Category Archives: Mountain Biking

E124 – Dan Christensen: Walkin’

April 8, 2013Bicycling, Communication, Housing, Kitchen, Mountain Biking, Transit, Travel, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Dan Christensen returns to discuss his significant gains in healthful eating and walking to work, as well as add his always hilarious commentary on our own stories.

Dan recommends the book Wheat Belly if you’re curious about the diet issues we discussed today.

Brock & Aaron also discuss Brock’s trip to the south, airlines and driving cars, not taking paved shoulders for granted, Recycled America’s presentation at Velo Cult, eating roadkill, and more.

Headlines
Bicycling.com: The Pedal Powered Pope
US Forest Service: Mt Hood freeway corridor gets federal grant for bus service

And stuff we didn’t get to:

Streetsblog via Steph: the federal gov’t wants to bribe you to drive to work
Clean Technica via Miles: tax code won’t reward you for riding a bike
Gizmodo via Brandon: why this smartphone is better as a dumbphone
BikePortland via Miles: new bike clothing boutique opens in Portland

Mail
Jack comments on twitter on civil discourse and Sim City’s urban planning educational benefits.

A voicemail from Jeremy about Chicago.

Rory from Kalamazoo loves Bolt Bus and might move to Portland someday!

Phoebe from Boston comments on unexpected bike crashes, Meeky Blizzard’s poise, and sexism on transit.

Martina writes in to address Steve’s “women in the cycling industry” questions at more length – read the full text of her responses here.

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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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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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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E086 – Ian Moore & David Heddy

July 16, 2012Bicycling, Communication, Mountain Biking, Travelsprocketpodcast

Erstwhile pinch-hitter co-host David Heddy introduces his friend and bicycle advocate in Waco, Texas, Ian Moore, proprietor of Bicycles Outbackand lifelong bicycle enthusiast. We discuss off road bicycle access in urban areas, Ian’s bicycling background, Portland’s commuting scene, Portland Strava routes, playing nice with traffic, “brand representation,” bridging the gap between bicycling sub-cultures, and Brock’s propensity for snark and need for “soul rehab.”

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.

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The Sprocket Podcast

simplifying the good life

Category Archives: Mountain Biking

E124 – Dan Christensen: Walkin’

E115 – Sky Boyer: Velo Cult

E114 – Dan Christensen: Roll Easy

E107 – News Roundtable & Catching Up

E086 – Ian Moore & David Heddy