Category Archives: Alternate Fuels

E194 – Swing-Bike Eric and His Amazing Friends

July 21, 2014Adventure, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Technology, Touringsprocketpodcast

A little out-of-the-norm for us cycle-tourists, but who doesn’t like some good old-fashioned fun on bikes? Today we talk about bike fun on bikes that are fun in their own right. Swing Bikes!!! Eric Iverson, now dubbed Swingbike Eric, come to the studio with his friends J.P. and Eilif who introduced me to maybe one of the most fun ways to get from Point A to Point B. It’s possible you’ve already met these three. Anyone remember that whole Grill By Bike ride?!? That was these guys, and you know we’re gonna be talking about that.

mail (btw, this is the 4th time I’ve edited and posted this section)

from Johnny K. in FLA:
secret agent 004 was in the movie Thunderball
Marvin K Mooney will you please go now!

from Wayne Norman
“I can assure you that Roger and I are not ‘together’”

Eric W: hand positions and loss of feeling in fingers

Roger ups his donation amount after being entertained.

News
From Gearjunkie.com, via Brock: (“Holy shit. I’m drunk in eastern wa and this looks amazing”): Triple-Fat-Tire Trike Is Beast Made For Sand And Snow

From Bike Portland: Bike Tourism & Transit

find us on the Internet at thesprocketpodcast.com
send feedback about the program and suggestions for topics or guests –
write us via email, the address is thesprocketpodcast@gmail.com
call and leave us a message or text to 503.847.9774
connect with us on Twitter @SprocketPodcast
thanks to Ryan J Lane for providing our theme music
thanks to Hurtbird for our headlines sounder

and thanks to our sustaining donors Logan Smith, Shadowfoot, Kathrina Mellemgaard, Roger Grigsby , Wayne Norman, Doug Robertson, Ethan Georgi, Justin Martin and Eric Iverson

still working out my page format issues (really!)

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E168b – Organic Transit’s ELF Test Drive

January 30, 2014Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Building, Car Ownership, Cargo, Downsizing, Technologysprocketpodcast

Organic Transit visited Portland, Oregon last weekend to demonstrate their ELF electric-assist tricycles, which are pedal powered and solar powered. Brock had a chance to interview company owner and inventor Rob Cotter, Portland resident and ELF enthusiast Lorraine, and long-time ELF believer Ned from upstate New York, and spoke briefly to an Oregonian reporter (who contributed to an article with a photo gallery that Brock appears in).

Visit organictransit.com for more information on these innovative creations.

Rob Cotter & Lorraine pose with #16 on left, while Ned opens the trunk on right

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E154 – Franklin Jones: b-line & world touring

October 22, 2013Adventure, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Business, Cargo, Touring, Travelsprocketpodcast

Franklin Jones from b-line Sustainable Urban Delivery comes back to the studio to chat about the new press on his company that was recently in the New York Times as well as his world travels by bike.

Franklin also mentions the innovative Vermont Sail Freight Project!

Aaron & Brock discuss another ride to Cascade Locks.

Headlines
Pgh. Post-Gazette via Tim: Amtrak tests bicycle roll-on service on the Capitol Limited!
All Aboard: 10 tips for sleeping overnight in Amtrak’s coach seats

Mail
Thanks for a donation from JohnnyK! He mocks our intolerance of temperature extremes.

Also a donation from Patrick in CA, thanks!

Former Co-host Brandon sends in a Kickstarter page for the FlyKly Smart Wheel, a power assist rear wheel that fits on practically any bicycle!

Drew in Portland, who Brock met at the Lab2Lab cargo bike ride last summer, suggests rain capes and waxed leather shoes for rain resistance.

And we read some iTunes reviews.

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)

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E137 – Ethan Jewett: Disaster Relief Trials 2013

July 10, 2013Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Cargo, Communication, Racing, Technologysprocketpodcast

Ethan Jewett is one of the masterminds behind the wildly popular Disaster Relief Trials, the event demonstrating the value of cargo bikes in large-scale emergencies for transport of relief supplies and maintaining contact when other modes fail. We are excited to talk with him on the eve of the second event based in Portland this year!

Mail
Listener Dan from Portland released a dystopian novel entitled The LIghtcap and wants us to know about it!

Listener Dan from MN was on a bicycle safety ad!

Former host Brandon Rhodes shares a method of growler transport by bike for the beer lovers out there.

Phil from Alaska commutes by bike through sun, rain, sleet and snow and is writing about it on a blog.

Steve from WY weighs in on trailer transport.

Josh from Frankfurt inquires about how to start a bike moving scene.

Zed invites all Portland fans of bike fun to gather on the 3rd Wednesday of the month for the purpose of stimulating even more bike fun in town!

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E126 – Dan Kauffman & Zed Bailey: Open Bike

April 21, 2013Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Communication, Doin' It, History, Technologysprocketpodcast

Zed Bailey & Dan Kauffman are the driving force behind Open Bike Night,CrankMyChain Cycle TV, and a host of creative projects and activism around the city of Portland. We drink and talk about a host of topics, including Pedalpalooza, Einstein and the Theory of Relativity, cycling in SLC, Rev. Phil, Zoobombing, the Magical Midnight Mystery Ride, and “doing it better.” Dan even plays a few original songs for us.

Zed mentions a song from Enter The Haggis: “Gasoline”

Mail
John from Hawaii adds some input to Aaron’s planning for his trip to the islands.

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E116 – Chris Smith: Comprehensive Plan

February 11, 2013Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Brewing, Building, Business, Car Sharing, Cargo, Communication, History, Housing, Mountain Biking, Technology, The Law, Transit, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Chris Smith from PortlandTransport.com is a golden god of urban planning and transit. He would never claim that title himself, but there is no person in Portland, Oregon working harder to make active and sustainable transportation a reality for the city’s near future. We discuss the public process of crafting the city’s Comprehensive Plan, a document that guides the development and structure of citizen’s daily lives. We touch on equity, gentrification and displacement, sidewalks and neighbor relations, modal hierarchy and freight movement, civic corridors and neighborhood greenways, New York’s High Line, telecommuting, and The Transit Appliance.

We warn you: it will get wonky.

If you’re a Portland resident, please consider joining one of the open house events designed to maximize public input into the process. You can find more info on times and locations at this page: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/58191

Also, Brock & Aaron chat about bike wear & tear, brewery quality, meeting up with Tammy & Logan, and some technical business.

BONUS: after the show closes, we present a short chat with our new webhost Colin, owner of The Podcast Host, and also a fan of mountain biking! We’re happy to have our show on his servers.

Headlines
Denver Post: Black Hawk, CO, famous for its bicycle ban, is corrected by the court

Mail
Dan in MN sends a picture of his new Raleigh folding bicycle.

JohnnyK mentions Burro Bags & Bar, and recommends Adventure Cycling andcyclocamping.com as travel resources.

Anthony says: “I too have been traumatized by growing up in a Florida suburban nightmare. Tampa was a hot mess of sprawl and mini malls.”

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E107 – News Roundtable & Catching Up

December 10, 2012Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Building, Business, Communication, Downsizing, Housing, Mountain Biking, Technology, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Brock & Aaron hold down the proverbial fort on their own this week in an episode dedicated to clearing the desk of all the cool stuff they’ve learned about in the last month. We start out with talk about tux mayhem, train etiquette, and Indiegogo perks still to come! We drank Moxie & Bridgeport Ebenezer Ale.

My Bike Won’t Fit Here!
Aaron introduces a new segment this week. Pictures to be posted here when possible – check back. This week’s egregious bike parking: Fred Meyer! This is a photo from the Portland location at SE 82nd Avenue & Foster Road. Thanks to listener David, who works for the corporation, for a timely response to this observation! We’ll see what changes in the future.

Headlines
BikePortland news roundup: Piscataquis Village Project plans to create a carless “micropolis”
BikePortland: a farmer in the Portland region swaps his truck for a cargo bike
BBC News via Brandon: the Uruguayan president is living meager, but happy!
The Oregonian: speeding car crashes into Sunset TC – from above
Rivendell Bicycle Works: MUSA Splats cover ordinary shoes for wet weather
The Atlantic Cities: media hosts an ecology dustup between cars & transit
BikePortland: Tom LaBonty heads to Texas to teach cargo bike building
Lovely Bicycle: When do we need a cargo bike?
Cycle Wild: Petition asks for decent treatment of self-propelled NPS guests
Happy, Simply: former show guest d’Arcy Lunn has a new simple living project
No Tech via Logan: now you can UN-knit your wool with a bicycle
BikePortland: Chris Sanderson not allowed to recycle metal by bike
Fast Co. Design: designer proposes an aerial tram over Austin

Mailbag
David Heddy mentions a couple touring the Great Divide on a tandem

Eric Krimmel wrote us about his new ebook “The Cross Country Adventures of the Blue Highways Cycling Elite,” a true story of three friends who embark on an 4200 mile bicycle trip across the USA, from Anacortes, Washington to Bar Harbor, Maine. It’s available on iTunes, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Dan in MN recommends Nick Mason of the League of American Bicyclists as an interview. Also, Dan just moved into his own tiny house that he built himself!

Kevin from L.A. donates generously and says he can hook us up with Tall Bike Bobby.

Thanks to Stacy from A Simple Six for recommending our show on Twitter.

Dodson gets in touch about interviewing Brek Boughton (blogger and adventurer) from Cycling Into The Dark: http://cyclingintothedark.com

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E100 – Brock & Brandon’s Transit Adventure

October 23, 2012Adventure, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Building, Business, Car Sharing, Communication, History, Technology, Transit, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Brock & Brandon celebrate 100 episodes of the Sprocket Podcast by traversing the city for hours using every mode of transport they can get into, including TriMet, the Portland Streetcar, the Portland Aerial Tram, and of course Car2Go. Here’s a “lite” version of the 5 hours of audio we taped during the adventure.

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E075 – Michael Andersen: Low-Car Life & Politics

April 30, 2012Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Communication, Doin' It, Downsizing, Gardening, Housing, Kitchen, Technology, Transit, Walkingsprocketpodcast

We welcome our favorite relentlessly upbeat transit journalist Michael Andersen, chief dictator of the fine publication Portland Afoot, back to the show for more talk about Portland’s transit environment and economy and the joys of low-car life.

Brandon is freaked out by billionaire asteroid miners.

Bike Safe Portland wallet-sized accident reports are available now in Portland bicycle shops near you! Thanks to Josh Zisson from Bike Safe Boston and the Bike Safe Nation project.

The Sprocket Podcast is now available on Stitcher smart radio! If you use the service, you can add us to your programming roster.

Michael brings a lightning round quiz for simple life perspectives on nouns, but after a discussion on local transit politics.

Headlines
BikePortland: “Dutchtubs” are about to revolutionize Portland OR’s leisure scene
BikePortland: jogger asks about legality and courtesy of jogging in streets
Grid Chicago: Bees are coming! On bikes!
Taking the Lane: Elly Blue hosts a contest to discover the nation’s worst bicycling streets
BikePortland: circling Mt. Hood on a mountain bike just got easier
PSU Vanguard: Bus, MAX, streetcar, or taxi?

Mailbag
Jim says: “Check out this link to an upcoming indie film to be released regarding Tom Allen’s big tour and the decisions he had to make….:http://janapar.com/ Looking forward to your upcoming path less pedaled interview… and also appreciated your interview w Rebecca Lerner.”

Dan in MN on the foraging episode: “looking for free food was a must in my family when I was growing up. We caught fish, ate mushrooms, harvested wild rice, did maple sirup camp, picked hazelnuts, and ate ferns. We also made our own medicines. Nice to know that other people do this.”

JohnnyK in FL: “if you don’t want flats from glass just get Tire Liners; however you will never get a Fred to use these because God forbid they add weight to their bikes.” Also: “Ok just got back from the Dinner with Elly Blue and friends. I really enjoyed it and it was very much a learning experience. So now I cannot wait for your interview with her.”

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E069 – Matt Picio on Peak Oil

March 19, 2012Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Communication, Downsizing, Gardening, Housing, Kitchen, Technology, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Matt Picio rejoins the show to discuss the Peak Oil hypothesis/phenomenon with Brandon.

Youtube Video Series: Albert Bartlett on the Exponential Function
Recommended Reading: The Long Descent by John Michael Greer, The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler, Reinventing Collapse by Dmitry Orlov

Also: the man (not a woman, as we had thought) undertaking a bicycle tour while eating at a budget below the poverty line.

Also: Humanity on Wheels: An Evening of Mass Transit Tales! This Tuesday, March 20 at 7:30pm at The Jack London Bar, 529 SW 4th Ave in Portland OR

Headlines
Treehugger via Carl: the “Mamachari” from Japan offers mothers a compact kid-carrying solution

Mailbag
JohnnyK in FL: “Welcome back Brock it sounds like you had a wonderful time on the other side of the pond. What is it about trains that brings out the 5 year old in us. Anyway I am taking the good Dr.’s advise and I am slowing the F!@k down. I think this is why turtles live so long. I want to be a turtle.” Also he found an explanation of old school shaving similar to that of Amos Hunter.

Carl in CA: “I am pissed! While riding through the many parking lots of the Tustin Market Place, I was pulled over on my bike by a mall cop. Why you ask? I had no shirt on! I was heading to REI and as always would put my shirt on before I entered the store. But I was outside in a huge parking lot…” He also wonders when and where he entered a communist country.

Chris in Arcata: “Are you familiar with kinetic sculpture racing? These are hand built pedal powered machines with crazy engineering, and often crazy art. Often machines have multiple peddlers with costumes, bribes, poems, etc… We peddle on street, sand, mud, water. I’m a well known racer within the community, though I’m taking a break from being an actual racer this year. Last our team was first in speed, and I think we got a engineering award…. This race was born in Humboldt county, California. This race is memorial weekend starting in Arcata… Other locations that do this race [are] Baltimore, Australia, Port Townsend, Corvallis (Da Vinci days), Klamath Falls, and perhaps others… peaceful peddling from Arcata.”

Darren from Australia: “just a quick email to let you know about my cycle touring blog, www.cycletourer.blogspot.com. I’m spending the year travelling to various parts around the globe for one mega cycle adventure. I’ve just completed a little over 7 weeks on New Zealand’s south island cycling with some amazing people from around the globe… It’s amazing how many people have commented on the podcast stickers on my bike so I’m hoping to have converted many cycle tourists to the dark side… I was hoping to catch up with Russ and Laura of The Path Less Pedaled as Laura created a custom head badge for my Surly, but alas, we unfortunately did not cross paths.” His next stops are London, Cornwall, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Germany, & Denmark for an estimated 10,000km on the cycle computer before the tour ends.

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