding journalist to the announcer of all the European Classics including Paris-Roubaix, Fleche Wallone, Giro D’Italia, our American Amgen Tour of California, and of course the Tour de France, Phil Liggett is a wealth of information and fun as he makes bike racing thrilling for us all.

Phil talks about his love for statistics, what he sees as those things that have changed bike racing irrevocably, and how cycling is again coming around to being a sport we will want to support and watch.  And, because of Phil’s close bond with Africa, we talk of the rise of the MTN Qhubeka team and how he too sees an African on the Podium in Europe in the not-too-distant future.

We wrap up our conversation with his Helping Rhinos campaign (watch the video too!)– which means as much to him as his work as a journalist.  He tells us how we can support the cause, ride with him in several events, and about the efforts being made to protect the few remaining Rhinos from the horrific poaching that is going on in Africa.

We have news of course – including a massive recall from Trek – and then head on to SRAM headquarters in Chicago to talk with Leah Missbach Day about World Bicycle Relief.

WBR celebrates 10 years this month and Leah, who along with her husband FK Day, are the founders of the hugely successful movement to get people who could not otherwise go to school, work, or even bring food and water to their families on the African Buffalo bike. We talk about the very first delivery of bikes right after the devastating Tsunami in 2004 through the Africa Rides trips that you can take.

So, get ready for a great evening of cycling talk as we head over the pond to speak with Phil Liggett!