Monthly Archives: February 2014

E172 – Leah Benson: Gladys Bikes

Advocacy, Bicycling, Business, Communication, Racing, Technology, Touring, Transit

Leah Benson of Gladys Bikes in North Portland, Oregon tells us a little about running a bicycle shop that’s a little different than the norm!  Her business focuses on helping non-male customers find bicycles and accessories that suit their bodies best for the task at hand, including the operation of a saddle lending library that lets anyone borrow a number of them to find the one that feels best!

Also: Public transit to Mount Hood, rides on Sauvie Island, and how laziness shapes Aaron’s laundry situation.

Headlines
Diamond Cut Life: Tips for riding Amtrak & intercity bus enjoyably.

Mail
Christina writes in to let us know about free legal clinics for bicyclists hosted by the BTA & law firm Swanson, Thomas, Coon & Newton.  The dates are March 26th, May 21st, June 25th, August 27th, and November 19th from 6-7:00 PM at the BTA Headquarters, 618 NW Glisan Street #401, in downtown Portland.  They will cover Oregon bicycle and pedestrian laws, insurance policy coverage, and what to do if you’re in a crash; all attendees receive a free copy of attorney Ray Thomas’ book, “Pedal Power: a Legal Guide for Oregon Cyclists.”

JohnnyK loves last week’s show with Bojun, and is a new sustaining donor!  We express our immense thanks to everyone who has signed on so far.

Jame also loved the interview with Bojun and wants to see better messaging about bicycles.

And more entertainment from the space bike comment thread on episode 165.

Fine Print
email us: thesprocketpodcast@gmail.com
twitter: @SprocketPodcast
phone in or SMS: 503-847-9774
web: http://thesprocketpodcast.com
music: Ryan J. Lane (intro & outro) & Hurtbird (headlines)
Thanks to sustaining donors Logan Smith, Shadowfoot, & Kathrina Mellemgaard for supporting our show costs.

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E171 – Bojun Bjorkman-Chiswell: One Billion Bicycles

Advocacy, Bicycling, Communication, Transit, Travel, Urban Design

Bojun Bjorkman-Chiswell is taking bicycle activism to a global level by exploring theOne Billion Bicycles that exist in the world and the impact they can have on the quality of life for people worldwide.  Her website, The Bike In My Life, hosts the ongoing video series and helpful thoughts for anyone looking towards bicycling as a way of life, particularly those inclined towards fashion and beauty.  We spoke with her about the project and her passion for bicycles & urban design.

Also: Aaron’s puddlejumping tendencies, windstorm power outages, Kelley Point Park. We also note Solarpad for outdoor enthusiasts & Broken Spoke Tacoma, and XRAY.fm!

Headlines
Critical Transit: the pedal powered snowplow
Riskology.co: How to take a refreshing shower on an airplane

Mail
New sustaining donor Kathrina joins Logan & Shadowfoot, which we greatly appreciate!

Steve in WY knew about the ELF trike when the idea was conceived!

Jeremy from Critical Transit wants one.

Josh G gives us a show review.

And Andy from Sacramento will be bicycle touring Oregon with a notebook full of suggestions.

Fine Print
email us: thesprocketpodcast@gmail.com
twitter: @SprocketPodcast
phone in or SMS: 503-847-9774
web: http://thesprocketpodcast.com
music: Ryan J. Lane (intro & outro) & Hurtbird (headlines)
Thanks to sustaining donors Logan Smith, Shadowfoot, & Kathrina Mellemgaard for supporting our show costs.

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E170 – Steve Gutmann: Getaround

Advocacy, Bicycling, Business, Car Ownership, Car Sharing, Communication, Downsizing, Family, Technology, The Law, Transit

Steve Gutmann is a sustainability genius and regional pointman for the peer-to-peer carsharing service Getaround.  We talk to him about the history of carsharing, beginning with Dave Brook’s Carsharing Portland, and its evolution into the systems that are available today, including the ability to leverage your personal car’s potential into additional income and an incentive to drive it less.  We wrap up with a surprise discussion of self-driving cars and how they might make cities more friendly to people in general (click to read Steve’s article on this subject).

Also: snowpocalypse!  snow anarchy, the sliding truck, and enjoying an unexpected holiday.

Headlines BikePortland: Chicago brings Portland’s bag of biking tricks to Bronzeville’s ‘Black Metropolis’ BikePortland: Brandon Rhodes, Lents’ new bike-powered grocer

Mail Kirk twitters about Iowa & #godshandkerchief

Scott Cohen from the City of Portland writes in to clarify how demand for bike parking works, including a link to the guide to installing bike racks in the public right-of-way.

Chris in Arcata asks about Brooks saddle vendors in Portland.  We mention these options:

• Wallingford Bicycle Parts, in Louisiana, has a 6 month trial guarantee on saddles •Gladys Bikes has a saddle library • Clever Cycles • Velo Cult • Universal Cycles • Joe Bike

And we watched Chris’ film recommendation Riding Bikes With The Dutch.

Bill Lascher finds it, Doctor Jeff predicted it: speed dating on public transit’s “singles car.”

Fine Print email us: thesprocketpodcast@gmail.com twitter: @SprocketPodcast phone in or SMS: 503-847-9774 web: http://thesprocketpodcast.com music: Ryan J. Lane (intro & outro) & Hurtbird (headlines) Thanks to sustaining donors Logan Smith & Shadowfoot for supporting our show costs.

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E169 – Lillian Karabaic: Raiders of the Lost Archives

Bicycling, Camping, Cargo, Communication, History, Technology

Lillian Karabaic wears many hats, including one for her responsibilities with the IPRC (Independent Publishing Resource Center) that assists people in producing and finding independently produced printed matter of all varieties.  She’s in charge of the Raiders of the Lost Archives event, which puts even more fun into rediscovering unique works of writing in the thousands of yet-to-be-catalogued zines that the IPRC has in its archive.  We discuss zines and marginalized voices, as well as requesting bike parking in Portland, her new Ahern bike, and some chat about Cincinnati, Ohio.

Also: Steph Routh’s book, How to Move By Bike
is available online, Street books drive this Friday & continuing support, camping in the cold on the Salmon River.

Headlines
BikePortland: Dan Kauffman fatbikes to the Oregon Coast for a meeting

Mail
Jim recommends we check out this incredible cargo bike from Butchers & Bicycles.

JohnnyK asks about the ELF vehicles we reviewed last week.

Steve in WY recommends JB Weld for fixing glasses over superglue.  Fixes bike frames, too!

Timo recognizes Lenny Anderson as “a true raconteur.” Also shares the SmartTrips program in Portland, Oregon, and access to free maps, information booklets, and thePortland By Cycle rides.

Doug loves RAGBRAI and fills us in on the details.

Fine Print
email us: thesprocketpodcast@gmail.com
twitter: @SprocketPodcast
phone in or SMS: 503-847-9774
web: http://thesprocketpodcast.com
music: Ryan J. Lane (intro & outro) & Hurtbird (headlines)
Thanks to sustaining donors Logan Smith & Shadowfoot for supporting our show costs.

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E168c – Can You Buy Happiness?

Advocacy, Communication, Downsizing, Family

After our 2012 fundraising campaign, some rewards were promised to backers.  Listener Logan chose the option to have Brock collect man-on-the-street interviews around the question “Can you buy happiness?”  Now, somewhat belated, we fulfill the promise to take the cultural pulse on the state of our contentment in life through a public survey of random passers-by.  This special edition of the podcast curates some thoughts on what we need, what we can get and how it makes us feel.

Find more of this episode’s sponsor at rowdykittens.com where you can learn about Tammy & Logan’s downsizing and tiny house lifestyle and purchase a copy of the excellent book You Can Buy Happiness (And It’s Cheap).

Thanks to Phillip Roebuck for the use of his fantastic music, including excerpts of “Be My Little Widow” and “Can I Keep You.”  Hear more of his music and find his albums online at philliproebuck.com

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