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Show #519 – September 12, 2020

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Guests: Dan Rice; Andrew “Bernie” Bernstein

Sometimes our best stories and resources are found right in our own backyard… and, for those of you who know and frequent the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath, you know what I mean. For those who don’t, you’re in for a treat.

The Ohio & Erie Canalway is a National Heritage Area designated by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and celebrate the rails, trails, landscapes, towns and sites that grew up along the first 110 miles of the canal that helped America and our nation grow. Annually, more than 2.5 million Americans find their way to the iconic 87-mile Towpath Trail running through the heart of the Canalway.

Today, I speak with Dan Rice, the President and CEO of the Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition. We chat about the history of the Ohio & Erie Canal, how the Canalway is coping with the pandemic, and when our beautiful Scenic Railroad will once again being chugging along between Cleveland and Akron.


{photo courtesy of Gloria Liu)

My second guest is a survivor of the worst kind of crash – the one we all hope we never, ever have to experience.

Last July, Andrew “Bernie” Bernstein was on his way home from the Boulder Valley Velodrome when he was hit by a cargo van, thrown into a ditch, and left to die.

He was found by someone who, interestingly enough, had also been hit in the past and who stayed with him until he could be transported to what would be one of several hospitals as his long and arduous recovery would begin.

Now, over a year later, Bernie is still in physical therapy 6-8 times a week. The extent of the damage to his body was unimaginable to most of us.

And yet, that is NOT what Bernie, as he is known my most everyone, wants to talk about today – it’s about safe driving and what he wants you to know, hear, and heed.

As an addendum, Bernie Bernstein was actually just featured in the Washington Post on September 4th, in an article about how people are coping with pain and rehabilitation during the pandemic without the in-person contact one usually receives. It was sort of serendipitous that this article came out the same week he and I spoke.

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Show #518 – September 5, 2020

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Guests: Bill Sepe & Ron Brubaker; Alex Strickland; Craig Calfee

We have three outstanding guests this evening and we cover three very diverse topics.

I am always interested in new trails to explore – especially when they are right in our own backyard!

My first guests live in Hudson, Ohio, are both retired from their respective jobs, and have joined forces to help establish TASCForce – Trail Advocates of Summit County. Bill Sepe and Ron Brubaker have made it their mission to not only help promote trails in the area but are especially interested in developing a 12.5 mile trail from Hudson, Ohio to Akron – an area that is not too far from where we are in Cleveland.

9 times a year, editor-in-chief Alex Strickland from Adventure Cycling Assn. publishes Adventure Cyclist Magazine, one of the preeminent magazines in the bicycle world. From the stories that come in from all over the world to great product reviews, it’s always a great read. But, ACA is also well-known for its maps, guided tours, and events.

However, COVID being what it is – the ultimate in killing all the fun – ACA has had to make some hard decisions – cancelling guided tours, not allowing folks into the Missoula facility, and pretty much keeping the staff at a minimum. BUT, that doesn’t mean good things aren’t happening either.

Craig Calfee, owner and founder of Calfee Design, is arguably the Daddy of Carbon Fiber and always an entertaining and enlightening guest.

What I always find so interesting and endearing about Craig is his unabashed willingness to share what he does – for example, offering his DIY bamboo bicycle kit AND getting ready to upgrade it so more people can make more bikes – for others as well as themselves.

And, Craig always has some really interesting – if not unusual – projects on the drawing board – like his work with electric motorcycles. And, he’s also thinking about how to reach out to us when events such as NAHBS or the Philly Bike Expo have been cancelled for 2020.

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Show #517 – August 29, 2020

Guests: John Stamstad; Steve Maxwell & Spencer Martin; book review with Gary Mikitin

We have two great guests today as well as a splendid book review of Dr. Stephen Fabes, Signs of Life.

My first guest is a mountain bike hall of famer, he holds long-distance records, and recently an Amazon Prime video –Into the Divide – was released commemorating his ride from Canada to Mexico 21 years ago. Billed as Man vs man, man vs nature, and man vs self,  rode the 2465 mile bike trail – because he loves pushing the extremes.

In fact, If it’s the longest, the most arduous, and, the most challenging – John Stamstad either has done it or wants to do it! And, with humility! He just doesn’t see how remarkable his feats of distance really are!

Once again, we check in with our friends at The Outer Line – Steve Maxwell and Spencer Martin. 

In this new era of COVID and with a compressed and shortened racing season underway, we discuss whether the riders need a union, what sponsors are feeling and doing, and what might bring new life to bike racing – especially in the U.S.

Finally, Gary Mikitin is back with his review of emergency physician, Dr. Stepehn Fabes’, new book, Signs of Life. Dr. Fabes travelled more than 53,000 miles, crossing 102 international borders by bicycle discovering how societies treat their most vulnerable in a thought provoking and witty medical odyssey.

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Show #516 – August 22, 2020

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Guests: Dr. John Loehner; David Goodrich

(Photo of Dr. Loehner courtesy of Demetrius A. Freeman)

We begin in The Bronx. Dr. John Loehner is an internist and the medical director of the Montefiore Medical Center Moses Campus in the Bronx. It’s a huge teaching facility and it was literally on the front lines of the pandemic, having almost every one of the 700 beds + most of the ICU occupied by COVID patients at the height of NY’s outbreak.

It isn’t too often that you meet someone who absolutely knows what he or she is going to be “when they grow up.” But, John Loehner started out as a pro bicycle racer knowing that, at the end of his racing career, medicine would be his next passion.

I discovered John through an article he wrote for Bicycling this month – “I’m A Frontline COVID Doctor: My Daily Rides Keep Me Sane,” and I tracked him down for a delightful and informative conversation.

Guest #2 this week is not new to The Outspoken Cyclist; but, it’s been a while since we spoke with him – in fact, it was June, 2017 when his first book, A Hole In the Wind, was published.

Not being a geologist or a climatologist, not even playing one on TV, little did I know that millions of years ago, there was an ocean in North America – or should I say, what we now know as North America. And, from that ocean comes oil – lots of it – and in more than one variety.

David Goodrich is the former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate and Observations and Monitoring Program and served at the Director of the UN Global Observing System in Geneva, Switzerland.

Now, the retired climatologist offers up a new book – A Voyage Across an Ancient Ocean – traveling again by bicycle through the northern dominion of oil – from the tar sands of Canada to the Bakken oil formation in North Dakota.

It’s an incredible view of how oil – both boom and bust – has been and still is such a huge industry in the U.S.

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Show #515 – August 15, 2020

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Guests: Gabe Klein; Lucas Snaije

First, I’d like to congratulate my friend Jenn Dice. She recently took over the helm of People for Bikes as Tim Blumenthal retired after 16 years! Jenn, who was the COO is now President and CEO and hit the ground running and draws on her many years not only at PFB but as the fearless leader of IMBA before that. Nice to see another woman at the helm of a big bicycle organization!

Our show this week comes to you from Washington, DC and Amsterdam, Holland.

Gabe Klein, is a partner at Cityfi, an organization that facilitates and helps create positive, sustainable change for people and the economy – fast He is also the former commissioner of the Chicago and Washington DC departments of transportation.

Cognizant of so much of what is happening – from the effects of shutting down in the pandemic to what he thought the future would be in 2030 – much of what has suddenly transpired because of the pandemic – Gabe has thoughtful, interesting, and actionable ideas for all of us.

After our conversation with Gabe, we head to Amsterdam to speak with Lucas Snaije. Lucas is the communications and community manager for BYCS an Amsterdam-based social enterprise driven by the belief that bicycles transform cities and cities transform the world.

Last week, when we spoke with Matt Pinder up in Toronto, he mentioned the Bicycle Mayor program from BYCS and me, wanting to know more, contacted them.

Lucas and I dive into that program along with some of the other work the organization does.

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Show #514 – August 8, 2020

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Guests: Matt Pinder, Larry Silver, Lucy Diaz

We have a rather nice variety of topics and guests this evening, so let’s get right to it.

With the perhaps self-imposed mandate – depending upon where you live of course – of staying home or going for a solo ride, maybe you’ve run out of good television to watch or books to read – hmmm – highly unlikely; but, you’ll get my point.

How about a good story? Or, how about an hour of good stories? Akin to the “Moth Radio Hour” format, comes Bike Minds.

Back in May, we spoke with Matt Pinder up in Toronto. He’s the guy who writes the Beyond the Automobile blog and is a Senior Designer at Alta Planning. Welll – he has another gig and you are invited to the party.

Next week, you can tune in to his first virtual edition of Bike Minds Bikes + Fate – a storytelling event featuring positive and inspiring stories related to cycling. In this episode, there will be several stories from folks all across Canada.

Then, we meet a “colleague”: of mine – Larry Silver. So, I actually just “met” him in a virtual meeting of the East Coast Greenway advisory board. Larry lives in Philadelphia but he’s from Cleveland. I’m from Philadelphia and I live in Cleveland. Coincidence? I think not! But, that’s not important anyway. He’s the Chairman of the ECG Board and has a long history of bicycling, environmental causes, and he’s a practicing attorney.

Finally, we head to Colorado to chat with Lucy Diaz. She’s the CEO of RPM Events which run the Colorado Classic. With heavy heart, she pulled the plug on the event this year; but, in an incredibly magnanimous gesture, she’s made the Covid 19 Mitigation Plan, which covers A-Z when it comes to being able to run a live event in the “time of Covid.” available to anyone who might want to read it, study it, take the enormous amount of work that went into it, and make it their own.

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Show #513 – August 1, 2020

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Guests: Roff Smith; Noa Banayan; Sarah Timleck & Madison Giger

 

(Photo Courtesy of Roff Smith – “Ground Mist Sunrise”)

As we continue to see Covid19 taking over our lives – in so many ways – we also are seeing events, companies, and people who want to carry on with some semblance of normality come up with some innovative and imaginative ideas.

Take my first guest this evening. Roff Smith is an award winning photographer and writer who has worked with National Geographic for many, many years. This year, he’s pretty much grounded and so, has come up with a fabulously creative way to use his bicycle to tell his photographic story.

After we speak with Roff, we head to Minnesota where PFB‘s Noa Banayan, the Federal Affair’s Manager is sheltering in place while still attending to her work – mostly out of D.C.

Noa shares some great news – which we can all use these days – about the always in-process transportation bill, a new report from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and an upgraded commuter reimbursement deal for cyclists.

Finally, I check in with Madison Giger and Sarah Timleck, two of my Sea Otter peeps, to talk about the new platform that the organization has put together for 2020. With the cancellation of so many events, and Sea Otter being the place that is often used to launch new product, the people behind the scenes have been working to put together a smashing new idea – Sea Otter Play; and, we’re going to tell you all about it.

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Show #512 – July 25, 2020

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Guest: Dave Wiens – Executive Director of IMBA

You know, it’s not too often that we talk about mountain bikes, mountain biking, or even speak with a mountain bike legend.

Today, we thoroughly cover two of the three.

Dave Wiens is a 6-time consecutive winner of the Leadville 100,  besting both Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis. He’s a mountain bike hall of famer.

He developed the mountain sports program at Western Colorado University and is one of the movers and shakers of the Gunnison Trails network.

And, if that isn’t enough, he’s the executive director of IMBA – the International Mountain Biking Association.

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Show #511 – July 18, 2020

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Guests: Rachel Osias; Ed Ewing

Regardless of how you feel about your status in the world, certain truths keep bubbling up that will not and should not be brushed under the rug – not any more.

If there is an “end game” with movements such as BLM and systemic racism and intrinsic bias, it would be that the conversation becomes moot – unimportant – not even a conversation because no one would think in those terms that make people other rather than the same – equal.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the distinct honor to talk with people like Reginald “Doc” Wilson about giving black business owners some love and exposure – taking cyclists on a bi-weekly journey through Seattle with the Peace Peloton.

Today, I add two more voices to the conversation as we delve into the Major Taylor Project at the Cascade Bicycle Club – also in the Pacific NW area of Seattle and Tacoma – with education director Rachel Osias. The Cascade Bicycle Club is a 50 year old organization with a huge community reach. From their famous yearly STP (Seattle to Portland) event to their community education programs, classes, and advocacy, the club has a mission of improving lives through bicycling with a vision of bicycling for all.

Then, we meet Ed Ewing who is the originator of the Major Taylor Project to hear his story – from being a young black man rolling up to the start line at races in Minneapolis in a sea of white faces – to his recurring roles in advocating for diversity, inclusion, and equity, moving from Cascade into a seat at the table with USA Cycling and more.

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Show #510 – July 11, 2020

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Guest: Tyler Hamilton

You know how people always said that Seinfeld was about nothing – and yet, you always got something out of it – even if it was just a good belly laugh?

Well, my conversation with one of my all-time heroes (although he didn’t know that going in…) was just like that.

Tyler Hamilton and I sat down to chat about – well, nothing and everything – kind of whatever came up. Even though I had a general idea of what I wanted to ask him, the conversation just sort of unfolded in a super organic way.

While he claims – as he says – to have been a little bit shy as a kid – and, he liked to let his skills do the talking – he doesn’t shy away from his past and is quite frank about the choices he made.

If you haven’t read it, Tyler, along with author Dan Coyle, wrote The Secret Race, a GREAT book that delves deeply into that era of cycling that brought down riders like Tyler, Lance, and more. I highly recommend it.

So, let’s dive right in as we head to Missoula, MT to chat with Tyler Hamilton.