Category Archives: Adventure

E231 – The Benson Twins: #boatmonth

March 31, 2015Adventure, Bicycling, Boats, Business, Camping, Car Sharing, Fun, Kayaking, Skateboarding, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Leah Benson is the proprietor ofGladys Bikes, a bike shop catering specifically to the needs of women in Portland, Oregon, and one host of the newly created podcast Snack Parade!
Brian Benson is the author ofGoing Somewhere, a book based on his crosscountry bicycle trip from Wisconsin to Oregon, and is working on creating The River Signal, an audio drama podcast, which will begin production this summer!

We talk about kayaking the Columbia River, sea lions, wearing pants, philosophy around bicycling, and more. We also unwittingly created #boatmonth on the show!

Maren Souders Skypes in to update us on the petition to provide vegan meal options aboard Amtrak dining cars.

Also: Spinlister credit contest: “When did you most need a bike but not have one?” Inspired to Ride film is coming soon & the trailer is now available (4/18 in Portland). Rolling Oasis grocers is launching an expansion Kickstarter and hosting an event at Community Cycling Center this thursday!

Donate at Patreon if you’re able to help keep us going!

Headlines

Tom Allen is working on a new film project!

Aaron Green’s We Were Like Sons is funded!

Mail

The stickman’s son takes his first bike ride.

John from Goldendale finds a news story on LA’s newly legal free public gardening.

Gerald offers reverse psychology for angry motorists.

Ethan Georgi deals with parent drivers in school zones and makes an effort to maintain a zen-like calm.

Jim Goodin eschews earbuds while riding his bike and cranks the iPhone speaker.

Harm in NZ shares an awesome cycling/skating documentary.

Maren Souders sent us some car-sharing news.

Peanut butter jar Matt shares a few links on voluntarily limiting your technology.
Wired: Artificial Light May Be Harmful
Good Reads: 4 Arguments for the Elimination of Television

Glenn from Marrowstone Island has a suggestion for more compassionate automobility.

Path Less Pedaled met a Sprocket listener in Alabama!

Marcus Graham is shining up an old bike for a touring event!

Bicycle-towed tiny home gypsy wagon, found on Facebook & shared by David Griffiths

JohnnyK comments on the cost of living and says we’d better step up our game to compete with #YEGbike!

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 our sustaining donors for supporting our show costs:
Logan Smith, JohnnyK, Shadowfoot, Kathrina Mellemgaard, Wayne Norman, Doug Robertson, Ethan Georgi, Justin Martin, Eric Iverson, Cameron Lien, Richard Wezensky, Tim Mooney, Orange & Purple, Glenn Kubish, Matt Kelly, Jim Goodin, Eric Weisz, Doug CohenMiller, Todd Parker, Scott McAllister Morgan, Chris Gonzalez, Dan Gebhart, Zoe Campagna, John Blood, Alison Wiley, Andy Brunner, Dave Knows, Lars V., Chris Smith, Christi Caister, Caleb Jenkinson, JP Kewley, Matt B., Patrick Archain, Gabriel Trainer, Sebastien Poule

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E229 – Jenn Dederich: Portland Pedal Power

March 17, 2015Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Business, Car Ownership, Cargo, Kitchen, Touring, Travel, Urban Designsprocketpodcast

Jenn Dederich is the CEO of Portland Pedal Power, a bicycle delivery service that is focused on delivering local goods to hungry people. We talk about the mechanics of the operation, the value of working with local businesses, and a few adventures that Jenn’s had when not running the company.

Also: Spinlister credit contest: “When did you most need a bike but not have one?”Inspired to Ride film is coming soon (4/18 in Portland), Brock had beers with a few listeners and got yelled at on Foster Road, and Aaron’s posterior is sore.

Donate at Patreon if you’re able to help keep us going!

Headlines
Oregonian: Portland’s rents rose at nation’s sixth-fastest rate, study finds
realtor.org: NAR Study: Accelerating Housing Costs Have Renters Feeling the Squeeze

Mail
Ed in Phoenix wants to stick up for his city!

Matt B shares overnight oats.

Andrew shares good news about Colorado’s Ski Train.

Patrick takes his first commute of the year on the east coast.

Logan shares a map of reported bike thefts in Portland.

Marcus thinks this Toronto Blue Jays pitcher is pretty awesome. He lives in a van.

JohnnyK points us toward a human powered ferris wheel.

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E227b – Aaron Aaron Aaron Brock

March 4, 2015Adventure, Bicycling, Camping, Car Ownership, Cargo, Communication, Downsizing, Fun, Racing, Simpler Living, The Law, Touring, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Aaron Delani is a recent Portland inductee, taking the admonition of “welcome to Portland, now go ride your damn bike” very seriously. As a webmaster, he codes in coffee shops, and then looks for places to explore and people to ride with. We discuss his downsizing process as he moved here, a misjudgment of #coffeeoutside, and secret commuter racing, among many other things. He’s at aarondelani.com

Also: Donate at Patreon if you’re able to help keep us going!

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Many thanks to new donor Christi! And all of our previous ones.

Matt sends in the saga of a motorcycle cop & a man on a beach cruiser.

Logan mentions CEO of Japan Airlines who took a pay cut and rides the bus to empathize with workers who were forced to retire early. Reminded us of José Mujica, Uruguayan president who lives small and picks up hitchhikers.

A friend reminds Brock of Tom Allen’s beer can stove.

This week’s shift list: Halley Weaver explains bike-resistance from potential employers:
illegal = “do you have a car” unless the job specifically requires driving.
legal: “Are you able to get to all four counties for your job?” “Do you have reliable transportation?”
If they ask about reliable transportation; you say yes. If they ask for elaborate then you can say something like, “I prefer to travel by bike but have a Plan B in adverse weather conditions.”

Josh G: Which president was a big-time cyclotourist? Woodrow Wilson! AlsoPresidents’ Day used to be Bicycle Day!

Daniel drops the gauntlet to Alaska with Fraser Cunningham’s -10º Cincinnati commute. He also mentions the YMCA San Antonio, TX Siclovia, March 29th 10am to 4pm.

Anna shares a question from Oregon’s drivers’ license test.

Eric Iverson (& Paul from yesterday) mention quiet zones for rail crossings: there’s gonna be a lot fewer trains on the show.

JohnnyK is our Google king, and found us foot warming solutions.

Eric recommends a wheelbuilding library of knowledge from Mike Tech Info & Sheldon Brown.

Dave asks about the safety of listening devices while riding on the roads.

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E227a – Aaron M. Green: We Were Like Sons

March 3, 2015Adventure, Bicycling, Camping, Cargo, Communication, Downsizing, Fun, History, Housing, Simpler Living, Touring, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Aaron M. Green is the author of the soon-to-be-published We Were Like Sons, a memoir describing his bicycle tour from California to New York City and how he changed along the way. Help him reach his goal for self-publishing the book on Kickstarter! He’s even offering guided bicycle tours as a reward. We discuss, among other things, the writing process, and the nature of offering or receiving hospitality.

This is part one of a two part conversation with 3 Aarons and a Brock. Catch part two afterward!

Also: Donate at Patreon if you’re able to help keep us going!

Headlines (or, “Some Ol’ Bullshit News”)

BBC News Toronto, via bikeportland.org: Canadian ‘freezeway’ could let residents skate to work

bikeportland.org: Oregon lawmaker wants to punish people who bike without reflective clothing

bikeportland.org: Thoughts on lawmakers who “just want to start a conversation”

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E226 – Paul & Caroline Zavitkovski: The Honeymooners

March 2, 2015Adventure, Bicycling, Camping, Cargo, Communication, Family, Fun, Simpler Living, Touring, Train Travel, Travelsprocketpodcast

Paul & Caroline Zavitkovski are perhaps the biking-est couple in Portland. They had a bicycle honeymoon of epic proportions, transport their pug Rando in a specially built bicycle sidecar, and are cheerfully dialed into the bicycle culture here in town. We discuss the best Pug ever, a bikey wedding, and a honeymoon across the northern tier of the continental US, including North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, & Maine.

Also: Aaron has his fancy hub on order, and Brock saw a mischievous sea otter at the zoo.

Donate at Patreon if you’re able to help keep us going!

Headlines

The Oregonian: TriMet bus driver saves girl from getting hit by impatient driver in NE Portland

bikeportland.org Biking would win big under Oregon Climate carbon tax plan

bikeradar.com: Things you should never say to your bike shop mechanic

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E225 – Stephen Szucs: #RETHINK Tour

February 26, 2015Adventure, Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Car Ownership, Car Sharing, Cargo, Communication, Downsizing, Fun, Housing, Simpler Living, Skateboarding, Technology, Touring, Travel, Urban Designsprocketpodcast

Stephen Szucs is fascinated by more sustainable living solutions that the average Joe can implement. He rode one of Organic Transit’s ELF trikes, Rita, on his #RETHINK tour from Canada to Florida. We also talk about transportation choices such as longboarding, housing choices like Craig & Connie Cook’s earthship, and other kinds of choices we can make to create a better world for people now and in the future.

follow this link to Brock’s ELF trike test ride from a year ago.

Also, this is what a conch shell sounds like.

Thanks to our sustaining donors for supporting our show costs:
Logan Smith, JohnnyK, Shadowfoot, Kathrina Mellemgaard, Wayne Norman, Doug Robertson, Ethan Georgi, Justin Martin, Eric Iverson, Cameron Lien, Richard Wezensky, Tim Mooney, Orange & Purple, Glenn Kubish, Matt Kelly, Jim Goodin, Eric Weisz, Doug CohenMiller, Todd Parker, Scott McAllister Morgan, Chris Gonzalez, Dan Gebhart, Zoe Campagna, John Blood, Alison Wiley, Andy Brunner, Dave Knows, Lars V., Chris Smith

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E224 – Alex Reed & Kari Shlosshauer: Bike Loud PDX

February 24, 2015Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Communication, Family, History, Simpler Living, Technology, The Law, Transit, Urban Design, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Alex Reed helped to launch and coordinate Bike Loud PDX. Kari Schlosshauer is a concerned and involved bikey mom who lives near SE Clinton street. We talk about starting an advocacy movement, the case study of Portland’s first neighborhood greenway, the nature of advocacy vs. that of activism (and are they the same thing?), and innovative experiments such as Better Block.

Want to support a Safer Oregon? Buy some Clinton Street swag inspired by Bike Loud PDX!

Also: Brock takes an 80 mile pub crawl ride & borrows a Bike Friday, Aaron rents a fatbike.

Donate at Patreon if you’re able to help keep us going!

Headlines

OregonLive.com: Modest Mouse releases music video shot on MAX

Mail

Logan shares the xtracycle megarack that converts standard frames to longtails!

Antonio shares a map made by EEG-enabled helmets of Manhattan

Tim Mooney shares Brock & Adele’s tour journals from 2012 on Pedalshift Project

Harm in NZ shares Portland news: sustainable electricity harvested from city water utility pipes

Zoe asks: ”We want to ride from Portland to the coast this summer so I’m looking for the best, most beautiful route with the lightest traffic.” Brock likes Oregon’s highway 6 to Tillamook, but Alex prefers the idea of the Nestucca River Road (Path Less Pedaled did this a while back)

Gerald likes chemical handwarmers in his gloves.

Not mail but from the shift list: Tall Bike Tour!

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E221 – Maren Souders: Open Ears, No Car

February 3, 2015Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Car Ownership, Car Sharing, Communication, Downsizing, Simpler Living, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travel, Urban Design, Vegansprocketpodcast

Maren Souders has never, ever owned a car. That’s an achievement even for those who’ve tried! She brings us some inspiring stories and thoughts on low-car life, the value of listening, and trying to eat vegan while taking Amtrak trains across the country. Notably, she’s spent some time on a multi-city listening tour, sitting in public places with a “free empathy” sign! Her webistes:dreamintochange.com & happytolisten.com

click here to find her petition for easier access to vegan meals for Amtrak passengers.

Also: Brock explored the wilds of SW Washington; Aaron rides to Boring.

Join the Team Sincerity Ride on Presidents’ Day!

Headlines

Copenhaganize: Climaphobia and Vacuum-packed Cities

bikeportland.org: Kidical Mass PDX invites biking parents to join family ride planning for 2015

Lovely Bicycle: Finding a Winter Wander-land (and Other Coping Strategies)

Mail

Organic Transit shares a story of a man who rode an ELF trike from Canada to Florida.

We got a letter from Mike in Midland, GA!

My Bike Won’t Fit Here

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E220b – Greg Hum: Drumbiker

January 29, 2015Adventure, Bicycling, Cargo, Communication, Fun, Music, Technology, The Law, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travel, Urban Designsprocketpodcast

Greg Hum is a drumbiker. What is that, you ask? Well, take some rhythm and add it to your transportation. That’s where it starts. Brock speaks with him at his apartment in Cambridge, MA about sound and motion, bike fun, and the delicate line along which an event organizer walks when dealing with sensitive authority figures. Watch his videos on YouTube, especially the film “Making a Splash in Miami” that he submitted to last year’s Filmed By Bike, and join in on the fun with Boston Bike Party if you’re near the Boston area!

We mention Portland buckets ‘n slide blues band Hillstomp, who also make use of buckets (and are one of Brock’s favorite bands). Here’s the death metal washing machine, too, and the video where metal music was paired with the sound.

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E220 – @dudeluna

January 27, 2015Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Car Ownership, Family, Fun, Mountain Biking, Technology, Urban Designsprocketpodcast

Armando Luna is a twitter genius with his finger on the pulse of the Portland bicycle culture. He’s a mountain bike enthusiast and a fun loving ride participant, a father and a husband, an all-around good guy. Also: he’s a listener! We sit down and wind a conversation through our points of commonality.

Also: Brock got some knee pain (helpful advice from BikePortland) and went to thehorse races; Aaron got seen on the trail by a mystery tweeter, and bought pants. Path Less Pedaled gives a mountain bike review of Columbia County, OR.

Headlines

BikePortland: ‘Recumbent PDX’ opens on SE Hawthorne

Oregonlive.com: Vancouver police looking for hit-and-run driver determined to get away

Listener Gerald: Portland Bike Party is happening!
This Friday, 1/30, 7pm at Jamison Square, 810 NW 11th Ave Portland OR

Press release: Bike Index and Spinlister team up to help Portland’s bike theft victims
see bikeindex.org & spinlister.com

BikePortland: Oregon Senate bill would repeal ‘bike bill,’ mandate bicycle licenses and registration

Mail

Thanks to new donor Andy Brunner! He recommends the Novara safari as Brock’s next bike.

Dan tells us a bike will fit inside a Portland Loo.

JohnnyK recommends to bring TP with you at all times, and likes White Lightning Bamboo Cycle Wipes; explains his nail polish trick when fixing a chain.

Branden Shelby: “Here’s the coffee device that caught my eye.”

Richard says teaching adults to ride bikes is “truly more rewarding than any of the other classes that we teach.”

Phoebe admires the resilience of bicyclists.

Logan corrects Brock’s misunderstanding of his locking skewers: “we use Zefal “Lock’n Roll” skewers” and also use their locking seat post clamp. You don’t have to lock them upside down.” Also, jewelry from Leatherman.

A shout out to Richard in England!

And John in Goldendale shares a poster for a bicycle rack design contest in his town.

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The Sprocket Podcast

simplifying the good life

Category Archives: Adventure

E229 – Jenn Dederich: Portland Pedal Power

E227b – Aaron Aaron Aaron Brock

E227a – Aaron M. Green: We Were Like Sons

E226 – Paul & Caroline Zavitkovski: The Honeymooners

E224 – Alex Reed & Kari Shlosshauer: Bike Loud PDX

E220b – Greg Hum: Drumbiker

E220 – @dudeluna