Category Archives: Bicycling

E177 – Maria Schur

Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Car Ownership, Car Sharing, Racing, Train Travel

Maria Schur loves bicycles, lives in Portland, and works for Western Bike Works.  She enjoys gravel rides and doesn’t own a car, and likes pink but doesn’t want to be stereotyped.  She also writes on her blog about the various adventures she gets into.  We talk about all of this and more!

Also: Brock, Aaron & Adele recap their California touring adventures.

Mail
Ethan becomes a new sustaining donor.  Thanks!

Doug in Duluth (another new donor – thanks!) suggests another bicycle shop equivalent of Stairway.

Jolene & The Stickman enjoyed hearing Madi & Katie’s chat on family rides.

Jake enjoyed the episode with Phil B; Phil also fills in the blanks on our gun-toting question.

Nick & Sue from the Bay Area are fans wishing us well!

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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
Shadowfoot
Kathrina Mellemgaard
Roger Grigsby
Wayne Norman
Doug Robertson
Ethan Georgi

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E176 – Madi Carlson (with Katie Proctor): Family Ride

Adventure, Bicycling, Cargo, Communication, Family, Train Travel, Transit, Travel

Madi Carlson represents the family bicycling spirit of the city of Seattle, Washington with her children on a Surly Big Dummy longtail.  We talk to her about her involvement withFamily Bike and her Family Ride website that details the adventures she has with her family.

Katie Proctor helps to organize Portland’s Kidical Mass rides and joins us for the first time in two years since her last appearance on the show.

Also: Transportation Trivia at City Hall!

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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, Roger Grigsby & Wayne Norman for supporting our show costs.

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E175 – Phil B: The Ice Beard Cometh

Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Car Ownership, Communication, Family, Mountain Biking, Technology, Transit

Phil B writes insightfully on his blog Multimodal Alaska Adventures about bicycling, transit, and everyday adventures in the last frontier; we learned during the interview that he is also writing a column for Alaska Commons.  He is far more equipped to deal with the cold than we will ever be, and looks fantastic in a beard of ice.  We discuss Anchorage & The Valley as the grist for his commute, dealing with cold, ice, and how riding the bus can get you some personal time before returning home to the family.

Also: the Bicycle Film Festival in Portland (including the film Boy, featuring actor Timothy Spall), Lucas Brunelle, as well as the shortest and longest midnight mystery ride.  AND:John Malkovich sings on Russian television.

Headlines
BikePortland: Oregon State Parks unveils “bike pod” facility plans for bicycle travelers
Amtrak: recycling facilities are being added to bi-level trains!
OregonLive: Did “Top Gear” go [pause] …too far… with bicycle safety spoofs?
[Steve in WY sent us Top Gear staffer James May’s take on bicyclists some time back, whose primary complaint was simply that bicyclists aren’t friendly enough.]

Mail
real, physical mail from Rory in Michigan! He made a custom tote for six-packs which he mailed to us.  we are flabbergasted and thankful.

Jolene on facebook muses on the pronunciation of “Velo Cult.”

Tim in DC: locking up a bikeshare bike is “like paying to put car2go in a garage.”

Robert C. dispells the notion that Iowa is flat.  In fact, it’s not even in the top 10 flattest states! (The flattest is Florida)  However, Iowa is #13.  He adds a postscript asking about the nature of the term “cross-country.”

Brother Dan enlightens us on the history of daylight savings time.

JohnnyK points us to the Bike Fisherman website!

Jame on bus routing: “Transit map reading should be required to graduate middle school!”

Dan from Tennessee writes in – apparently we influenced his decision to relocate to Portland!

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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, Roger Grigsby & Wayne Norman for supporting our show costs.

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E174 – Path Less Pedaled: Oregon Scenic Bikeways

Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Business, Camping, Communication, Touring, Transit, Travel

Russ Roca & Laura Crawford from Path Less Pedaled are back to talk Oregon tourismand scenic bikeways after some long, hard work on promotional videos that show off the bounty of beauty that our state has to offer.

Join Russ & Laura at the screening party for their promotional video series on March 20 at Chris King Precision Components in Portland, Oregon! Bikes. Beer. Food. Free. No excuse not to! (RSVP on Facebook here)

Also:
USFS maps free for download!

AFTERMASS, a film by Joe Biel has its Portland premiere on May 23 at Clinton Street Theatre at 7 PM; how advocacy and activism coalesced to create Portland’s bicycle network over the last 40 years.  Tickets are $7 and the event will feature Q&A with the director as well as the world premiere of the short film The Greatest Gift, about Emily Finch, the car-free mother of six.

Mail
New sustaining donor Wayne writes in on transportation planning and seemingly illogical routes (likely laid out by drunken lemurs).  We reference the Critical Transit podcast that addresses some of the intricacies of how it all works.

JohnnyK comments that Trackers Earth brings important focus to a sense of community, and that it’s hard to find in the big city.

TopHat writes from Oakland on carsharing.  We found that one-way carsharing is illegal in SFO right now! But Getaround has a few cars in Oakland and there are “hella” Zipcarsthere as well.

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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, Roger Grigsby & Wayne Norman for supporting our show costs.

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E173 Tony Deis: Trackers Earth

Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Camping, Communication, Family, Technology, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travel, Walking

Tony Deis of Trackers Earth joins us to talk about outdoor education, survival skills, and the value of community, and we make some connections to our interests in simpler living and bicycling.  You might be surprised how much talk there is about LARPing, and how telling and participating in stories influences the way we think about the world around us.

Also: Oscars, our upcoming bicycle tour, ring bearers & Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Headlines
How We Roll: new covered bike parking improves transit access in Forest Grove

Urban Adventure League: Shawn gives a rundown on traveling with a bike

Mail
Newest sustaining donors Wayne & Roger join our crew; Roger invites us to drop in when we bike through Santa Cruz!

Former guest Guthrie Straw says that the bike shop equivalent of “Stairway to Heaven” is “Bicycle Race” by Queen.

The Bicycle Film Festival, Portland happens Saturday, March 15 at 6:30pm at the Clinton Street Theater.

Keith in Walla Walla approves of Thunder Island Brewing.

JohnnyK asks: “Would it be possible to post a link to the XRAY.fm version of the show for those of us that are not within range to hear it over the air?”

Drew corrects Brock on his dynamo hub light and shares his ride down the California coast (a post on it on crazyguyonabike).

Jame shares a hilarious story about failed flirtation on light rail.

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, Roger Grigsby & Wayne Norman for supporting our show costs.

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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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E168b – Organic Transit’s ELF Test Drive

Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Building, Car Ownership, Cargo, Downsizing, Technology

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.

See also BikePortland’s coverage of the in-town test drive.

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

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