Category Archives: Transit

E082a – Brock & Brandon Wrap Up for Summer

June 15, 2012Bicycling, Camping, Communication, Gardening, Technology, Touring, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Brock & Brandon go through the emails to make sure everyone gets included before a summer hiatus of pre-recorded interviews. We look forward to resuming our “live” talk show format after returning to the studio in September. Hope everyone has many grand adventures in the meantime!

Don’t forget to gird your loins for the first Portland Zombie Ride, a Pedalpalooza event beginning at Velo Cult on Sunday, June 17 2012 at 10:30am! The zombie apocalypse will not be motorized… Also, the TRANSPORTland Disaster Relief Trials will be happening at the same location that day! We’ll talk about that on Monday night with the crew that organized the event!

Tour de Clack is coming, led by our friend and former guest Matt Picio! Tour de Clack is an inaugural bike ride in rural Clackamas County on July 7 2012. It’s free, and to draw attention to water quality projects done by the ride’s sponsor, the Clackamas River Basin Council (CRBC).

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.

Stuff we mentioned in this episode:
• David Byrne writes about NYC bicycling
• Willamette Week’s Aaron Mesh rides TriMet for 3 days straight!
• Rance and Darren comment on the “Cycles of Life” graphic
• BikePortland exposes a bicycle touring con man
• Rigel asks if Brandon has floated Johnson Creek yet
• Tom & Ben Allen head into the lost coast of northern California
• Local bicycling mattress businessman leads cargo bikes in Starlight parade
• Rob Sadowsky shares his favorite allergy meds and a link to the SF bike music fest
• PLP hosts the George Romero flat challenge
• BikePortland: Propel fuel stations love bikes
• Brandon shares the Atlantic Cities’ “Evolution of Bike Lanes”
• BikePortland covers the notorious Hwy 26/Sylvan intersection
• Bees swarm a bicycle basket
• JohnnyK comments on the Federal Transportation Bill
• Damian from NZ writes in
• Gus shares a DIY frame cargo contraption
• Tim shares a story of angry freds in France
• Logan shares Bicycle Quarterly’s performance review of tires
• Dan from MN shares his hunting experiences

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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E081 – Path Less Pedaled: New Zealand, Portland, Zombies

June 11, 2012Bicycling, Camping, Communication, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Whenever the folks from the Path Less Pedaled drop in for a show taping, we know we’re going to have a good time. Fortunately for the listener, we managed to stay just barely on this side of coherent while stifling our uproarious laughter. We have a great discussion about Russ & Laura’s trip to New Zealand, bicycle and touring advocacy, and their plans from here as high-profile bicycling Portlanders.

Don’t forget to gird your loins for the first Portland Zombie Ride, a Pedalpalooza event beginning at Velo Cult on Sunday, June 17 2012 at 10:30am! The zombie apocalypse will not be motorized…

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.

and finally, the shirt of which much was made:

and Brandon Rhodes as a zombie:

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E080 – Rob Sadowsky Makes Sausage

June 4, 2012Adventure, Bicycling, Brewing, Communication, Housing, Kitchen, Technology, Transitsprocketpodcast

Rob Sadowsky from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance discusses his time at the bicycle summit in Washington DC and the making of sausage, both legislative and actual, culinary sausage.

[warning: to listeners sensitive to descriptions of animal food processing, we talk about this a little]

Update: Rob shared links to his favorite silver-infused allergy medication and the San Francisco bicycle-based music festival.

We mention a blog post from Listener Blayne in BC about the paleo diet.

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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E079 – Kick Ass Oregon Bicycling History

May 29, 2012Bicycling, Building, Camping, Communication, History, Technology, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Vincent Caldoni sits in for Brandon while he’s gone, and we are joined by resident historian of ORhistory.com Doug Kenck-Crispin to discuss Oregon’s early adoption of bicycles into many parts of life, and how the past informs the present.

Brock’s 30th birthday party is coming up at Cartlandia: Best Bands Ever 2012, a free music festival!

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.

The Sprocket Podcast is now available on Stitcher smart radio! If you use the service, you can add us to your programming roster.

A list of Brock’s sources for the history discussion:
Eric Lundgren on Governor Geer
Eric Lundgren on Bemer Pague & Portland’s early cycle paths
Sheldon Brown defines: Scorcher
Eric Lundgren’s detailed essay on early Portland bicycling
Stewart Holbrook’s “The Three Sirens of Portland”
Jonathan Maus reports on author Sue Macy’s presentation of early women bicyclists
her book: Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle To Freedom
Jonathan Maus compares 1890s & 2000s fixed gear riders

Headlines
RowdyKittens & The Path Less Pedaled on L.L. “Stubb” Stewart State Park
BikePortland celebrates the return of Portland OR to the #1 city for cycling

Mailbag
Anonymous: http://gutterparty.com/no-2/

Carl from CA: “Hey guys – just bumped into this on the inter webs on the FB… AN XTRACYCLE SIDE CAR! Imagine tour with this rig?.”

Blayne from BC: “Thanks for the re-tweets for my blog [http://thecynicalcyclist.blogspot.com/]. Summer can’t get here fast enough. I am preparing for my first solo trip, a four day trip on Northern Vancouver Island, later in August. If any Sprocket listeners are vacationing on Vancouver Island this summer I would love to hear from you. Contact me through my blog. Have a great summer and “Find Adventure.”

Dan in MN in response to the Disaster Relief Trials sponsored by TRANSPORTland: “When I worked in public health I had asked the EMS program if they would consider getting on bicycles. Getting them on bicycles to respond a first responder situation quicker and easier.”

Donations from Blayne in BC & JohnnyK in FL! Thanks! If you’d like to donate, you can do so using the donate button in the right-hand sidebar.

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E077 – Ellee Thalheimer: Cycling Sojourner

May 14, 2012Bicycling, Brewing, Communication, Technology, Touring, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Ellee Thalheimer is the author of Cycling Sojourner: A Guide to the Best Multi-Day Bicycle Tours In Oregon, just released! As you may suspect, this is right up our alley, so we chat with her about the wonders of bicycle touring and her love for the simple machines that get us around both for leisure and with purpose.

Brock makes a Car2Go meme and they respond.

Brock’s 30th birthday party is coming up at Cartlandia: Best Bands Ever 2012, a free music festival!

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.

The Sprocket Podcast is now available on Stitcher smart radio! If you use the service, you can add us to your programming roster.

Headlines
The Atlantic Cities: bike as paintbrush, city as canvas
Tom’s Bike Trip: riding in the rain; tough task on tour, but surmountable!
Mashable: Google’s self-driving car gets the green light for testing in Nevada
BikePortland: Portlander triumphs at gruelling Trans Iowa endurance race

Mailbag
Dan in MN: his dad is a welder/fabricator and wants to make a railbike someday. we want video.

Candice in PDX: “i think runners like to run on asphalt as opposed to sidewalks because asphalt isn’t as hard and dense as concrete (or is it cement?) so it’s easier on your joints.”

Patrick in Davis CA: “love this:”

And from an anonymous listener:

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E075 – Michael Andersen: Low-Car Life & Politics

April 30, 2012Advocacy, Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Communication, Doin' It, Downsizing, Gardening, Housing, Kitchen, Technology, Transit, Walkingsprocketpodcast

We welcome our favorite relentlessly upbeat transit journalist Michael Andersen, chief dictator of the fine publication Portland Afoot, back to the show for more talk about Portland’s transit environment and economy and the joys of low-car life.

Brandon is freaked out by billionaire asteroid miners.

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.

The Sprocket Podcast is now available on Stitcher smart radio! If you use the service, you can add us to your programming roster.

Michael brings a lightning round quiz for simple life perspectives on nouns, but after a discussion on local transit politics.

Headlines
BikePortland: “Dutchtubs” are about to revolutionize Portland OR’s leisure scene
BikePortland: jogger asks about legality and courtesy of jogging in streets
Grid Chicago: Bees are coming! On bikes!
Taking the Lane: Elly Blue hosts a contest to discover the nation’s worst bicycling streets
BikePortland: circling Mt. Hood on a mountain bike just got easier
PSU Vanguard: Bus, MAX, streetcar, or taxi?

Mailbag
Jim says: “Check out this link to an upcoming indie film to be released regarding Tom Allen’s big tour and the decisions he had to make….:http://janapar.com/ Looking forward to your upcoming path less pedaled interview… and also appreciated your interview w Rebecca Lerner.”

Dan in MN on the foraging episode: “looking for free food was a must in my family when I was growing up. We caught fish, ate mushrooms, harvested wild rice, did maple sirup camp, picked hazelnuts, and ate ferns. We also made our own medicines. Nice to know that other people do this.”

JohnnyK in FL: “if you don’t want flats from glass just get Tire Liners; however you will never get a Fred to use these because God forbid they add weight to their bikes.” Also: “Ok just got back from the Dinner with Elly Blue and friends. I really enjoyed it and it was very much a learning experience. So now I cannot wait for your interview with her.”

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E074 – Adam Clement: Retroshift

April 23, 2012Bicycling, Building, Communication, Technology, Transitsprocketpodcast

We welcome Adam Clement from Retroshift to talk about cyclocross, manufacturing and sales in a complex financial world, and his innovative new method of changing gears!

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.

The Sprocket Podcast is now available on Stitcher smart radio! If you use the service, you can add us to your programming roster.

Mailbag
Rory from Kalamazoo commutes to school 5 days a week now that it’s warmer, and is curious about our suggestions for merino wool clothing companies. Also suggests Bell’s Brewery Oberon Ale!

Logan in PDX points us toward the Global Database on Bus Rapid Transit!

And Chris from Arcata CA gives a positive review of the Levi’s 511 Commuter Jeans. Brock also suggests the Swrve Cordura jeans if you want to support the little guy.

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E072 – Ayleen Crotty: Filmed By Bike 10

April 9, 2012Bicycling, Brewing, Communication, Gardening, Technology, Transitsprocketpodcast

Ayleen Crotty, unassailable overlord of the immensely popular Portland institution Filmed By Bike, joins us to celebrate the event’s 10th year, and to explain how it got started and how it works today. She also brought along a generous and tasty supply of Temperance Bourbon!

The Sprocket Podcast is now available on Stitcher smart radio! If you use the service, you can add us to your programming roster.

Headlines
Oregonian: A Bethlehem PA transit bus blocks the getaway of a hit-and-run against a bicyclist
Oregonian: cycling clothing Rapha more than just a clothing company
BikePortland: bike culture hub VeloCult moves to Portland from San Diego to much acclaim
BikePortland: community bike shops are changing the face of cycling in America

Mailbag
Louis Avden leaves us a gardening update from Kentucky!

JohnnyK, resident FOG says of peak oil: “You can’t suck on mothers milk forever kids…” Also he pointed us towards these folding pedals available from Universal Cycles to stave off future thread-stripping incidents.

Steve in MT refers us to the Theft Resistant Bike Light, the Defender, on Kickstarter (almost there!) and the physics of how bicycles stay upright.

Dan from the Leech Lake Reservation says: “Nice show, You guys motivate me every day to get out and keep riding my bike.” And he has a bike blog: http://ditibiwebishkiganbicycle.blogspot.com

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E070 – Blayne Prowse: The Cynical Cyclist

March 26, 2012Bicycling, Communication, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Blayne Prowse is a show listener who is up to some great things north of the border in Cumberland, BC on Vancouver Island. We discuss his bicycle tour in the Yukon and his domestic simplicity and adventure pursuits. His blog, The Cynical Cyclist, details some of these things and makes for some great reading!

We also respond to a pointed email sent in by Steve on the many differences between those from the “Carbon Spandex Jungle” (term attributed to Allen Lim) and those from the hipster enclaves of the urban forests. Brock referenced this article about how You Can Wear Anything On a Bike by Dave Feucht from Portlandize.com and a chapter from Joe Kurmaskie’s book Momentum Is Your Friend.

Brock & his lady are headed out this week for an exciting bicycle adventure through the icy lands of Eastern Oregon, arriving in the city Bend by way of the Central Oregon Breeze passenger coach. If you’d like to read the letter Brock wrote campaigning for guaranteed bicycle reservations, you can find it here. The good news is that if you specifically ask for a guaranteed bicycle reservation when booking your tickets over the phone, they should now work with you to make this possible!

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E068 – Vincent Caldoni

March 12, 2012Communication, History, Housing, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Vincent Caldoni, a professional actor, history buff, and fantastic storyteller joins us this week to discuss being in Portland as a generational resident, the Pig War, changes, Astoria talk, politics of sustainable economy, and other things as well!

Also: Humanity on Wheels: An Evening of Mass Transit Tales! March 20 at 7:30pm, The Jack London Bar, 529 SW 4th Ave PDX

Headlines
Path Less Pedaled: Russ & Laura post the complete Kiwi Chronicles, their touring video series!
Portland Afoot: there are at least 3 Good Things about TriMet’s proposed cuts
Oregonian: Amtrak is quietly serving Oregon City commuters on their trip into Portland

Mailbag
Listener Dan from Leech Lake Reservation, Minnesota writes in; he’s now listened to EVERY episode and shaves his scant beard with an old fashioned razor. He says of the cold in his state: “It does get cold, people say ‘you do not have bad rides but bad gear.’ In other words dress warm and you are fine.”

Patrick in Davis CA: “Hi guys, attending [The North American Handmade Bike Show] today in Sacto. The PDX contingent is very large. My personal favorites are the Metrofiets crew, Renovo wood bikes (beautiful). Seriously considering a Metrofiets bike over a car purchase, especially with the gas prices what they currently are. Wish Bike Friday was here to counterbalance the Bromptons. Have a good show.”

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