Dee Williams is a builder of tiny homes and the author of her new memoir, The Big Tiny. She shared a bit of her story and an excerpt from the book at a reading in Portland’s city of books. Thanks to listener & former guest Logan Smith for capturing this audio for us!
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Tammy Strobel & Logan Smith share a tiny house parked in rural northern California. We spoke with them just as they were moving there from Portland a few years ago, and now they return to fill us in on the experience as it has shaped up over time. Tammy writes at RowdyKittens.com, and Logan blogs at loganblairsmith.com
A few links of interest to things in our discussion:
the Caravan tiny house hotel in Portland, OR
the Recode Oregon project working on code issues with alternative dwelllings
the Phone Bloks project for modular mobile technology
Also: Brock & Aaron talk about their weekends, and a freight train passes.
Mail
Tim in DC shares a soggy episode, and the ranking of bicycle cities.
Kirk twitters about our similarities to Sound Opinions.
Brandon shares the IKEA electric bicycle (available only in Europe, presently).
Bob shares the news about Wash Cycle Laundry!
Tour De Clack is coming June 14!
Phoebe from Boston does a write up of her visit to Portland.
Pat writes in to comfort Aaron on his experience of eating fried baloney.
Roger sends in an update on the case of the lady suing a dead bicyclist’s family.
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, Shadowfoot, Kathrina Mellemgaard, Roger Grigsby, Wayne Norman, Doug Robertson, Ethan Georgi, & Justin Martin
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photo by Clay Nowak
Boaz Frankel is the host of the Pedal Powered Talk Show, a short form series that features interesting and unique personalities from around Oregon; he also once set therecord for the most high fives given in an hour, and took a non-motorized “un-road trip” across America.
Phillip Ross is the owner and founder of Metrofiets, the company that designs and builds classy US made cargo bikes for utility and fun. He’s the power behind the pedals for the Talk Show!
We discuss the Pedal Powered Talk Show, now in Season 3! A little about the Metrofiets Desk Bike, how the show works (or doesn’t, in the case of their recently revealed crash story), traveling to Eastern Oregon and an appeal to Portlandia!
Also:
Pedal powered talk show season three launch party
tickets now available for Aftermass
Gladys Bikes is moving by bike!
Headlines
BikePortland: Domino’s Pizza gets a cargo bike
I Love The Bus: A Lesson in Letting Go
Mail
Justin is our newest regular donor, thanks a bunch!
Bryce is listening to the backlog and sends a link to Ron Dickinson’s tour blog.
Roger shares Tom Allen’s new Guide to Cycle Touring! For all the “gear heads” out there.
Phil from AK: Fatbikes!
Glenn from YEG taped our show intro outside the Clinton Street Theater, and made a nice little wrap up video of his trip to Portland!
Shadowfoot found a picture of a tallbike.
Eric had an #ELF sighting in DC during this morning’s ride to work.
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
Shadowfoot
Kathrina Mellemgaard
Roger Grigsby
Wayne Norman
Doug Robertson
Ethan Georgi
Justin Martin
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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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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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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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Elly Blue is the author of the new book, Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save The Economy, and also the star of the now-famous Amtrak incident leading to a broader conversation on bike/train integration. We talk about the benefits of a bicycle lifestyle and multimodalism!
Aaron & Brock also discuss drinking coffee, coffee machine cuisine, Aaron’s new Disc Trucker, Spinlister, and Amtrak: Gangnam Style.
Headlines
Oregonian: new train service added to the Amtrak Cascades corridor
Bicycle Retailer: Specialized makes nice with Canadian bicycle builder
(Listener Dion also sent us the video of Specialized’s Mike Sinyard & Dan Richter getting along in person.)
Mail
Dion shares Martyn Ashton’s Road Bike Party videos – some sweet jumps and tricks!
Martyn later suffered a significant injury after falling backward during a demonstration.
Jeremy from Critical Transit twitters:
I never used studded #bike tires before last week but I’ve become a believer.
Logan sends us a TEDx video from Tall Bike Bobby!
Marcus sends us some info from Streetsblog on how unused parking can cost seattle renters a lot of extra cash.
Jack comments on Steph Routh’s move by bike episode and relates a story about a uhaul.
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 donor Shadowfox for supporting our show costs.
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Michael Andersen is a writer for BikePortland.org who covers a wide variety of low-car lifestyle topics, including his Real Estate Beat which aims to explore how property owners are making it easier to live without a car in the city’s rental market. We discuss presidential microphones and bike rides, low-car buildings & economic difficulties, how inclusionary zoning could help the situation, and the new micro-apartments being planned in the downtown and Hollywood districts.
Aaron & Brock also discuss the Critical Transit podcast, Bikecraft, renting a Prius, and dynamo lighting.
Headlines
BikePortland: the Oregon Outback gets organized
Diamond Cut Life: subtraction for the holidays
Mail
Tim in DC updates us on the Frontier Airlines bicycle policy.
Glenn in Edmonton on twitter has “become a big fan of the vibe of @SprocketPodcast” and links to a video of his snowy commute featuring birds! also, what does #yegbikemean?
Dan from MN texts in to say he enjoyed the show on bike moves!
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 donor Brian Logan for supporting our show costs.
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Steph Routh helps move people from one house to another by bike, and has helped with 61 of them. Now she’s written a book about it! Funded on Kickstarter and alreadylampooned by Bike Snob NYC (there is no greater praise). We talk to her about how it all works.
Aaron & Brock also discuss Cranksgiving!
Headlines
BTA infographic via BikePortland
Popular Mechanics via Logan: 10 Ingenious Bike Hacks
BikePortland: Organic Transit Velomobiles consider production in Portland
Mail
Listener Dion twitters a great story to us about Tommy Goodwin’s 1939 record for cycling 100,000 miles!
Glenn from Marrowstone Island comments on Ozette Lake & the origin of Kickapoo Joy Juice.
Marcus sends a donation for which we are grateful!
Doug in MN also donates, and knows both Listener Dan & guest Shawn Granton.
Professor Arnold from Stuart Hall School in Staunton VA explains empiricist perspectives on why I might have perceived the tempo of our theme music differently. We love our smart listeners.
Lastly, Dias from Sao Paulo comments on E144 with Cory Poole.
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 donor Brian Logan for supporting our show costs
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Tyler Tervooren believes in Advanced Riskology: better living through uncertainty. While today’s cultural norms encourage having everything safely buttoned up and tucked in, his journey to personal fulfillment doesn’t have it all safely figured out. Instead, he’s pursuing his goals of an unconventional lifestyle by riding the ragged edge that the boring call disaster, and the interesting call really living.
Brock & Aaron also discuss Pennsylvania, humidity, getting WAY too drunk, and 4 years of living in Portland.
Mail
JohnnyK chimes in on our chat with Anna Brones about eating pigeon eggs.
Listener Ken contributes a new transit tip: the CAT shuttle to Hood River now goes twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday.
We’re grateful for a donation from Wayne, who recently visited Portland and should have said hello!
The Stickman shouts out before moving away from PDX: “If there is one thing I take back to Vegas with me from Oregon it is the @SprocketPodcast. Can’t thank you guys enough for the inspiration.”
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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