Category Archives: Transit

E186 – Kath Youell: Cargo & Kids

Advocacy, Bicycling, Car Ownership, Cargo, Communication, Family, Transit, Urban Design

Kath Youell is excited about cargo & family bike-fietsing, and is the caretaker at thePortlandize.com website.  We talk with her about her bicycling induction, the move from Sacramento, and helping to coordinate a cargo bike gang around town!

Also: Brock forgets to time his transit trip correctly, but finalizes his move out of the apartment, and Aaron does an “endo” when his pannier slips into his spokes!  Along with Kick Ass Oregon History’s summer road trip & Pedalpalooza!

Headlines
BikePortland: Preparation tips from a Pedalpalooza veteran
Gizmodo: SF police use high-tech solutions to track bicycle theives
     (sent in by Mark the Hammock Guy)
BikePortland: Project 529 uses high-tech solutions to track bicycle theives, and more!

Mail
JohnnyK writes about french-pressing his coffee by bike.

Ethan from Energy Cycle shares “an event at Hardywood Brewery where we had two spin sessions (40 cyclists total) on our energy producing bike trainers. We harnessed the energy to provide power to the beer brewing equipment. Fun times!  The beer we created was called “Amperage Ale”, and was quite tasty.”

Former guest Diane from TriMet shares:
“Comto Oregon is putting on this bike safety event on June 18.”

Conference Of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) is the nation’s only multi-modal advocacy organization for minority professionals and businesses in the transportation industry. COMTO is in a unique position to be involved to speak on behalf of minority professionals and businesses on the cutting edge of transportation issues that are sweeping the nation.

“The PDX Bicyclist’s Commute”
Wednesday, June 18th
11:30am – 1:00pm
ODOT Region 1 Building Conference Rooms A&B
123 NW Flanders Street
Portland, OR 97209
(registration required)

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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E185 – Tammy Strobel & Logan Smith: Tiny CA

Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Camping, Car Ownership, Communication, Downsizing, Family, History, Housing, Technology, The Law, Touring, Transit, Travel, Urban Design, Walking

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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E183 – Diane Goodwin: Transit On Tap

Advocacy, Bicycling, Brewing, Car Ownership, Communication, Racing, Technology, The Law, Transit, Urban Design

Diane Goodwin coordinates the Transit on Tap events for TriMet, allowing the interested public and transit experts to interact about important issues concerning public transportation.  We chat with her about the event series, her own personal history with transit, and many other things related to Portland’s regional transit provider!

Also:
tickets now available for Aftermass

Headlines
BikePortland: Ashland OR man cited for leaving bike lane found guilty
Thunder Island Brewing: Bicycle Eclectic Portrait Exhibit now on display at the brewery
Jan Heine from Bicycle Quarterly: Pro-joy instead of Anti-racing

Mail
Phoebe writes in on women’s safety in transportation options, and cheering for running bus riders.

Timo writes appreciation for Madi & Katie’s episode and comments on the laws around cell phone use pertaining to bus drivers.

Mark shares a great summary of the Idaho Stop Law.

Neighbor Kelly found this Sprocket Beer:

and Tim in DC found ”the OG cargo bike:”

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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E182 – Jerry Zelada: Advocacy is Easy

Adventure, Advocacy, Bicycling, Business, Communication, Technology, The Law, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travel, Urban Design, Walking

Jerry Zelada is an optometrist by day, and an advocate by night.  Actually, he’s always an advocate and an activist, because that’s how changes get made at the levels that matter.  We talk to him about how bicycling runs in his family and his touring adventures in an earlier decade, the infrastructure debate surrounding Portland’s NE 28th Avenue business district, and how the state of Oregon provided a place at the table for nonmotorized road users in all areas of the state through the ODOT ACT.  Jerry’s website is: zelada.com

Also:
Gladys Bikes move-by-bike
tickets now available for Aftermass
No Tech Magazine shares an 8 wheeled cargo hauler

Headlines
BikePortland: Skamania Transit offers bike-friendly weekend service starting May 1

[Also, UrbanTurnip offered on twitter: “i thought #skamania was going to be a music festival or a checkered bike lane”]

TriMet: Ride around Washington Park FREE! Line 83 weekend service begins May 3

Mail
Eric from Portland wants to know what bike shorts and chamois creams we prefer.  We respond by encouraging the use of leather saddles.

Doug on Surly snobs & custom details.

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E181 – Boaz Frankel & Phillip Ross: Pedal Powered Talk Show

Adventure, Bicycling, Cargo, Communication, Downsizing, Technology, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travel, Walking

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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E179 – Doctor Jeff: Top-Level Commuting Expertise

Advocacy, Car Ownership, Communication, Family, Train Travel, Transit, Urban Design, Walking

Doctor Jeff is our perennial transit-loving advocate with a heart of gold, a head full of jokes and a wit as sharp as whatever gave you your last paper cut.  He joins us to hold forth on matters of transit, twitter, family, and vinyl.  It’s been to long!  So, let’s stay in touch this summer, eh?

Here are links to Jeff’s writing on the Westside Tunnel & his morning walk.

Headlines
Reptiles & birds change due to global warming

Mail
Neighbor Kelly catches up on some back episodes.

Jim submits a few more palindromes to Aaron’s chagrin & Brock’s delight.

JohnnyK recommends freecycle.org as a free box alternative.

Mark writes in on his experience with hammock camping – he took a respectable trip to Ionia State Recreation Area north of Ionia, near Saranac, MI!  He now greatly prefers it to traditional tent camping.

Trent explains how to say SLO.

Daniel from San Antonio alerts us to his new blog on bicycling infrastructure and culture in his town!

Chris from Arcata on Devil’s Slide south of SFO (These two articles can tell you some of the story) & the new Redwood Lily Hostel in Arcata, first of it’s kind, here.  Discounts to hostel goers on bicycles!

Congratulations to The Stickman on the birth of his son!

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

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E178 – Two Dudes & Some Palindromes

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

Brock & Aaron engage in a little more tour recap, including:

Mission Bicycle Company & The Lumen, the retroreflective bike (Kelly & Peter from theDope Pedalers) collaborated on by our friend Josh Zisson with Halo

Roger & the Bike Through China Book

Kevin at Carmel Starbucks & the Financial Engines water bottle, & escape from Hurricane Carmel

free boxes

the places we didn’t go

communication difficulties & touring dynamics

Why pay 50 dollars for gloves?

A few notable things:
Twitter trend: #ReplaceBikeWithCar  (and a roundup of the best)
Aftermass documentary!
Filmed By Bike!
Lenny Anderson’s records

Also: New studio rumblings & underwriter possibilities

Headlines
BikePortland: The Orange Line might secretly be Portland’s biggest bike project ever

Mail
Jame on bike shops & jargon.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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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!

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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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!

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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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.

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS | More