Category Archives: Communication

E118 – Adham Fisher: Tube Challenge

February 25, 2013Communication, Running, Technology, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travel, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Adham Fisher attempts to break the records held for visiting every station in urban rail systems in as little time as possible. He has been to many cities in this pursuit including London, New York, Barcelona, Toronto, and Chicago, and while he does not yet hold the current record, he is perhaps one of the most dedicated practitioners in his field. We spoke about the Tube Challenge, his experiences with transit, and cultural perspectives on its use.

Adham’s compilation of transit-themed music, 1000 Stations – Metro EP, can be found on the iTunes Store. Also, see Adham’s kit for these challenges.

Also, Brock & Aaron chat about Little Free Libraries and organized bike rides in the neighborhood.

Headlines
Atlantic Cities via Brandon:Austin develops bike maps based on rider comfort level
The Mail via Logan: Cycle tourists killed in Thailand collision(http://www.twoonfourwheels.com)

Mail
Zed writes from PDXK’s CrankMyChain: “Here is a story on the show from bikeportland.org & one of our favorite shows for Open Bike.”

Thanks to former guest Dan for a generous donation! It’s going to keep us rolling easy.

David Heddy mentions new bicycle travel publication Bunyan Velo!

Dan in MN texts us a burp.

JohnnyK asks how to get your significant other to bike with you if they’re not really that into it yet.

And Jeremy leaves us a voicemail!

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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E117 – Women & The Cycling Industry

February 18, 2013Advocacy, Bicycling, Building, Business, Communication, Family, Technology, Travel, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Elly Blue & Martina Fahrner are two people we have been wanting to get together for a conversation about the cycling industry and its dealings with a large part of the human race: the feminine part! Martina, from Clever Cycles, and Elly, from Taking The Lane Media, give us their takes on gender dynamics, product design and availability for women, and basic livability issues, as well as many other things.

Also, Brock & Aaron chat about some automobile-based trips over their weekends and bicycle improvements.

Headlines
Adventure Cycling Association: launched an online touring database for past trips!
Portland Afoot: Cathy Hastie compares Zipcar & car2go as alternatives to ownership
Urban Adventure League: Portland’s midnight mystery ride turns 10!
Someone made a map of all the ending locations. Add your info if you want!

Mail
Paul, Tyler and Dave chime in on twitter about Black Hawk, CO. Paul says he wouldn’t ride there, Tyler wonders if anywhere is safe for people what with the mobile phones, and Dave says that safety isn’t an American priority yet.

Glenn the pirate writes in from Port Townsend, WA about a Mario Savio quote from episode 14 and his love for human-powered crabbing!

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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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E115 – Sky Boyer: Velo Cult

February 4, 2013Beer, Bicycling, Building, Business, Communication, Mountain Biking, Technology, Touring, Travelsprocketpodcast

photo by beervanabuzz.com

Sky Boyer is the genius behind Portland’s unique bicycle shop and tavern, Velo Cult, a common space that is open late for business and amenable to events and impromptu gatherings. He welcomed us into the seemingly unending space in their Hollywood district location to chat about his philosophy on bicycles and business. We discuss: weddings, the “man-cave” beginnings of the shop, moving to Portland and becoming a cultural epicenter, touring (particularly off-road), his experience in racing, the dearth of mountain bike access in Portland, the region’s unique climate, San Diego’s negative aspects, the danger and excitement of the velodrome, the future of Velo Cult, and the artistic side of a talented employee.

A little more audio of our conversation with Sky can be heard here.

Brock & Aaron also discuss drunk texts, itunes, Steph & Ed’s move by bike, andGigantic Brewing.

Headlines
fastcodesign.com via Brandon: The Growler Bike is designed around beer transport

Mail
JohnnyK comments on stickers and notes that a cargo bucket is a good place to display them. Does the bucket rattle, and is it stable? (great directions here)
and lastly, on Piscataquis Village: Reminds him of St. Petersburg FL’s pre-colonial section and would be a “utopia”, and asks: Wouldn’t connected buildings increase the fire hazard?

Tracy Gayton responds that buildings would need to be built meeting a certain level of fire resistance. Additionally he adds that a donor was inspired to pledge to the project. As a postscript, he corrects Aaron on Maine counties.

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E114 – Dan Christensen: Roll Easy

January 28, 2013Bicycling, Camping, Communication, Doin' It, History, Mountain Biking, Technology, The Law, Touring, Transitsprocketpodcast

Dan Christensen is a transit bus driver who shares his experiences by blog, twitter, and live storytelling. He was kind enough to drop in for a chat about being a driver, dealing with traffic and bicycles, and experiencing Mount Saint Helens’ eruption in 1980. Read his writing at rolleasyblog.com!

We also implore our listeners to drunk dial us (503-847-9774), Brock describes an amorous evening gone wrong over the last weekend, and we discuss bicycle touring as a near-future occurrence.

Headlines
New York Times: The Flight From Conversation
League of American Bicyclists: a compendium of bicycle laws in all 50 states!
BikePortland: Oregon City votes to build bike tourism “epicenter” in Amtrak station

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E113 – Tracy Gayton: Piscataquis Village

January 22, 2013Bicycling, Brewing, Building, Business, Cargo, Communication, Downsizing, History, Housing, Kitchen, Technology, Transit, Travel, Urban Design, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Piscataquis Village will be a European-styled, carless development in the US state of Maine, and the vision of Tracy Gayton who joins us for this show. Tracy envisions a city with six key elements: small plazas, really narrow streets, attached buildings, arcaded sidewalks, interior courtyards and streets free from car traffic. After it caught our attention, he was kind enough to supply us with a full rundown on how it might look. [piscataquisvillage.org] We also discuss comparisons to the Bicycle City idea, appealing to misanthropes, and how people might get to and from the village, as well as governmental red tape, bad weather, and Tracy’s own downsized life after retirement.

Mentioned resources:
Tracy’s TEDx talk
The Carfree Design Manual & carfree.com
The Small Streets blog, smallstreets.com

Brock & Aaron discuss ice on the roads, ice in Brock’s beard, the months-long soaking of socks, Aaron’s ditching of his cell phone, and Brock & Brandon’s utilization of the supertrailer.

Smartwool socks hold up to a six month soak, though the wool falls out

Brock grows an ice beard over a morning commute

Mail
JohnnyK asks us where to put a sticker on a bicycle, and says that in Jacksonville a fellow cyclist is like “finding water in a desert.” This makes the cycling traffic problems of Portland somewhat niche.

Darren says “thanks” for the song Brock wrote about his cycling journey, and adds:
“I have been meaning to update my blog, write a closing post and list the highs and lows of the journey, but more importantly, sharing what I learnt whilst in the road. I think the song has just inspired me to do so.”
If you’d like a copy of the song, you can find it here.

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E112 – Mike & Sonja Brough: bIKE pUNK

January 14, 2013Bicycling, Business, Communication, Family, Housingsprocketpodcast

Bike Punk is a screen printing company in Portland, Oregon specializing in bicycle-themed stickers and clothing using eco-friendly materials. Sonja & Mike join us to describe their business and their experiences in the city’s bicycle culture. Check outbikepunk.com for a sampling of their wares.

Headlines
The Atlantic Cities: San Francisco promotes the use of private spaces for public rest
Urban Adventure League: Shawn Granton rides unpaved roads in the dirty SE
BikePortland.org: Man arrested after pepper spraying riders on Sauvie Island
BikePortland.org: “bike rage” experienced during commute on Hawthorne Bridge

Mail
This week’s mail brought the triumphant return of JohnnyK, frequent commenter and loyal listener! He loved Dinner & Bikes, and cautions us that vegans eat vegetables. Also, happy birthday, Mr. K!

Also, our webhost Colin is planning to do some site maintenance that should fix our mobile issues with streaming and iPhone problems.

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E111 – Joe Biel: Microcosm Publishing & more

January 7, 2013Advocacy, Bicycling, Business, Cargo, Communication, Kitchen, Technology, The Law, Travelsprocketpodcast

Joe Biel is a long-time notable Portland, Oregon resident with many distinctions, including the founding of Microcosm Publishing, Cantankerous Titles, his documentary film production, the Dinner & Bikes tours, and experience in the Critical Mass movement in the city. He stopped by the studios today on a Tom’s Cargo Bikes flatbed frontloader bike to discuss these things and much more.

Mail
Keith thanks us for the podcasts and specifically recognizes Darren Sinn and our interview with him as being enjoyable.

Steve in WY: “don’t know if you’ve seen this editorial from one of the worlds most celebrated car nuts, but he gives account of cycling and calls out cyclist for being too unfriendly. I argee with all his points.” Bike Snob also mentioned this article in a recent post, and offers reasons why other cyclists might not wave to you.

Another Steve mentions that our podcast feed is giving his podcatcher trouble. We’re aware, and trying to get things working smoothly.

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E110 – 10 Years of Breakfast On The Bridges

December 31, 2012Advocacy, Bicycling, Cargo, Communication, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travel, Walkingsprocketpodcast

photo by Mike Vogel

Breakfast On The Bridges is Portland’s regular grassroots good-will event featuring kind volunteers handing out free morning snacks to people propelling themselves to work. Velo Cult, quickly becoming a legendary bicycle shop and community space in the Hollywood District, offered their room for a celebration of ten years of free breakfasts on the iconic bridges that span the Willamette River. Thanks to Steph Routh of Oregon Walks and the KBOO Bike Show for capturing audio from this event and allowing us to share it with you!

Also, to open the show I taped a conversation with Jeremy Mendelson, the transit maven behind Critical Transit, during our multimodal adventure around Providence, RI.

photo by Portland Afoot

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E109 – Humanity On Wheels 2

December 24, 2012Bicycling, Communication, History, Train Travel, Transit, Travel, Walkingsprocketpodcast

The Sprocket Podcast is pleased to present a partial rebroadcast featuring the best bits from the most recent installment of the highly regaled Humanity On Wheels storytelling event! Many thanks to Kick Ass Oregon History and TriMet Diaries for hosting these amazingly entertaining forums for the unique parade of culture and experience that is found in the public transportation experience.

The roster for this event included:
Doug Kenck-Crispin, resident historian at ORhistory.com
William Reagan
Doctor Jeff
Dan Christensen, driver and author of Roll Easy Blog
Bill Lascher, Amtrak enthusiast and independent journalist
Portland’s Mark Russell
Ian Stude, “The Bike Guy”

We wish you the happiest of holiday seasons, and look forward to the new year! Yours truly,
Brock & Aaron.

P.S. if you’re interested in some Christmas music, here are Brock’s selections for your enjoyment.