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Show #114 – October 27, 2012

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Richard Sachs, T.J. Murphy

It’s been difficult to escape the Lance-centric USADA-fueled, and now UCI-driven cycling saga of 2012. Billions of bytes and pixels have been spilled over the revelations of doping in the pro peloton over the past several weeks. You may think you’ve read and heard all there is on this topic, but you’d be wrong…

This week, The Outspoken Cyclist checks in with framebuilder, cyclocross racer, and opinionated observer of all things, Richard Sachs. Richard has a perspective that is unique and sometimes controversial, but always ‘atmo‘.

After a survey of the cycling news, including the announcement of a collaboration between Bianchi and Gucci, we welcome author T. J. Murphy, who has written a new book about CrossFit. Murphy’s book, Inside the Box: How CrossFit Shredded the Rules, Stripped Down the Gym, and Rebuilt My Body tells of how he went from a limping 47-year-old former marathon runner to the best shape of his life, all by using the nutritional and workout techniques of CrossFit.

Two quick programming notes:

  • After this TOC episode was recorded, the UCI announced it has suspended its suit against journalist Paul Kimmage, pending the outcome of an independent management review.
  • If you’re looking for the online raffle to benefit the family of the late Stan Bugarcic (the man who drowned in the 2012 Greater Cleveland Triathlon), here’s the link: http://www.imathlete.com/donate/Campaign.aspx?fCID=1607&fb_source=message

 

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Show #113 – October 20, 2012

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Ernest Gagnon, Dan Empfield

Halloween is still a week away, but a Big Yellow Elephant charged into the room this week, so Diane and I felt compelled to address it, because, well, Big Yellow Elephant. But don’t let that deter you, because we also have two great guests this week.

Ernest Gagnon is a big guy from New England on his way to being a smaller guy from New England. Two years ago, a combination of depression and a sedentary job in the tech industry helped him tip the scales at 570 pounds. Now, over 200 pounds lighter and several thousand miles later, Gagnon has both a different body, and a different outlook on life. This week we get the whole amazing story from Ernest and two of his cycling buddies, Steve Lachance and Zach LaBry.

The expansive website slowtwitch.com is ostensibly about triathlon (and there is a ton of excellent tri content there) but it’s so much more than multi-sport. This 13-year old site is the brainchild of Dan Empfield, who has a deep passion and understanding, not only of the sport itself, but of the athletes as well. This week Dan tells us how and why he started Slowtwitch, and also offers a bit of advice for first time competitors.

 

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Show #112 – October 13, 2012

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“Cello” Joe Chang, Brett Davis, Bina Bilenky

That’s more than just the usual Fall chill you feel in the air this week. The USADA’s release of its Reasoned Decision in the Lance Armstrong case, combined with admissions of doping from both George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer, have served to frost a lot of pumpkins in cycledom. Happily, there are other things going in in bicycling, and we have three of them for you on today’s show.

What do you get when you cross beatboxing with cello playing and bicycling? Cello Joe, of course: the “wildest beatboxing cellist in the west.” Joey “Cello Joe” Chang has toured the U.S. and Mexico on his bicycle, with his cello in tow, playing a unique brand of classical-inspired music. Today Diane brings you a conversation about his adventures, along with a sample of his music.

Over the summer, there’s been a hive of activity in Cleveland’s Broadway Avenue neighborhood. Fast Track Racing, along with volunteers from the Cleveland cycling community have been busy constructing Ohio’s only velodrome. This week we welcome back Brett Davis, board president of the Cleveland Velodrome board to talk about the first couple months of operation, and what they have planned for 2013 and beyond.

Wrapping up, we check in with Bina Bilenky, who is busy putting the final touches on the Philly Bike Expo, which drops on October 27th and 28th. This year’s theme is “Artists, Activists & Alternatives”. Should be a great chance to see lots of cool cycling stuff in the freedom city.

 

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Show #111 – October 6, 2012

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Daniel Coyle, Paul Steely-White, Doug Selee

Fall means it’s time to pull on your SPF Infinity sunblock (long sleeves and tights) and hit the road. For The Outspoken Cyclist, it means three great stories from the lighter and darker sides of our sport.

Joining us in the studio is Daniel Coyle, co-author with Tyler Hamilton of the book The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs. Coyle conducted extensive interviews and research with Hamilton and many others to paint an enlightening and sometimes disturbing picture of the culture of doping in professional bike racing.

Perhaps no other city in the U.S. has so radically transformed its street infrastructure than New York City. Where Portland streets seem almost ready-made for bicycling, NYC has gone from allowing cars in Central Park (!) to being one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the country. Paul Steely-White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives joins us from Brooklyn to update us on how NYC has pulled this off, and what’s on the horizon for the Big Apple.

Wrapping up the hour, Diane speaks with Doug Selee, Executive Director of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). NICA’s mission is to start mountain bike racing leagues at the high school level around the U.S. With two leagues in California, and eight in other states, NICA is on a mission to get kids active and to create lifelong cyclists. See, it doesn’t take balls (literally or figuratively) to play high school sports!

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Show #110 – September 29, 2012

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Lesli Cohen, Andy Shen, Ingo Lou

This week’s show seems to unintentionally revolve around legal matters, but happily you’ll find very little legalese here.

Irish journalist Paul Kimmage is being sued by the UCI for his 1990 book Rough Ride, which deals with doping in professional cycling. Lesli Cohen of Cyclismas.com & Andy Shen of NYVelocity.com have started a Chip-In fund to help raise money for Kimmage’s legal expenses. Lesli and Andy have a lot of great info about the book, the lawsuit, along with some strong opinions on the current state of the UCI.

In the second half, we meet up with Ingo Lou, whose To Catch a Bike Thief project takes a rational and objective approach to what is almost always an emotional experience: the theft of one’s bike. Turns out, there are simple reasons why bikes are frequently stolen, and a few things you can do to deter bike theft.

 

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Show #109 – Interbike Part 2

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Jock Boyer, Kimberly Coats, Ed Rae, Mike Deme, Winona Bateman
Fred Clements

Greg and I went in to the studio this morning to bring you the second half of the interviews from my trip to Interbike. I hope you enjpy them.

A special bonus for podcast listeners this week: part 2 of Diane’s report from Interbike 2012:

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Show #108 – Interbike… Part I

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Carolyn Szczepanski, Karen Brooks, Micah Rice, Richard Schwinn

Here is the first of our shows from the media booth as I interviewed some of the high profile folks from the world of cycling:

She actually recorded more interviews than we have time for on this week’s radio show, so look for more from Interbike coming up in the near future.

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Leaving Las Vegas

Whew – sitting at McCarran Airport waiting to board our plane to Denver on the first leg to get home!

Still have a lot of sorting out to do – it’s always a whirlwind trip with a sensory overload from the moment the wheels touch down in Las Vegas until we get on the plane and push back fromt he gate.

Greg is editing all the interviews I did and I want to thank Clovis Long from  Mustache Power Productions for all his assistance in the video/audio booth.  And, a big shout out to David Bernstein, MR. Fredcast himself for gtting all my time scheduled.

There were a couple of opportunities I uunfortunately missed including a press conference with the legend Miguel Indurain and Eddy Merckx… Eddy won’t offer interviews in English; the Indurain opportunity came to my attention too late.

The truth is that a lot of celebrities, from gold medal BMX riders to world champion triathletes weren’t always where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there.  Sometimes, it was just a huge comflict of time.  <sigh>

But, I will be getting a lot of interviews from some great cycling personalities going forward and there are some fabulous books just released from Velo Press for holiday gift giving.

So, tune in tomorrow evening for our show and hear the first of the Interbike 2012 conversations.

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Interbike – Day #1 – September 19, 2012

Throngs of people filed into Ballroom G at the Sand’s Convention Center to partake of a breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, juices, potatoes, coffee, tea, and an outrageous number of great lookong pastries!   Free food always attracts cyclists! But, this was about getting people to listen.

The presentations by Fred Clements of the NBDA , Tim Blumenthal  of Bikes Belong, and John Burke CEO of Trek Bicycles, were filled with stats, ideas, and encouragement to grow the industry,grow the sport, and get involved with bicycling on the local level.

I think there was some cyniccism (really?) on a lot of levels:

1. Trek just wants to sell more bikes – which of course would be true, but is that bad?

2. The industry is on the wrong track about how to go about getting more people on bikes – and of course there are always several sides of that questin.

3. Why cna’t we all get along? – wow, solving that problem would be earth shaking!

I will say that I found all the statistics very interesting; changing them for the better?  Daunting!

The presentation ended right on time and the show opened.  It’s BIG!  And, confusing; the numbering system seems so strange this year. The media center has been moved to a good place though.

I’m about to write a short “”story”  about the radio show – there’s a chance to win a prize!  Wish me luck and I’ll update you soon.

Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

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Interbike 2012 – Dirt Demo

 

Hot doesn’t even begin to describe the weather in Nevada!  You could have friend eggs on the ground at Dirt Demo in Bootleg Canyon today. But, Dirt Demo was a smashing success!  It was jammed pack with vendors and attendees alike.  I saw some beautiful kits on riders; I saw some great looking bikes.
There were two DJ’s – each working about 2 hour shifts – that just kept the shaded tent rocking.  Sierra Nevada was giving out beer.  There was free food, free ice cream and popsicles, and every electrolyte drink product on the market.  Shimano gave out free ice-cold towels – a very welcome idea that kept me on my feet when I felt woozy about two hours in.
I think one of the big highlights of the day for me was the introduction of a group of Ride2Recovery riders who had biked in from Las Vegas to Bootleg Canyon and then were heading back out to  Las Vegas.  There were armed service personnel, firefighters, and police – many of whom were amputees.  I will be talking with John Wordin, President and Founder of Ride2Recovery and Chris Spyer from Raleigh.  Raleigh has a department that researches and develops adaptive bikes for these amazing athletes.  Very inspiring!
As the week unfolds, I will be “tweeting” (I thought I’d NEVER say that) at #outspokncyclist on Twitter and on the Outspoken Cyclist Face Book page.
Stay tuned!