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Show #181 – February 8, 2014 – RADIOTHON!

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Guests: Richard Fries, Cyclocross Worlds; Mark Livingood, Tandem Geek; encore storyteller Maynard Hershon “Nice Wheels”

This week at WJCU is our annual Radiothon, which among other things, gives us something to talk about besides the weather. This year, WJCU’s Radiothon theme is Thrive and Survive, which is a sentiment we as cyclists can relate to. Some days on the bike, we’re just surviving, and other days we’re thriving.

For 52 weeks every year, WJCU brings you independent, commercial-free music and talk programming, created by actual human beings with a passion for serving you, the listener. One week out of those 52, we ask you to make a donation to help ensure that WJCU can continue to bring you great shows like The Outspoken Cyclist. Pledge your support online through Sunday, February 16th. 100% of your donation goes to WJCU, and it’s tax deductible!

Now, on to this week’s show. Richard Fries has been announcing at bike races for decades, and recently he’s been promoting Cyclocross in New England. He’s just back from the 2014 Cyclocross World Championships in Hoogerheide, Netherlands, and he has a full report, along with some upcoming plans for ‘cross racing here in the U.S.

In the second half of the show, Diane and Tim bring you the week’s news, and then check in with The Tandem Geek himself, Mark Livingood. Mark brings news of changes at the Tandem Club of America, including a revamped website.

And we wrap up with an encore presentation of a story by one of the great cycling writers, Maynard Hershon. First aired in November, 2011, Maynard’s story “Nice Wheels” is ripe for another spin.

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Show #180 – February 1, 2014 (WOW!)

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Guests: Liz Jose, WEBikeNYC; Don Walker, NAHBS

 

Everybody seems to have their favorite season of the year. I like any season in which I can go for a bike ride (which turns out to be all of them, if I’m dressed right and sufficiently motivated). But looking out my back window today it occurred to me that without leaves to block the view, we can see the true structure of trees much more clearly. Currently, the Grey Squirrel Acrobatic Company is putting on a fabulous show for an appreciative audience of one.

So, in the spirit of the season, we get right to the heart of a couple of folks doing interesting things in very different areas of cycling. First up is Liz Jose, founder of WE Bike NYC. The “WE” stands for “women’s empowerment”, and the organization grew out of Liz’s day job as a bicycle mechanic in Manhattan’s East Village, and a desire to get more women riding and working on their bicycles. Liz was also featured in a recent article in Bicycling magazine.

In a very different region of the country, and a different part of cycling, Don Walker is getting ready to produce the tenth annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show, March 14-16 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Don joins us in the second half of the show to talk about the evolution of NAHBS, what to expect this year, and what he’s been up to lately.

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Show #179 – January 25, 2014

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Guests: Sky Yaeger, Shinola and Lindsay Wyskowski, USATriathlon

 

When we think of Detroit, we used to think about the manufacture of automobiles. It is the Motor City, after all. Today, Detroit usually brings to mind images of large-scale blight and municipal bankruptcy. However, Shinola, a small bike, watch and leather goods company is working to be part of Detroit’s rebirth in the post-Rust Belt era. A few weeks ago, we spoke with Ricard Schwinn, whose Wisconsin-based company is building Shinola’s frames. This week, we get to talk with the designer of Shinola bikes, Sky Yaeger. Sky has a long history in the bike biz, including 17 years with Bianchi, and now she’s helping bring a new brand onto the scene.

After the news and a break, we wrap up with a short conversation with USA Triathlon‘s Lindsay Wyskowski, who talks about the current state of the multi-sport world including the relatively new off-road triathlon.

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Show #178 – January 18, 2014

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Guests: Eli Damon and Adventure Cycling’s Jim Sayer

If you got a ticket for riding on a roadway where the law says you’re allowed to ride, what would you do? How many of us would simply pay the fine and find a friendlier place to ride in the future? How many would actually retain a lawyer and fight the charge? Eli Damon of Hadley, Massachusetts found himself in this situation, and decided he would rather “fight than switch”. Because his eyesight prevents him from driving a motor vehicle, bicycling is Eli’s primary means of transportation, so he had plenty of motivation to defend his right to the road. Eli Damon joins us in the first part of today’s show to talk about his experience, and how it led him to become a bicycle advocate.

After the news and a break, we return to have a conversation with Jim Sayer of the Adventure Cycling Association. Even in the off-season, the ACA is busy working out new routes, updating their maps, and strengthening partnerships with other organizations to make touring by bicycle in the United States an even better experience.

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Show #177 – January 11, 2014

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Guests: Team Rwanda Coach Jock Boyer; LAB President Andy Clarke

Today’s show is a study in contrasts, and an illustration of how, regardless of the circumstances, cycling is one of the catalysts of change in society. Got an intractable problem? Have you tried cycling?

We start all the way over in Africa, with Jock Boyer, who has been working for several years now to foster bike racing in Rwanda and other African countries. Jock and his now-wife Kimberly Coats are specifically known as the organizational force behind Team Rwanda, which is the subject of the documentary film Rising from Ashes, which will screen on January 23rd at the Cedar-Lee Theater here in Cleveland. Jock joins us to talk about the recent successes of African bike racers, and their plans for the future of the sport there.

Meanwhile, back here in the U.S.A., the League of American Bicyclists is gearing up for the annual Bike Summit. Held in Washington, DC March 3rd through 5th, this year’s theme is United Spokes: Moving Beyond Gridlock. Andy Clark, president of the LAB joins us to talk about the summit, and a number of other initiatives the League is working on. We may not be rising from ashes here in the ‘States, but we cyclists are rising to the challenges faced by an industrialized society.

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Show #176 – January 4, 2013

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Guests: RBR’s Jim Langley and the newly appointed UCI Tech Commission’s Dimitris Katsanis

 
 
If you can tear yourself away from thoughts of the frigid apocalypse about to descend on the northeast United States, we’ve got a great show for you this week. And if you’re listening from somewhere else in the world, try not to gloat as you kick back on the porch in your shorts and sandals.

First up is Jim Langley, bicycle mechanic, cycling author and former Bicycling Magazine tech editor. Jim has a long history with the bicycle, much of which is chronicled here and here. Most recently, he achieved the nearly unbelievable milestone of having ridden his bike for 7,300 consecutive days. That’s 20 years’ worth of daily riding! Jim is also the technical editor for SmartEtailing, a service to help local bike shops maximize their online presence.

In the second half of the show, along with news from the world of cycling, Diane talks with Dimitris Katsanis, the engineer who designed Team Great Britain’s current crop of track bikes. The big news is that Katsanis has been named as a consultant to the UCI’s Equipment Commission. The UCI has been much-maligned for its perceived stifling of technical innovation. Will this appointment signal a change in the governing body’s approach to equipment? Listen in and find out.

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Show #175 – Last show of 2013

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Guests: Bike Lawyer Steve Magas and RKP’s Patrick Brady

 

It’s time to pack 2013 in a sturdy box, tape the lid shut, and store it away with all the other completed years. But before we do, let’s take a final look, courtesy of two friends of The Outspoken Cyclist. Don’t worry, there are no top ten lists here, and no soft-focus retrospectives, just honest conversations about what happened on two wheels over the past 12 months.

First up is Steve Magas, an attorney practicing in the state of Ohio, specializing in bicycle crash and injury cases. Diane and Steve start this week’s show with a look back at some of the notable events involving cyclists and the law, including some high profile bike-car collisions. Check out Steve’s website for some great data about crash circumstances. We can’t control for the “random acts of intoxication or stupidity” but by looking at how the majority of crashes happen, we can take steps to avoid those situations, or at least be extra vigilant around them.

Our last official guest of 2013 is Patrick Brady, publisher of Red Kite Prayer. Patrick was recently awarded with a silver medal in the Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Competition, sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundatino. Today, Patrick is here to talk about the impact of doping scandals on pro racing, equipment trends, charity rides, and what he has planned for 2014.

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Show #174 – December 21, 2013

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GUESTS: Richard Schwinn and Anna Schwinn

If you were living in the United States at any point in the 20th century, the name Schwinn needs no further explanation, and likely evokes some fond memories of a time when the bikes everyone wanted were made in Chicago, Illinois. Whether it was a Varsity, Continental, or Sting-Ray, Schwinn was the coveted brand. Although Schwinn-branded bikes are still being produced, our guests today are two members of the Schwinn family who are making their mark in a different way on cycling in the 21st century.

First up is Richard Schwinn, great-grandson of Ignaz Schwinn, who founded the eponymous bicycle company. Richard is a frequent flyer on The Outspoken Cyclist, and we always look forward to his insights and opinions (of which there is no shortage). Richard of course, is the proprietor of Waterford and Gunnar, and has recently been busy making frames for a new bicycle company called Shinola (which bought the name from the now-defunct shoe polish company). Richard holds forth on this and many other topics, including the dubious benefit of disc brakes on road bikes.

After a break and the news, we continue our “Schwinn-derful” show by welcoming Anna Schwinn (Richard’s daughter) who is making a name for herself as a bike designer. She started her career with Zipp Speed Weaponry, and is now the Head Engineer at All City Cycles, a QBP brand. Anna is also involved in promoting women’s racing in her new home of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Some of us have the “bicycle gene” and then others really have it.

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Show #173 – December 14, 2013

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GUESTS: Bicycle Advocate Janna Chernetz; CEO & President of LiveSTRONG Doug Ulman

 

The psychology of people and their transportation choices fascinates me. Think back to when motor vehicles were the new kid on the block. The then-dominant horse-drawn carriage lobby called automobiles dangerous, noisy, and uncivilized. They were probably convinced that equine-powered transport would be around forever, and that cars were an impractical toy. Except for Amish country, we know how that worked out for them.

Fast-forward to the present day, and the players have changed, but the arguments and beliefs are the same. Our first guest today, Janna Chernetz, of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, has seen this play out recently in Rutherford, New Jersey. The Rutherford Bike Ring is an ambitious project to add bike lanes and traffic-calming infrastructure to the area around the Meadowlands sports complex. It has broad support from a host of government agencies. And yet, the project was gutted in the space of three months, by a minority of vocal residents. Janna is here with us today to talk about what happened, and to talk about TSTC’s plans for bike/ped friendly rebuilding on the Jersey Shore.

After the news and a break, we’re joined by Doug Ulman, President and CEO of LiveStrong. Doug is a cancer survivor himself, and although LiveStrong’s prestige and fundraising ability has taken a hit in the wake of Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace, the organization continues to pursue its mission of support to cancer patients and survivors. Doug also explains how LiveStrong is attempting to evolve beyond the twin shadows of cycling, and its famous founder. It’s a complicated environment for anyone selecting a charity to support, and we hope this interview will help you make better-informed choices about your giving.

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Show #172 – December 7, 2013

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GUESTS: The always insightful GEORGE MOUNT, CHRIS PARKER – CEO OF ICE Trikes

 

I know it’s the ultimate cliche to complain, or even talk about the weather, but as cyclists, our riding is greatly influenced by what Mother Nature is doing outdoors. Everyone seems to have their own personal limits on temperature, moisture, and road conditions. Today, for instance, it’s 28 degrees F in Cleveland, and there is some ice left on the roads from last night’s snowfall. So instead of a ride to Little Italy for Presti’s, it was off to Spin class for me this morning.

Think about that while you ponder the journey Maria Leijerstam is embarking on: a self-supported ride from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole. She’ll need to average 80 miles per day through deep snow in temperatures as low as -40 degrees F, with steady 50 mph headwinds, and conquer a climb that may take several days. Maria will be riding a specially-built tadpole trike from Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE), and Chris Parker, the president of ICE Trikes, joins us in the second half of the show to talk about the advantages of recumbent trikes for many cyclists, not only those who are venturing to the “bottom of the world.”

We open today’s show by welcoming back former racer, active cyclist, and hall of famer George Mount. George returns today to share his always-strong opinions on the state of road racing, and to talk about the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. George suffers no fools, and minces no words, and that’s exactly why we like him!