Bike Town Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ben Cowie
Stories of everyday people riding bikes in your community. Hosted and produced in Calgary, Alberta (#yycbike).
In Episode 4, we say farewell to our Series 4 host Remy and meet with Andrew Hunniford, the General Manager of the London Bicycle Cafe, to ask the question “what is bike town?” Thanks for tuning in!
Host: Remy Isen
Produced and edited by: Remy Isen & Ben Cowie
Join Velo Canada Bikes to build a bike-friendly Canada
Participate in the Conversation with Western Active Transportation Society
Become a Member of London Cycle Link
Guests
Andrew Hunniford, General Manager at the London Bicycle Cafe
Music Song: Night Vision
Artist: Drives the Common Man
Song: In the Rain
Artists: 99AP
Most Londoners drive, and that’s the assumption we grow up with here. But, what if we deviate from that path? What happens when people go against the grain and choose to live without a car? In Episode 3, we sit down with Nancy McCreery and Sandra Miller to learn about what it’s like to be car-free. We get to hear how cycling has influenced their experience being car-free. Thanks for tuning in!
Host: Remy Isen
Produced and edited by: Remy Isen & Ben Cowie
Guests
Nancy McCreery, Tern HSD
Sandra Miller, Nihola Cargo Bike
Music Song: Logged Off
Artist: Drives the Common Man
Song: Body Lights the Way
Artist: Skye Wallace
Song: Cali
Artist: Wataboi
On August 15th 2021, the London Bicycle Cafe hosted a cargo bike meet-up in London, Ontario for individuals and families to safely come together to share their cargo bike stories. The Bike Town Podcast participated in this event and we asked those who attended, “what does a cargo bike mean to you?”
In Episode 2, we meet with special guests David Isaac, Nick Andreetta, and Mike Wickett to discuss the wonderful world of cargo bikes! In this episode, we hear about the influence a cargo bike can have on one’s urban cycling experience. Thanks for tuning in!
Host: Remy Isen
Produced and edited by: Remy Isen & Ben Cowie
Guests
David Isaac, Tern GSD and Babboe Curve
David Isaac, Babboe Curve
Nick Andreetta, Urban Arrow
Nick Andreetta, Urban Arrow
Mike Wickett, Larry vs Harry e-Bullitt
Mike and Miranda Wickett, Tern GSD
MusicSong: The Sun, The WInd, and The Rain
Artist: Charlie Weber
Song: Simplicity
Artist: Justin Maki
Song: Awakening
Artist: Wataboi
Song: Paradise
Artist: Julia Haggarty
Cargo Bike Meet-Up
Left, Tern GSD S10LX, Right, Larry vs Harry e-Bullitt with the Carla Trailer
Cargo Bike Meet-Up @ Gibbons Park, London ON
In Episode 1, we meet with special guests Shelley Carr, Erin de Haan, and Melissa Bruntlett to discuss the gender-gap that exists in cities around the world, but is particularly prevalent here in London where only 33% of cyclists observed in a recent National Bike Count were female. In this episode, we hear about the reasons why women might choose to not cycle and how we can navigate through the gender-gap to promote more equal representation in our bike town. Thanks for tuning in!
Melissa Bruntlett is the author of “Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars In Our Lives.” It was recently published by Island Press and you can purchase a copy here.
Host: Remy Isen
Produced and edited by: Remy Isen & Ben Cowie
Guests
Melissa Bruntlett, Author and Urban Mobility Advocate
Erin DeHaan, Mom & Cycling Organizer
Shelley Carr, London’s First Bicycle Mayor
Music
Song: I Can’t Stand Still
Artist: Julia Haggarty
Song: U Said It
Artist: Wataboi
Song: Reason
Artist: The Marrieds
Welcome to Bike Town! This week we introduce Series 4: London Calling and meet our host, Remy Isen. Settle in for a fun ride with us!
Host: Remy Isen
Produced and edited by: Remy Isen & Ben Cowie
Music
Song: Flavour
Artist: Wataboi
Song: Awakening (Instrumental)
Artist: Wataboi
Permalink
On November 6, 2019, The City of Calgary, Two Wheel View, Bike Calgary, and Knox United Church hosted the 3rd annual Shift into Winter event.
Each year, a growing crowd of everyday cyclists comes to Shift into Winter to discover how much fun it is to ride a bike even when there’s snow on the ground. Maybe, ESPECIALLY when there’s snow on the ground!
This year, local frostbikers Becca Cleaver, Pavneet Singh, Lori Andrews, and Greg Glatz shared their tips and tricks on winter cycling. The panel was moderated by Lindsay Bliek, who also rides every winter.
After a few words of introduction from Kim Fisher from the City of Calgary, Greg Glatz from Knox United Church, Laura Istead from Two Wheel View, and Vanessa Urschel from Bike Calgary, the panel discussion got underway.
We hope you enjoy hearing about how YOU can shift into winter on a bike.
Bike Town Podcast: Series 3, Special Edition
Event: Shift into Winter
Moderator: Lindsay Bliek
Panel: Becca Cleaver, Pavneet Singh, Lori Andrews, and Greg Glatz
Date: November 6, 2019 at Knox United Church (Calgary)
Recording Tech: Niall Vos
Producer & Editor: Greg Glatz
Soundtrack
- Rock Angel by Joakim Karud (https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud). Music promoted by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/K8eRXvLL7Wo.
- Adventures by A Himitsu (https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsu). Music provided by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8.
Bikes and politics. Can cycling grow in your bike town without political leadership?
Janette Sadik-Khan was appointed transportation commissioner by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007 and in six years oversaw the building of nearly 400 miles of bike lanes and more than 60 pedestrian plazas. She also helped create Citi Bike, a bike share network of 6,000 bikes that has since grown to 12,000 bikes. Sadik-Khan wrote the book, Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution, as a record of these accomplishments and a behind-the-scenes look at the political leadership it took to get the job done.
Meanwhile, the Bicycle Mayor Program is connecting leaders who promote the massive economic, health, and environmental benefits of increased cycling capacity.
Does Calgary need another mayor? A bike mayor? A transportation czar who can provide the missing political leadership to expand and improve bike infrastructure in our bike town?
In this episode, we talk to local bike advocate and street fighter Kimberley Nelson, a Top 40 Under 40 recipient who helped get a world-class cycle track network built in Calgary. Kimberley is the former president of a Bike Calgary and is currently the Alberta director for Vélo Canada Bikes. She launched the petition in Canada calling for a National Cycling Strategy and is part of the team organizing the 2018 National Bike Summit in Ottawa.
We interviewed Kimberley two days after she brought street fighter Janette Sadik-Khan to Calgary.
Bike Town Podcast: Series 2, Episode 3
Host: Greg Glatz
Guest: Kimberley Nelson
Interview Date: April 2018 at Knox United Church (Calgary)
Producer & Editor: Greg Glatz
Soundtrack
- Rock Angel by Joakim Karud (https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud). Music promoted by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/K8eRXvLL7Wo.
- Adventures by A Himitsu (https://soundcloud.com/a-himitsu). Music provided by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/MkNeIUgNPQ8.
- Folk Chinese by PeriTune (https://soundcloud.com/sei_peridot). Music promoted by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/EfNzA9M3JNc.
- Chilling by Oshóva (https://soundcloud.com/osh-va). Music promoted by Audio Library: https://youtu.be/D1B3RXVjiiQ.
Lindsay Bliek is a mom who bikes almost everywhere. So, it’s no surprise her blog is called This Mom Bikes. Lindsay knows that in North America women are still a minority of people who ride bicycles. She wants to see that change, and soon. We invited her on the Bike Town podcast to explain why and to share her tips on everyday bike riding ... with kids!
Remember when riding a bike was fun? Remember when riding a bike WASN’T a competitive sport? In 2014, Alberta Venture magazine declared Sean Carter one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People. That remarkable feat, and many other contributions Sean has made to the province, can be traced back to a moment when true love changed him from a competitive cyclist into a bike man for the people. In 2010, he and his partner, Nadia Smiley, opened BikeBike, a store that sells bicycles, services, and products for everyday cycling, bicycle commuting, running errands, exploring your community, or exploring the city with your children ... all the activities that make cycling fun. Sean, a former host of the Bike Town podcast, returns to the podcast as a guest to share his vision for a citizen cyclery that gets people back on bikes.
Bike Town Podcast: Series 2, Episode 1
Host: Greg Glatz
Guest: Sean Carter
Interview Date: March 2018 at Knox United Church (Calgary)
Producer and editor: Greg Glatz
Soundtrack
Joakim Karud, Rock Angel (YouTube Audio Library)
A Himitsu , Adventures (YouTube Audio Library)
Thanks so much to everyone who volunteered so many hours of their day yesterday to attend the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit. Especially thanks to everyone who took the day off work to sit in City Hall for the entire day. We didn't hear the recommendation we were hoping for, yet I'm optimistic that with a strong showing over the next ten days we'll have a permanent and expanding cycle track network for our little Bike Town.
From my perspective (and I think I speak for Carla and Sean here, too), it's insane to see this much local scrutiny for a style of urban design that has been shown to be most effective in cities around the world. New York. London. Copenhagen. Amsterdam. Barcelona. Berlin. Montreal. These are not second-rate cities. They all have developed an incredible network of protected cycling infrastructure that enables individuals from 8-80 years old to engage in their city's streetscape from a bicycle. The bicycle is a humble, empowering transportation machine gives health, wealth, happiness, and street-level community to its users. For broader society, large-scale bicycle adoption lowers pollution, increases economic mobility, decreases road maintenance costs, eases congestion, and supports local businesses. How anyone could be opposed to something with so many benefits is beyond me.
If anyone else feeling a little frustrated this morning, I certainly share that feeling with you. For all the people who volunteered their time, it was disappointing that three people decided they'd had enough for the day and wanted to go home, pushing the decision off to full council. Councillors Woolley, Pincott, Demong, and dad-joke-maker-in-chief Keating voted in favor of finishing the job, but a 2/3 majority was required to change the end-time of the meeting. Even Mayor Nenshi, who showed up at the last minute to try to salvage the meeting, couldn't change the votes that had already been cast. This is how politics works sometimes. It sucks. Yet if disappointment, frustration, and cynicism win your heart, and you decide to stop advocating for change, that's when change stops. So please, don't despair. From my perspective, I saw dozens of incredible people coming to voice support, some of whom were terrified to speak, but did an amazing job. Many other people were in council chambers yesterday who did not speak, but quietly supported the cycle tracks. There were relatively few opposed, and we appreciated hearing their perspectives, too. I'm sure all city staff, and certain councillors are feeling quite the same way you are. Cycle tracks aren't going anywhere as long as we keep showing the phenomenal support for this project. December 19 is the next council meeting. Let's pack the chambers again, and we'll finally be able to say "Yay Cycletracks" for future generations.
Thanks to all of you, from Bike Town.
Ben
Every great Bike Town is full of Urban Gangsters. Five term councillor Druh Farrell and two term councillor Gian-Carlo Carra joined us to discuss the visionary transformation of our city from car city to Bike Town. Councillor Farrell has been a leading voice for urbanism in our city for more than a decade, and Councillor Carra is part of a new wave of young leaders who are determined to see a different city built for the next million Calgarians. We discuss the challenges and reasons for success of the rapid transformation of bicycle infrastructure in our town. Saddle up for a fun ride with us.
This is the third of three episodes dedicated to the advocacy, technical, and political aspects of an urban cycling transformation in Calgary that has led to more than one million cycle track trips in an 18 month pilot project. We hope you enjoy the mini-series!
Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla HillsProduced and edited by: Ben CowieSong: Bicycle Race
Artist: Queen
Album: Jazz
Label: EMI
When Tom Thivener and Katherine Glowacz were hired by the City of Calgary to develop bicycle infrastructure within the Livable Streets Department, there was little infrastructure, competing advocacy interests, and a culture of building roads from "behind the windshield of an automobile". In this episode, Tom and Katherine share their secrets of where, when, and how infrastructure actually gets built in the city, and how the city actively engages citizens on new projects. This was a fascinating technical discussion, with many insights into how projects go from creative input to concrete on the road.
This is the second of three episodes dedicated to the advocacy, technical, and political aspects of an urban cycling transformation in Calgary that has led to more than one million cycle track trips in an 18 month pilot project. We hope you enjoy the mini-series!
Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla HillsProduced and edited by: Ben CowieMusic:
Song: Nothing's Ever Easy
Artist: The Permanent Residents
Album: Visa Vis
Kimberley Nelson and Peter Oliver aren't shy about their love for cycling in cities. Their hard work and dedication has resulted in an organized cycling community that is helping to make changes to our little Bike Town. Our conversation with them shares the story behind the results. Thanks for your efforts, Kimberley and Peter!
This is the first of three episodes dedicated to the advocacy, technical, and political aspects of an urban cycling transformation in Calgary that has led to more than one million cycle track trips in an 18 month pilot project. All three episodes will be released in close succession over the coming week. We hope you enjoy the mini-series!
Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla HillsProduced and edited by: Ben CowieMusicSong: Painkiller (Summer Rain)
Artist: Turin Brakes
Album: Ether Song
Label: Source Records
Dear listeners,
When we started The Bike Town Podcast, we hoped to share some of your amazing bike stories, enabled by our new downtown cycle tracks. Now we're asking for your support. On December 8, the Standing Committee on Transportation and Transit will meet to make a recommendation to city council on the downtown cycle track pilot project. This will determine the future direction of urban cycling in Calgary. Despite overwhelmingly favorable data, the vote is not assured, and we need to show our support. Bike Calgary has laid out an excellent guide, giving concrete actions you can take to participate in the discussion at this crucial moment. If you say "Yay, cycle tracks!" every time you ride, now is the time to write a letter, make a phone call, and show support for the network.
Bike Town has written a letter to each councilor, and we encourage you to do the same. Make your letter personal, and tell your story about how cycle tracks have changed your life for the better. We will also attend the committee meeting on December 8 at 9:30 AM, to read our letter in person. If you have the day off, and would like to attend, citizens who arrive on time can put their name on the list to present their views for five minutes. If you have a unique perspective, we'd love to hear you step up to the mic and share it with the city.
Here is our letter to council.
The time for action is now. We'd love to hear your stories about cycle tracks in the comments section below, and are happy to help you with your letter if you write to us!
Yay cycle tracks!
Ben, Sean, and Carla
This month Carla sat down with Kristi Woo, Rebecca Cleaver Burke, and Nadia Smiley to talk about how cycle tracks have changed the transportation landscape for women in our Bike Town. While choosing to ride their bikes before the cycle track installation, they all agree that it's easier and safer to ride downtown with the new infrastructure. "They're all for the girls, but this one's for the girls" - Gord Downie
Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla HillsProduced and edited by: Ben CowieSong: I love myself today
Artist: Bif Naked
Album: Purge
Label: Lava
This month Bike Town pedals deep into the culture of bicycle messengers (aka bicycle couriers). An essential component of our downtown bike scene, the messengers are the secret weapon that keeps downtown business moving quickly. We sat down with some of the city's most experienced couriers, Jesse, Dylan, and Downtown Tom Brown, and heard stories of both good times, and bad times, while discussing where messengers fit into the changing landscape of people on bikes in our city. Please note we labeled this episode PG-13: some language and content not suitable for younger listeners.
Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla HillsProduced and edited by: Ben CowieSong: Motherfucking Bike
Artist: Sons of Science
Web: http://motherfuckingbike.com/
Doug Dunlop is a regular in our Bike Town. While today we usually see him riding with his family, he has a wild history of bike-adventures to share with us that tells the story of the earliest fat bikes. While you're listening, check out Doug (@coldbike) on Twitter and Instagram.
Hosts: Carla Hills, Sean Carter, and Ben CowieProduced and edited by: Ben CowieMusicSong: Bicycle Man
Artist: Black Mountain
Album: Druganaut EP
Label: Jagjaguwar
Summer is here in our little Bike Town, and for us that means going on a bike adventure! Sean and Carla speak with Jenny and Kevin Schlauch about their adventures in Germany and Denmark, as well as their experiences as cycling converts from city to suburb to city. This month's events calendar features Cyclepalooza, Calgary's biggest and most DIY bike festival, don't miss out on some of the great things happening in bike town!
Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla HillsProduced and edited by: Ben CowieMusicSong: The Bicycle Song
Artist: David Rovics
Album: Make It So
Label: Red Love Records
Song: Maybe Tomorrow
Artist: Terry Bush
Album: The Littlest Hobo Theme Song
This month we talk about commuting. At Bike Town, we think of commuting as using your bicycle to make your life easier: groceries, appointments, ice cream, the pub, to school, these are all commuting activities that are rarely counted in mode share survey data. Kim Fisher and Kayley Fesko are two amazing women who challenged each other to bike through an entire winter, and succeeded! During their challenge, they created a story about urban cycling that they have shared around the world. We're stoked to speak with them this month about their experience in our little bike town.
Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla HillsProduced and edited by: Ben CowieMusicSong: Oh, the boss is coming!
Artist: The Arkells
Album: Jackson Square
Label: Dine Alone Records
Song: The Bike Song
Artist: Mark Ronson and the Business International
Album: Record Collection
Label: Columbia Records
Dear listeners,
Bike Town is a podcast about any city in North America. Each month, we will bring you stories about ordinary people and families who have used a bicycle to transform their day-to-day lives. This might sound a little mundane in theory, but it is transformational for the thousands of people who can live healthier, happier lives by choosing to ride a bicycle. At a bigger scale, we think this idea is essential to an entire city in the midst of a transportation revolution. When Calgary installed its cycle track network in the downtown core, as a single large piece of infrastructure, it was controversial. Yet today, with the number of cyclists using the cycle tracks far exceeding projections, and the wildest expectations of even those in the cycling advocacy world, the all-at-once network approach developed here in Calgary can be considered nothing short of a great success. We believe the Calgary model to be appropriate for any city in North America that wants to transform its streets into places for people, and not just for cars.
Bike Town started as an idea. About six months ago, I had recently returned to Calgary after two years in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and I decided to attend the Bike Calgary Annual General Meeting to catch up with friends in the bike community. After the meeting, over a couple of beverages, we discussed what we thought was missing in the conversation about cycling in Calgary. We came to the conclusion that stories about people transforming their lives because of the great new infrastructure were completely absent, and we decided to do something about it. With commitments from Sean Carter and Carla Hills to host the show, we spent the winter planning and preparing for today, the launch of our new podcast. None of us had ever done anything like this before, and we had to learn everything from square one. Despite our inexperience in media, we are excited to help tell the stories of people in our community. We aim to inspire you, our listeners, to take action in your community, whether that be riding your bike more often, writing your city councilor to tell him or her that bikes are important to you, or starting a bike-fun event in your community. Similarly, if you have a great story to share about people on bikes, we want to hear from you! This show is about ideas. This show is about you.
From all of us, welcome to Bike Town. We hope you enjoy the show.
Ben Cowie
Producer
ps - we've received a little help from bike friends along the way, in particular Colin Sproule (@cawlin) who designed our sharp logo, and Steve Coutts (@SteveCoutts) who takes beautiful photos of bicycles. Thanks, all, for your support so far!
Welcome to Bike Town! This week we talk about cycling in the suburbs, and how the bicycle could transform the North American suburban experience.
Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla HillsProduced and edited by: Ben CowieMusicSong: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Artist: Arcade Fire
Album: The Suburbs
Label: Merge/City Slang/Mercury Records
Song: Subdivisions
Artist: Rush
Album: Signals
Label: Mercury Records
Song: Extreme Suburb
Artist: Mike B Fort
Album: Hello Guys! 2
Label: https://soundcloud.com/mikebfortofficial/mike-b-fort-extreme-suburb-buy-free-download
Song: Suburban Devastation
Artist: Eric & Magill
Album: In This Light
Label: https://ericandmagill.bandcamp.com/
Song: The Suburbs
Artist: Arcade Fire
Album: The Suburbs
Label: Merge/City Slang/Mercury Records