Tag: World Bicycle Relief

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Show #230 – January 24, 2015

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Guests: Elden (The Fat Cyclist) Nelson; Don (Mr. NAHBS) Walker

We’re getting into that time of winter where we long for sunny skies, warm temperatures, and green! So, probably one of the best ways to forget the winter doldrums is to laugh – at it, about it, or just find some funny stuff.

And, this week we did indeed find humor. Back at the beginning of the month, we spoke with commentator and journalist Dan Wuori. During our conversation, Dan mentioned that he had participated in the forward of a new book by the “fat cyclist” and I said… “Who’s that?”

Well, this evening, we get to talk with the “fat cyclist hisself”… Elden Nelson isn’t fat and he IS a cyclist. In fact, he’s an avid cyclist having completed 17 of the 18 Leadville 100 events he’s entered (there’s good reason he was DNF on the 18th!)

Elden writes the irreverent and mostly outrageously funny blog fatcyclist.com. His new book, “The Great Fatsby – Absurd Cycling Stories Disguised as Expertise and Insight” is a compendium of his blog from 2007 through 2010 and in it he adds many of the incredibly funny comments that were left after each entry.

But Elden isn’t just a humor monger – he’s the real deal and has raised millions of dollars for charities near and dear to his heart including Livestrong (yes, he believes in the organization and what it does), World Bicycle Relief, and the Kesem Camps (just listen and you’ll learn about them).

Then, after our break and some news, we hustle off to Louisville for the skinny on this year’s NAHBS show with founder and owner Don Walker. Oh yeah – NAHBS #11 is only 6 weeks away and Don gives us some excellent reasons to head over to the show and to the city of Louisville for some great cycling culture.

So, get your ears on and let’s listen in to my conversation with Elden Nelson – MR. Fat Cyclist.

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Show #223 – December 6, 2014

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Guests: Our Bicycle Donation Opportunity Show includes: World Bicycle Relief, Trips for Kids, People for Bikes, and Tours de Cure

As many of us here in the U.S. know, the past week was one of “specialty days”. We experienced Black Friday (which evidently was a bit anemic), Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday.

Not to be left out – we are prepared to throw our handlebars into the ring and offer up a few ideas for charitable giving to bicycle non-profits.

So, this week, we present Bicycle Donation Opportunities. We will be speaking with four different people from four different bicycle non-profits; and, after asking them each the same set of four questions perhaps one of these organizations will “pull at your heartstrings” as you write your “checks for charity” this year.

Our first guest is Ruth-Ann Renaud director of global marketing for World Bicycle Relief. Ruth-Ann just returned from Zambia and is ready to share the work of WBR, including their amazing milestone for 2014, with you.

Our second conversation is with Marilyn Price. Marilyn is the founder and executive director of Trips for Kids, since its inception in 1988 has “opened the world of cycling in the United States, Canada, Israel and Sierra Leone, to over 127,000 at-risk youth. We’ll learn more about the organization, it’s earn a bike program, and how to support one or more of the over 80 chapters operating today.

After 4 ½ years, “People for Bikes” has reached its initial goal of 1,000,000 signatures to the Pledge! So, of course we wanted to include the organization in our “Bicycle Donation Opportunities” show. We speak with Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, Kate Powlison to hear about all the projects that are in progress or coming up for 2015. PFB has made some significant changes in the past year or so and has taken on a lot of the important work in moving cycling forward here in the U.S.

And finally, we are going to talk with the Nicole Preston, National Director for the Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure rides. We have talked about the rising incidence of diabetes and how cycling can help to alleviate some symptoms as well as keep more severe problems at bay. Nicole will give us an update on the events for 2015 and how you can get involved if you wish.

Lastly, we will hear the second part of my interview with Inga Thompson from last week.

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Show #197 – June 7, 2014

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Guests: NJ Walk & Bike Coalition Executive Director Cyndi Steiner; 6-time National Cyclocross Champion Tim Johnson

Two weeks in a row – Tim has another shout-out for a downed cyclist friend. So – we’re hoping we won’t need to have a third!

After our short commentary on the Maple Highlands Trail, which is right here in NE Ohio, we head on out to Montclair, New Jersey to speak with Cyndi Steiner. Cyndi is the Executive Director of the NJ Walk & Bike Coaltion. From getting the Port Authority of NY to stop before removing all access for bicyclists and pedestrians from the George Washington Bridge to working with World Bicycle Relief in Zambia, seeing first-hand what a bicycle can do for someone who might otherwise remain in abject poverty, Cyndi gets it DONE – with a capital D.

We then head on up to Quebec to speak with 6-time National CycloCross Champion Tim Johnson. Modest, smart, and without a doubt one of the “good guys” in our vast sport of cycling, Tim made the connection between pro cycling and advocacy at the 2010 National Bike Summit and found a new way to promote not just his sponsors and his sport, but the basic connection between the bicycle and those who ride at all levels.

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Show #195 – May 25, 2014

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Flying solo this week! And, I’ve got a jam-packed show for you.

We start out with our friend Charles Pelkey – The Live Update Guy (AKA “LUG”) – as he’s blogging and covering the Giro D’Italia. In what was a clear upset, Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), snatched the lead from Cadel Evans in last Thursday’s only time trial of the 3-week event. Charles thinks there is still a lot left in the last week of the Giro with all the mountain stages still to come.

We’ll speak with Kate Powlison from People for Bikes, who gives us some information about “United for Bikes”. a special month-long initiative from PFB and World Bicycle Relief for National Bike Month. In addition to raising funds for both organizations, a generous anonymous donor has pledged another $10,000 in matching funds over the next few days!

We’ll hustle on down to my hometown, Cincinnati to speak with Ohio Bicycle Federation board member and “the Ohio Bike Lawyer” Steve Magas.  Steve will fill us in on an upcoming State House Bill 145 – AKA “The 3 foot bill” – which is running into opposition but perhaps not for the reasons you might originally think.

After a short break, I’ll speak with endurance athlete and former junkie (yep, you heard that right!) Shane Niemeyer. He unfurls his no-holds-barred, raw, and unfiltered story in his just released book “The Hurt Artist – My Journey from Suicidal Junkie to Ironman” (by St. Martin’s Press). This is one of the best books I’ve read this year AND it is quite the page turner.