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Show #436 – January 19, 2019

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Guests: Joan Hanscom; Chris VandenBossche; Frank Moritz

Hunkering down in the “big storm”?  Well, curl up with your favorite adult beverage for this week’s podcast!

Joan Hanscom has a long and storied history in the world and work of cycling – and her passion is bike racing as a planner, not a participant.

As she moved through her career, she kept coming back to her time with the Philadelphia Classic races back in the 80’s and the excitement of watching them unfold.

Fast-forwarding to today, Joan is the new Executive Director of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center – although most people will recognize the name T-Town – and her hopes and visions for this iconic track will become abundantly clear in our conversation

Now entering its 45th year, the Amishland & Lakes Bicycle Tour is a weekend of beautiful roads, great food, and great support. Ride Director Chris VandenBossche and I talk all about it when he joins me a bit later in the show.

Taking the Adventure Cycling’s TransAm Cross Country 93 day ride and cutting out 14 days with the Eastern Express route, not only shortens the time, but makes the ride much more palatable to a wider range of riders.

Frank Moritz is the creator of the new route and explains how and why he devoted almost two years to developing it.

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Show #435 – January 12, 2019

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Guests: Professor Richard Alley; Professor Roger Gilles

This week, I have two fascinating stories told by two Professors.

While we talk about cycling pretty much exclusively on the show we’re taking an end run around cycling with my first guest and talking about something I believe you will find interesting and important.

Dr. Richard Alley is the Evan Pugh Professor at Penn State. His field is geosciences and our conversation is about the climate – his particular specialty.

More specifically, he is really interested in and both studies and teaches about abrupt climate change and sea level change.

He makes a compelling case for not only what IS happening but what can be done to slow down the inevitable. He’s fun, articulate, and might just make you want to go back to school!

(As an aside: Dr. Alley did a 6-part Prime Time PBS series titled – “Earth – The Operator’s Manual”

Then, we’ll be hearing from Dr. Roger Gilles. Professor Gilles. He teaches writing at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.

Until his wife found an old postcard taped to a wall in a rest room, Dr. Gilles had little interest in cycling per se. BUT, his wife authors children’s books and this postcard showed Tillie Anderson, a woman back in the late 1800’s who was a famous 6-day bicycle racer.

As one strange thing led to another, Roger’s wife found she had way too much material for a children’s book. And so, it fell to Roger to take the project and run with it.

The result? A fascinating look into the world of women racing bicycles in the late 19th Century – “Women on the Move- The Forgotten Era of Women’s Bicycle Racing.”

 

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Show #434 – January 5, 2019

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Guests: Sgt. Mark Green; Tony Pereira

When now retired Army National Guard Sergeant Mark Green was injured while on deployment, he found himself unable to walk and had developed a stutter in his speech.

While in rehab, he began riding a recumbent, but found that he couldn’t really pedal. So, Hope for the Warriors reached out to him and in November, presented him with a hand cycle.

The bike, made by Top End, has changed his life and we talk about his story.

After our break, we head on out to Portland, Oregon to speak with frame builder Tony Pereira.

Tony is one of those guys who was born with the bicycle gene as we like to say on the show. His company, Breadwinner Cycles, consists of him and his partner Ira Ryan. Both were building bikes under their own names when Rapha came to call and changed the course of their work.

Last year, they added the Breadwinner Cafe to the building and now you can sip an espresso, have a beer, and watch the process.

 

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Show #433 – December 29, 2018

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It’s our last show of 2018~  Happy New Year Everyone!

This evening, we talk with the president of the PBMA – James Stanfill.

Over the many years of being in the bicycle business, there have been several attempts at giving bicycle mechanics some sort of certification as well as offering a forum for advice, information, and education.

The PBMA was formed for exactly these reasons and more. As bicycle shops dwindle in numbers and on line retailers take a larger and larger chunk of the bicycle market, the opportunity for bicycle mechanics who do not own their own shops will continue to diminish.

And, while many enthusiasts are able to work on their own bikes. others are not as confident or competent to be their own mechanics.

It’s a conundrum!  We’ll speak with James in a moment.

After  a break, we will wrap-up 2018 with our man-in-the-know Dan Wuori.  From the controversy over Chris Froome and the decision by Team Sky to end their sponsorship at the end of 2019 to the 2018 Wuori’s Awards in Velo News, we will cover the topics that made headlines for 2018.

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Show #432 – December 22, 2018

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As Florida prepares to pass a bill that will not only ban texting and driving, but also forbids even touching the screen or holding the phone, two more cyclists were hit and killed by motorists.

One step forward and two steps back!

Matt Austin is the evening news anchor at WKMG – Channel 6 in Orlando, Florida and he is a BIG proponent of any and all distracted driving regulations that will crack down on the dangerous habit.

Matt has a chilling story to tell and explains why he and his television station have gotten solidly behind the upcoming legislation. Will it pass? He’s my first guest on the show this week.

Then we revisit Drew Guldalian, owner of Engin Cycles and the Wissahickon retail store in Philadelphia.

Last week, when we spoke with Jim Kersten from CABDA, I got a sense of hope and inspiration for a resurgence of the IBD. This week, Drew has quite a different tale to tell.

We also talk about what direction he’s heading and about the bike he, along with Rody Walter from Groovy Cycleworks, built up for the iconic titanium master Gary Helfrich.

Lastly, we finally get to have our chat with tandem couple Tracy and Peter Flucke.

As a stoker myself, I always find other tandem adventurers stories really interesting; and this one is definitely that – and more.

Riding together for well over 20 years, they’ve already made 3 long-distance trips. Their 2014 book, Coast to Coast on a Tandem, details that first cross country trip in a he says-she says day-by-day entry from their on the road diaries

We chat about all kinds of things including what they’ve learned from those tandem trips, about riding long distances, and about each other

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Show #431 – December 15, 2018

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Guests: Kate Koch; Jim Kersten; Tom Howard

When Kate Koch decided to adopt her first child out of the Columbus, Ohio foster care system in 2008, little did she know that an innocent question for her caseworker – “what kinds of gifts can we give to foster kids” – would lead to an amazing project.

Armed with $1,000 and a wish to bring bicycles to kids who might never otherwise have a chance to own a bike, her Bike Lady organization has expanded and grown beyond her wildest dreams. It’s a really “feel good” story for the holidays.

Then, after the news of Emerald Expositions shutting down the 36 year old industry trade show Interbike, I decided to chat with someone whose small, regional efforts are quickly filling in the space that might otherwise have left a gaping hole in the industry.

Jim Kersten is the president of CABDA (The Chicago Area Bicycle Dealer’s Association) and the director of both CABDA midwest and now, CABDA west! His perspectives on the dealer, the business, and how HIS trade shows work is quite refreshing!

Finally, there is a new trail on the horizon! The Birthplace of America Trail is about to break ground in Virginia and will eventually travel 42 miles to the Atlantic at Virginia Beach. Along the way, it will pass through some beautiful small towns and connect with the Virginia Capital Trail, already seeing more than 1M cyclists per year.

Tom Howard is the chairman of the Tidewater Trails Alliance and the spokesperson for the project.

 

 

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Show #430 – December 8, 2018

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Guests: Jacob VanSickle; Stephen Swift; Joe Roggenbuck

This week, we can congratulate ourselves for taking action and getting the AV Start Act language changed before the bill comes up before the Senate. Your calls and letters made a difference!

Then, we say a brief. sad goodbye to one of the most famous voices in our sport, Paul Sherwen. His untimely death at the age of 62 will leave an enormous gap in our enjoyment of the Tour de France in July.

Then, we welcome back Bike Cleveland‘s Executive Director, Jacob VanSickle. Last month, the advocacy organization presented a one-day Strategic Summit to re-cap where the organization is, what it has accomplished since its inception in 2011, and where it’s going… all of which is pretty impressive.

We speak with Stephen Swift who is about to wrap-up a 6 years, 26,000 mile journey that has helped him recover from unbearable loss and gives him hope for the future. He’s been both helped and harmed along the way; and, his forthright and honest description of life on the road tells a story unlike any we’ve heard in the past.

Our final guest this week is Joe Roggenbuck from Cobra Frames in Syracuse, NY. He’s a frame builder, a tool maker, and a very refreshing young man who sees his craft from the eyes of a 28 year old but with the wisdom of someone so much older.

 

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Show #429 – December 1, 2018

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Guests: Caron Whitaker; Luke Humphreys, Simon Firth

URGENT REQUEST FROM THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS!

My first guest is Caron Whitaker, VP for Government Relations with the LAB. She is asking that we take action if we are interested in seeing a bill that is currently before the Senate coming up for a vote in it’s current form from being passed.

The AV Start Act, will give manufacturers of autonomous vehicles a ton of leeway in setting safety standards as the bill is currently worded. The LAB is requesting that we call – which is preferable over email – our Senators.

Then, I talk with the new CEO of Pacenti Cycle Design. Luke Humphreys is a long-time bicycle industry guy and recently took over the reigns of Pacenti with some very specific goals for the company. One of them is to bring customers up-to-date with current product and has instituted a “rim amnesty” that will do just that.

Last, and absolutely NOT least, is an extended and delightful conversation with Simon Firth – one of the proprietors of Firth & Wilson Transport Cycles in Philadelphia. Pa.

Originally hailing from England, Simon came over to the States for a vacation and stayed! He’s been involved in the bicycle industry for a very long time, spending over 15 years with Bilenky Cycle Works for example.

Simon and his wife Victoria, along with partner David Wilson opened Firth & Wilson Transport Cycles a couple of years ago and Simon and I talk about his history, the shops, and of course his dog Archie!

 

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Show #428 – November 24, 2018

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Guests: Kristin Wentworth; Katie Jordan, Marty Jemison

With the gift-giving season just a few short weeks away, we continue our quest for cycling related products, services, and other ideas.

This week, I talk a bit about stocking stuffers with Kristin Wentworth from Planet Bike. We’ll talk about lights, bells, and some cold weather gear. And, while the company itself is pretty small, it does some big things when it comes to charity – we’ll discuss that too.

After our chat with Kristin, we talk about one of the most iconic and enduring events on the east coast – the Assault on Mt. Mitchell. Ride director Katie Jordan joins me to give us some history on the ride, why you can’t ride DOWN the mountain after you climb it, and what alternative is available if you aren’t up for the 7500’+ elevation of the mountain and the 102 miles it takes to get to the top.

Finally, I catch up with Marty Jemison. I’ve been following Marty’s beautiful photographs from all over the globe over the past few months and wanted to know more about his company Jemison Cycling Tours.

Marty’s long history with cycling, including racing in Europe after college, led to his desire to offer tours that are tailored around the clients who book them.