Show #294 – The Outspoken Cyclist

Guests: Scott Cowan; Maggie Solis & Richard Weis

Our show this week is about Challenges.

The bicycle world in the U.S. is full of challenges: from local rides and tours to Race Across American and the Amgen Tour of California.

But, there are the personal and local challenges that often are overlooked by the media and this evening, we are going to highlight two of them.

Our first guest is Scott Cowan.  Scott is the owner of Century Cycles, a 3-store retail chain here in NE Ohio.  I’ve known Scott personally since he was in high school (at least he says so!) and I’ve watched Century Cycles grow and mature into one of the most well run organizations in our industry.  Scott has always stuck with his goals – to cater to families and recreational cyclists – and has accomplished those goals over and over, year after year.

Nine years ago, starting with his high school alma mater, Bay Village High, Scott began a Bike to School Challenge.  With only one school and 250 students that first year, he’s grown the event to 9 schools, over 5,000 students, and boasts the largest bike-to-school event in the Country.

Scott tells us how his event works, what it means to the communities in which they occur, and how the Challenge affects the kids long term.

After a break and some interesting new stories, we head on down to both Florida and Massachusetts, to speak with tandem couple Maggie Solis and Richard Weis.  The couple are not married to one another; but, over the 15 or so years they’ve known each other, they’re fast friends and a good tandem team.

This year, they will be riding their tandem in the National 24-Hour Challenge in Michigan father’s day weekend.

We talk about their training, their goals, and the things that make this event so compelling to them.

 

Show #293 – April 16, 2013

Guets: Kimball Taylor; Tim Neenan

Back from vacation and ready to rock and roll!

My first guest thought the story he was sent to research and then report on was about the environment when he uncovered a smuggling operation between the U.S. and Mexico in which thousands of abandoned bicycles began to appear on trails across the border in Mexico.

Kimball Taylor is the author and journalist who wrote The Coyote’s Bicycle: The Untold Story of 7,000 Bicycles and the Rise of a Borderland Empire.

The story begins with a young boy growing up in an impoverished village of Mexico when his parents decide to follow their older children to the U.S. leaving Pablito behind to finish his secondary education and find a way to survive.

When his grandfather, with whom he was left by his parents, died unexpectedly, Pablito decides he had no choice but to try to find his parents.

As the story unfolds, the problems with the U.S.-Mexico border, smuggling, become very clear and the solutions become very ambiguous.

It’s a fascinating read!

My second guest is newly “retired” frame builder Tim Neenan. Tim, whose company is Lighthouse Cycles in Ynez, California, built his first bike in 1975, has been a jewelry maker, a world class chef, designed the original Specialized bikes including the world famous Stumpjumper, and now claims that he’s hanging up his torch!

It’s a fun and fascinating conversation that reaches back into the early US frame builders’ world and looks forward into Tim’s future.

Show #292 – April 2, 2016

Guests: Chef Biju Thomas; Journalist Dan Wuori

Sorry this is late everyone!  I was on vacation in Ridgeland, Mississippi for the OBO Tandem Rally.  A really well put-together event, 41 teams began the day on Saturday.  This was my first “extended” ride since my stem cell therapy last July, so I was delighted to have finished the 41 mile route.

Rode another 24 on Sunday and then left Mississippi headed for New Orleans.  We stayed at the Fleur de Lis Mansion in the Garden District and walked EVERYWHERE.  We did not move the car or take any other form of transportation until we left on Wednesday.  New Orleans is without a doubt one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited.  The culture(s), food, architecture, and rich history were a bit overwhelming and difficult to digest in just a few days.

And, wait for it, as long as we’re talking food AND digestion… my show for April 2nd starts out with our favorite cycling chef, Biju Thomas.  His Feed Zone Cookbook series have been wildly popular – as is his Little Curry Shop in Denver, Colorado.

The new book in the series, The Feed Zone Table is not just a book of recipes however – rather, it is a short treatise written by both Biju and his partner at Skratch Labs, Dr. Allen Lim, about the effects food, companionship, friendship, and culture have on pro athletes as they struggle with what is mostly a solitary life.

The hardbound book is beautifully written and illustrated with some great candid shots of many riders you might know as you page through the concepts and recipes.

After a short break and some news, I head to South Carolina to welcome back Velo News journalist Dan Wuori.  Dan and I discuss the loss of two pro cyclists in the peloton in late March as well as how incidents between cyclists and the motorbikes that seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time might be better regulated in the upcoming race season and beyond.  We also talk about the Spring Classics, who is looking good for the Tour, and more.

Hope you enjoy this week’s show!

Show #291 – March 26, 2016

Guests: Custom bike builder Mike DeSalvo; Urban planner, writer, and author Emilie Bahr

My guests this week are custom bike builder Mike DeSalvo of DeSalvo Cycles in Ashland, Oregon and Emilie Bahr, whose new book Urban Revolutions: A Woman’s Guide to Two-Wheeled Transportation, is full of advice, information, and inspiration for someone who is thinking about getting on a bike – for whatever reasons she might have!

Mike offers the full range of bicycles from single speed to full blown racing machine and gives us some insight into how the custom builder can have one-up on the big manufacturers in covering trends and seeing a market for a specific kind of machine.

He also likes pizza, doesn’t have a shop dog, and does love snow boarding!

Emilie, who lives and work in New Orleans, is about to go on maternity leave with her first baby and offers some very interesting insights into urban transportation and how things have both changed and stayed the same in New Orleans.

Show #290 – March 19, 2016

Guests: Race director Martin Ernest Bruhn; Ride director Rodney McConnell

But, it’s also the harbinger of Spring and THAT makes me very happy.

Tonight, we are going to talk with two event directors about two very different events – and, we are doing that now because you need to plan for them in advance.

First up is one of the most enthusiastic, passionate, and well-versed-in-the-competitive-event-world race directors with whom I’ve ever had a conversation. Martin Bruhn is the force behind the Woodstock Women’s Cycling Grand Prix (WWCGP) in iconic and lovely Woodstock, NY. Racing through the magnificent Catskill Mountains, this WOMEN’S ONLY event takes place Saturday, May 7th.

Here is what Martin has to say about the mission of this event: to highlight the need for equal sportsmanship and attention for female bicycle racers in the male dominated sport of competitive cycling. That pretty much says it all, except Martin has some very poignant and interesting things to say about women’s racing from a perspective I haven’t really heard in the past.

After our break and some news, we head on our to Missouri for a chat with Rodney McConnell, ride director for a 4-state, week-long event that covers Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Ride the Fault Line does just that – it travels along the New Madrid earthquake fault line – though Rodney assured me there has been no seismic activity in a very, very long time.

So, come on along and listen to… Martin Bruhn as we learn about the WWCGP!

Show #289 – March 12, 2016

Back from the North American Handmade Show and bringing you another great frame builder’s story.

Greg White has been a chef, a Hollywood cinematographer, a pro cyclist, and now is the force behind Magic Cycle Werks in Bend, Oregon.  Greg and I talk about his background, his education, and especially his thoughts about bikes.

Greg debuted a special frame he built for Team Sky’s Ian Boswell at the show and we learn the interesting and serendipitous story behind it.

After a break and some news, I head over to Ridgeland, Mississippi to speak with his Honor the Mayor!  Gene McGee and I will meet face-to-face at the OBO Tandem Rally in Ridgeland and I wanted to get the skinny of the city, the riding, and the food!

So, buckle up.  It’s The Outspoken Cyclist!

Show #288 – March 5, 2016 – the 2016 NAHBS Builder’s Panel

Guests: 5 Great Frame Builders from the North American Handmade Show

Bill Holland, Dmitry Naechev, Curtis Inglis, Sean Burns, and Erik Noren

Meet 5 great frame builders from my 1-hour panel discussion at the North American Handmade Show last week in Sacramento, California.

I talk with Curtis Inglis (Inglis Cycles/Retrotec); Erik Noren (Peacock Groove/Cake Cycles); Bill Holland (Holland Cycles); Sean “Burnsey” Burns (Oddity Cycles); and, Dmitry Naechev (Triton Bikes) – about everything from what they love to what they want!

It’s lively, fun, informative, and a little whacky!

Enjoy!

 

Show #287 – February 27, 2016

Guests: U-Bikes Doug Emerson; Professional Bike Fitter Happy Freedman

I’m off to the 2016 North American Handmade Show this weekend; but, not before Tim and I produced a great show for you this week.

First up is bike owner extraordinaire Doug Emerson from University Bikes in Boulder, Colorado. He knew bicycles were his destiny from the time he was in high school and he’s never looked back since then.

His philosophy about his store, those who work with him, and those he serves is an example to us all!

Oh, and did I tell you that he realized a 30+ year dream of building a velodrome in his area? Yes, he did!

After a break and the news, we take off for the east coast to speak with Happy Freedman. Happy started out in bicycle retail and started bike fitting way back when. Today, he works at the Hospital for Special Surgery where his skills and knowledge are coupled with the expertise of great specialists in many fields as well as cutting edge technology and equipment to offer a wide range of solutions for many cycling problems.

Happy with explain his work and give us some basic tips onnot only why you might not be comfortable on your bike but also what to do about it.

NAHBS2016 – Opening Day

FIRST THOUGHTS ON NAHBS 2016

Being the first one in the convention center is pretty cool. The show floor is empty, the carpets are vacuumed, and the atmosphere is calm.

Walking around the aisles, it’s difficult to believe that less than 90 minutes from now, the hall will be filled with industry folks – they are first today for an hour – and then the general public that will begin to file in to see the expansive array of bicycles, accessories, and components that make up the 2016 North American Handmade Show.

There is a lovely tribute to Brian Baylis, who passed away last week, and whose loss will be felt by so many here this weekend.

I am very lucky to be able to know so many of these people and see how their work reflects their passions, their personalities, and expertise.

As the finishing touches are put on the booths, the exhibitors begin chatting with one another, renewing old friendships, trading their “builders'” stories, and getting ready for what will hopefully be a busy and productive day.

10:00am Sacramento Time – and the “throngs” are lined up outside the convention hall waiting to get in.

Now the show is about to go into full-swing. If you’ve never been to one of these events, it’s sort of like controlled chaos, only with bikes! Lots, and lots, and lots of bikes.

Next entry coming soon….

Show #286 – February 20, 2016

Guests: USA Cycling’s Derek Bouchard-Hall; The Boston Bike Party

When USA Cycling went looking for a new CEO, they recruited a powerhouse in the form of Derek Bouchard-Hall.

Derek is a former pro cyclist, has degrees from Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. He’s worked for Wiggle UK, the world’s largest on line cycling retailer, and brings a fresh perspective to what USA Cycling needs as the sport tries to regain some esteem, credibility, and balance.

My lengthy interview with Derek covers a wide range of topics and makes for a fascinating conversation.

We then lighten it up with two young and enthusiastic cyclists from the Boston Bike Party.

Every month, a group of riders invites the community to come and ride – in costume, with music, and ending up with food and drink. Greg and Aleta tell us all about it in the second half of the show.

So – sit back and enjoy my conversation with USA Cycling’s CEO Derek Bouchard-Hall.