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Show #487 – January 18, 2020

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Guests: Eve Kofsky & Roger Strauss; Sam Noel; Joy Hancock

Hey – welcome to the show this week. The podcast is running a tad long – BUT, I really was enjoying the interviews and didn’t want to chop them up too much. PLUS, I think the show is interesting and well worth the listen (of course I do!)

First topic is the incredible response that we got from our FB question last week – what material(s) are you riding. There were well over 100 people weighing in and, as expected, lots of carbon and aluminum. A fair amount of steel and, to my surprise, a pretty generous smattering of titanium.

This week’s question – how many bikes do you currently have? This ought to be interesting!

We begin the show this week with Eve Kofsky and Roger Strauss – the long time ride directors of the Georgia Tandem Rally.  The GTR (because isn’t everything an acronym???) is unique in that Eve and Roger have always been the ones to produce the event as opposed to many other tandem rallies that are hosted by different clubs in their respective regions around the U.S.

And, because of their continual involvement and their attention to detail, they see an enormous number of tandem teams return year after year. Eve and Roger will be up momentarily.

Guest #2 this week is about to turn 20 years old. He’s a student at the University of Vermont and was just picked as part of the US U23 World CX team.

What’s truly endearing about Sam Noel is his appreciation for his team, his sponsors, USA Cycling, and the outpouring that came in to help him get to Switzerland at the end of the month to race for the US.

 

 

And, finally, I speak with Joy Hancock, the director of Bike Florida.

For many, many years – in fact for 25 years – I have thought of Bike Florida as a week-long ride around and across the state.

BUT, that’s not the case now. Today, Bike Florida is all about advocacy, tourism, and making Florida a safe, fun, and economically successful place to ride your bike.

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Show #485 – January 4, 2020

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Guests: Dean Yobbi; Kristi Mohn; Brian Jenks (yes… THAT Brian!)

This week, we have three guests for you including an extended conversation with me and my husband Brian about… well all kinds of cycling related stuff.

First up is Dean Yobbi – managing editor of BR&IN . Back on December 19th, Dean published an article titled Park Service disbands e-bike advisory group over secret lobbying concerns” – Secret Lobbying and bike industry didn’t compute for me and so, I wanted to know more.

Then, we head on our to Emporia, Kansas – home of the incredibly popular Dirty Kanza gravel races. Kristi Mohn, who was born and raised in Emporia and returned to work and raise her kids there, is the director of the DK Women’s Bike Camp. The 4-day experience is for any woman who wants to learn, improve, and participate in the wildly popular type of riding now termed GRAVEL.

And, finally, , my husband Brian and I chat about many-things-bike .. from Jan Heine’s component predictions for the coming year to why laterals are no longer being used on tandems. It’s a “discussion as usually occurs in our house” type of chat.

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Show #484 – December 28, 2019

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Guest: Neal Rogers

This week, Cycling Tips.com’s editor-at-large Neal Rogers joins me to talk about the pros year in review, what we might expect in 2020, and tells us about his head-to-head ride with ex-pro Jonathan Vaughters in the Battle of he Mamils – or, as Neal likes to say, “the has been versus the never was.”

Neal has been working in cycling journalism for the past twenty years and has a pretty solid grasp on the sport as well as some interesting thoughts about the future.

I caught up with him just before the Christmas holiday.

You can also follow Neal on Twitter @nealrogers.

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Show #483 – December 21, 2019

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Guests: Patrick Brady; Manuel Tajada; Michelle Duffy; Dennis Markatos-Soriano

This week we have the proverbial smorgasbord of shows! 4 guests whose topics range from California, Spain, to Colorado, and finally to the East Coast!

Usually, when we think about Patrick Brady, we think Red Kite Prayer and road bikes, right?

Well, Patrick is wearing a new cap these days as interim executive director of the California Mountain Bike Coalition. In a state so large with so many different areas in which to ride, there are also a plethora of organizations that manage mountain bike issues. So, now there is CAMBT – And, with a new 501(c) 4 designation, there is a new mission – to improve and increase trail access for mountain biking throughout California by providing a unified statewide voice for organizations and individuals.

And, we’ll find out why Patrick is a great choice to head it up.

Then, we head to Barcelona, Spain to speak with Race Director Manuel Tajada about the Garmin Titan Desert Race. Who knew that upwards of 700 people have been competing through the mountains and dunes of Morocco for a week, followed by an entourage of medical assistance, restaurants, technical support, and a spa-like encampment each night?

About to launch its 15th year, the race will also see 5-time TdF winner Miguel Indurain join the ranks with the hope of finishing!

Then, it’s back to the U.S. to speak with the director of off-road events for Lifetime , Michelle Duffy. In the past year, Lifetime has acquired Crusher in the Tushar, Dirty Kanza, and recently announced the new Big Sugar gravel races as the organization looks to expand its already large offering of other events.

To say that gravel is the thing these days was perfectly illustrated when Big Sugar sold out in 4 minutes of when it was announced.

And, finally – Dennis Markatos-Soriano, executive direction of the East Coast Greenway Alliance brings us up to date on the progress made in 2019 on the 3,000 mile north to south – or, if you prefer, south to north – connectors that make walking and biking safer and more enjoyable.

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Show #482 – December 14, 2019

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Guests: Dan Burden; Caron Whitaker; Tori Fahey

It may not seem as if anything is getting done in Washington besides the impeachment hearings, but in fact, there are Representatives who are doing the work they were elected to do – introduce and pass bills that, hopefully will make our lives better.

HR5231 is one of those bills and this evening, LAB’s Caron Whitaker tells us what it is, why it’s important, and what we can do to push it along in the process. Carol will be with me a bit later in the show.

We’ll take a trip across the pond to chat with Tori Fahey about her company Apidura – Tori left the corporate world, found long distance cycling – I mean LONG distances – and, out of her experiences, she started her company Apidura.

She and her team design ultra light bikepacking equipment and offer up an interactive web site that also helps you find the adventures you want to take.

But first up tonight, we talk with one of the original founders of Adventure Cycling. Dan Burden is 75 now and should be retired, right? Um – no… he has reinvented himself and works with Dan Buettner at Blue Zones as the Director of Innovation and Inspiration. (Which he will translate for us in a minute)

What’s a Blue Zone you ask? A Blue Zone is a non-scientific term given to geographic regions that are home to some of the world’s oldest people – like centenarians – you know, people who live past 100. But, I’ll let him tell you the rest.

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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 #480 – November 30, 2019

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Guests: Rachael Maney; Eben Weiss aka Bike Snob NYC

 

When long distance triathlete Rachael Maney was hit by a car, she found her Bike Law teammate a valued asset in not only helping her with her case; but, also as a trusted friend who helped get her back out on the bike.

Now, Rachael is the National Director for the 26-state network of Bike Law attorneys. She wears a lot of hats in her multiple roles that cover the gamut from advocacy and outreach to public relations and marketing.

We also head to the Big Apple where I catch up with one of the most recognized “voices” in the bicycle world – BikeSnobNYC’s Eben Weiss.

As one of the earliest bloggers on the subject of cycling, Eben’s rapier wit is now heard on the air waves with his weekly call-in show on WBAI 99.5FM in NYC.

He still blogs daily as well as writes regular columns for the NYC Alt-Trans advocacy organization as well as OutsideOnLine

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Show #479 – November 23, 2019

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Guests: Chuck Marohn; Bret Weinstein

 

Chuck Marohn, Mr. Strong Towns, is with me once again to talk about his newest book, A Bottom Up Revolution To Rebuild American Prosperity.

In the past, Chuck and I have discussed some of the projects in which he has been involved to help cities change the way they think about planning with an eye toward sustainability, fiscal prudence, and a way to make our lives more enjoyable.

Now, Chuck looks at complexity and adaptive systems with an eye towards incremental improvements that begin to expand organically instead of big bold plans that lead to a sprawling infrastructure that discourages small business and bankrupts our cities.

We’re at a point in our history where we need to hear the truth and take action.

My second guest is someone I learned about in a podcast about two years ago in a dazzling conversation with Sam Harris.

At the time, Bret Weinstein had been “ousted” as a valued and popular professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington for his objection to a change the college made in their decades old tradition of a “Day of Absence”. What ensued from a letter he wrote turned into chaos.

If you hadn’t heard or read about it, you can find out about what happened on line; but, I reached out to Bret because I had a philosophical issue on which I had been pondering since April when I last had Inga Thompson on the show; and, I believed Bret would have a well reasoned and deep understanding of the issue.

Fraught with deep visceral and often beyond contentious upset – the question is whether transgender athletes should compete with cisgender athletes – especially at the elite level.

It all came to a head for me when Rachael McKinnon crushed the field at the UCI World Track Championships and subsequently tried to also crush any dissent that she should be treated the same way in sport as she is in life.

But, the nagging question that I couldn’t shake was, is it fair?

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Show #478 – November 16, 2019

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Guests: Will McGough; Jen Dial Santoro

This week, the cycling world lost Raymond Poulidor. M. Poulidor was a true champion whom, although never riding into Paris wearing the yellow jersey, stood on the podium at the Tour de France in second place three times and third place five times!

He rode his entire career for the Mercier team, chasing his two big rivals – Jaques Anqutiel and Eddy Merckxx – fierce competitors for sure. He did win the 1964 Vuelta a Espana!
Raymond Poulidor, who was 83 when we passed away this week, was revered by the French people. RIP sir!

My first guest is a travel writer who decided to take on an Ironman triathlon – for literary sake. Will McGough‘s new book, “Swim, Bike, Bonk: Confessions of a Reluctant Triathlete”, is an account of his foray into what it takes to do such a thing – digging into the psyche of those who are beyond passionate to the point of obsession with pursuit of the achievement that is the “mother of all endurance events.”

 

 

This week begins the first of our holiday gift segments. My guest, Jen Dial Santoro, is a Cleveland native (well, she’d say Lakewood – which is a ring suburb on the west side of Cleveland) now living in Utah. She worked in a bike shop for 10 years, successfully raced mountain and cyclocross, and currently skiis, rides her e-assist “bucket bike” with her two kids, and writes for a variety of publications. What’s really cool is that everything she’s going to talk about today lives in her house with her. She’ll be with me in the second half of the show.

(tags: Voile Ski straps; Kustom Kaps; Kitsbo Bad Ombre Socks; Toko Winter Riding Glove; Campagnolo Cork Screw; Madsen Bucket Bike)