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Show #267 – October 10, 2015

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Guests: Josh Poertner (Silca); Reid Miller (Reid Miller Apparel)

When we think of the greats of our industry – especially mountain biking – Charlie Cunningham doesn’t immediately go to top of the mind. BUT, he was the genius behind the welded aluminum frames (and a whole lot more) and the mountain bike hall-of-famer needs our help.

Here is the back-story: (From an online article in Bicycling this week)

A mountain biking accident in August left Cunningham physically crawling out of the woods for two miles with a major head injury, broken ribs, a broken clavicle, and shattered pelvis. He was only in the hospital for a few days before heading home to custom-build a cane for himself, but six weeks after the accident, his head injury manifested as a subdural hematoma. Today, he’s in the hospital recovering—but his prognosis is questionable.

His wife, single-speed-loving mountain bike devotee Jacquie Phelan**, talked with us about Cunningham, how their love of biking changed both of their lives, and what they’re facing now. Read the interview, and if you’re as touched as we were, consider donating to the GoFundMe site raising money to help with Cunningham’s hospital expenses, rehabilitation, and retrofitting of his home to make it wheelchair-accessible. The cycling community has always taken great pride in taking care of our own, and Cunningham is certainly deserving of a helping hand.

(**click the link to hear my interview with Jacquie back in 2010)

Since that article, Charlie has made some progress – but, he still needs our help. If you are so inclined, go to his GoFundMe page and offer some assistance – even some kind words will help with his healing.

So – this week? We have two great guests.

Josh Poertner was the Technical Director of Zipp Speed Weaponry for 14 years. During that time, he had occasion to meet Claudio Sacchi, the grandson of Felice Sacchi, the founder of Silca – the Italian pump manufacturer. I don’t know of a bike shop that has been in existence more than 10 years that doesn’t have a Silca “pista” (track) pump somewhere – and most are using theirs – 10, 15, 20, even 40 years after manufacture.

So… fast forward to a time that Claudio contracted cancer and as his health declined, so did the company.

In a fortuitous conversation, Josh and Claudio came to an agreement and now Silca is here in the U.S. and is once again heading for the top of the charts with renewed energy, excitement, and innovation.

Josh will take us through that journey up to present day in the first half of the show.

After our break and some news, we head on down to North Carolina to meet up with a most interesting lady. From dreaming about fashion design as a child to a stint in Africa with the Peace Corps and then a short career in Public Health, Reid Miller has come full circle back to her dreams of fashion bringing a classic look to the women who ride their bikes for transportation and recreation.

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Outspoken Cyclist.

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Show #266 – October 3, 2015

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Guests: Ian Sims; Suze Clemitson

Just back from Recumbent Cycle-Con and the Bicycle Tour & Travel Expo in Sharonville, Ohio. To say that there was abundant enthusiasm would be a gross understatement! Many, many recumbent bikes and trikes and so many people from all over the U.S. who came in to try them.

Before we get to our guests for this evening though, I want to say congratulations to Peter Sagan for his amazing win at the World Championships in Richmond, VA where he came from behind to take the Rainbow Jersey after 200+ kilometers! He is also one of cycling’s most vociferous humanitarians and the accolades and win are both well deserved!

Also, our video of the week is the 4:36 video of the Late, Late Show’s host James Corden coming down on some of the residents of Coronado, California for their beyond ridiculous “reasons” for not adding bike lanes to the city. And, guess what… Coronado decides to strike down new bike lanes… Maybe we need to get ourselves out to Coronado and do what James Corden is suggesting!

So, on with the show…

Our first guest is the CEO of Greenspeed Trikes from Melbourne, Australia. Ian Sims has been in the recumbent business for 25 years and Greenspeed Trikes are at the top of the food chain in recumbents.

Ian was in the States to show off his trikes at Recumbent Cycle-Con and to accept the Industry’s Recognition Award for 2015. But, before he left to return home, I was able to catch up with him to talk about his work, motorcycle sidecars, the meteoric ascent of trikes, and more.

After our news, we head on over to France to speak with Suze Clemitson. Suze is a journalist and author who loves the language of cycling and, along with illustrator Mark Fairhurst, has just come out with “P is for Peloton – The A-Z of Cycling”.

The book is absolutely delightful! Covering everything from Arriveé to Zabel, no letter is left unturned in detailing some of cycling’s lexicon in a colorful and entertaining format. The hardbound book contains 159 pages and we are adding this one to our holiday gift list!

 

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Show #265 – September 26, 2015 – Bicycle Tour & Travel Expo

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Guests: Charles Coyne; Peter Flax

I’m attending the Recumbent-Con – Bicycle Tour and Travel Expo at the Sharonville Convention Center in Sharonville, Ohio this weekend.

I’ve never seen so many recumbent bikes! They are fast, fun, and come in more varieties than I would ever have suspected.

I’ve also spoken with some of you listeners, met some great new people, and gave a talk about bike fit to a great audience.

So, if you are in the area, Recumbent-Con is still going on until 4pm Sunday eastern time. You can come down to the convention center and ride a very cool course that the promoters have laid out for your cycling pleasure.

But, let’s let the real expert tell us about the event. In the second half of our show this evening, show producer Charles “chuck” Coyne will talk with me about the show, the recumbent industry, and how bicycle touring will be a growing part of his show for 2016.

First however, we will speak with Hollywood Reporter features editor Peter Flax. You may remember his as the editor for Bicycling Magazine; but, last year Peter decided to pull up stakes and move on out to the west coast.

This past week, Peter’s article The Ride of Way:A View of Los Angeles from a Bicycle Seat was published in the Los Angeles Magazine and in it he details his experiences of riding in Los Angeles over the past year as well as how L.A. is faring when it comes to cyclists, cycling infrastructure, and legislation.

We have some news and chat, so stay right where you are and let’s head on our to LA. to speak with Peter Flax.

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Show #264 – September 19, 2015 – Interbike!

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Guests: Patrick Brady, Joni Taylor, Amanda Batty

If it’s middle of September, it must be Interbike! And, so it was… opening last Monday at Bootleg Canyon outside of Las Vegas, the annual U.S. trade show had its share of good and bad press.

This week, we have the privilege of three perspectives on the show: two from journalists and one a vendor.

First up is my friend and often the eyes and ears of events I can’t attend, Red Kite Prayer’s Patrick Brady.  As always, Patrick has a keen sense of what is trending and where the market is strong.  Patrick gives us his review of the new SRAM Red electronic shifting group, where he sees the eBike market heading, and some insight into the size and scope of the show.

Then, we talk with a really good friend of mine and the U.S. importer/owner of TexMarket, Joni Taylor.  As Joni says, “we’re the biggest apparel manufacturer no one has ever heard about”.  And, it’s true. TexMarket offers concept to finished product on a large or small scale from fine Italian fabrics for shops, groups, and most of the teams you see on the road.  Because of her long association with the bicycle industry, Joni has yet another unique perspective on this year’s show as well as the incident we are calling “SOCKGATE”.

So, after our news, we will talk about “sockgate” with journalist Amanda Batty.  You may remember our conversation with Amanda a few months ago when she was summarily pushed out of Pink Bike for her stand against what she termed the misogynist attitudes among those she worked for at Pink Bike and her commentary about it. Which circles right back around to Patrick Brady who stood right up for her in his column “Too Many White Guys” in Red Kite Prayer.

Forgoing Interbike this year – for a variety of reasons – Amanda gives us her take on the “scandal” and once again painstakingly explains why the industry should be looking forward – not back!

So… want to know more about Interbike 2015? Here we go….

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Show #263 – September 12, 2015

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Special Guest: Mountain Bike Guru Charlie Kelly

Tonight we welcome one of the least well known and yet probably the most influential figure in the mountain bike world – Charlie Kelly.

Along with his pals Gary Fisher (AKA Spidey back in the day), Tom Ritchey, and still one of his closest friends Joe Breeze, Charlie was the force behind Repack – the race course that everyone rode and no one knew about (there’s a reason for that) and the one who chronicled the era – from the equipment and riders to the eventual formation of a sanctioning body.

There isn’t enough time in just one show to hear what there is to know about Charlie and his story; but, he’s beautifully made the entire era available in his new book Fat Tire Flyer: Repack and the Birth of Mountain Biking.

Sure to be one of the most popular coffee table books of the 2015 gift giving season, Fat Tire Flyer is replete with photographs, stories, flyers, and documentation.

Charlie’s wish? To have the story made into a movie… he even knows who he wants to play whom!

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

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Show #262 – September 5, 2015

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Guests: Professor James Longhurst; Senior Olympian Gene Killingsworth

Welcome to The Outspoken Cyclist – this is our first podcast in season #6 and, once again, I’d like to thank you for your support! Hope you enjoy this week’s show.

We begin with Professor James Longhurst. James is an academic historian, a student of urban culture and all types of cycling and has written a fascinating book about cycling titled “Bike Battles – A History of Sharing the American Road.”

Unlike other historical books that we’ve discussed, James explores how the bicycle has waxed and waned not only in our culture but also in public and government policy.

When we prioritize our preferences in transportation, we see a periodic debate about how bicycles have both been ignored and revered. James thinks we are in a bike boom, but not the way one might think.

It’s a fascinating discussion and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

We take our break and offer up this week’s news and then we get to meet a Senior Olympian.

Gene Killingsworth races in the 75-79 age group and this year took home gold and bronze medals as well as unexpectedly receiving a special certificate from the Ohio Legislature for his efforts.

He has a fascinating story about how he got started in the sport, how a crash almost took him out of the sport, and what you might want to think about as you get older.

So, here we go…

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Show #261 – August 29, 2015

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Guests: East Coast Greenway’s Eric Weis; Journalist and author Ian Dille

Last show of August also means the upcoming anniversary of The Outspoken Cyclist. Next week, we begin year #6 and it’s been quite a ride! (sorry for the bad pun) It’s difficult to even begin to thank all of you for your support. So, I’ll just say thank you and please continue to listen, offer suggestions for topics you’d like to hear, and like our Face Book page!

Let’s move on to this week’s show. My first guest is the trail program coordinator for the East Coast Greenway AND the force behind both the New England Bike-Walk Summit as well as the New England Builder’s Ball.

Eric Weis seems to wear all the hats at once and well! He fills us in on this year’s September 24th one-day Bike-Walk Summit, which will be held in Worcester, Mass. The Summit offers the 6 New England States a forum to move pedestrian and cycling issues forward with a full program including collecting data, design and engineering projects, a poster session, and off-season projects. Eric’s hope is that the Bike-Walk Summit breaks even and that some of the projects from the summit come to fruition.

We also talk about the Providence Cyclocross Festival which begins with the New England Builder’s Ball – a party celebrating the hand builders of New England including Richard Sachs, Firefly, JP Weigle, Zancanato, Bilenky, and more.

The Builder’s Ball, which takes place on Friday, October 2nd from 7-11pm at the Roger Williams Park Casino, offers a portion of its proceeds to the East Coast Greenway! There is music, food, and beer! What could be better?

After a break and our news, we head on down to Austin, Texas to talk with journalist and author Ian Dille. Ian, who is one of my favorite writers, has a new book, The Cyclist’s Bucket List – A Celebration of 75 Quintessential Cycling Experiences.

What is most interesting about this, the first of the “coffee table – gift” books of the 2015 fall season, is that it encourages you to develop your own bucket list of unusual, interesting, and fun places that are connected to cycling.

Each entry has a “Get There” side bar that helps you find your way. Great photos, great writing, and some venues you just might not have expected!

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Show #260 – August 22, 2015

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Guests: Lennard Zinn; Anna Brones

When we spoke with tech guru, frame builder, and endurance athlete Lennard Zinn, then 55, back in 2013, we were super impressed with the depth and breadth of his knowledge and expertise. In fact, our interview had to be broken into two parts to cover all the details of our conversation.

But what we didn’t talk about on air was the terrifying and life threatening physical issues he was experiencing.

Fast forward to 2015 and the now 57 year old has had to make some serious life choices because of his experiences. These issues were highlighted in a recent Velo News article, “Cycling to Extremes – Are endurance athletes hurting their hearts by repeatedly pushing beyond what is normal?”

The lengthy piece graphically and bluntly details what is happening to endurance athletes like Lennard who seemingly just get leaner, stronger, and faster as they age. But, there may be a silent killer lurking and this evening, Lennard and I delve into not only what happened to him, but what he believes may be a reason to take a serious look at your training, riding, and racing choices as you age.

After our break and some current events, we take a bit of a different and lighter tone as we head on over to Paris, France to speak with Anna Brones about her new book, The Culinary Cyclist. In the handlebar bag size book, Anna shares some of her wonderful recipes, practical ideas, and endearing etiquette with us.

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Show #259 – August 15, 2015

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Guests: Sam Polcer; Brian David Bruns

This week, it’s a conversation with Sam Polcer, Communications Manager for Bike New York. The organization is what others look to when bicycle education is the subject.

Bike New York has been interviewed by CBS, NBC, and many others. And, Sam knows his stuff!

After our news – and there is lots of it – we go to Las Vegas to have a chat with award winning Interational author, Brian David Bruns.

Brian grew up in Iowa and when his high school friend suggested they should celebrate their 20th reunion by riding RAGBRAI, Brian said – why not?

Hilarious from page 1, Rumble Yell is Brian’s story of how a non-cyclist rode the 500 miles, 7 day rolling party and what he did to get ready.

Prepare to laugh!

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Show #258 – August 8, 2015

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Guest: Walking Quadriplegic Jenny McCune

Today our show offers up one great interview along with a full complement of news.

Have you ever heard the term, “walking quadriplegic”? I hadn’t either, until one of my students told me about a somewhat distant relative, Jenny McCune, who had gone down in a bike crash in 2007 and suffered a several spinal chord injury.

Jenny’s story is remarkable – not just because she is walking; but, also because recently she has begun riding again!

She attributes much of her recovery to her patience as a practicing Buddhist as well as her determination to make the amazing comeback she has made.

Jenny talks with me about her love for our sport, what it took to walk again, and how she just couldn’t stay away from her bicycle!

Our news includes a bit of discussion about Trek’s decision to offer an on-line shipping opportunity to the general public and what it could mean for the independent bicycle dealer as well as more trouble in the peloton including a crash that took out the entire BMC team this week, a positive doping sample from last year’s Tour of Utah winner Tom Danielson, and who made the Active Times list of the top 50 bikes shops in the U.S.
Enjoy the show!