Show #629 – May 2, 2023

Guest: Sheila Moon

My guest today cannot be easily defined and certainly never pigeon-holed.

In a life of many pursuits, most of which she has mastered, Sheila Moon can only be described as a Renaissance Woman.

From sewing her own doll clothes at age five to designing her own successful line of women’s cycling apparel to her current passion –  being the savior of dogs and puppies in her adopted home of Todos Santos California Baja Sur in Mexico – Sheila embodies both creativity of fortitude.

Sheila and I met many years ago at Interbike, the bicycle trade show.  Then, you couldn’t even begin to get into her booth without an appointment.  And her collections were coveted by hundreds of shops around the country and abroad.

But that was then, and this is now, and Sheila has weathered a lot of storms over the years.  I wanted to hear her story in her own words and now, I’m very pleased to be able to share them with you.

You can read her posts at sheilamoon.com, adopt an adorable puppy at Mama Luna’s Puppy Rescue and follow her on social media.

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Show #628 – April 18, 2023

Guests: Wayne Stetina; Jacob Van Sickle

As promised the last time we spoke with him, Wayne Stetina, SRAM’s senior field guide, is back to school us on the new SRAM Eagle Transmission system.  In fact, you might want to take some notes.

From learning about cassette mapping to the simple installation of the chain, Wayne gives us the details in a clear and precise manner.

The result though is in the riding and according to Wayne, the harder you pedal this new system, the easier it shifts.

I really appreciate Wayne’s thoroughness in explaining the new system.  For more information about SRAM’s new Eagle Transmission you can log on to SRAM.com OR… better still, go to your LBS and ask to try one!    


 

In the second half of the show, we welcome back Bike Cleveland’s executive director, Jacob Van Sickle.

Fresh from the National Bike Summit, Jacob fills us in on this year’s legislative asks including the tax credit for eBikes, and catches us up on what has and is about to happen in NE Ohio to improve biking and walking.

When I think back – decades really – to when I first heard about the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath project, it barely registered because it seemed so far away.  Yet, here we are! The Towpath project is finished – all the way into downtown Cleveland.

This podcast is dropping just before the April 22nd Celebrate Trails Day community bike ride with Cleveland’s Mayor Justin Bibb and County Executive, Chris Ronayne.  You can join them on Saturday at Merwyn’s in the Flats for a fun afternoon – and you can let them know what YOU want to see for better and safer biking and walking in NE Ohio.

Show #627 – April 6, 2023

Guest: James Hamilton Hibbard

James Hibbard had a shot at being one of the top track and crit riders of his era, except, he wasn’t willing to take that one last step – he wasn’t willing to add a doping regimen to his training.

But that’s only one part of the conversation I had with James about his new book, The Art of Cycling, Philosophy, Meaning, and A Life on Two Wheels.

James is a philosopher – both in education as his major in college, and in the way he views life, sport, and especially how we behave and think.

He uses cycling as a means to shed light on his beliefs of where we as a society are today.  He see us living in a detached disconnected virtual world – and he gives us insight into what living in a world where a tangible pursuit – such as cycling – might give us a new vitality by re-engaging with the world around us.

His new book, The Art of Cycling, Philosophy, Meaning, and A Life on Two Wheels, is available for pre-order right now.  Publication date is May 2nd, and you can order from any of the usual places.

 

 

 

Guest: James Hamilton Hibbard

James Hibbard had a shot at being one of the top track and crit riders of his era, except, he wasn’t willing to take that one last step – he wasn’t willing to add a doping regimen to his training.

But that’s only one part of the conversation I had with James about his new book, The Art of Cycling, Philosophy, Meaning, and A Life on Two Wheels.

James is a philosopher – both in education as his major in college, and in the way he views life, sport, and especially how we behave and think.

He uses cycling as a means to shed light on his beliefs of where we as a society are today.  He see us living in a detached disconnected virtual world – and he gives us insight into what living in a world where a tangible pursuit – such as cycling – might give us a new vitality by re-engaging with the world around us.

His new book, The Art of Cycling, Philosophy, Meaning, and A Life on Two Wheels, is available for pre-order right now.  Publication date is May 2nd, and you can order from any of the usual places.

 

 

 

Show #626 – March 27, 2023

Guests: John Surcio; Paul Tolme

My first guest is no stranger to TOC.  A couple of times a year, at least, I ask journalist and NYU professor, John Surico to join me and catch us up on what is happening in NYC.

The reason I look to him and to NY is that he’s got his ear to the ground on everything from climate and sustainability to walking, biking, and advocacy plus a lot more. I like the way he thinks and especially what he talks about on his substack pages, Streetbeat.

In our conversation, I ask him what his students might be thinking about the field of journalism as the editorial and reporting landscapes continue to shift and morph – with fewer print papers and magazines, more controversial news outlets, so much misinformation, and the need for focus on relevant problems – like climate, cities, sustainability, and more. We talk about “super sidewalks” in our conversation; here is a link to the video that explains it.

John just completed a year working with the Central Park Conservancy to help explore how to keep the iconic park healthy and relevant while studying the park to see what climate change is doing to the trees, grass, and general environment.  He talks about two of the programs he worked on and how they might impact the park going forward. His insights and observations always give me food for thought as I look at the issues facing NYC and how we mirror them across the country.

In the second half of the show, I welcome Paul Tolme, the communications manager and spokesperson for the Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle,

Washington. Several years ago, I spoke with a young PhD candidate out in Seattle about the work he was doing along with the Cascade Bicycle Club to have an inequitable helmet law repealed in the city.  The initiative worked, the law was repealed, and helmet use didn’t decline – win X 3.

Today, I speak with Paul about the organization itself – its amazing number of club members – 10,000 – and the statewide programs and events it offers. In addition to the famous rides the club offers – the 44 year old iconic STP Ride (Seattle to Portland) and the RSVP – Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party,) as well as all the programs and tours offered,

I don’t think any single fact was more impressive than a 10,000 member club roster.  Even though the club is a statewide organization, 10,000 members is mighty impressive.

With that kind of support, it is no wonder that Cascade is able to influence local and state legislators and planners to improve cycling and walking in Washington, develop great educational programs, like the one that is being implemented in schools, and organize one of the most iconic and enduring events in the country – The famous STP – Seattle to Portland ride – that will be held July 15th and 16th this year.

Show #625 – March 18, 2023

Guests: Joe Lindsey; Dennis Markatos-Soriano

On our last podcast, Caley Fretz, editor-in-chief of the new Escape Collective cycling website, was talking about the then imminent launch of the project and how some of the best journalists would be going in-depth to bring the cycling stories and information subscribers wanted.

Well, Escape DID go live this week and met its initial goal(s) so that they could indeed sign some of the best journalists, photographers, editors, and developers in the business.

This episode of the show features one of these great journalists.

When we spoke, Joe Lindsey, who has been on the show in the past and who does some amazing reporting as you will hear in a moment, alluded to what was coming next for him and, sho’ ‘nuf – he’s the new Senior Editor at Escape Collective and I think it’s a match made in cycling heaven.

Today’s conversation with Joe is the result of some extensive research and reporting.

I don’t know what you think or believe about autonomous vehicles –  AKA self-driving cars –  or some of the functions that might no longer need a human to make decisions – but, I think you will find my conversation with investigative journalist Joe Lindsey fascinating!

In his March 1st article for Bicycling Magazine titled “Self-Driving Cars Won’t Save Us Any Time Soon”, Joe Lindsey goes into great detail to explain why that is so.

In our conversation, he breaks down the range of autonomous vehicle categories, what is – or perhaps more appropriately what is NOT happening with legislation, and why humans are still better than AI in a lot of ways.

After our break, I check in with Dennis Markatos-Soriano, the executive director of the East Coast Greenway.  As many of you know, I am a member of the Greenway’s advisory board and I’m always pleased to be able to relay what’s happening with funding, projects, and great stories from the Greenway’s paths and  trails.

With more than 1,000 completed miles of the 3,000 planned miles of the Maine to Florida ECG, it’s time to check in with executive director Dennis Markatos-Soriano to wrap up 2022 and dive into what’s happening in 2023 – and it’s a lot!

With a new initiative, Greenways For All, Dennis gives up some insight into the difference between – yes we want to make consequential changes for safer and better walking a biking – and what might be holding us back from seeing it happen.

Check out greenwaysforall.org and greenway.org for all the information about the East Coast Greenway and how you can get involved.

Next time on TOC, I speak with Paul Tolme from the Cascade Cycling Club in Seattle.  With over 10,000 members, this state-wide club isn’t fooling around when it comes to offering programs, rides, and legislative opportunities for better biking in Washington State.

We also check in with our NYC ear-to-the-ground biking and sustainability guru John Surico.

 

 

Show #624 – Escape Collective

Guest: Caley Fretz – Editor in Chief

You may remember in my last episode that I spoke about how so many publications – both print and online – have either ceased to exist, have become shadows of their former selves, or have laid or and/or fired their very best reporters, editors, photographers, and more. 

So, out of the ashes rises the phoenix as they say and that phoenix is called the Escape Collective.

Along with Caley Fretz, who was the editor in chief of Velo News, a slew of these top-notch journalists have come together to offer up a product just for you – not for advertisers, not for clicks or page views – just for you.

This is airing on March 11th, and the full site should launch in the next 7-10 days.

Escape Collective isn’t free – which is exactly the point – since we all know you get what you pay for!

I know there have been other ideas to bring a more cohesive product to the marketplace, but given the stellar players – Caley, James Huang, and others whose names you will recognize from their past work – and the commitment they are making, I think it’s going to be a huge success.

I hope you agree.  Go to escapecollective.cc and take a look around.  Remember, if you work in a bike shop, you can join for $10 a year.  That’s less than a 6-pack of Great Lakes’ Dortmunder.  (For those who live, work, drink in NE Ohio… and beyond


Show #623 – March 7, 2023

Guests: Carolyne Whelan; Daniela Gomez & Dilshod Kohlmatov

Since this is women’s history month, I had the honor of being interviewed by Traci Berry, the coordinator of Northwoods Trails in Arkansas for the Natural State Bikes Podcast. We chatted for over an hour, and I really appreciated her thoughtful inquiry.

You can hear that episode as well as others highlighting some of the bike world’s most interesting female voices on Spotify  or you can find it on Spotify at Natural State Bikes – women of biking.

As a journalist, I’ve been watching with both sadness and trepidation as editors, writers, photographers, and the very publications that have supported cycling – in all its forms – are being dismantled.

Recently it was Velo News and Cycling Tips; this week it was Road Bike Action and E-bike Action, and I think a lot of journalists in the industry are holding their collective breaths to see what shoe drops next.

But, there are some bright spots in cycling publications and, Adventure Cyclist Magazine stands about as close to the top as any.  Now, with a total makeover and some clear-headed thinking, AC Magazine has just launched its new look and some new features.

This episode of our podcast features Carolyne Whelan, the editor in chief of Adventure Cyclist Magazine. Carolyne is a poet, a journalist, a cyclist, and has a super interesting background that led her to the position she occupies today.

And, Adventure Cyclist Magazine, unlike many other cycling publications, is not only still standing, but is OUTstanding as it launches a new look for 2023.

 

 

After a break, we’ll meet two young people whose passion for safe roads for young people shows up in some very meaningful ways. Daniela Gomez, who lives and works in Bogota, Columbia, and Dilshod Kholmatov, who is in Tajikistan, both represent the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, a program that was launched by YOURS – Youth For Road Safety – a global organization that acts to make the world’s road safe for youth.

Seems that the problems of road safety are no different in Colombia, Tajikistan, or the U.S. Too many young people are being injured or killed on the roads and there is an international initiative that is fervently working on the problems.

From the “claimingourspace.org” website that invites young people to get involved to the YOURS academy, which is offering free modules to get you started on the path to road safety advocacy, Daniela Gomez and Dilshod Kholmatov are two of the spokespeople who are making a difference in their respective countries. 

In separate but very impactful ways, both Daniela and Dilshod bring their amazing backgrounds to the table to effect meaningful change in their countries.

Show #622 – February 6, 2023

Guests: David Goodrich; Patrick Conlon

It is fitting that February is Black History Month as my first guest is author David Goodrich and his newest book, which will be released on Tuesday,

February 7th, is titled, “On Freedom Road – Bicycle Explorations and Reckonings On the Underground Railroad.” David Goodrich is a retired climate scientist, and in the first two books we reviewed with him, we learned about how people felt about climate change as he rode across the country and about the tar sands and their impact on the communities is as oil companies try to extract the “dirty oil” as it is known.

Now, in what might be almost prophetic, David has refocused his attentions on slavery in his new book, On Freedom Road, with an exploration of the Underground Railroad.

From “revisiting highway 61” (Bob Dylan fans will relate!) or the blues highway, all the way up into Canada, David gives us an intimate journey on the route.


In the second half of the show, I speak with Patrick Conlon, advisor and board member to BikeJC – Jersey City. I have to admit I don’t know much about New Jersey but was really pleased to learn about cycling there from Bike JC’s board member, Patrick Conlon.

Just across the river from Manhattan, Jersey City is a very different kind of cycling community – and Bike JC has had a big hand in helping to expand protected bicycle lanes, institute a Vision Zero policy that actually works, and offer up a community event that everyone can enjoy.

Bike JC began about 13 years ago and, with an all-volunteer organization and advisory board, has grown organically.  But the clout they’ve managed to muster has produced some great results and is a model many other mid-size cities might want to emulate.

Show #621 – January 15, 2023

Guests: David Stanley; Peter Norton

My first guest is David Stanley and he is a friend Charles Pelkey, arguably one of the nicest guys to ever grace the pages of cycling journalism – along with a lot of other fine attributes.

Every once in a while, a really good guy gets a really bad deal… and in an effort to ease some of that burden, we’re going to see what we can do to help today.

If you ever participated in the Live Update Guy episodes – a mix of running commentary, a Monty-Python like atmosphere, and even some poetry – you will remember the witty and sometimes crazy, dialog between cycling journalists Patrick O’Grady and Charles Pelkey.  They were joined, on line, by others who added their commentary to the mix.

If you don’t know about Charles, he was a Democratic State Legislator in Wyoming – okay, the ONLY Democratic State Legislator in the state, an attorney, a stellar and well-respected cycling commentator and journalist, a breast cancer survivor, a father, husband, and just about the nicest guy you would ever want to meet.

Unbeknownst to me, he has been suffering from a series of vascular issues that have required several major surgeries and hours and hours of anesthesia and when I received a message from Patrick this week, I knew I needed to delve into the situation. GOFUNDME LINK FOR CHARLES

My second guest is a professor of history at UVA – in the engineering department.  And how those two come together is the topic of our conversation today as it relates to sustainability, mobility, and cycling.

Last week, I saw a Twitter post about the history of the automobile as it relates to pedestrians and how the “car culture” became as pervasive as it has, leading to so many deaths of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users – like cyclists.

The poster referenced a book by Dr. Peter Norton, an Assistant Professor of History at UVA.  The book is titled Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City (MIT Press) and Peter teaches history of technology, social dimensions of engineering, research, and professional ethics.

In our conversation, we cover a lot of the history of how the automobile became so dominant that the streets are no longer safe for our children.

I think you’ll find that the intersection of history and engineering explains a lot about how we are finding ourselves in a culture where the car is king and we are less than mere peons. 

And, please excuse a couple of places where Peter’s audio wasn’t perfect.

Peter’s other book link here – Autonorama

Show #620 – January 2, 2023

Guest: Wayne Stetina

Stetina Family – Circa 1970

Happy New Year to you and I hope you had a great holiday season.

Wayne Stetina – 1977 Nationals

For our first show of 2023, I had the great good fortune to speak with one of cycling’s elite racers about his life, his family, his history in the sport, and his thoughts about the bicycle industry.

Wayne Stetina – in fact, the entire Stetina family – have had a stellar career in not only racing, but also incredibly valued input into what we ride and race today.

Wayne’s phenomenal memory of people, events, and topics will dazzle those who have an interest and curiosity into cycling – me included (and I thought I knew some stuff!)

For 37 years, Wayne was VP of North American Operations for Shimano.  Now, he is Senior Field Guide with SRAM.

From coining the phrase “never miss a shift” way back when Shimano introduced its first indexed shifting package to his comment that his favorite bike was always his most recent bike, Wayne has seen the evolution of bicycles up close and personal.

I hope you enjoy this extended conversation.