Outspoken Cyclist: Recent Episodes
Diane Jenks - Bicycling Enthusiast
Yes, this episode quickly follows on the heels of my conversation with Raul Avelar from the IIHS. But, there are so many great safety conversations getting ready to stack up that I wanted to make sure we get them all in this summer.
My guest today is Chuck Marohn from Strong Towns.
Over the years, Chuck and I have explored many topics about cities and “strong towns,” and I felt it was important to include him in our conversation about safety as we continue to explore what is making cyclists – and pedestrians – vulnerable.
Of course, as my husband Brian says – we ARE vulnerable. Cars are bigger and faster, drivers are distracted, impatient, and angrier, and speed limits are ignored. So it is no wonder that fewer and fewer riders taking to the roads.
What Chuck has developed – the term he has coined actually – is a concept called “stroads” – that streets and roads are actually two separate things.
Chuck sees streets as the platform for where we live, work, and recreate. Roads, on the other hand, are the connective pipelines between our cities.
For more information about Strong Towns, log on to strongtowns.org, strongtowns.org/mission, and strongtowns.org/local. Each link offers a wealth of information and a roadmap to better living.
We’ll speak with Ohio Bike Lawyer, Steve Magas on our next episode as we continue to explore ideas about safety. Steve delves into how the law is interpreted, some of the current statistics, and we discuss a few of the issues we are seeing in places like New Jersey where a knee-jerk end-of-term signature from the governor banned all eBikes… probably not a good law to implement!
This is the second in our series about safety. And, while it isn’t a long conversation, it’s an important one because it helps to set the context for how safety trends are playing out.
My guest is Raul Avelar, senior research transportation engineer for the IIHS – Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Raul’s area of work is a focus is on bike/ped safety. And that fits right into our series here!
One of the things Raul says not too far into our conversation that piqued my interest is about the difference in behavior between men and women when they are riding and even walking; that men seem to be more aggressive and less likely to “follow the rules” when it comes to traffic safety.
As Rachael Maney said in our conversation from last week, there’s also the difference that seems to be experienced by those who are kitted up like cyclists – flashy jerseys, helmets, and cycling footwear – and recreational cyclists, perhaps in a T-shirt, cargo shorts, and sneakers. Raul’s research seems to confirm those experiences.
Then there’s the issue of whether new features in today’s cars work – warnings such as those that keep you in line and automatic braking. According to Raul, these features work; so, why would someone NOT activate them in their new car?
What Raul has given us is some details about what may be coming that should help us navigate an ever more crowded, speedy, and dangerous transportation world as technology begins to connect roadways, signals, and cars. Perhaps our learning how those things work will give us more confidence to navigate the roads more safely.
While the research shows so much that can be done to make our roads safer, what is most disturbing to me is what seems to be the deliberate removal of that information from the public’s view, putting cyclists and pedestrians in harm’s way unnecessarily.
For more information about the work the IIHS does and to contact Raul, log on to IIHS.org.
My guest is Rachael Maney. Rachael is the managing director of Bike Law, a network of independent bicycle crash attorneys. I was supposed to speak with her last month, but as is often the case, the Bike Law offices are so busy, she hardly has time to turn around!
Anyway, this conversation begins a series that will include Rachael, the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety,) Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns, and others.
Since I spoke with Rachel on July 13th, there have been several high-profile incidents including a road rage crash in Texas killing US decorated boxer Hannah Rapp, the tragic loss of Louisa Gag, a long time cycling advocate for the City of Boston who was hit by a truck on her way to work, and a group of cyclists in Colorado who were run down by an impaired driver.
These crashes resulting in injury and death are all the more poignant when the Secretary of Transportation claws back $1.7B from the infrastructure bill that promised the money to hundreds, if not thousands, of projects, claiming that he was going to redirect the funds to roads and bridges, not to and I quote “DEI bike lanes.”
The pushback from all quarters – not just the bicycle world – was loud and long; but I doubt this administration will change its mind about reallocating the funds.
My conversation with Rachael outlines some of bike Law’s well-honed thinking when it comes to enforcement, laws, eBikes, and more.
I’ve had this conversation archived for way too long and in re-listening while editing it today, I thought – how interesting that we are at this strange place with the announcement last week of so much money being rescinded from bike and ped infrastructure, to the amazing 50year project that completed the Poudre River Trail in Larimer Country Colorado.
So I cued it up for edit and it truly highlights what might be an exemplary project.
My guest is Zac Wiebe. He is the planning and resource manager of Larimer County in Colorado.
The Poudre River Trail sounds like the perfect ride for someone who wants the scenery of Colorado coupled with great amenities along the way without climbing the Rockies!
As with most long trails – this one covers about 45 miles –the first mile was laid in 1978 and here we are almost 50 years later as Memorial Day weekend saw the final connection to complete it.
It is clear that the commitment to completing this trail took a lot of cooperation among the county, the communities it crosses, and the state. And the way the counties were able to look to their citizens for funding to complete the trail is a lesson other states might want to look at for themselves.
My thanks to Zac for a most interesting and enlightening conversation. Colorado seems to embrace trails and trail access in a big way!
What trails like this can do to unite communities and bring economic benefits as well as recreational pleasure to so many is so worth the efforts.
While we will be celebrating our 250th Anniversary here in the States, the Grand Departe of the 113th Tour de France will lead off with a team time trial in Barcelona on Saturday.
As always, I turn to our friend and resident all-thing-TdF Joe Lindsey, managing editor of Escape Collective. He knows the ins and outs of the stages, the courses, the riders, and the teams for all the European race, but we focus this conversation pretty much on the Tour this time around.
My questions go to topics such as which riders might surprise us, how the intense heat could impact the race as we well as the teams, and what this year’s course has in store for us.
Jonas Vinnegard is apparently 100% healthy and ready to go – two full years after his horrific crash in 2024, and he’s already shown some stellar results this year. He and Tadej will be the ones to watch for that head-to-head rivalry; but, perhaps there is someone else on the horizon? And who is Paul Seixas anyway?
Joe has some thoughts…
This episode brings together a long and sorrowful history and a bicycle tour that commemorates it.
We are all familiar with rides that have meaning such as fund raisers for medical research, rides that create long-lasting memories and friendships such as RAGBRAI, and rides that bring back fond memories such as the upcoming re-creation of the Bikecentennial Ride in July, celebrating the founding of our Nation.
And then, there are rides that reaffirm some truths about who we are and what we stand for as a people while shedding light into how we might deal with the truths of our history and do better in the future.
Today’s conversation falls into the latter category and my guest is Will Chavez, the associate editor of the Cherokee-Phoenix, the official newspaper of the Cherokee Nation.
The paper itself has a long and interesting history, beginning in what is now called New Echota, once the capital of the Cherokee Nation in Georgia and now a historic site.
In the 1830’s – 1838 to be exact – the removal of 100,000 Native Americans, including the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole – from their homelands in the Southeastern United States to Indian Territory – now Oklahoma – resulted in thousands of deaths from harsh condition, starvation, and disease.
The route that was traveled by the tribes back in the 1800’s is now commemorated each year by 12 specially chosen young Cherokee riders as they travel the almost 1000 miles on the Trail of Tears.
Will offers us a look back at history and forward to what these riders take home from the historic journey they are privileged to take.
Will’s new book “Riding the Trail: Cherokees Remember the Removal,” is now available for pre-order and you can follow all of the news from the Cherokee Nation through the Cherokee-Phoenix newspaper.
Seven years ago, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett gave up their cars, moved to the Netherlands, and have been exploring urban transformations around the world.
The last time I spoke with Melissa and Chris, back in 2022, they had just published two books, Curbing Traffic and Building the Cycling City. They didn’t have the opportunity to do the traditional kind of book tour at the time because of the pandemic, but that’s since changed.
In fact, with their kids heading off to college and beyond, and their new book, Women Changing Cities, global stories of urban transformation, just published, they’ve been able to travel and speak about their work in person all over the world.
Their work has led them to so many women who are doing remarkable things in their respective cities, and their stories are both fascinating and inspiring.
Women Changing Cities highlights the stories of nineteen women working in eleven different cities as Melissa and Chris shine the spotlight on what can only be termed a modern transformation of urban thinking.
Our conversation ranges from why women are still not well represented in the planning space of engineering, politics, and architecture, to the astounding fact that only 8% of the 300 largest cities in the world have elected women as mayors.
The explanations of how those things are gradually, but surely, changing are encouraging.
Their new book, Women Changing Cities: Global stories of urban transformation, is available from RIBA.org as well as all your favorite book sellers. The suggestions in the book, the women who are highlighted, and the beautiful photography that graphically shows some incredible results, will inspire anyone looking for ideas and support to bring to their community for consideration – and hopefully, implementation.
And for more information on what Chris and Melissa are doing next, you can follow them at modacitylife.com.
This is the next episode in our series of great rides around the U.S. for spring and summer 2026. Today, we visit Maine.
Lung diseases affect 35 million people in the U.S. and the American Lung Association is the first stop for advocacy, research, and funding for those people and their families.
The 42nd annual Trek Across Maine – yep – 42 years! – has to be one of if not the longest running event of its kind – a fund raiser as well as what you will hear is almost a family reunion withf hundreds of folks, for what promises to be a lovely three-day ride around Maine.. And with a Father’s Day weekend date… it’s a great way to celebrate Dad!
My guests are Matt Sturgis, who has held many positions with the American Lung Association in connection with this ride and other offices around the eastern seaboard, and Lance Boucher, who is the voice of the organization in advocacy and public affairs.
My second guest today is Professor Chris Sweet.He’s theInformation Literacy and Scholarly Communications Librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University. His just published book, a History of Bicycling in Illinois: 160 Years of Booms and Busts, goes all the way back to the late 1800’s, tracing the ups and downs of cycling from manufacturing and racing to how bicycles figured into the wars of the 20th century and beyond.
I didn’t think there was so much to learn about the history of bicycles and cycling in Illinois, and I was wrong! Professor Chris Sweet, who is the Information Literacy and Scholarly Communications Librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University, is also an avid cyclist and a historian.
His research reached back into the late 1800’s to explain the subtitle of his book, 160 years of booms and busts, and brings it right up to the to effects the pandemic had on cycling just a few years ago.
I don’t think I’ve met a more fascinating person than adventurer Laura Killingbeck.
For example, how many of us know from a very young age who we are and what we want from life and then follow that desire into adulthood? Especially when we are talking about a rather solitary and independent life.
Laura Killingbeck is one of those people who DID know, and her story is incredibly compelling.
Laura is a naturalist – a hunter gatherer as she decided very early in life – and she has been on the move, writing and talking about her work, ever since. You won’t want to miss this conversation.
Then, in the second half of the show, we take a 180-degree turn when my guests are Carlos Rogers and Robin Morton. Carlos is one of the partners who owns the Philadelphia Cycling Classic and Robin is the race director.
After a 10-year absence, this iconic and well-loved event is back and just like that, Philadelphia is the proud host of a professional cycling race again.
We’ll find out all about it a bit later in the show.
I don’t know how you feel about trees, but I for one think they may be vastly underrated and WAY more important than people might give them credit for. Although, you as a listener are probably not one of those people!
My guests today, Paul Putman and Jonathan Cain, are here to talk about the annual Tour de Trees, a small and very significant ride taking place this September through the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Tour Des Trees is a long-standing ride on the multi-day circuit. It raises funds for exploration and science while teaching daily along the way.
Then, I speak with cyclist and author Paul Dunt. In the summer of 2014, Paul, who lives in the U.K., came over to the States with a traveling companion to ride the original 4,000+ mile Bikecentennial Trail. His new book, TRANSAM – Cycling Coast to Coast on the Trail that the US Loved first, chronicles his journey across the U.S.and he has some great stories to tell.
With the upcoming 50th anniversary of the original Bikecentennial Ride, Transam gives us a thorough look into not only the trail itself, but what he found about the U.S. 12 years ago.
As we wrap up our third and final episode on eBikes, Ash Lovell and Matt Moore from People for Bikes take us into some of the legal issues and possible remedies to defining and separating an eBicycle from an eMotorcycle.
When absolutely no state in the country makes it legal to ride an eMoto – because they exceed the attainable speed limit ascribed to an eBicycle – and parents are unwittingly buying them for their kids – we find ourselves in a no-win situation.
Many of these non-bicycle bikes are getting through customs without any scrutiny – and no one seems to know how or why that is happening.
As Ash and Matt explain, People for Bikes is working feverishly to craft legislation to take to D.C. as well as for individual States, and to find a way to inform the public. All daunting tasks.
On a positive note, there is finally a bill that was introduced on the House Floor – The Safe Speeds Act. HR7839 – that will define an eBike as well as get the CPSC involved – which is paramount to seeing safety standards enforced.
Before we get to our guest, I want to give a HUGE shoutout to our very own Bike Cleveland Executive Director, Jacob VanSickle. Jacob was named Professional Advocate of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists at the National Bike Summit a couple of weeks ago.
Jacob has taken what was the fledgling Bike Cleveland organization and put it on the national stage in many ways. Our cycling experiences here in NE Ohio have been immensely enhanced by his leadership. Congratulations Jacob!!!
In this, the second in our series on eBikes, I speak with Larry Pizzi,. Larry is the president of Pedigo, a long-time senior executive in the e‑bike industry, and an active participant in national policy and advocacy efforts, collaborating with brands, dealers, and organizations like PeopleForBikes.
While Larry’s views don’t particularly contradict those of Hans Rey, who was my guest in the first of this series, they do bring up important aspects of the conversation that Hans and I didn’t cover.
Larry and I have known each other for a long time, and he too offers his opinions about eBikes and what we – specifically the industry – need to be thinking and doing so that access to eBikes remains viable for everyone – not just riding on trails.
Larry has laid out his “call to action” plan for us around three points: safety, access, and innovation.
This episode of the show is Part I of a series about eBikes and the ongoing issues surrounding their definition, usage, regulation, and legislation – all topics of controversy and conversation.
So many people, companies, policymakers, and organizations stand to find themselves negatively impacted as the definition and regulation of the category becomes mired in misunderstanding and frankly, fear.
eBikes, as first defined, were bicycles with a pedal assist motor without a throttle that would help flatten out the hills and offer a boost for a weary rider attaining speeds of up to 20mph.
Over the years, other so-called eBikes have been introduced to the market and now we have machines that can reach speeds topping 50mph with no pedaling capabilities.
These have been termed eMotos by some, but out in the “real world” the distinction between the two is being blurred and undesirable consequences are beginning to become apparent.
Today’s conversation is with mountain bike luminary Hans “No Way” Rey. Hans is an Ambassador for Bosch, probably the largest manufacturer of quality eBike “motors” on the market. Hans is also one of our bicycle world’s icons – stretching back several decades as a wild and exciting mountain bike trials rider.
Much less known though is his long-time interest in eBikes – as far back as 1997 when he converted one of his regular bikes with a bionic rehab motor.
Today, Hans is deeply concerned about the ever-escalating power of motors that are becoming so prevalent as to make some communities outright ban the entire category of electric bicycles. He notes that just putting a crank on the bike and calling it an eBike is not working – that these over-powered machines are NOT bicycles at all.
We talk about the definitions of eBikes, what the industry needs to be thinking, and where the responsibility for making these determinations lies.
I really love having the chance to talk with my NYC friend and colleague John Surico – Professor Surico actually.
Today, John joins me from his local coffee shop, so you’ll hear a bit of background chatter at times, but the conversation is – as always – enlightening. And, I don’t mind a bit of ambient noise.
As many of my listeners know, my conversations with John are focused on his work in NYC, where he was born and raised and where he teaches, writes, and works on a great many projects, including his monthly Substack column, Streetbeat. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t sleep.
As we reported in the past, many cycling and walking projects that were in the works – whether shovel ready, already in process, or even completed, are being shut down or even torn up. The administration in D.C. thinks bike lanes are “ugly” and a waste of money.
Case-in-point is the already in place bike lane on Arizona Avenue which was reduced to painted lines from a separate protected lane, sparking a debate between federal policies and local transportation needs. And on it goes.
John and I talk about how congestion pricing has worked so well that, using a newly coined term, there is a space dividend – meaning things are opening up with less traffic, pollution, better safety, and the extra space created – so what can we do with that?
We begin our conversation with the snow-ma-geddon winter storm, how the new Mayor of NY handled it, and how Lyft’s much relied upon Citibike system was impacted.
I wanted to get this episode up before Omloop- the first European One-Day Classic this coming Saturday.
Indeed, it’s Spring Classics time and as always, I turn to my bike racing expert, Joe Lindsey, the managing director of Escape Collective, for his knowledge and insights.
Interestingly enough, as many times as we’ve spoken over the years, it never occurred to me to define certain terms until now! Duh!
And so, we begin this early spring conversation with a few definitions such as – what is a classic? Which races are termed Monuments and what does that mean? And, why are the cobbled races so difficult?
And, why hasn’t Tadej Pogacar won all 5 of the Monuments? Which women should we watch? And how about the exciting 4th place TdF finisher Oscar Onley? What’s he up to for 2026?
We chat about team rider changes, bad-fan behavior, and whether state-sponsored teams are a good idea.
We delve into some of the questions that arose for me out of the protests at last year’s Tour of Spain and how racing might be changing in this time of short-attention spans and instant news.
I have a bit of housekeeping before we get to our two great guests today.
First – it’s WJCU’s annual fundraiser – RADIOTHON! This year’s theme “Carrying the Torch for College Radio,” is particularly pertinent as another well-loved local college station was recently sold and converted to our local NPR affiliate for a jazz format, much to the disappointment of Cleveland State University!
But WJCU – 88.7on your FM dial here in NE Ohio, is alive and well. The station is the on-air voice of John Carroll University and has been the gracious host for The Outspoken Cyclist since our very first show in September of 2010.
At that time, we produced the podcast as a companion to our one-hour radio show. Eventually we phased out the radio show and continued to offer the podcast. Now, 16 years and 683 shows later, we are so honored that WJCU has seen fit to continue to partner with us.
Here’s just a little bit about why I’m so proud to be a part of WJCU. The station is the reigning International Student Broadcasting Championship People’s Choice Radio Station and College Media Association Pinnacle Awards Small College Audio Outlet of the Year. It has established itself as a worldwide leader in college radio.
SO – All of this is said in the hopes that you will help support their work, which in turn gives me the platform I am so honored to have.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the station. All the money raised during Radiothon goes directly to the station – not the University.
Just log on to WJCU.org and click the pledge button. Make sure you let them know you are an Outspoken Cyclist listener too! And, thanks!
Item #2 is about my conversation with Maynard Hershon and his new book, The Dysfunctional Cycling Club. I neglected to give you a way to contact Maynard directly: You can find him at buymeacoffee.com and search for Maynard Hershon.
My show this week includes a conversation with Caron Whitaker, the Deputy Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists.
With the upcoming reauthorization of the Transportation Bill this fall – well, the supposed reauthorization – there is the opportunity to include a bill that would require automobile manufacturers to incorporate automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems that reliably detect pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users in real-world conditions — day and night.
Its goal is simple: ensure lifesaving technology that actually works for everyone, before crashes happen.
Caron gives us a Cliff’s Notes Course on that bill and what else is happening in Washington as well as how we can help.
My second guest is Andy McGrath. Andy is an award-winning freelance journalist, and he began our conversation with a super fun fact – he’s a triplet!
I’ve only ever known one other set of triplets; their Mom was a client of ours. Such a cool fact!
Anyway, Andy has written a biography of Tadej Pogacar titled “Unstoppable.” An apt title if there ever was one, yes?
And I think our conversation has to be one of my all-time favorites. Andy is thoughtful, forthright, and has truly done his due diligence in authoring this book. I think you’ll agree.
My guest today is an old friend and perhaps someone many of you might consider your friend too.
If you subscribed to Winning Magazine or Velo News back in the day, you relished Maynard Hershon’s column, “Tales from the Bike Shop,” at the back of each issue.
Maynard is the bicycle world’s storyteller and, in many ways, is keeping the story of proper bike riding alive.
His now out-of-print book “Tales from the Bike Shop,” is a classic – mixing his astute observations about bike-shop-behavior with humor and a plainspoken honesty about what went on in our shops back in the day.
In his new book, “The Dysfunctional Cycling Club and Other Stories. Maynard turns his thoughts to today’s cycling club culture, such that it is, and what has been lost from the days of his bicycling education.
Unlike Tales from the Bike Shop, where most of the stories, while based on his observations and experiences, were fiction, this book describes the real people he’s met, the actual rides he’s done, and his candid thoughts about the many changes that he’s experienced in today’s bike club culture.
You’ll probably find our conversation a lot like two old fogies who haven’t seen each other for a very long time – yapping, even sometimes interrupting one another, and just generally having a good time. I’m delighted to be able to share our conversation with you.
As many of you know, I have a real soft spot for traditional steel frame bikes and so I always feel somewhat justified in my “curmudgeonly-ness” when I have the opportunity speak with a master frame builder who is still practicing the art of building steel bikes.
Bicycling started out as a “working class” sport and those who supported it were working class folks. Today, we hold our custom frame builders in high esteem at the same time that the craft of building steel bikes tries very hard to fade into history.
Framebuilder Paul Gibson not only doesn’t want to see that happen, he is actively doing things to ensure it won’t.
Paul is now the proprietor of Ellis-Briggs Cycles, the 90-year-old British bicycle company, founded by brothers-in-law Leonard Ellis and Thomas Briggs in 1936. (Yes, this makes it 90 years!) Their vision was to create high quality lightweight racing frames.
Through the years, there have been many changes in the custom bicycle business and Paul is hoping to preserve the traditions by teaching the skills to build lugged, steel frames as well as keep the long heritage of the craft alive and well.
While our conversation isn’t terribly long, it is full of juicy nuggets of interest from the history of the company to Paul’s desire to develop a curriculum for students – especially students who aren’t inclined to sit in a classroom day after day but rather wish they could learn some hands-on skills.
I’ve had so many conversations about the art and science of building steel frames over the years and always appreciate someone who is still immersed in the craft.
You can follow and help support Paul’s Patreon at patreon.com/ellisbriggs.
Log onto his website, ellisbriggscycles.co.uk for a deep dive into the company and what Paul is up to now.
In my Substack post about Tucker Schwinn’s new book, Closure – The Final Days of the Waterford Bicycle Factory – I said I had hoped to be able to speak with him directly.
That happened over the past weekend, and I wanted to share that conversation, even though this will be a short podcast episode.
Tucker is the son of Richard and Debra Schwinn. He grew up in the world of Waterford Precision Cycles and when the announcement of the closure of the factory was made and even before, decided to use his photography degree to document everything – from the eyewash station to the paint booth and anything in-between.
From beautiful descriptions of some of the photos to allowing others to just stand alone, I think the book is a must-have if you are a collector of bicycle related keepsakes.
My relationship with the Schwinn’s goes back a long time and, while I lament the loss of the factory and the beautiful frames produced there, the book helps to cement some of the memories in a way I hadn’t expected.
I’m really pleased to welcome two great guests to the show today.
The first is not new to TOC, and in fact has been someone I’ve not only spoken with in the past but have also referred to many times on episodes where he doesn’t even appear.
I love catching up with Strong Towns’ founder Chuck Marohn because I always experience an enlightening and encouraging conversation. Today is no different.
In this episode we cover a myriad of topics from the Ride for Life Rally that was held in D.C. to Chuck’s thoughts about how we might be getting our advocacy for cycling and walking wrong by looking to the Federal government for help as well as his thoughts about how we can all be part of a Bike Walk Revolution.
Once you hear it, you can’t un-hear it. It makes so much sense. And it just might spur you to action.
In the second half of the show, I speak with Esther Walker, the executive director of Outride.
Founded in 2012 by Specialized’s former CEO Mike Sinyard, who suffers from ADHD and found that riding a bike helped him to focus and learn, Outride started by investigating how bike riding could become an important part of a comprehensive therapy program for kids with ADHD.
Today, in addition to their extensive research, the organization has grown by leaps and bounds as their “Riding For Focus” program has spread to hundreds of schools across the U.S. positively impacting thousands of middle-school kids.
Every time I think our issues with cars vs cyclists are getting so much worse, which of course they are, I come across something that is even more dreadful!
Seems that Canada – a place where I would have thought cyclists would be not only safer but encouraged – is definitely not that!
In my conversation with David Shellnutt, The Biking Lawyer, I learn that there is not only open hostility to cyclists, but the police seem to be complicit in making cyclists “pay” for infractions while drivers’ who have been issued tickets find themselves with no consequences whatsoever. David has good things to talk about though too, including a program he started during the pandemic that is still going strong today.
In the second half of the show, we feature the first of our holiday giving segments with Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists.
The LAB does some great things – from offering a multitude of helpful options to get involved on a local or national level to helping make our communities more bicycle friendly, which in turn makes them safer. The LAB also hosts the National Bike Summit where, as a delegate of your community, you have the opportunity to make your case for legislation directly with the officials who can make those votes happen.
This episode was going to be an audio with commentary for my Substack. But, as often happens when I speak with Joe Lindsey from the Escape Collective, the conversation becomes so interesting that I just couldn’t see NOT sharing it on all my platforms.
Another reason I wanted to share this with everyone is that Joe, is an expert on competitive bike racing, which I am not, and since the 2025 continental and world races are pretty much over, I figured it was time to review them.
We begin with a short discussion about this year’s World’s, which for the first time was held on the African continent. Political for sure; but all seemed to go well.
Not so with the Vuelta A Espana as Joe and I move into a conversation about the Israel-Premier Tech team and how politics and protest, which have always been a part of bike racing, has now reached a level that is truly dangerous to the riders, the sponsors, and the sport itself.
Since Joe and I spoke, much has happened, both in the Middle East and with the team itself. Premier-Tech pulled their sponsorship, saying that “the core reason to sponsor the team has been overshadowed to a point where it has become untenable.”
Sad to say the least, but I think you will hear some good reasoning in my conversation with Joe.
As we cover some of the women’s racing from this past season, we get into the topic of fueling and weight. Ugh!
Weight is an especially tough topic for women – just look at the endless ads for weight loss and what defines beauty in all forms of advertising.
But there has been a seismic shift in thinking about fueling for bike racers and with that a shift away from just focusing on weight to the importance of nutrition.
Joe also talks about course design as it relates to the physique of a rider. Certain courses do favor a light, sprite rider while others offer advantages to a different body type.
And then there is course design as it relates to the safety of the riders.
We get into the weeds a bit with the UCI vs SRAM dispute about gearing as the discussion runs headlong into where the UCI should focus its work and what might happen if everyone rode the same bike – much like stock car racing. So you see, it’s a solid discussion and I hope you enjoy it.
We read or hear about corruption from a lot of places and when I came across a story from Kevin Duggan from Streetsblog NYC about a prominent family in Brooklyn NY that bribed officials to kill a protected bike lane, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to find out more.
The Argentos are big-whigs in the Greenpoint District of Brooklyn, NY – many high-profile television shows are shot on their “Broadway Stages” properties.
This past August, they were indicted for bribing the mayor’s assistant with not only money, but a cameo on an upcoming show episode. Ah, vanity!
It’s a juicy story that is still unfolding and we’ll talk more about with Kevin in just a moment.
Then, in my conversation with Sarah Davis, the active transportation senior planner for the City of Cleveland, we unpack the Cleveland Moves initiative supported by Mayor Justin Bibb.
While Cleveland’s population was in decline for several decades, it recently seems to be trending upwards again.
But one of the consequences of fewer people and cars is that perception that you can go faster on the roads. But the greater speed has resulted in the horrific statistic of 75 traffic fatalities in 2024. Bad stuff!
Sarah will give us the lowdown on what Cleveland Moves is and some of the good things that have been happening in Cleveland in the past few months.
Scott Tong is one of my favorite NPR hosts. Most days, along with Robyn Young and several other Here and Now folks, I listen to Scott on WKSU, our local NPR affiliate.
Over the past year or so, I’ve heard Scott talk about riding his bike, crashing his bike, and more recently, training for a long-distance cycling event.
So I reached out to him, and he was happy to talk about his riding experiences, the bike he rides – which is only one of my all-time favorite brands – and the event he was training for with his brother-in-law and his wife.
My first guest, Scott Tong, is wondering whether he might be getting too old to ride his beautiful Serotta Road bike and I assured him he is not!
It is true that while training for a long-distance event a couple of years ago, he fell and broke his collar bone and this year, while training for the same event, his wife fell and broke HER collar bone.
Still, he’s really not that old and he likes to ride! He got back on the horse and completed the Seagull Century in Maryland right after our conversation.
If I were to ask you if there is enough parking wherever you go, what would you say? Probably – No.
But what if I told you there is actually too much parking in many places, and that parking in general is poorly managed by most cities?
That’s the starting point for my conversation with the president of the Parking Reform Network, Tony Jordan, an organization that educates the public about the impact of parking policy on climate change, equity, housing, and traffic.
From the bizarre parking codes for every conceivable building, business, and residence, to a need for rethinking the miles and miles of concrete that take up precious land and contribute to climate issues, Tony Jordan helps to answers my many questions, and helps to give us actionable ideas to make our parking, driving, and especially biking and walking concerns better.
And for my extended conversation with Tony about how bicycling and parking reform are connected, log into my Substack entry. It’s a little bonus track!
This episode of the podcast offers up a short discussion with Bicycle Retailer’s EIC Steve Frothingham about U.S. Customs and the seizing of containers from Taiwan manufacturer Giant.
Earlier this week, in a surprise move, US Customs officials seized containers from Giant, the world’s largest bike mfg, over unspecified forced labor accusations.
In an effort to find out exactly what that meant, besides holding up shipments at the ports, I rang up Steve Frothingham, EIC of BR&IN.
His explanation, which was as up to date as of a few hours before we talked, made quite a bit of what was happening clear, but also left me with a lot of questions that I’m hoping will get answered in the next day or so.
We also talk about tariffs – which unfortunately is becoming a daily topic.
Then I have a very interesting conversation with PRX’s “The World’s” global transportation correspondent, Jeremy Siegel about how Helsinki made it to the top of the Vision Zero with NO traffic deaths for over a year!
A couple of weeks ago, I was in the car and heard Jeremy Siegel, The World’s Global Transportation Correspondent say that Helsinki had reported ZERO traffic deaths for over a year.
Being a Vision Zero hopeful for the Cleveland area and never having heard of any major city, let alone a country’s capital, say that no automobile, cycling, or pedestrian fatalities had occurred seemed amazing.
I came home, re-listened to the piece on their website, and then contacted Jeremy.
Here is how they did it…
Shannon Binns didn’t make a plan to come to Charlotte, NC and stay; yet here he is more than 15 years after starting his not-for-profit organization “Sustain Charlotte.”
Shannon started out in engineering, did some overseas volunteering, and finally decided that environmental science and public policy were where his interests really lay, leading him to a master’s degree around the age of 30.
Landing in Charlotte, which was growing at breakneck speed – but without a lot of planning – he discovered he absolutely had to buy a car to get anywhere when he moved into a suburban neighborhood without a bus route, sidewalks, or heaven forbid, a bike lane.
Shannon also realized that unlike almost all other major cities in the U.S., and what made Charlotte so unique, was that it has no lakes, rivers, or an ocean front
What it does have is trees – and lots of them. Charlotte is situated in the middle of a forest.
Then he saw the 25-year study that showed a full 50% of the tree canopy had been lost to development, and that, coupled with the lack of infrastructure for anything besides automobiles made him realize that he wanted – needed – to help.
And so, Sustain Charlotte was born.
It’s kind of a special episode for TOC because on September 4th, I will celebrate 15 years of TOC podcasting.
From my very first guest, frame builder Ben Serotta, until today, when my guests are far afield from frame building, I’ve had the privilege and honor or speaking with so many interesting, smart, talented, and accomplished people.
And so much has changed in the podcast space over the years. This show started out as not only a podcast, but also a 1-hour radio broadcast. Now we use the Zoom platform to record my conversations as well as see my interviewee – all in a simple and easy to run format.
I think it’s made a positive impact on the work, and I thoroughly enjoy the visual as well as the audio. I’ve learned audio editing and mixing and am actually thinking about video editing as a wintertime project.
But mostly, I’m looking forward to the next year of great conversations and hope you’ll come along for the ride.
My first guest is a photographer – but not just any photographer. She’s a cycling photographer who follows mostly women’s racing, often on the back of a motorcycle.
There just a few women who cover racing with their cameras, but Eloise Mavian is one of those elites who do. Her photograph of Demi Vollering appeared on the cover of the new magazine, Fausto, is how I learned of her and her remarkable story.
Eloise Mavian grew up in the photography business. Her father had a photo shop in San Marco Square in Venice, Italy and it was at his hand that she learned the ins and outs of the photography world. She went to the University of Visual Arts to study photography and even enrolled in a videography discipline; but her first love is the camera and still photos. Then there is her daring willingness to sit on the back of a fast-moving motorcycle – rain, sleet, or sun – which makes her not only a great photographer, but a wicked bad ass!
In the second half of the show, I speak with Scott Reigle. He’s the Senior Transportation Planner for the Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study in Binghamton, NY.
Our family has a personal connection to Binghamton and when I was sent an article about a cool event that takes place there each year, I thought I would learn more about biking and walking in this Upstate University town.
Scott Reigle has been the Senior Transportation Planner in Broome County where Binghamton, NY is located for over 30 years. When it comes to transportation – by any means – he knows the area inside and out.
He was around when the federal government ushered in the1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, – often referred to as IsTEA – which finally offered a major change to the way transportation planning and policy was approached, including giving metropolitan planning organizations significant powers. Case in point giving the BMTS, the ability to implement a newly developed pedestrian and bicycle plan for the greater Binghamton area.
I think our conversation might pique your interest in taking a ride if you’re in the area.
I’m a huge believer in print – magazines, newspapers, books. I prefer to turn pages and read from them, so when a client of ours mentioned this new magazine FAUSTO, I jumped right on it.
The editor graciously sent me Issues #1 & #2 and I was hooked, promptly subscribing to future issues.
Brad Roe and Tim Schamber have a long history with print magazines going WAY back to some early cycling publications, including Peloton, which was acquired Outside – another whole topic of conversation by the way.
So they took a beat and began ruminating on the what’s next. And FAUSTO was born.
From its format – 7X9 – to the cover finish – definitely NOT glossy – it’s a beautiful publication. And, with their extensive backgrounds in the business of magazines, they are bringing it all to bear in content that is well-written, interesting, and varied.
Sometimes, the most difficult part of a conversation is getting the correct pronunciation of someone’s name. Such is the case with my second guest… ready? Kevin Schoenmakers. Took me a couple of tries, but I think I got it.
In his article for Bloomberg City Lab titled “The Dutch Intersection is Coming to Save Your Life,” Kevin and I talk about important safety options that could be adopted by pretty much any community to help slow down traffic, make cyclists more visible, and prevent some of the more common auto-bike problems.
As someone who moved to the U.S. after living in China and who grew up in the Netherlands, it was not surprising that Kevin Schoenmaker found himself uncomfortable riding a bicycle in NYC.
He also found that the roads weren’t in great shape, drivers were less than friendly, and that there were few places, if any, to stash his bike while in a shop, restaurant, or even at home.
All of those things bring the issues many of us face about commuting by bike into sharp focus.
In his article for Bloomberg City Lab, “The Dutch Intersection is Coming to Save Your Life,” Kevin talks about how a Dutch Style intersection works and how this simple, effective, and relatively inexpensive solution can be included in local street design.
This episode of the podcast covers good news for cyclists in PA and a look at what’s happening in NYC – from the mayoral election to Central Park.
Ed Blazina has been a transportation writer in Pittsburgh for over 20 years and is or was employed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I say is/was for a particular reason; he and his fellow journalists have been on strike for 2 ½ years!
But that’s apart from the original reason I contacted him. Apparently, bicyclists in Pennsylvania were NOT entitled to be on the road with other vehicles – until the state supreme court handed down a decision that said they were.
And that is the story we are going to talk about today.
In the second half of the show, I welcome back one of my favorite guests, NYC’s Professor John Surico. Every month, I receive his informative newsletter, Streetbeat, and every month I have an extensive list of questions that come out of it.
But, since we don’t talk every month, I compile my thoughts and fire off the most relevant ones for our on-air conversations.
Today, we chat about NYC’s mayoral election, the presumptive and somewhat controversial Democratic nominee, Zorhan Mamdani, and the candidate’s thoughts on NYC transportation issues. We also cover congestion pricing, the changes coming to Central Park, and more. As always, it’s enlightening!
For more information and a written transcript of the show, please go to www.outspokencyclist.com
Today, my guests are Mark Van Tongeren from Michigan Adventure Racing and Professor Jim Martin from the Nutrition and Integrative Physiology and Neuromuscular Function Lab at the University of Utah.
I’m not sure how I didn’t know about Michigan Adventure Racing. The organization seems so together, and Mark Von Tongeren, the founder and producer of these events seems to be the best kind of ride director.
If you are into well organized events that offer up some challenging riding, Michigan Adventure Racing might just have what you’re looking for this summer.
I was introduced to my second guest, Dr. Jim Martin by bike fitter extraordinaire Paul Swift. In my conversation with him back in February, he mentioned the work that Jim is doing and the fact that Jim will be the keynote speaker at a professional fit symposium at the Tour de France next month. I thought I’d nab him first.
World Champion Tadej Pogacar uses relatively short cranks. And that has re-ignited the conversation about crank arm length among a lot of folks – especially bike fitters.
So… going to the horse’s mouth – so to speak – and finding out that a change in crank arm length might be easily discerned by the rider, does not necessarily result in more power output.
My guest today, Professor Jim Martin, has the proof-positive that this is so, and he’s going to explain it and a lot more.
Buckle up y’all… it’s a bit techy, and quite fascinating.
My guest is not new to the show, and he is certainly not new to U.S. cycling or to the custom bike business.
In fact, Toby Stanton – Mr. Hot Tubes, Mr. Junior Development Team Guy, and probably one of the few people in the U.S. who has watched U.S. bike racing ebb and flow with deep insight and broad knowledge, is one of the most knowledgeable and approachable people in the biz.
I was fortunate enough to get “schooled” on the current state of U.S. bike racing – including how he views team development – in our conversation today.
We do talk about some of the other hats he wears – or has worn – over the years – frame builder, painter, and currently carbon repair whiz.
But, his depth of understanding about how to “raise up” a young team of bike racers is exceptional.
Today’s young elite stars the likes of Magnus Sheffield and Matteo Jorgensen, who came up through the Hot Tubes development program, are showing us that the U.S. CAN and does compete successfully on the worldwide stage – for the first time in a long time!
Toward the end of our conversation, which took place just before Paris-Roubaix, I asked Toby who he thought might be on the top of the podium… actually, I suggested it might be Tadej Pogacar… Toby was an emphatic NO and, pretty much nailed the winner.
Hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did.
How’s your heart? Do you regularly keep tabs on the highs and lows of your heart rate? Have you noticed any irregularities?
My guest today is Dr. Tamanna Singh. She is a sports cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic and, in her words, an “advocate for athletes.”
Dr. Singh reviewed an article in Bicycling Magazine on March 12th titled 6 Myths About Max Heart Rate Cyclists Need to Stop Believing and at the top of the list was the statement: If You Exceed Your Max Heart Rate, Your Heart Explodes.
It seemed ridiculous of course, but I decided to get in touch with her and tease out answers to questions I think we all might have that aren’t quite as outrageous, including how to determine max heart rate (so your heart won’t explode!) what IS a normal heart rate, and how Afib has become such a widespread topic.
In the second half of the show, my guest is Dean Gore, VP at Trek Bicycles.
In an effort to make cycling more appealing and less scary to those who might not feel 100% safe, Trek has developed an app for both Android and IOS called Ride Club.
One of the first things Dean told me was that fully 1/3 of the bikes that leave the shop never get ridden. And THAT is a shame.
You don’t have to ride a Trek and the app is free. Features include route building, a “call Trek” button, and has a library of videos to refer to if you need any kind of help – on the road or at home.
It rolled out a few weeks ago and the reviews coming in seem to be very positive.
I wanted to get this episode out right away as it is time sensitive.
It isn’t always my great good fortune to be able speak with one of the iconic American pro riders who is still “in the bike world,” but today is one of those days.
Retired pro racer Levi Leipheimer’s career goes back to the mid-90’s, and throughout that decade and beyond he racked up some impressive stats including an Olympic medal, the U.S. championship, and winning three tours of California – the list is very long.
When he was 13, he saw his first Tour de France. That started the dream of being a TdF rider and he told himself… one day that will be me.
And from that dream, Levi went from amateur to pro, becoming a rider for the Rabobank team in 2002. Over the next few years, he didn’t fulfill his Tour de France team just once, he fulfilled it 10 times, completing the event 8. (Unfortunately, he crashed out of two of them!)
As you will hear in our conversation, what he saw as he traveled the world racing his bike, was how fortunate he was and that led him to his desire to “pay if forward.”
And, according to him, one of his greatest successes is the Levi Gran Fondo.
A Gran Fondo is defined as a type of long-distance road cycling ride, originating in Italy in 1970, and roughly translates into English as “Big Ride”. Officially, the event should be at least 120 kilometres (75 mi) long, and the riders are individually chip-timed (start to finish) with prizes for the fastest riders.
Now in its 16h iteration – losing a couple of events to the pandemic, – Levi’s Gran Fondo has become one of the most recognized and popular in the U.S.
It ‘s coming up quickly – April 19th and here is my conversation with Levi as we roll up toward the start line.
My thanks to Levi Leipheimer for joining me today. You can find out all about Levi’s Gran Fondo, including the Growler Pro Roster, how to sign up, show up, or watch it live from wherever you are starting at 11am Pacific Time on April 19th via YouTube at levisgranfondo.com.
It sounds like a great event!
She really wanted to wear skirts and get her nails done, but Alison Tetrick, while remaining ever the fashionable girl, is a feisty competitor – in all sorts of ways.
Starting out as a tennis player in high school, she played in college on a full ride where she studied biochemistry. She worked in drug discovery research for Amgen, and then….with all her energy and competitive urges, was egged on to bike racing by her grandfather Paul Tetrick, who found his passion for bike racing in his 60’s and raced well into his 80’s.
Alison’s trajectory toward success on the bike was almost instantaneous as you will hear in our conversation. But it wasn’t all unicorns and roses.
As strong and capable as Alison is, she tells us about some of the things that will take a person down – physically, mentally, and emotionally – and learning to deal with them – asking for help, realizing you can’t always do everything on your own, will shape you in new and perhaps much better ways.
Our conversation runs the gamut from her early successes on the bike to the work she is doing now to get more young girls into the sport. And her honesty, humility, and frankness are refreshing!
You can follow Alison and her journey @amtetrick on social media. Check out her bandanas (there’s a link on outspokencyclist.com to help and support more girls and women on bikes.
We will also have a link to Gloria Liu’s article, Cycling’s Silent Epidemic, on outspokencyclist.com too.
And if you find yourself at either Unbound or Sea Otter, look her up! She’ll be there.
My thanks to you for listening. I’d like to let you know that there is now expanded content for most episodes on my brand new Substack page.
I love talking about bike racing with Escape Collective’s Joe Lindsey because he has such a superb grasp of the sport – for both men and women.
Today, our conversation covers a little bit of the Spring Classics – Paris-Nice, Milan San-Remo – both men’s and women’s editions – as well as looking ahead to Paris-Roubaix and on into the upcoming Big Tours.
Having failed at Milan-San Remo five times, Tadej won’t be satisfied until he wins that as well as any other Monument he has in his sights.
We muse about how Tadej will do at Paris Roubaix next week, being the first to attempt it AND the Tour de France as defending champion in the same season since Greg LeMond in 1991.
I always learn so much from Joe. As he reminds us, this coming weekend, the 268.9-kilometre for men and 148 km Tour of Flanders for women pushes off on Sunday, April 6th from Brugge, Belgium with a who’s who of illustrious riders.
You can watch the race via FloBikes, but unfortunately there won’t be any other coverage in the U.S.
Of course, we talk about how bike racing is – or maybe more accurately – isn’t – covered by the media, especially here in the States, and why we haven’t re-embraced track racing as the perfect American spectator sport.
My guest today is Professor Alex Karner from the U. of Texas in Austin.
I learned about Alex and his work in an article by Magdalena de Valle written for Bloomberg News on February 26th. She stated: “Alex Karner got an email from the Transportation Research Board ordering him to stop work on his research project studying equitable access to goods and services.”
My ears perked up and I took a dive into the rabbit hole, contacting the Professor to find out more. Alex will be with me in a moment.
My second guest today is Maria Elena Price; she and her sister are co-owners of Experience Plus Bicycle Tours.
Many years ago, Maria Elena’s Dad, Rick Price the founder of Experience Plus, visited my store in downtown Cleveland along with several of tour company owners for a weekend Touring Open House.
Each tour director gave a short presentation about the company s/he represented and what I remember most about Experience Plus was the emphasis on the language and culture of the tours they offered.
When this new generation took up the reigns, that emphasis didn’t change, and today’s tours are as interesting, varied, and immersive as they were then.
Maria Elena and I delve into the background of the company and what it offers today.
My guests today are NYC’s Professor John Surico and the bike fitter’s bike fitter, Paul Swift.
John is one of my favorite repeat guests as those of you who are regular listeners know.
And go figure, this conversation was recorded exactly one day before the President put the kabosh on congestion pricing in NYC.
John and I had spoken last May about the project and how it was on again and off again and how he was looking forward to what it might do for NYC. The cameras went online in January and the immediate effects were pretty amazing.
Early in January, the long-awaited program to help ease traffic in NYC went into effect. The cameras went on and lo and behold – traffic eased, Broadway saw a 20% increase in ticket sales, and crashes were down a whopping 30% – and that was in just two winter months.
But along with many other programs, the president decided he didn’t like congestion pricing and in the stroke of his marker, had the cameras turned off. The legal wrangling that is going on is yet to be decided, but the day I spoke with John, things were looking pretty rosy.
My second guest is Paul Swift – the bike fitter’s fitter and developer of many cycling related products that facilitate a better experience on the bike – whether on the ground or in the gym.
Paul Swift has been developing his fitting techniques for decades. He also sees things IN those fits that have led to a plethora of products from the wedges fitters might use under your cycling cleats to his line of saddles.
Paul’s philosophy stems from observation, as well it should in my opinion. He recognizes that sizing is not fitting, and that it takes many years and thousands of fits to see what you are actually looking at and before making the changes necessary to accomplish a comfortable and efficient position with great results.
The conversation is casual and enjoyable…
It is a tough day for the Outspoken Cyclist Podcast as well as the many shows and most of the staff of WJCU – the radio station at John Carroll University that hosts my show.
Back in 2010, when TOC first went on the air – and we were a radio broadcast as well as a podcast for many years – my co-host, engineer, and mentor was a gentleman named Greg Priddy.
He spent endless hours editing our show for podcast and taught me ins and outs of the studio sound board, how to edit, mix, and upload my shows, and would fill in for me when I had that occasional cold or lost my voice.
For those of you who have been listening to the show from the beginning, you will remember Greg. He could be funny, but he was more likely to be the Abbott to my Costello, offering a serious note on many topics.
So, it is with a deep sadness that I report Greg lost his long battle with cancer this week. Back in August of 2017, Greg asked if he could offer his thoughts about the disease and especially what he believed you might do to make sure you stay healthy. I’ve added a link to that episode on our website if you’d like to hear it – or maybe replay it if you heard it back them as a reminder of what you can do for you and your family to ensure you detect any problems in a timely way.
Our best deepest condolences go out to Greg’s wife Jean, and we hope that Greg’s last days were peaceful. There is a short tribute, with photos, on the WJCU website.
Keeping Greg in our thoughts, we have two great guests on the show today to talk about two timely topics – tariffs and the fires in California.
First up, I’ve invited Steve Frothingham, the editor-in-chief of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, to weigh in on not only the tariffs but the bicycle industry in general, as it struggles with everything from inventory issues to where our bikes are being manufactured and sold.
In the second half of the show, we meet another Steve – yep it’s Steve squared today.
Only this Steve is a retailer whose store in Altadena, California for almost 40 years. And, yep you guessed it, the contents burned to the ground. (You’ll see before and after photos on the outspokencyclist website.)
But, rising out of the ashes like the proverbial Phoenix, Steve immediately started sourcing bikes from anywhere and everywhere in an effort to replace the hundreds that were lost in the fire for his neighbors and customers. It’s a helluva story.
The holidays are literally around the corner and today, I wanted to offer up one of my favorite year-end opportunities for giving.
Leah Missbach Day is one of the founders of WBR, and World Bicycle Relief is about to turn 20.
In the years since its inception, it has grown from aiding 20,351 people in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsunami to 850,000 bicycles on the ground in 7 African countries and in Colombia, South America.
These bicycles have helped girls to go to school, health workers to deliver life saving aid, and farmers to get their goods to market.
The Buffalo bike provides a sturdy, reliable machine that offers not only transportation but safety to the thousands of people who ride them.
In the second half of the show, I’m joined by Bill McGann.
Bill started out as a bicycle retailer in a 750 square foot shop in California back in 1974 with a $3,000 bank loan and a lot of chutzpah.
In his new book, Why Your Bike Is Made in Asia: My career in bicycles as I watched two continents squander an industry, takes us from early bicycle history through the 10-speed craze and on into the industry’s move to Asia as a result of some wrong-thinking on the part of American and European manufacturers.
It’s an interesting look at the bike industry from a very different perspective.
Hello and welcome to TOC. I’m your host Diane Jenks. Thanks for tuning in today.
Yes, it’s been a minute – well, maybe a bit longer – since the last episode, but I’m back and today’s show is the first in our year-end series highlighting gift-giving opportunities.
That’s not all though. My first guests are husband and wife Deb and Tom Gardner. They live in Indianapolis and have such a great story to tell.
Both are now retired and the accomplishments they have under their belts are mind blowing. Before they became heavily involved with long-distance cycling, they decided to run a marathon in every state. Done.
Then it was on to some pretty spectacular bicycling, and we’ll learn more about that in a moment, including their big 2025 plans.
Then, we catch up with the president and CEO of People for Bikes, Jenn Dice. People tell me I’m “so enthusiastic!” But, next to Jenn, I feel pretty laid back!
And, her enthusiasm for the work she does is contagious! Running PFB, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary – thank you very much – is a big deal and from the city ratings program to eBike battery recycling, Jenn can recite chapter and verse on all the many spokes in the PFB hub.
Brendan Quirk is the CEO of USA Cycling. Brendan fell in love with bike racing as a teenager and throughout his young adulthood and beyond, has immersed himself in everything from owning his own shop and developing a thriving online business to his present position – imbuing USA Cycling organization with his passion for the sport.
Brendan’s determination for success for the organization, beginning with member ship and working on the Foundation Board, led to his role as CEO. His commitment to spreading the word about cycling, from local grass roots organizations to our Olympic goals for Los Angeles in 2028, is clear. It’s about supporting local clubs and events and raising money to make certain the sport stays alive and vibrant in the U.S.
With the fall riding season in full swing, we’re bringing you our last great riding trail review for 2024. And, I’ve saved a review of the Southern New England area, especially Connecticut, for last.
The East Coast Greenway has come a long way in a few short years and, especially in 2024, the effects of the infrastructure act have pushed quite a few projects along helping to add many segments in the quest complete the 3,000+ mile project.
Our guide to this beautiful area of the Greenway is Bruce Donald and to say he is well-versed in all-things-trail-related in the area is a gross understatement.
In addition to all his advocacy work, acquiring more than $189 million dollars in funding for Greenway projects, Bruce is a lifelong cyclist and alpine skier.
This episode of our show was intended to highlight another great riding trail along with a conversation with renowned traffic engineer and planner Professor Wes Marshall at the University of Colorado in Denver.
My conversation with Wes happened the day after the news of the deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were announced and when we logged in to talk, we had both been reading the same news summary.
The horror and disbelief of the tragedy really struck me hard and because so much of the topics Wes and I were to talk about were directly connected to the issues we have with traffic and safety, I decided to let this episode stand alone.
Professor Marshall’s new book, Killed By A Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies Our Transportation System, offers ideas, data, options, and a broad observation of what we are getting wrong about the way we not only DO transportation and safety, but how we think about it in the first place.
I think you will enjoy our conversation and, in the least instance, get some valuable insight into what traffic engineers are and need to be.
As August comes to a close we are beginning to wrap-up our series on great riding trails. This episode, we take a ride down the Katy Trail in Missouri with trail manager Cassie Brandt.
We’ve had clients tell us how much they enjoy the Katy and listening to Cassie, you might just want to add it to your bucket list.
Before we get to the trail though, my first guest today is Laura Moulton. Back in 2011, I spoke with Laura about her then 3-month art project, Street Books, in Portland, Oregon.
Fast forward 13 years! And, Laura has sort of been kicked upstairs to an administrative position as executive director for the non-profit. Today, Street Books has expanded from one bicycle driven library to three with a set schedule, thousands of books loaned out free each year, and an incredibly inspirational story. I can’t imagine you not finding this project important and heartwarming.
The Katy Trail is the longest rail trail in the Rails-to-Trails network, consisting of 240 mostly flat miles. Yep! Mostly flat!
Managed on a day-to-day basis by four State Parks, it’s Cassie’s job to make sure that the trail is monitored for problems, even offering up a lost-and-found for cell phones that seem to get left behind occasionally. Let’s take a little trip on the Katy and find out what you can see, what you can do (other than riding,) and of course where you can eat and stay.
Back in April, 65 members of the European Cyclists Federation, representing 40 countries, signed the EU Declaration of Cycling.
Founded in 1983, the European Cyclists’ Federation is a Brussels-based independent non-profit association dedicated to achieving more and better cycling for all in Europe.
The ECF’s mandate? That by 2030 there will be more cycling, safer cycling, and stronger political support for cycling that includes higher investment with more and better infrastructure.
Today, my guest is Jill Warren, the CEO of the ECF and in a moment, she will tell us more about the ECF and what the future holds for cycling.
Jill says, and I quote, “there is no conceivable way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the European Green Deal or climate-neutral cities without significantly more cycling.”
In the second half of our episode today, we continue our summer exploration of great and favorite trails.
One of my past guests, Scott Kasper, contacted me and wanted to share his experience of the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park in Utah.
Not as well known or traveled as the Grand Canyon, Scott thinks this trail is just as breathtaking and urges us to drop in, climb out, and disconnect from the grid for a few days, taking in the beauty of the rugged White Rim Trail.
Located between the Green and Colorado Rivers, the 100-mile MTB trail is both rugged and breathtaking. My guest is Scott Kasper and his description of his experiences – yes he loved it so much he had to do it twice – so far – will whet your appetite for a multi-day experience to remember.
In our ongoing series on favorite riding trails, I took Jim Sayer’s advice and contacted the Empire State Trail’s Chris Morris for a look at New York’s 750 miles of cycling and walking paths through the State.
Chris is the Empire State Trail Program Manager, living a short distance from one of the trailheads as well as having traversed many a mile on the trail himself.
Brian and I spent a couple of days riding our tandem on the Erie Canal Towpath back in 2016, traveling from Lockport to Brockport and back, staying in a lovely B&B overnight, and discovering some of the rich history of the Canal. We loved the adventure.
With three basic sections to the trail – North from Albany to Canada; West from Buffalo to Albany; and South from Albany into downtown Manhattan, the Empire State Trail offers some of the most diverse riding opportunities on the east coast.
Well – we’ve seen the entire Tour de France come and go – and WHAT a race this year. Now, we’re smack-dab in the middle of the 2024 Olympics with America showing up all over the place.
So, who better to talk to about all-things- tour-de France and the Olympics, than the managing editor of Escape Collective, Joe Lindsey.
Joe can recite chapter-and-verse about the riders, the teams, and the individual stages of a race that both started and ended differently than in the past and, I always learn so much about bike racing when we talk.
At the time we spoke, the Tour had already completed its 21 stages and we had a short breather before the Olympics – so, while we now know some results, Joe had some predictions. We’ll see how he did.
Last time, we began our series on favorite bike trails with the Ohio to Erie Trail and today, we’ll be exploring the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota.
A couple of years ago, Jim Sayer, who was with the Adventure Cyclist Association for many years, was riding cross country and stopped in to stay with Brian and me for a night. We got to talking about the trip he was making. He told us he would be taking in some of the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota on his way back to Montana.
When several people mentioned the Mickelson Trail as one of their favorites, Brian remembered that Jim had traveled it and suggested I contact him. He was happy to share his thoughts about it.
Jim Sayer, who was the executive director of Adventure Cycling, stepped down in 2021 and decided it was time to complete his perimeter tour of the U.S., stopping by our place in Cleveland for the night.
It was during that ride that he spent some time on the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota and since we are highlighting trails this summer, I knew he’d have some honest and forthright things to say about it. And so he did.
My thanks to Jim for joining me on the show. He sure made the Mickelson Trail sound appetizing! We have some photos of his time on the trail on our website, outspokencyclist.com as well a link to the Mickelson Trail website.
My first guest is not new to the show either. Leah Goldstein is arguably one of the most accomplished ultra-athletes I’ve ever had the honor to speak with.
She was world kick boxing champion at the age of 17. She was an undercover police officer in the Israeli army, she is a national cycling champion, and recently, she completed the grueling 4,000+ mile self-supported Trans Am road race .
The last time we spoke with Leah, she had just completed RAAM – winning the event overall. I thought that was crazy then! But, the Trans Am race is another level all together and today’s conversation covers the gamut from weather and equipment to wildlife and aspirations.
Let’s take a short break and when we return we’ll speak with Leah Goldstein some more. You’re listening to TOC.
We are back on TOC. I’m Diane Jenks. I want to preface the next part of my conversation with Leah with a comment. Back in February, Leah was to have given one of her amazing motivational keynote talks to the Inspire’s International Women’s Day Event. Then, she was suddenly dis-invited. The reasons given and the behind-the-scenes truths were completely different. Regardless of how you feel about the war in the Middle East, what Leah experienced was both uncalled for and clearly antisemitic.
My thanks to Leah for joining me today. I don’t know what is worse – being chased by a bear or being blistered all over by the sun. Regardless, Leah is ready to go again – with a lot more knowledge under her helmet.
I also appreciate that she was willing to share her thoughts about the Inspire incident last February. As I’m sure you can imagine, it struck hard when I learned about it back then.
You can follow Leah on her website leahgoldstein.com. We also have a few photos of her during the Trans Am event – since that was all the support she was allowed – someone taking a photo – as well as a link to a short video of Leah on course during the race. You can find them on our website, outspokencyclist.com
Before signing off today, I must bow down to this year’s Tour de France. In addition to it being one of the most interesting and exciting editions of the race, it was truly inspiring to see riders such as Biniam Grimay and Remco Evenepoel become super stars. And I’m beginning to think Tadej Pogocar might just break some long held records many thought would never be broken. Can you say Eddy Merckx?
As for the Tour, Joe Lindsey joins me next time to wrap-up this year’s Tour, chat about the remainder of the cycling race season, and we’ll preview the Olympics too.
We’ll also be continuing our series on favorite trail with the Empire State Trail in New York.
Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed the show. Please remember that we have links, photos, and a written transcript of the episode at outspokencyclist.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter (X), FB, and LinkedIn and subscribe on your favorite podcast app.
Please stay safe. Stay well. And remember, there is always time for a ride. Bye bye.
Finally, we will begin our series on cycling trails and paths. I did hear from quite a few of you about your favorites and we will begin the series here in my home state, Ohio.
Tom Bilcze is the president of the Ohio to Erie Trail Foundation and he has ridden almost every inch of the 326 mile route from The Ohio River to Lake Erie. Tom will offer us some of the highlights of the trail along with some great information about how to plan your trip including an interactive map.
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with Tom Bilcze, the president of the Ohio to Erie Trail Foundation. Since then, I’ve been following his postings on FB as he rides up towards us here on the shores of Lake Erie. My conversation with Tom details much of what he is seeing as he moseys along.
This is the first in a series of conversations about “favorite trails.” I’ll tell you how to let me know about yours at the end of the show.
In the second part of the show, I welcome Sela Musa, a reporter for ZAG Daily, an online portal to The Business of Sustainabile Mobility. Sela will walk us through the EU’s Declaration of Cycling which, while not a mandate, sets forth 8 principles and 36 commitments around sustainability through cycling that the EU and its member states have agreed to commit to.
On April 3rd, the EU Declaration on Cycling was signed by all the EU Transport Ministers in Brussells. My guest, Sela Musa, wrote in her article for ZAG Daily that “It was a historic milestone for cycling.”
Sela is here to detail the Declaration and tell us about ZAG, the publication she works for that covers “The Business of Sustainable Mobility.”
On my last show, I spoke with London cycling Advocate and the truly delightful Carla Francome. Not a moment after we ended our conversation, Carla sent me a note asking if SHE could interview ME.
Carla had many questions for me, and I hope I didn’t bend her ear too much.
She asked me about my childhood, how I got into the bike business, and of course, about Brian.
As we chatted, I made notes so, if you go to the outspokencyclist’s website, you’ll see links to some of the things we talk about there and well as some photos of our meadows and our beautiful Mimosa tree that has just begun its annual show of amazing pink powder-puff blossoms.
There are also links to places and people I refer to in our conversation.
I hope you enjoy it.
I’m not sure how I ended up with two guests who exhibit almost identical traits – they’re gutsy, funny, and passionate about everything they do.
And yet, they are completely different from one another.
Guest #1 is Carla Francome. She lives, works, and rides in London. She’s a TV producer and a cycling advocate extraordinaire. I discovered her on Twitter (X) and just knew she’d be a great guest.
Carla Francome is a bicycle campaigner – especially for women.
When she found her work as a TV producer coming to a screeching halt, mainly due to the writer’s strike, she transitioned to a new industry taking her amazing ability for storytelling with her all the while raising two kids and riding – riding her bike in central London, which has been transformed from a crowded car-centric city to a place where riding your bike is commonplace.
We chatted about so many things from the work she has done in television to her experience of trying clipless pedals for the first time.
Then, Guest #2 actually contacted me several months ago to let me know he is about to embark on RAAM. His “handle” is speedy turtle, so that’s the first thing that caught my attention. Then, I come to find out he is blind and has been blind since birth.
Apparently though, nothing stops Dave Wilkinson – not rain, nor snow, nor crashes – in fact, any challenge that would seem daunting to me is a “let’s have it” from him.
RAAM is a team effort and Dave Wilkinson makes it abundantly clear how true that is.
He’s completed marathons – his first when he was 40, as well as Ironman triathlons. He is a skier and apparently, he’s pretty fearless because Dave was born blind.
Clearly, that has never stopped him and not only is his goal is to complete RAAM as the first solo blind rider, but he intends to do it in under 11 days.
We have two great conversations today.
My first guest is Christian Sander, the producer and writer of Hard Miles, a full-length feature film starring Matthew Modine as Greg Townsend, a social worker who takes a group of incarcerated teenage boys on a 762-mile bike trip to the Grand Canyon. It’s based on a true story – there really IS a Greg Townsend and he really has taken thousands of kids on this trip. In fact, Greg was on set every day during the shooting of the movie!
Brian and I went to a local theater last weekend to watch the new movie Hard Miles and we LOVED it! Unlike so many cycling movies that focus on competition, Hard Miles is about how the bicycle can be a vehicle of transformation, especially to kids serving time in a juvenile detention center.
Christian Sander has known about Greg Townsend, the central character in the movie, for quite some time and saw this story as a movie long before he was able to bring it to the screen.
Greg is played by award winning actor Matthew Modine along with 4 great young men who learn all about how difficult it is to ride a bike 8 hours a day! Cynthia McWilliams, who was the star of Real Husbands of Hollywood, plays the “keep-em-in-line” psychologist Haddie who grudgingly drives the SAG wagon.
NY is about to pass a bill regulating eBikes and there has been chatter on some of the bike forums about it. After hearing the statistics about eBikes in NYC, I think regulation is probably necessary. There is also a new congestion fee going into effect at the end of June and the money raised will be used for some really important transportation issues.
With almost 700,000 daily cycling trips in NYC, John Surico estimates that at least half of these trips are on an eBike.
And with that kind of ridership, there are a LOT of issues that are beginning to affect transportation in the City. So next step? Regulation. There is a bill about to be brought up for passage in the State legislature.
In addition to what that legislation might look like and who will be affected by it, John and I talk about congestion pricing that will charge cars being driven in Manhattan and how that money will be used to update public transportation among other things.
The world of bike racing, from the high school through pro levels, has been predominantly male and predominantly white, so when I saw Ian Dille’s article in Outside Online about the Richmond Cycling Corps – the kids from Cool lane, I wanted to know more.
Founded by pro-racer Craig Dawson in 2010, The Richmond Cycling Corps is not just about bike racing – it’s about community and education and giving young disadvantaged youth a perspective that expands their horizons through cycling.
Ian Dille is a journalist, writer, and producer and learned about the Richmond Cycling Corps some time ago. When he had the opportunity to embed himself into the group in May of 2022, he did just that and wrote about it in his article “The Kids From Cool Lane Just Want To Ride Bikes.”
In the second half of the show, we head to Bogota, Colombia to speak with touring company owner Tomas Castrillon.
Tomas’ company is Arriba – and its meaning refers to both heights to which you can ride and a place to which you can ascend in the sense of consciousness in the picturesque surroundings of the Colombian landscape.
We talk about the country – and the safety of riding there. We talk about coffee, and flowers, and gold mines, and food.
It may be a bucket list tour you haven’t considered and perhaps after our conversation, you will.
Tomas Castrillon started his touring company, Arriba! 12 years ago.
His tight-knit team of 7 provides a fully supported experience in his two signature tours, Bogota to Medellin and a tour in the coffee region of the country.,
He also offers non-riding partners an equally exciting experience.
This episode features two incredibly thoughtful and knowledgeable guests.
First is someone I would term a renaissance man – at least he’s a modern renaissance man.
Adam Rogers is curious about A LOT of things and while we have a great topic that he recently reported on about bike lanes and their impact on businesses, I just had to ask him about some other projects he’s delved into in his career as a journalist – so far.
One such project involved color, and you might remember the controversy. Did you see a blue dress with black fringe or a white dress with gold fringe? And does it matter that you saw one or the other? Adam thought it was not only interesting, but while working for WIRED, he dove headfirst into the subject. There is even an extensive Wikipedia page about the phenomenon.
Adam Rogers is a senior tech correspondent at Business Insider, covering science, technology, and our weird future. He reports on how technology changes the way we live.
I saw his article, Bike Lanes Are Good for Business, posted on March 7th, and wanted to find out what he discovered.
What I discovered is that Adam doesn’t go off half-cocked on a subject! In fact, he uncovers as much as he can find and then digs even deeper to reveal things many other journalists might miss – over worse, gloss over!
In addition to the dress controversy I mentioned at the top of the show, we also discuss another passion of his – booze. “Proof – The Science of Booze,” is the book he wrote that came out of his discovery that we didn’t know much about the science of distilling liquor.
Oh yeah, we also talk about bike lanes and what the differences are between reality and perception when a bike lane is introduced into a neighborhood.
Such a good conversation that I never even thought about taking a break.
In the second part of the show, my conversation is with author and journalist Peter Flax.
Peter and I first spoke when he became editor-in-chief of Bicycling in 2010. THAT was a long time ago, and since then, he’s moved from the east coast to the west, worked for some other publications, and now has written one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while.
Live to Ride, Finding Joy and Meaning on a Bicycle, is Peter’s treatise on the bicycle world from the unique perspective of having seen almost every manifestation of bicycling – from the utilitarian to the ultra-competitive.
Peter Flax is a bike rider – he not only says so right at the beginning of his book, he has and does live it.
In “Live To Ride, Finding Joy and Meaning on a Bicycle,” Peter breaks down his thinking into distinct categories such as adventure, speed, and self-expression.
Each chapter of the book is punctuated by people, photographs, and commentary that represent the title of the chapter.
I caught up with Peter at the Austin airport when he was waiting for his plane to take him back to L.A.
Today’s episode features two very accomplished guests.
First up is Mike Lydon – and where to begin! Well, let’s see.. Mike is an internationally recognized planner, writer, speaker, and advocate for livable cities.
But wait, there’s more; in fact, so much more that I would direct you to his website, street-plans.com where there is a great description of what he does and the accolades, and projects he’s been part of are enumerated.
Mike Lydon seems to have been “born to” the profession of urban planning with a love for towns and cities from his childhood. His work has been acclaimed far and wide and he thinks about what we can do on both a micro and a macro level to realize better ways to make our cities livable and safe.
I want to make a correction to something I say early on in our conversation. I mistakenly stated the year that the store I opened in downtown Cleveland was 1997; nope, the year it was opened was actually 1989.
In the second half of the show, Dr. Ralph Buehler will be back to speak with us about his part in a study about what happened with cycling during and after the pandemic. Some of the findings might surprise you; some of them we already know; and, some of them give us insight into what we might expect in the future.
The COVID19 pandemic changed the way we behave in so many ways. We found ourselves learning a new way of moving about, and whether it was going to and coming from work, shopping for groceries, or just getting outside for pleasure, the impact of the worldwide need to alter the way we travel is a topic of great interest to my guest, Dr. Ralph Buehler.
Today’s episode is about one man and his life as told in a new documentary as well as a new biographical novel. Marshal Major Taylor is a name so many of us know, yet what do we really know ABOUT him?
Todd Gould is an Emmy award winning producer and author who lives and works in Bloomington, Indiana.
Todd is the executive producer of Major Taylor, Champion of the Race, a one-hour documentary that will air Monday, February 26th, at 8pm eastern time as well as stream on your PBS Passport app. The film will also be available later on this spring on most PBS stations around the country.
Marshall Major Taylor was not only one of the greatest cyclists and athletes to ever compete, he was a gentleman and a pioneer, navigating a world that didn’t want African American athletes to survive let alone thrive.
As you will hear in my conversation with Emmy award winning producer, Todd Gould, Major Taylor’s story is a timely and fascinating tale that needs to be heard.
Then, sometimes inspiration at a young age ends up being the direction of your entire life.
Such is the case for John Howard, one of the most successful cyclists of our time.
Among some of his feats, John won a gold medal at the 1971 Pan-Am games road race as a member of the U.S. Army cycling team, took first place at the 1981 Hawaiian Ironman, raced in 3 summer Olympics, and came in second in the inaugural Race Across America in 1982. He set a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1985 that stood for 10 years. Of course, he is a member of both the Bicycling and Triathlon Halls of Fame.
So what drives someone to achieve this kind of success?
In John’s case, it’s the story of Marshall Major Taylor, the talented and ambitious black cyclist who overcame intense racism to become a world champion at the turn of the last Century. John will be with me in the second part of the show.
Marshall Major Taylor was not only one of the greatest cyclists and athletes to ever compete, he was a gentleman and a pioneer, navigating a world that didn’t want African American athletes to survive let alone thrive.
After 40 years of research, traveling worldwide for details about Major Taylor’s life, John Howard’s new book, The Black Cyclone – A Hero The World Forgot – was just published.
With access to historical documents, including an original copy of Major Taylor’s autobiography as well as a traveling worldwide to delve into places where the cyclist competed and lived, John’s biographical novel gives voice to Major Taylor, bringing him to life.
We’ve talked about biking and walking infrastructure a lot over the past few years, and it always amazes me that there is so much more to say. For instance…
Crosswalks – who do you think is legally protected in a crosswalk?
Well, you might be surprised to learn that all pedestrians are protected in crosswalks, yet very few States have protections for cyclists, wheelchairs, even babies in strollers.
And this is just one issue that my first guest, Dr. Cara Hamann and I talk about in our conversation today.
Cara is an epidemiologist who studies injuries – especially those incurred by cyclists and other road users and she’s got her finger on the pulse of safety.
As we delve into Cara Hamann’s work, we find that she’s got a series of studies relating to safety and injury for vulnerable road users. She an Associate Professor of Epidemiology with targeted interests in Transportation safety, Injury epidemiology, Vulnerable road users (pedestrians, bicycles, etc.) and Global injury prevention
In the second half of the show, I’ll introduce you to Terry Lansdell.
I’m not sure exactly how to categorize him… he’s both ridden and crewed Race Across America, he’s done Race Across the West on a fixed gear bike, he’s been a triathlete, and now he’s the executive director of WalkBike North Carolina as well as a member of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission . See… I don’t have a category for that.
But damn – he is interesting, well spoken, and has some great stories to tell and interesting ideas to convey.
.Terry Lansdell is just fascinating and uber articulate. From his advice on ultra cycling – such as riding 1000 in a week to see if you can pass muster for a race such as PBP or RAAM, to remembering your place on a trail, including yielding to pedestrians, Terry doesn’t miss a beat.
And get a load of this… since 2013, it’s been illegal for North Carolina department of transportation to spend money on stand alone bicycle projects. Terry is hoping to change that tool.
I’m not sure how he keeps all the balls in the air at the same time, but damn… he sure seems to.
My thanks to Terry Lansdell for speaking with me. Follow bikewalkNC.org to take the safety quiz, learn about the September Transportation Summit, and all of the other programs and events happening in the state.
My first guest today is Dave Simmons, the executive director of Ride Illinois. In our conversation we talk about bicycle related crashes and fatalities in the state along with some data, or lack of it about eBikes.
I wanted to catch up with Dave because of the Ride Illinois “Bill Tracker” that the organization has made available on their website. It offers you the ability to not only track statewide bills, but also federal legislation as it pertains to bicycling infrastructure and such things as eBike rebates.
Illinois, along with so many other states, is experiencing the horrific consequences of more people riding bikes more often – which is, was, and always will be the goal of all advocacy organizations.
Bike crashes, injuries, and fatalities are up and whether there needs to be more legislation, better enforcement of the rules of the road, or something more comprehensive, is part of my discussion with Ride Illinois executive director, Dave Simmons.
Who knew that a bronze replica cannon would lead to a lifetime of machine work? And, that is exactly what happened when Paragon Machine’s Mark Norstad first realized that you could actually MAKE such a thing in a machine shop.
Taking all the machine shop classes that were offered in high school and on into college, Mark started Paragon Machine Works in his parents’ basement in 1983.
Fast forward several decades and Mark is about to pass the torch to his son Cal as Mark looks at retirement this summer.
As many of you know, I have an abiding interest in urban planning, walkable and bikeable cities, and sustainability. In furthering that interest, I love speaking with folks who are involved in any or all of these areas and today is no exception.
My guests today are Jeff Speck and Chris Dempsey. In the past, Jeff and I have had several powerful conversations about the work he does in assisting cities, towns, and municipalities become “walkable” and “bikeable.” His books, Walkable Cities and Walkable Cities Rules, are nothing short of step-by-step instructions on how to achieve these goals.
Joined now by Chris Dempsey in a just announced new partnership, the impact of their ideas coupled with their backgrounds will serve to transform communities nationwide.
Let me introduce you to Chris Dempsey and welcome back Jeff Speck.
Let’s take a short break and when we return, we’ll talk with Jeff and Chris about the concept of “daylighting” and more. You’re listening to TOC.
We are back on TOC. I’m your host Diane Jenks and we are speaking with Jeff Speck and his partner Chris Dempsey about walkable, and of course bikeable, cities.
Let’s take another short break. You’re listening to TOC. We’ll be right back.
We are back on TOC. I’m Diane Jenks and we’re speaking with Jeff Speck and Chris Dempsey about cities!
My thanks to Jeff Speck and Chis Dempsey for joining me today. As always, Jeff just tells it like it is and I was really pleased to meet his new partner, Chris Dempsey. I know this partnership is going to produce some exciting results and I’m going to be following them. You can also keep tabs on them and their work at speckdempsey.com and on social media.
As you may remember, I was going to include my conversation with Dave Simmons, the Executive Director of Ride Illinois, in this episode.
I should know by now that I fall that down rabbit hole with Jeff and now, with Chris added to the mix, every time we speak, and our conversation went a bit longer than I anticipated.
I will definitely get you back to Dave’s interview in an upcoming episode of the show.
My thanks to you for listening today. I hope you enjoyed the conversation.
Remember that you can find show notes, photos, link, and a written transcript of the show at outspokencyclist.com
Follow us on social media @outspokencyclist and, if you subscribe to the podcast, you’ll never miss an episode!
As we wait out the continuing rain, sleet, and snow, I hope you are finding ways to stay in shape for the upcoming riding season. And, I f you are in a place where it is dry and somewhat warm, I hope you get to go for a ride.
Until next time, stay safe and stay well. Bye Bye
Happy New Year everyone! I’m back for a new season of the show and today we begin with conversations with two guests we’ve spoken with in the past.
First up is John Surico. John’s work is all about sustainability, safety, cities, and transportation. He melds it all up on his Streetbeat blog on Substack and today we’re going to look back at some things from 2023 as well as look forward to his work in 2024.
In his latest Streetbeat newsletter on Substack, John Surico tells us about Hoboken, NJ, where there have been zero – none, nothing nada – traffic fatalities for 7 consecutive years. What? Really? Contrast that with 43 cycling deaths in NYC, just across the river.
We also look at what the Mayor is thinking, with a bit of “NYC can do that too,” and about the expansion of the ECG in all 5 NYC boroughs.
Then, we review a new book from National Geographic by photographer/journalist Roff Smith. Last time we spoke with Roff it was during the pandemic and he created some of the most beautiful and thought-provoking visions for us to gaze upon in a dark and difficult time.
Now, in his new book, 100 Bike Rides of a Lifetime, he offers up great options for every level of cyclist- from the novice to the pro. It’s one of those books where you can flip to just about any page and say – “yeah, I want to do that!”
While he’s ridden many of the routes he details in the book, he depended upon seasoned riders to fill in the blanks on rides that he believes fit the description, but which he hasn’t done himself.
The book is definitely a great addition to your cycling library and might just be the ticket for your next adventure.
I’ve also added a photo of his “narrow boat” that will be his home for the next project, as you will hear in our conversation.
This year, with so much turmoil in the world, I wanted to feature a story that is both heartwarming and inspirational.
Homelessness is a real thing – and a very disconcerting one. So, when a hard-working homeless man, who saved his money to buy an eBike to commute to his job and was swindled out of the money he paid to share an apartment so he wouldn’t be homeless, wakes up to find his eBike stolen, you just have to ask youruself – what is wrong with people?
But John Robinson, owner of Johnny Velo Bikes in Columbus, Ohio and the shop that sold the eBike in the first place, didn’t ask that question, but instead stepped right up to help. And there is a happy ending to this story.
Joshua is a man who works hard and his very proud of the work he does. Joshua cleans a government building for a living and, saving his money, pays cash for the things he needs. He also depends on his bicycle to get him to work – about 25 miles a day.
What happened when his eBike is stolen and he called the shop to get the serial number as well as ask for help to file a police report is nothing less than a heartwarming storybook holiday tale.
I’ll let John Robinson, owner of Johnny Velo Bikes in Columbus, tell the story… and have your tissues ready!
Then, I welcome Peter and Tracy Flucke back to the show to talk about their new book, Bicycling Route 66.
Last time we spoke, they had had to abandoned a cross-country ride, but this time, they traveled the 2600+ miles on their new Co-Motion tandem and documented the journey in a fun and informative he said-she said style. They will be with me in the second half of the show.
From Wisconsin to California, Tracy and Peter Flucke are once again pedaling their tandem, this time traveling iconic Route 66.
Leaving Green Bay, Wisconsin on June 1, 2016, they traveled Route 66 for 49 days to Santa Monica, California– 2600 miles in total – with a running dialog full of humor, insights, and history.
My guests this show couldn’t be more different in terms of their focus – one is a civil enginer, ardent urban planner, and transportation specialist, the other is an accomplished Master’s bike racer, winning several medals in this year’s PanAm Games.
But, variety is the spice of life as they say… so hopefully you’ll get something from each of them – whether it be inspiration to do more about your local bicycling/walking infrastructure or decide to enter an event you had been thinking about but have yet to sign on the dotted line.
Veronica Davis is a professional civil engineer an transportation specialist. She is currently the Director of Transportation & Drainage Operations, a service line within Houston Public Works. Transportation & Drainage operations is responsible for maintaining and improving the infrastructure that spans Houston’s 671 square miles.
As you’ll learn, Veronica comes to the transportation/planning sector from a family immersed in the business where both her mother and father were involved.
Her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, was recently published by Island Press and it’s what drew me to her for our conversation.
Then, we scoot on over to Florida to speak with Eric McBride.
Eric is the CEO of Palm Beach Health Network Physician Group during the day and an avid elite road and track racer when he dons his kit and cleats.
Eric has been racing bikes since college and now, as a master’s rider in the 45-49 year age group, captured two golds and a silver at the Master’s PanAm Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic this past spring.
As promised, my conversation today is with one of the pioneers of women’s frame design Georgena Terry.
I’ve known Georgena for many years and it is always great to speak with her.
She started out as an engineering student in Pittsburgh and took that engineering mind into the bicycle business in 1985, launching Terry Precision Bicycles.
Over these many decades, she not only produced her very special women’s specific designs, but added saddles, shorts, jerseys, and more.
In fact, I would suggest that almost everyone who has been riding for the past several decades has at least tried a Terry saddle – women AND men.
Today, Georgena is still offering her special bikes to discriminating riders and as she says on her website: “I hope I’m part of a movement that encourages women to think for themselves. To be stubborn. To break the rules. And not be afraid to be a pain in the butt sometimes. Susan B. Anthony did. And it turned out pretty well for her.”
I hope you enjoy our conversation.
For more information about Terry Custom Bicycles and Georgena herself, log on to georgenaterry.com.
Nex time on TOC, you’ll meet Veronica Davis, another woman pioneer – this time in the field of urban planning. Her book, Inclusive Transportation is subtitled a Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities. I hope you’ll tune in.
With the demise of events such as NAHBS, The New England Builder’s Ball, Classic Rendezvous Weekend, and even the postponement of The Philly Bike Show until Spring of 2024, any opportunity to see classic bicycles and talk with other enthusiasts is welcome.
So, come next Sunday, October 22nd, you can head on out to Long Island, NY for a few hours of vintage and handmade bikes along with a swap meet.
Jamie Swan, frame builder and machinist extraordinaire, is the producer of this little event and he’s my guest today. Jamie will fill us in on everything you need to know about the show as well as his incredibly cool “side gig” at the prestigious Webb Institute.
After my conversation with Jamie, I check in with Ohio Bike Lawyer, Steve Magas.
When a group of riders literally ran into a downed wire, causing three of the riders to go down, two with injuries, they needed Ohio Bike Lawyer Steve Magas’ expertise to help with arbitrating the case against one of the big Internet providers.
So, what was the Internet guy thinking when he left the cones and other warning signs that usually placed on the roadway in his truck? And, what’s the difference between riding on the road and on a trail or path when it comes to liability? Steve will tell us the story of the riders and fill us in on what we need to know about our responsibilities on and off the road.
This episode was supposed to air a week earlier to coincide with an event my guest was having at his Brooklyn, NY workshop. Due to COVID and nasty weather, it was postponed to this coming Sunday, October 1st. We’ll have more at the end of the show.
Also, I want to preface this episode with an important announcement from Shimano. Last Thursday, September 21st, Shimano issued a massive recall of over 760,000 cranks.
Instead of reading you all the information about how to tell if your Ultegra or Dura Ace crank has been recalled, I’ve put a pdf of the recall information on our website, Outspokencyclist.com. Everything you need to know is there. Please take heed as Shimano is really doing a great job with this recall including reimbursing dealers and even helping out if you have a power crank.
Shimano has asked that dealers post the information until February 1, 2024.
NOW – let’s talk about my guest because I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too.
You know how I love speaking with custom frame builders about their work and their lives.
Today though, I’m speaking with custom builder Johnny Coast from Coast Cycles in Brooklyn, NY about his experience supporting “Team Coast” at this year’s PBP – Paris Brest Paris.
The event only comes around every four years and two of Johnny’s clients trained for two years to make the journey to France and compete in the grueling 90-hour event.
At one point, the riders approached Johnny, who built their randonneuring bikes, about forming “team Coast” and asked if Johnny wanted to come along as support. His answer was yes and his experience was almost as exciting and gratifying as his riders’.
I think he’ll go back and do it again in four more years.
That’s not all we talk about though, so let’s get to it.
And, oh, by the way, we mention “Shermer’s Neck” in our conversation and if you don’t know what it is, it’s a condition where the neck muscles fail from fatigue and can no longer support the head. It is not gradual either; after feeling the first symptoms, the neck will usually stop functioning within two hours. It happens a lot to RAAM riders and others who do super long-distance events that keep you on the bike for extended hours.
My thanks to Johnny Coast for joining me on the show. What a cool guy! The PBP Recap event is this coming Sunday, October 1st, at 2pm. The location is Coast Cycles, 50 Troutman Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206. Bring your stories about PBP if you have them!You can find Johnny at coastcycles.nyc and on Instagram @coastcyclesnyc.
Next time on TOC my guests are ground-breaking engineer Georgena Terry, whose women-specific bikes paved the way for more women on bikes and more companies to follow in her footsteps; and Veronica Davis, whose work in transportation started when she was just a little girl. In her own words she said “At the age of 22, I wrote a life strategic plan. The career objective was, “To be a World Renown Expert in Transportation.” And so she is… and her new book, Inclusive Transportation her manifesto for repairing divided communities.
My thanks to you for tuning in today. Remember to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode. You can follow TOC on FB, Twitter, and Instagram, and each episode of the show can be found for download at outspokencyclist.com. There, you will also find a transcript of the show, photos, links, and show notes.
Please stay safe; stay well, and remember – there is always time for a ride. Bye bye
There is only one word for my guest today and that word is hero! And, Lynne Salvo is definitely one of mine.
Back in 2019, pre-covid of course, I spoke with Lynne as she was riding across Canada as the oldest woman to complete the trek coast-to-coast for a Guiness World Record.
Then, two days ago and ahead of the hurricane that was about to pummel Maine, Lynne completed her 2023 west-to-east ride to break a record set by another woman (under a completely different set of rules!) and break it she did, once again becoming the oldest woman to ride across the U.S. on a bike.
With her 74th birthday coming up September 21st, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Lynne as she rode into NE Ohio on August 27th.
It was like sitting down with an old friend and picking up where we might have left off decades ago – chatting and laughing and enjoying the company.
If you’d like to see her blog entries and daily videos, log on to lifeislikeabike.wordpress.com.
First up is a name that is synonymous with bicycles – I would venture to say that no one who listens to this podcast doesn’t know the name OR hasn’t had a bicycle with that name on the downtube at some point in his or her life.
And after a lifetime of living and breathing bicycles, Richard Schwinn has decided it’s time to retire and at the end of June, his Waterford Precision Cycles stopped taking new orders and prepared to close the business – which he did the following month.
Richard Schwinn and I have been friends and business colleagues for decades. I am always interested in what he has to say and how he thinks about things and today, he shares his thoughts about his decision to retire and close Waterford, who – if anyone – might fill the gap in what was a unique place in the custom bicycle business, and what the future might look like, including his ideas on eBike and what he calls “electronification.”
Then, I speak with Sergio Bravo, the producer of the Master Bike Builder’s Show that will take place September 16-17th in Bentonville, Arkansas.
As Bentonville continues to develop as a favorite destination for cyclists, Sergio is bringing a custom bike builder’s show to highlight artisans and their work in a beautiful outdoor setting.
With the absence of shows such as NAHBS and the NE Bike Builder’s Sho w, some regional options are beginning to fill the void and today, we speak with Sergio Bravo who decided that it might just time for a new Bike Builder’s Show. The MBBS will take place September 16 and 17th Bentonville, Arkansas.
Sometimes I wonder how I ever became so lucky as to be able to have conversations with the people I do, and this episode of the show highlights two of ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist 8/06/2023
This episode of TOC offers up two very different topics. First up is Matt de Neef. He is the managing editor of Escape Collective, the online presence of independent cycling ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 7/10/2023
In my last podcast, I mentioned my guest – Jenny Graham. In 2018, she embarked upon and completed a round-the-world trip by bicycle. This, however, was not just ANY trip ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 6/23/2023
This is a sort of special episode. Beginning Tomorrow, June 17th, PL And Kristen Meindertsma will begin the first of 5 yearly journeys to raise a cumulative $2.5 for 5 ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 6/15/2023
Not too long ago, we spoke with Paul Tolme, the communications director of the Cascade Bicycle Club headquartered in Seattle. I was so taken with some of the programs this ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist 5/31/2023
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.
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 – he has a PhD in th discipline, 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.
My thanks to James Hibbard for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed our conversation.
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.
Our next episode with Wayne Stetina takes us to school – SRAM school – where we will learn all about the new SRAM Eagle Transmission system. You listeners who like to geek out – will LOVE this!
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.
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.
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.
A big congratulations to Escape Collective – live long and … well you get the idea.
Meanwhile, 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!
After our break, we speak with the East Coast Greenway’s Dennis Markatos-Soriano.
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.
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 formers 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 excapecollective.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)
I’ll have a new episode of the show up next week. And, in the meantime, I hope you stay safe, stay well and remember, there is always time for a ride. Bye Bye
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 – there is a link on our website or you can find it on Spotify at Natural State Bikes – women of biking.
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.
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.
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.
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 Engineering 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.
Happy New Year to you and I hope you had a great holiday season.
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.
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.
I hope you have had a great holiday – Christmas, Hanukkah, Qwanza, Festivus – and even just staying in and enjoying some down time. Certainly here in NE Ohio we had little choice with below zero temperatures, wicked winds, and blowing snow.
That however did not prevent me from putting together a short podcast for this week.
Despite the weather, sometimes it’s really nice to be living in one of those States that is doing something so right for cycling; and Ohio is one of them.
My first guest today is Jenn Hamelman. She’s the program director for the USBRS – United State Bicycle Route System. We’ve spoken with Jenn in the past and I wanted to wrap up 2022’s USBRS progress.
Turns out that Ohio has done some really cool things to make traveling through the State both safer and easier to follow.
And, the USBR system in just a few miles from crossing the 19,000 mile threshold.
Patrick Greenwood’s passion for Viet Nam and the events that happened in 1975 and beyond inspired his new book Sunrise in Saigon.
Patrick has taken his lifelong interest in the fall of Saigon and what happened in 1975 and incorporated it into a historical fictional story he wrote from what he knew growing up in the 70’s and what he experienced as he rode his bicycle through Viet Nam and on to Cambodia in 2012.
Growing up in the Virginia area in the 70’s, Patrick saw and lived through all the turmoil as soldiers came back, protests were staged, and Watergate and so many other political issues arose.
Patrick joined the military and met many of the soldiers who had advanced from corporal to higher up and heard their stories about the war – only he heard stories that weren’t published in the Washington Post or the NY Times.
Young Jack Kendall is the protagonist of the book, and he pondered many questions about what had happened. As he grew older, he knew that he had to take this journey and that it would have consequences.
What Jack discovers, and what many people at any stage of their lives will come to regret, is not making the journey will come to haunt them.
The story follows Jack Kendall, who is struggling with a failing marriage and poor health, as he embarks on a journey to meet a beautiful Vietnamese woman as well as find out what happened to the Lost U.S. Embassy and the Catholic nuns who helped with “Operation Babylift.”
Over the past twelve plus years, we’ve spoken with many frame builders and today, we have t he privilege of speaking with an American builder who has been living and working in Italy for several decades.
Darren Crisp didn’t start out as a frame builder – in fact, he has a degree in architecture, decided he wasn’t such a great architect, and began building very exclusive stores for an Italian company.
But, there’s so much more to the story and I’ll let him tell it.
I caught up with Darren in between his usual shop-time and home-time, which are separate and the same.
My thanks to Darren Crisp for the great conversation today.
Clearly Darren is someone who thinks deeply about his work, is easily able to articulates his ideas, and has a broad set of interests.
You can find out more at crisptitanium.com and follow him on social media.
Thank you for tuning in to TOC. I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Darren.
This episode is dropping on the night before Hannukah, so for all who celebrate, eat a latke for me and enjoy the holiday.
Next episode, we speak with Patrick Greenwood about his new novel, “Sunrise in Saigon.” It’s a self-discovery story about Jack Kendall as he bicycles through Viet Nam. In addition to the story, all the proceeds of the sales of the book go to a helmet program for the children of Viet Nam. Win-win!
We’re rounding third and heading home – both to the holidays and to the New Year.
2022 has been – um – interesting to say the least. We’ll take a look back at it after the New Year..
Today, we’re going to wrap-up our gift ideas for cyclists with Dan Cavallari. Dan thought about it and, as you’ll hear, has come up with a short list of things NOT to give a cyclist! I had to agree with him as these are items that cyclists tend to want to get for themselves or already have far too many in their stash.
Before we chat with Dan though, I want to introduce you to Madeline Bonsma-Fisher. Or more rightly, DR Madeline Bonsma-Fisher as the day before our conversation, she had her convocation to complete her PhD in physics. It’s apparently similar to what we do here in the States to defend a thesis.
Her work is in data analytics in the field of bacteria and virus interaction. I found it fascinating and would have focused on that, but as you may be wondering, what might THAT have to do with cycling. Well…
It seems that as a bicycle commuter for 10+ years and a member of Bike Ottawa, her data-oriented mind began musing about traffic and the stress of biking and walking and the inequities that occur when planning comes up against the reality of who lives where and the politics that often lead to inequities. She got hooked and pivoted to working on a project that has been funded by the University of Toronto Data Science Institute.
On the next episode of the show, you’ll meet titanium frame builder Darren Crisp. He’s from Texas but has lived and worked in Italy for several decades. His story is different from many of the builders we’ve spoken with over the years, and I think you’ll enjoy it.
This week we dive into part II of Dan Cavallari’s holiday gift ideas with a focus on cool things you might not necessarily need but wouldn’t mind seeing in your stocking or under the tree.
First though, we check in with my friend and colleague, Shannon Galpin. It’s been a while since we talked and much has transpired since our last conversation.
The amazing activist, author, artist, and human rights advocate is still working to evacuate more women, girls, and families from Afghanistan while helping to work with a variety of entities to place those who are stuck in a sort of limbo.
There are also some women who have resettled around the world and still need help – with education, bikes, housing, and most importantly a pathway to feeling accepted in their new countries.
There is still much work to do.
When I log in to chat with Dan Cavallari, he’s sitting in his garage with a microphone and computer, only it doesn’t look much like the inside of a garage. As a rabid product tester for a variety of entities, Dan’s garage actually looks more like the inside of a bike shop. This week, he gives us 5 picks for holiday ideas. Share with friends and family!
Dan Cavallari, The Slow Guy on the Fast Ride, joined me from his garage again. All the products we discussed, the Bivo Bottle, the Pearl shirt, the Endura bibs, the PNW tiny took, and the Tick”r Fit heart rate monitor are linked on our site, outspokencyclist.com.
Next time Dan and I will discuss those things you probably shouldn’t give a cyclist – so, family and friends – listen up. We’ll also speak with Dr. Madeline Bonsma-Fisher. She’s a physicist turned bicycle infrastructure researcher in Canada and her story is filled with fascinating ideas.
In our last episode, we spoke about the Davis Phinney Foundation and all the great work they are doing for folks with Parkinson’s Disease. That immediately turned into an inquiry ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 11/24/2022
As we approach the holiday season, I’ve put together several episodes highlighting charitable gift giving opportunities that relate to cycling. This episode focuses on Parkinson’s Disease and especially the Davis ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 11/12/2022
It’s been over 7 months since I last spoke with Dmitry Nechaev. When we last spoke, he had just left Russia and “fled” to Israel, something he was able to ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 10/15/2022
I want to begin with a question. How many times have you stood at or ridden up to an intersection and waited – and waited – and waited, for the ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 10/4/2022
On this episode, I’m going to introduce you to a young cycling journalist whose professional journey began in college. One thing that he says at the beginning of our conversation ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 9/21/2022
Hello and welcome to TOC. I’m Diane Jenks and you are about to listen to episode #611 and, coincidentally, it is also the 12th anniversary of the show. Thank you ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 9/8/2022
On August 15th, the world lost yet another genius bicycle engineer. Although he was almost better known for his work with HPV’s – human powered vehicles that were recumbent bikes, ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 9/1/2022
It’s amazing that just a few months ago I was wondering where I would get fresh material for the podcast and now, I can barely keep up with all the ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 8/19/2022
Want to tour Italy? Want to tour Italy and learn about the culture, the food, the wine, and some of the areas many tour companies don’t visit? Heather Dowd, who ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 8/11/2022
Hello and welcome to the Outspoken Cyclist. Thanks for joining me today. He’s funny, irreverent, and now he’s FREE to be himself – 100% of the time. Gary Fisher, whose ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 8/3/2022
Today, the question is – What is possible by bike? With a new infrastructure bill, money in the coffers to build protected bike lanes and connect them, and more people ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 7/20/2022
The history of American Bike Racing is actually long, storied, and full of amazing characters. Peter Nye, who has probably forgotten more than any of us might ever have known ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 7/9/2022
Hello and welcome to TOC. I’m your host Diane Jenks; thanks for joining me today. This week, we are going to talk about sailing – and biking – and river ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 6/27/2022
With flowers in bloom and trees in full leaf, we look to put the cold weather behind us and take to the paths and trails. Which takes me to our ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 6/18/2022
My first guest is Dave Wiens, the executive director of IMBA – the International Mountain Bike Association. We’ve spoken with Dave in the past and I always learn so much ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 5/25/2022
This week we speak with Noa Bayanan. Noa is the Director of Federal Policy for the People for Bikes, and she helps us unpack the America’s Recreation Act of 2022. ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 5/9/2022
It’s a milestone. Today, is our 600th episode! Yep – 600… and looking back to that very first episode in September, 2010, it just doesn’t seem possible that it’s been ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 4/23/2022
This week, my guest is Paul Sadoff. Paul and I haven’t connected since our last conversation in 2014 and when I saw a post of his come up on FB, ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 4/16/2022
This week it’s a two-fer and I think both guests are well worth the listen! First, I want to introduce you to someone who I believe embodies what it means ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 4/9/2022
I’ve spent the last two weeks pondering about inflation, gas prices, transportation, and of course how cycling fits into all of it. When we spoke with Don DiCostanzo from Pedego ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist 3/29/2022
This week’s show first takes us way back in history with one of the most decorated cyclists of his time and then brings us up to date with one of ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 3/12/2022
SPECIAL EPISODE Hello and welcome to a special episode of the Outspoken Cyclist. As the war in Ukraine continues to escalate and Vladimir Putin continues on his rampage, many of ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 3/3/2022
This week, I have one very interesting and savvy guest; one who sees his business, eBikes, a perspective from which the bicycle industry might consider taking a page. You may ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 2/26/2022
My first guest is Matt Stoller, the research director at the American Economic Liberties Project. The organization is Non-profit and non-partisan, the organization is part of a growing, cross- ideological ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 2/12/2022
This week has been really weird… I have guests lined up for the next couple of weeks, but whether it’s due to the weather, schedules, or just an “I’ve had ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 2/04/2022
Framebuilder Lester Janssen started out as a bike messenger years ago and then found out there were such things as custom bikes – right there in Amsterdam. He never looked ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 1/29/2022
We begin today with Ash Lovell from People for Bikes. Her official title is Electric Bicycle Policy and Campaign Director and our topic is important and timely. If you ride ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 1/22/2022
Yes – this is a mid-week episode and I really enjoyed the conversation with my guest, Ian Cleverly. Ian is the executive editor of Rouleur – arguably one of the ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 1/19/2022
In an unprecedented move (wow – I got to use that word… even though I believe it’s about the most overused word in our lexicon these days…) I am offering ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 1/15/22
This past week, Las Vegas hosted the Consumer Electronics Show – AKA CES, in Las Vegas – in person as well as virtually. First held in 1967 in NYC, it ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 1/8/2022
We’re starting the year with a talk about health – what is it, how to get it, and why 60% of people living today will become diabetic if they don’t ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 1/ 1/2022
The situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating daily – famine, illness, and now a world that seems to be looking away, is making evacuating women – especially women athletes – cyclists ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 12/18/2021
Today, we’re going to talk about FAT and why it is important to INCLUDE as opposed to EXCLUDE fat in your diet. Of course, that doesn’t mean just any fat ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 12/11/2021
When your work and your reality start to clash, what do you do? In the case of marketing expert Tom Flood, he followed reality and has found himself a wanted ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 12/4/2021
In several articles that have been written about the daring evacuations out of Afghanistan, a “member of the media” was mentioned as someone who started the cry for help and ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 11/20/2021
In the first of conversations for holiday 2021, we finally caught up with Brett Horton who, along with his wife Shelley, owns the Horton Collection out of San Francisco. The ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 11/13/2021
Ultraman cycling might not say it all when it comes to Omar Di Felice. Omar loves extremes – extreme cold, extreme distances, extremes heights – and is a full-time endurance ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 11/6/2021
This week, we are getting back to our roots a little bit with a new frame builder conversation. When I contacted master builder Jeff Bock to arrange our interview, his ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 10/30/2021
Oh, it’s a long one today… but worth the listen! As promised, we are going to wrap-up the weird pro racing year that was 2021 with Steve Maxwell and Spencer ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 10/23/2021
When you look up the word entrepreneur in the dictionary, it would NOT surprise me if Jared Fisher’s face was what you saw. Riding, performing, and producing BMX trick events ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 10/16/2021
Sea Otter is in full swing this weekend and I thought it would be a good idea to grab one of the stars of our sport who is attending the ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 10/9/2021
This week, we have three conversations for you. I hope you enjoy them all. Sea Otter 2020 was, of course virtual only, so when Sea Otter director Frank Yohannon decided ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 10/2/2021
The transportation bill NEEDS to be reauthorized – and soon! Like this coming week! That fact led me to Noa Banayan – the Director of Federal Affairs for People for ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 9/25/2021
Today, we’re going to the movies! The Bicycle Film Festival, which is celebrating its 20th year, has been screening films virtually since last year when everything was shut down. with ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 9/18/2021
It’s Our Anniversary. Welcome to our show for September 11, 2021. Of course the significance of the date is not lost on me and I’m sure not on you either. ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 9/11/2021
This week, we explore the USBRS – AKA, the U.S. Bicycle Route System with ACA’s Jenn Hamelman. Jen has “touched” every mile of the maps that ACA offers – she ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 9/4/2021
My first guest is Jim Sayer. Jim was the Executive Director of the Adventure Cycling Association or 15 years, stepping down at the start of 2020. Now, he’s on a ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 8/28/2021
This week’s show is a two-fer and both guests have joined me in the past. Back in 2019, Sociology Professor Ben Brewer asked custom frame builders to respond to a ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 8/21/2021
If you’re like me, the thought of racing a mountain bike for 100 miles, starting at 10,000 feet and climbing 12,500 feet in a day is utterly terrifying! And yet, ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 8/14/2021
This week, we welcome one great guest to the show – someone who has a wide and deep knowledge of the UCI AND the peloton. As you know, there was ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 8/7/2021
The show this week is taking a different road – out to California to speak with just one guest in great conversation – frame builder Chris Kelly. Last week, in ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 7/31/2021
One of the cycling events I’ll be watching is a version of Keirin – Japanese track racing.. And, auspiciously, The War on Wheels, Inside the Keirin and Japan’s Cycling Subculture, ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 7/24/2021
My first guest is not new to The Outspoken Cyclist.. She is one of the bravest, most passionate, and ardent activists for women’s rights, Shannon Galpin. Her message today should ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 7/17/2021
How much has changed in our world of cycling since 2012? When I think back to some of the very first chatter about advocacy and how we can get more ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 7/10/2021
Well, this week saw some really cool things happen… Mark Cavendish winning stages, some impressive athletes in many disciplines ready to head to Tokyo for the Olympics, and a record ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 7/3/2021
Want to hear the best bicycle pick-up line ever? Harriet Fell chased down Sheldon Brown on a ride in 1979 and her first words to him were “you’re riding fixed ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 6/26/2021
Their motto is public land for public good… and today, we speak with the NY State Director for the Trust for Public Land, Carter Strickland. TPL was founded in 1972 ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist 6/19/2021
This week, we jump across the pond (as they say) to speak with David Bradford. David is the fitness editor for Cycling Weekly and his article titled ” Why Is ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 6/12/2021
In an article she wrote for teamusa.org’s triathlon site on May 19th, Clarice Lorenzini says: “I’m Clarice Lorenzini and I’m Here To Make A Difference.” As the only Asian-American Pro ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 6/5/2021
We talk about advocacy, safety, trails, and planning a lot; and today, we wrap much of that into a conversation with Dave Sndyer, the executive director of CalBike – the ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 5/29/2021
This week, Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Social Determinants of Health at WHO, joins me to talk about the UN Global Road Safety Week – it’s not ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 5/22/2021
Yes, it’s short and sweet this week… but, a worthy conversation! For many of you, it might seem as if we are beating the topic of inclusion in our sport ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 5/15/2021
Last week, I had probably one of the most interesting conversations ever about food and cycling. To say that Alan Murchison, who is a Scottish Michelin Star Chef, is passionate ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 5/8/2021
You might remember that, two weeks ago, we spoke with members of the Business Climate Leaders organization about the importance of a bill introduced into Congress by Representative Deutch of ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 5/1/2021
First up, is a story that went viral via TikTok this week when some teenagers in Perth Amboy, NJ were stopped by the police, had their bikes temporarily confiscated, and ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 4/24/2021
This week, it’s about climate and carbon pricing first. There is, of course, a sea change of thought and action in Washington about climate, thank goodness, and the need for ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 4/17/2021
This week’s show started out a lot differently from the way it has ended up. We do have a fabulous conversation with Max Pratt, a young and very talented frame ... Read moreOutspoken Cyclist – 4/10/2021
This week, we take a trip east – first to Worcester, Mass to meet Lynne Tolman, the president of the Major Taylor Association.
Most of us know who Major Taylor was and today especially, his life and achievements stand out as being most remarkable.
Arguably, he was the first black athlete to break the color barrier, and long before Jackie Robinson, Major Taylor was a cycling phenomenon. When he won the world championship back in 1899 though, it wasn’t here in the U.S. – his home country. He spent many years in Europe to escape the Jim Crow Laws of the day and was revered for his prowess on the bike.
Today, the Major Taylor Association in Worcester, Mass. is dedicated to keeping his legacy alive with programs for schools, rides, and much more.
Then, it’s down to NYC to speak with journalist, teacher, and urban planning researcher John Surico.
As we begin to inch our way out of the pandemic and back into what life will begin to look like, I wanted to speak with someone who has a particular interest in cities – both here in North America and in Europe – and how they are changing in response to the way we work, play, and live.
John Surico focuses specifically on issues of mobility, open space and sustainability. His articles in Bloomberg’s City Lab are of particular interest in these areas and one in particular titled In Covid-19 recovery, London Bets Big on Low Traffic (from June, 2020) caught my eye.
In July of 2017, I spoke with wildlife biologist Sara Dykman. At that time, she was embarking on a 10,000 plus mile journey to follow the migration of monarch butterflies – by bicycle.
Starting in Mexico, bicycling up to Canada and then to the east coast of the U.S., she made the return trip to Mexico to complete a full migration cycle.
Today, Sara joins me to talk about that trip and about her new book, Bicycling with Butterflies.
Then, we check in with Selene Yeager. Bicycling Magazine calls her the Fit Chick, and so do a lot of others.
Selene Yeager has a myriad of projects on the fire – all-the-time! She writes articles, is working on a follow-up book to ROAR, her comprehensive, physiology-based nutrition and training guide specifically designed for active women, and now offers up her podcast – Hit Play, Not Pause – which she says is for Feisty Menopause podcast for active, performance-minded women who aren’t willing to put their best years behind them.
I want to begin this week’s show with a statement and a question.
We 100% support the wearing of bicycle helmets – for everyone. That said, should there be a legal mandate insisting that everyone wear one when riding?
We begin with Kings County, Washington, into which Seattle’s boundaries fall. It’s had a bicycle helmet law on the books for YEARS. The law was marginally enforced for a while and then enforcement just sort of dropped off. However, citations are still being issued.
That begged several questions – why had it dropped off? And, if citations are still being issued, what are the circumstances around that?
Now, that law is being challenged and there is a campaign to have it struck down. I speak with PhD student Ethan Campbell – whose field of study is not even remotely connected to the topic of bicycle helmets by the way – and to Paul Tolme, content strategy and media relations manager for the Cascade Bicycle Club out in Seattle.
Then, we do a quick check-in with journalist Joe Lindsey. Like me, he watches the news carefully for bicycle-related stories and we both caught the story about former NBA star Shawn Bradley who was seriously injured back in January while riding his bike. And while t hat’s a big story unto itself, it is the media’s coverage that irked both of us.
From renown news outlets such as cbsnews, espn, , abc, tmz, and more, the reporting about former NBA star Shawn Bradley, is just wrong. As we have had drilled into our heads over the past few years, these are not ACCIDENTS – they are crashes.
And, since I always like Joe’s straight forward thinking on these types of things, I knew he would have some helpful and insightful things to say.
Lastly, we speak with Deputy Executive Director of the LAB, Caron Whitaker. This year’s National Bike Summit wrapped up recently and I thought we should all be aware of what resulted in this unusual time of not being able to actually see our legislators face-to-face – well, unless you consider Zoom.
I want to preface my conversation with Caron Whitaker with an apology for the sound quality on Caron’s end. I was unable to clear up some of the distortion in editing; but, the conversation was too good to discard all together.
This year’s National Bike Summit was, of course, virtual. What I didn’t expect though was how incredibly successful it turned out to be!
In a mini-tribute to Women’s History Month, this week’s show highlights a woman-owned tour company and a woman from history who changed the face of bicycling while adding to the rich history of women’s emancipation at the turn of the last Century.
My first guest is Victoria Munro. Victoria is executive director of the Alice Austen House on Staten Island in NYC.
Alice was a prolific photographer at the turn of the last century who documented New York City, and especially the lives of lesbian women. Her photographs of women and bicycles appeared in the original work of Maria – Violet – Ward’s book, Bicycling for Ladies, originally published in 1896.
The book covers topics from skills and exercise to mechanics and dress and gives us a glimpse into what freedom for women began to look like over 100 years ago.
Barb Hoyt is the owner of Timberline-Adventures out of Boulder, Colorado. Specializing in small groups – 6-12 people – the tours offer the cyclist or hiker a full day of adventure with great support accompanied by inviting accommodations.
While she didn’t start the company, she became the owner with a passion for adventures and expanded the company from mostly west of the Mississippi to covering much of the U.S. now including Hawaii.
Although COVID curtailed most of 2020, Barb is ramping up some great adventures for 2021 including a 3-month, 4section tour of the East Coast Greenway.
My first guest is Patrick Lucas.
Have you ever thought about who owns the land under your wheels when you roll out onto a trail with your bike? What if these trails were built without the permission of the land owners?
Patrick Lucas not only thinks about these things, he does something about them as a community planner and intermediary between First Nations’- people who often never ceded their land through treaties or other means – and those of us who want to ride or otherwise recreate on those lands.
Patrick lives and works up on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. He wears a lot of hats including one as a community planner, one as a storyteller, one as a writer, and he’s the founder of the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program.
While in a meeting with a remote tribe of indigenous people, an elder asked Patrick what he knew about mountain biking. The question came up because Patrick always had a mountain bike strapped to the back of his car. And, out of that conversation came the indigenous youth mountain bike program.
But, the thing that drew me to Patrick was an article he wrote that accompanied a webinar video about Decolonizing Trails in B.C. and I didn’t know what that meant or why it was important.
Today, Landall Proctor is a software developer. But, pretty much right out of college he just wasn’t ready to make a long term career choice and quit the day job he had at the time. Instead, he decided to take a 100 day 10,000 mile cross country trip.
He kept a journal filled with the stories of that ride and when he returned he thought about turning the journal into a book. He started and stopped and started again and it just didn’t happen – until now, 15 years later.
We also have a quick conversation with TV anchor Vic Micolucci from WJXT-TV4 in Jacksonville, Florida. On Sunday, February 28th, during a 72 hour bike race from the west coast of Florida to the St. Augustine on the east coast, several crashes between cars and riders occurred resulting in injuries and one death.
Vic is covering that story and will fill us in on some of the details he knows up until now as there is an ongoing investigation.
This week, we meet journalist and long-distance cyclist Elizabeth McGowan.
In addition to her work – she’s a Pulitzer prize winning journalist – she’s also an ardent adventurer and a cancer survivor.
I found her to be one of the most articulate, interesting, and candid people I’ve spoken with over the many hundreds – nope thousands – of interviews on the show.
Yes she wrote a book – a really good one about her cross-country bike tour. But, it was her reasons for taking the trip and then teasing out the whys that became the real story.
Elizabeth fought melanoma for many years. Her father died from the disease at the age of 44. Some of the treatments Elizabeth experienced were experimental – all were brutal. So, when she received her 5-year clean bill of health, she decided to celebrate with a cross-country bike tour.
Her book, Outpedaling the Big C is the telling of the story of that trip.
Then, I welcome USA Cycling’s CEO Rob DeMartini back to the show. Rob wanted an opportunity to respond to some of the comments that George Mount made on the show two weeks ago.
According to Rob, George’s assumptions were based upon outdated knowledge of the organization and Rob DeMartini l wanted to offer a more current explanation of how the organization works.
So… equal time…
We have two interesting conversations for you this week.
The first is with Brendt Babur. Now, I believe I might have mispronounced his surname DURING the conversation and I want to apologize in advance if I did. While I like to not make mistakes like that, I think you will appreciate our conversation and the work he does.
Brendt founded the Bicycle Film Festival in 2000 – yep, 2020 was the 20th anniversary of the wildly popular event. But, we all know what happened in 2020, and there was some question as to whether it was time let it go.
Have you been spending in inordinate amount of time in front of your television – screening The Queen’s Gambit or Bridgerton or The Crown, or any number of other shows or films as you socially distance yourself and try to find outlets for what seem to be endless hours without human interaction?
Well… how about combining your sport – cycling – and film -and the arts – and your community- and all online? Nothing brings community together like a mutually exciting and informative event – especially when it involves sport, music, film, and fun!
The Bicycle Film Festival, which in its 20 years has attracted a million people to its venues all over the world, found itself looking at cancelling the 2020 event and wondering whether it was time to just call it as everything began to shut down due to the pandemic.
But, the calls starting coming in from cities, organizations, and potential sponsors to find a way to keep bringing the music, the films, the art, and the people together.
Our second conversation is with two gentlemen – Jason Hunstman and Aaron Frank – both with the eBike brand, Serial 1
We don’t usually do in-depth bike reviews on the show, but we do talk about eBikes and when Harley Davidson decided to lend their engineering and know-how to produce pedal-powered machines, I thought it was worthy of a conversation.
Last year, Harley Davidson spun off its eBike brand, Serial 1, and they were able to come into the space without leaning on the legacy of companies like Specialized or Trek or Giant.
Our show this week features two incredibly passionate and fascinating people.
The first, who is not new to TOC, is ex-pro and bicycle hall of fame inductee and way way more, George Mount. When you want the truth about anything in the bicycle racing world – just ask George! He has much to say about the state of cycling in the U.S. and he says it in a clear and informed way.
In addition to his incredible achievements – a pro racing career, George was the first American to break into European Road Racing.
Back in 2013, when we last spoke with George Mount, he was still living in northern California and was giving us the inside scoop on the bicycle hall of fame.
Fast forward to today and George is now living the “serene” retired life in Oregon and working on a book about bicycling in Northern California back in the day.
He hasn’t lost any of his passion for the sport and has some very insightful commentary about USA Cycling. He really wants to see fundamental changes inside the organization and its boards of directors. Boards? As in plural?
Our second guest is no less passionate about bicycles and racing, only his approach is from a very different perspective.
Did you know that 1.3% or upwards of 3 million people in the U.S. were reported as being diagnosed with IBD – either Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease in a 2015 study? The disease is not only debilitating, it can also be embarrassing and scary.
Cory Greenberg, now in his early 30’s, found out about IBD and specifically ulteractive colitis while racing on a U23 team about 10 years ago. As many young people who believe that “it will just go away on its own” sometimes like to believe, he began experiencing the pain, inflammation, and accompanying symptoms of what eventually flared into full-blown ulcerative colitis, forcing him off his bike and into the hospital.
His approach to healing accompanied by his commitment to his sport have brought him two major achievements – so far – remission and a pro racing career.
First up – Radiothon! It’s our annual fundraiser here at WJCU and it begins this coming Friday, February 12th and runs until midnight February 21st.
Now I know many, many Outspoken Cyclist listeners are outside of the NE Ohio area and might be wondering why it is important to support a local NE Ohio college station.
Two great reasons – first, WJCU supports the Outspoken Cyclist. Since we first went on the air and up online in September of 2010, WJCU has been our constant – they host the show and archive every episode – this one being #540.
Second, and more importantly, 2020 was a brutal year for so many people, businesses, and college radio stations! More than ever, we need your support to keep producing the amazing programming we offer – yours truly included – and to keep our studios operating in tip-top shape. This year, we are planning on updating our stream server… and that directly impacts TOC.
We aren’t asking a lot – any donation would be appreciated. And, it’s so easy! Beginning Friday, you can go to WJCU.org, click on the Radiothon button, and fill out the online form. We have premiums if you choose to donate $25 or more too.
Okay – how about this week’s show?
Last week, I promised a review of Molly Hurford and Peter Glassford’s new book, Becoming A consummate Athlete and, when I promise… I deliver! (well, most of the time) It’s a book you just might want to add to your list of fitness and well being titles, covering a wide range of topics that make a whole lot of sense.
We begin with Molly Hurford and Peter Glassford’s new book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete. Taking their 20+ years of coaching, riding, running, and writing – lots of writing – they’ve put much of their expertise and ideas into the new book covering topics from creating new habits and shedding old ones to getting back on track when you fall off the wagon – so to speak. Today, we chat with Molly.
We learn about bikemaps.org, a new online resource for reporting and tracking everything from potholes to collisions and other safety hazards. It’s a crowd sourced tool for global mapping of cycling safety.
When you click on bikemaps.org, a beautiful map appears on your screen. On the map is a series of points that have been created by people just like you. Each point will describe a place, a hazard, an incident, or show where a bike has been stolen. And, that data can be viewed, updated, or analyzed. Karen Laberee is the executive director of bike maps.
And, finally we speak with a team of planners from ODOT, our own Ohio Department of Transportation, about the new Walk Bike Ohio master plan – a plan that is promising to make walking and biking in Ohio safer, more convenient, and accessible for everyone.
Over the years, we’ve often spoken with planners, transportation specialists, and advocates around the US and beyond to move the needle for safer and more comprehensive biking and walking.
Today, we’re speaking with folks from Ohio on that same subject – safer and more accessible biking and walking – as a new plan is about to launch.