Category Archives: Transit

E044 – Laura Moulton: Street Books

September 27, 2011Advocacy, Bicycling, Cargo, Communication, Transit, Walkingsprocketpodcast

This week we speak with Laura Moulton, most recently recognized for her work in launching the Street Books project, a mobile library on a cargo trike that lends books to people living outside in downtown Portland, Oregon. Aaron Flores from Team Sincerity fills in as co-host in Brandon’s absence.

We discuss: inspiration, urban shelter, park blocks & Skidmore Fountain, MercyCorps, when and where, Haley Tricycles, forming culture around the library, library cards for patrons, language and blurring the lines between people, a false dichotomy between deep thought and homelessness,Second Glance Books, Sue Zalokar assists, connections with Street Roots, other projects, married to Benjamin Parzybok who authored “Couch”, working on her own novel. Brock & Aaron also discuss handcarts, blues legend Billy Bob Thornton, long bicycle rides, and the last Hillstomp show ever.

Headlines
EcoVelo via Logan: apparently bicycling is good for both your body and your anger issues
Oregonian: Joseph Rose edits his helmet cam footage to demonstrate Oregon bike lane law
BikePortland: a Hood River, OR company designs a “rainfish” device to keep bicyclists dry Bicycling Magazine: is a cargo bike the coolest bike ever made? probably so.
Portlandize: Dave Feucht writes about a vacation to the beach by bus and proves it can be fun BePortland: mobile music festival happens on the Portland Streetcar

Mailbag
Adele calls in to share her bus story (audio) Gus shares an interesting blog post about a homebrew club in CA, disagrees w/ point #5:

your friends may not actually tell you what they really think about your beer.

Blayne in BC successfully completed the Yukon tour, and may start a food podcast.

Also liked the crater lake tour stories and can’t imagine bicycling like that with the flu.
iTunes reviews – Carl and “Freedivers_33”

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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E039 – I Love The Bus

August 24, 2011Bicycling, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

We speak with Sally, the author of the I Love The Bus website, about her experiences on public transit in Portland, Oregon. We also discuss LL “Stub” Stewart State Park & the Banks Vernonia Trail, getting excited about transit, misconceptions and reality, long distance transit trips (PDX – SEA northbound & southbound), meeting people in public space, and more.

Jonathan Maus of BikePortland.org joins our show next week, Rosa donates her contest prize to our beer fund, Logan finds us Dan Price’s phone number for simple living consultations (541-398-2299), Antonio shares a link to the dyno hub at clever cycles, and we request more indie music submissions.

Headlines
BikePortland: Tori Bortman tells you how to patch up your relationship with inner tubes
BikePortland: NW Portland cycling route gets ugly reactions from an unfriendly driver
Portlandize: photo series of bicycles carrying multiple people
Cast Iron Cyclist: Matt reflects on humanity and civilization while touring Yellowstone Good magazine via OregonLive: what happens when you put a coffee table at a bus stop?

Music
Jack Littman wrote us and shared his music; this is “Waiting” from his new release The Mixtape. http://www.jacklittman.com/

Drinks
we sample the New Belgium Fat Tire Ale.

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E034 – Darren Alff: Bicycle Touring Pro

July 12, 2011Bicycling, Communication, Technology, Touring, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Darren of Bicycle Touring Pro talks world travel, bicycle touring, and impromptu marathons.

Headlines
BikePortland: Creative fellow offers cookies to cyclists at controversial intersection
BikePortland: Peace activist releases book and rides handcycle 1,100 miles
Green Garbage Project: pros and cons of various lawn mowing options BikePortland:Portland resident runs rock shows by bike

We discuss: Portland beards, slow internet connections, coming home early, began cycle touring at 17, 11 years of big & wild adventures, working while traveling & self employment,Park City, Utah, what you can find on BicycleTouringPro.com, cold weather touring in Europe, stopping at every skate park along the way to skateboard and being told “you’re doing it wrong,” Darren’s sojourn in Peru, cheap bikes for rent, the trike adventure/challenge, Brandon’s visit to Peru, vegetarian options (no guinea pig), dignitarian, flexitarian, and freegan, stealth camping & hospitality is better in Peru, living and working while traveling, Europe can be done on a budget, supplementing your income by renting out your home, let the vacations come to you, running a marathon with absolutely no training, VersaEmerge powers Darren’s exercise, his other websites:DarrenAlff.com, motorcycletouringpro.com, silvermountainmarketing.com

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E033 – Friedel Grant: TravellingTwo.com

July 5, 2011Bicycling, Cargo, Kitchen, Touring, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Friedel from TravellingTwo.com connects with us from Holland to tell us about circling the globe using bicycles, cargo ships, and other means on a two year whirlwind adventure.

CORRECTION: Dustin, who just finished his bike tour across the country, has this website:www.work2ride.com

We discuss: Living in Holland, its two capitals, terminology, cultural differences between Holland & the U.S., multi-modal respect, bike sharing programs, hailing from Nova Scotia, 8000km of bicycle infrastructure on a country the size of a postage stamp, “cycling by numbers,” not much wild land but there are pole camping sites, the TravellingTwo website, getting out of town is the hardest part, Laura of PathLessPedaled & ankle injury, winter bicycle touring, their ‘round-the-world journey, finding a unique method for global adventure, not cyclists at the outset, going by cargo ship to New Zealand, ship crews and pirate stories, lots of down time, ping pong with the captain, making pizza with a camp stove & other creative solutions, Ray from biketouringtips.com, staying connected while on the road, a loaded touring bike starts conversations, the Heinz Stücke interview, plans for future tours

Headlines courtesy of Logan Smith
The Atlantic via EcoVelo: Top bike commuting cities seem to be happier & more successful
APBP.org: Womens’ cycling survey results indicate bike lanes are helpful
Taking The Lane: Elly Blue ponders guilt & being car-free
Wall Street Journal: NYC cycling reality eclipses big-city antibike mania
TBD.com: cycling to work in DC might make you happier, too
OnEarth.org: AASHTO & ACA roll out plans for a potential interstate US bikeway system

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E027 – Meredith Stewart: Transit Misadventure

May 23, 2011Bicycling, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Our friend Meredith Stewart joins us to detail her first foray into long-distance transit travel and her induction into bicycle commuting.

We discuss: Sunday Parkways and our appearance on the local news, Lompoc’s 5th Quadrant, the Bicycle RV built by genius Brian that was often parked at the CityBikes Workers’ Co-Op, meeting Amos of Portland’s Bike Temple in person, we also saw Russ & Laura, Logan, Listener Evelyn, Jonathan Maus, and Rob Sadowsky, Brandon keeps Brock on track, Listener Katelynn reaches the beach and outhustles everyone else, Meredith’s bicycle conversion, Johnny Cash steals a car, bicycle route maps for Portland, endorphins and epiphanies, “cyclelogical”, Portland Afoot discount subscription with code “sprocket”, two dudes in a basement, donations, the epic bus journey, hood canal writing retreat, Brock has a bus fetish, 161 miles, C-TRAN’s new buses are plush, Burgerville serving beer and wine in Salmon Creek, beauty in the suburbs, CAP Shuttle, (“people should give them money”), 3 hour layover at a quirky coffee shop, smoking in the bus shelter, missing the bus, kindness and generosity on the way back, successful completion of the trip,EpicTransitJourneys.com, Rebels-By-Bus.net, PortlandAfoot.org, Brock’s transit options site, beer talk, pronunciation problems

Headlines
Northwest Wanderer: making electronics viable on a bicycle tour
Edible Cycles: inexpensive local electricity generator for your bicycle dyno hub

Drinks
Brandon shares the Fire Station 5 Fire Boat Amber with Brock. Meredith quaffs 3 Wishes Red Wine.

Music
Lamppost Revival presents “Mr. Tinman” from their EP So Rises the Moon.

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E026 – Michael Andersen: Portland Afoot

May 16, 2011Bicycling, Business, Communication, Technology, Transit, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Michael Andersen, founder of local life newsmagazine Portland Afoot, joins us to discuss his fine publication, transit culture, and transportation politics. And is also a fine, upstanding gentleman. (and he’s giving a discount subscription to podcast listeners! enter the code “sprocket” when you subscribe)

We discuss: Brandon goes to Tacoma, Brock goes to Wonder Northwest, the Star Wars Holiday Special, Muppet Star Wars, Space Ghost Coast-To-Coast, CodeForGood.net,thesprocketpodcast.com, Amos suggests Portland Cascadia Pedicabs, Blayne on Vancouver Island is getting a tandem, National Association of Rail Passengers, Jeff’s excited, Steve in Glasgow’s wee nocturnal cycle, Rate That Beer, “The Dutch Country” (AKA The Netherlands), Michael chooses the gong for his friend Alisa, Swan Island bus story, driver Dan Christensen, ATU, what the media does best, Microcosm Publishing, band name, worst day at the magazine, Eberhardt Press, Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, bus people vs. bike people, Unified Field Theory of TriMet (which is actually a special case of his Unified Field Theory of Portland), articulated buses, open data policy & transit apps, texting TriMet at 27299, what makes transit worth its costs (have you heard about the Columbia River Crossing?), bike-curious, student ID bus pass program and its fate, discount subscription, beer talk.

Headlines
SF Gate via BikePortland: more and more people are wearing their office clothes on the bike commute
PathLessPedaled: 5 ways to be a bicycle-friendly business (Brock’s favorite? roll into the rooms)
Oregonian: Transit agency TriMet honors 3 generations of female bus operators for Mothers’ Day
Copenhagenize via BikePortland: nothing could be cuter than little girls riding tiny cargo bikes

Drinks
Brandon reprises the Miller High Life sans skanky pinup girl, Michael drinks the Fearless Brewing Company’s Scottish Ale, and Brock downs a Southern Oregon Brewing’s Woodshed Red.

Music
“Book of James” from the upcoming We Are Augustines project Rise Ye Sunken Ships.www.weareaugustines.com

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E025 – PathLessPedaled: Big Adventure, Small Wheels

May 9, 2011Bicycling, Downsizing, Touring, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

We are joined once again by Russ & Laura from PathLessPedaled.com to hear about their upcoming journey and its distinctive (and cute) hallmark: the Brompton folding bicycle!

We Discuss: double rainbows, thesprocketpodcast.com!, Ainsworth State Park, fanfares,Cycle Wild, Spirit of ‘77 indoor bike parking, new Hopworks Bike Bar, Portland’s streets not exploding with bikes, midwest valor, raingear can be cheap and easy to get, bikes & transit (LA does it best!), Brock is a human transit wiki, PedalNation fashion show, it’s episode 25!, Brompton folding bicycles and their mechanics, crazy hills on the Tillamook test run, trifold, TSA scanners and flying with your bicycle, full size bicycles are tough to put onto a train sometimes, California is awesome, Brompton cargo system, tote wheels, paring down the cargo, dongles, extension cable trumps solar panel, less is more, storing bikes under the tent flap, guys with big trucks, inspiring presentations, old school derailleurs, what’s coming next, the cause finds you, fundraising for the journey

Headlines
BikePortland: Local businesses in Portland offer bike locks for loan to forgetful cyclists;
I Love The Bus: Secret Message left on seat to encourage its unspecified recipient;
BikePortland: What’s the safest storage for your bike? In a Spalding Building bank vault, of course!
Oregonian: Metro Discusses bicycle sharing program with Bigfish

Drinks
Russ chose the Dick’s Brewing’s Cream Stout, Laura drank Stone Brewing’s Smoked Porter, Brandon ironically swigged Miller High Life and Brock enjoyed Black Butte Porteronce again.

Music
“Lonely Heart” from Portland band Mnemonic Sounds off of their 2010 album Muscle Memories, suggested by listener Evelyn! Find them at http://mnemonicsounds.com

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E019 – Michael Parziale: Grease Not Gas

March 28, 2011Alternate Fuels, Technology, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

Mike Parziale of Portland, Oregon’s Greasebus as well as greasenotgas.com shares about his lifestyle of alternate fuels!

We discuss: fire lookouts, dynamically employed, “the cup floweth over,” two cans ofStack – never again!, little hats, Louis’ gardening update for March, bicycle realtor, Gizmodo: texting teens, Denver Post via BikePortland: coffee cart on a cargo bike, Somerville Patch via BikePortland: compost by bike, transit, or foot, “night soil,” gobicycletouring.org: Toddler on Tour, what is Greasebus?, “smells like french fries, not cancer,” having an office, “I wanted a ski pass,” Hood River route vs. “Govie” route,automatic chains, various cities, carpooling effort, full buses, no more charters, downtown douche buses, plush accomodations, free Mate, cheaper than the other options, real world solutions, conversions, stuff in the grease, “heatant,” crossing the country 17 times, “training wheels” program, living the dream, getting your grease the right way, core samples, rendering and the “giant smoothie of death,” mad cow noises, who pays how much?, environmentalism and grease and being broke, rad camper, ethanol vs. methanol, spreadsheet on the wall, oil is unavoidable sometimes, nearbio.com, converting is easier than making biodiesel, 4 billion gallons, limited supply = upcycle, being on MTV, put a leaf on it!

Drinks
we once again enjoy the Hopworks Brewery Secession Cascadian Dark Ale.

Music
“Number One Rival” from Portland Oregon’s Tango Alpha Tango off of their 2011 releaseDead Wrong.

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E012 – The Car-Free Potters

February 7, 2011Bicycling, Car Sharing, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

The Potters of downtown Portland, OR join us to discuss their lasting foray into car-free living!

We discuss: mustaches & calico facial hair, Brock almost forgets to talk about beer, shaking a stick at beer in John’s Market, child on the way & going without beer,Portland “Bikeshed” camping map from Cycle Wild, Australian Taxi Trailer (!), Dude makes a snowplow out of a bicycle, Kid in California builds his own tandem tallbike, A rural Oregon private bus company is becoming quite popular, PSU in Portland now boasts 3 in 4 people getting there without car, Wrench Raiders fixes bikes for those without a lot of cash, Porche? No, bicycle, bikes growing up, Zwinglian European self-study (and trains!), people lending vehicles as a gesture of kindness, owning a car downtown is more trouble than it’s worth, other people’s cars getting towed, riding bicycles in traffic, carrying toilet paper, booties, pedal terminology confusion, wiping out in the snow on a fixie, Mia has a pimpy bike, Amsterdam bike looks classy but rides cheap, Jerrod is selling his fixie, fixies will kill your knees, all-in-one bike trailer,Brompton folding bicycles, Clever Cycles is a great little shop, riding in the car with the windows rolled down and the stereo up, Zipcar.com, karma & lending, intimate with your neighborhood, earbuds and awareness, finding a place for your bicycle, missing pieces, not much will change with the baby’s arrival, small living spaces, breakfast on the bridges, cushioning convictions for other people, Brandon saves the credits

Drinks
Brandon savors the Hopworks Secession Ale, Brock & Jerrod drink the Hopyard Dogfrom Pale Horse Brewing, and Mia enjoys Chamomile Tea.

Music
Joe Pug, a singer/songwriter from Chicago, presents “Hymn 101” from his 2008 EPNation of Heat. (also view the excellent video for this song)