Category Archives: Travel

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

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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E020 – Joe Kurmaskie: The Metal Cowboy

April 4, 2011Bicycling, Touring, Travelsprocketpodcast

Joe Kurmaskie, Portland’s own “Metal Cowboy” joins us to discuss his writing career, philosophies, and many experiences on two wheels.

We discuss: CycleWild trip and missed connections, “not a man – nay, a god!”, homebrews, lemon juice cure, new Hurtbird news sounder, USA Today via BikePortland:buses losing seating because Americans are getting bigger, C-TRAN’s generous bike policy, CleverCycles via BikePortland: car sharing in Oregon & its barely hidden bikey agenda, belt loops, Boston Globe via BikePortland: city of Cambridge gives its citizens bike repair stands with tools and air pumps, BikePortland: Newport bicycle shop owner developing an iPhone app for touring the Oregon coast, no bike shops in Lincoln City, many hats, Sunshine Boys vs. Hardy Boys vs. Schwinn Twins, Scholastic books, Arkel panniers, “poo in a bag!” (NOT Arkel panniers – kids say the darndest things), Cadence Press books, You Might Be a Cyclist If…, escaping to Canada, experiences on the road cannot be contrived, places he’s been, some cartoons are lame, “the bad does not negate the good,” riding with a family, footnotes & “the love story I’d never write,” dot com bust & what to do with the rest of your life, no book about Africa, difference between touring alone & touring with family, the Far Side, grasshopper frogger & concerned minivan mom, perspective, fear and Chariot trailers, “Mad Max meets KinderCare,” yellow jersey, mileage is less important than great experiences, kids take a different pace, the perfect body, relax and connect, twitter’s inanity, Mia Birk & Joyride, livable/scalable communities, 10th Anniversary edition of The Metal Cowboy, Queen & iPhone app

Drinks
Brandon enjoys a Dustin Bagby amber homebrew (possibly to be 10 gallons of wedding drink), Joe drinks tea due to fighting a cold, and Brock thusly must decide between Pabst Blue Ribbon & Deschutes Brewery Cascade Pale Ale.

Music
“I Like My Bike” from Portland, OR band Hurtbird on their 2010 release Nature Vs City.

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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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E016 – Seth Richardson: Meticon Bikes

March 8, 2011Bicycling, Communication, Technology, Travelsprocketpodcast

Seth Richardson of Meticon Bikes joins us for an engaging discussion on running a bike shop and local bike politics.

We discuss: big words, breaking cogs, Streetfilms: Moving Beyond the Automobile, Travelling Two: The Art of (Not) Planning a bike tour, BTA releases another video on bike lights, featuring Mark Allyn & a klingon, Brandon reminds us to drink, the Hamm’s bear, Zach calls from Ft. Collins about the handbuilt bike show (where BikePortland, The Path Less Pedaled, and Bike Snob NYC also reported), tires, bamboo as an anarchist tool, moving to Portland, Volkswagen Bus in a snowstorm, bicycling in Memphis (that’s a weird take on the Marc Cohn song), bike lanes in Memphis, starting a bike shop, Volkswagen maintenance, hundreds of groupon tuneups, down tube snap, the bicycle is not a simple machine, cycling is faster & simpler, Revolutions in Memphis, bicycles are human-shaped, balanced perspective on vehicle usage, practice fixing flats, utilitarian riding, bike capes, wool, wet feet are the worst, convenience & rain defense, impossibly loaded bikes,Chairman Mao with a Bird on him, Portland’s “50s Bikeway Project,” negativity vocalized, bike infrastructure is good for neighborhoods, bicyclists don’t all know each other, we giggle unexplainably about Mayor Sam Adams, proposed routes and crosswalk kerfuffle,Lents Urban Renewal District, bisected by a freeway, streetcars in the future, those new to cycling shouldn’t be afraid to try, “I navigate by weaving in the general direction I’m headed.” Plus, a BONUS: the explanation of Meticon Bikes & Brandon does Seinfeld, both after the credits!

Drinks
Brandon promotes Central Point, OR’s Walkabout Brewery Worker’s Pale Ale, while Brock & Seth try the Kona Brewing Co.’s Fire Rock Pale Ale.

Music
“Feels Like Rain” from Josh Schicker’s 2005 album “Moonlighting.”

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E013 – Mark Parrish: Epic Bicycle Tour

February 14, 2011Bicycling, Brewing, Touring, Travelsprocketpodcast

Mark Parrish is our friendly neighbor, mathematician and home-brewer, and in addition to that, he also has taken many bicycle tours across long distances. On this episode he shares stories of his cross country journey from Alaska to California, and then to Ohio and finally to Florida (impressive!). His friend Paula who made the trip with him joins us by phone.

we apologize for the abberant audio in this week’s episode – slicing plastic off of ill-fitting cables is a start, but we’re working on a better solution to have in place soon. 😀

We discuss: Brandon gets a week off, Brock takes the Worst Day of the Year Ride,way up in the west hills, bucking the system by homebrewing, Darren Alff of bicycletouringpro.com rides a taxi trike more than 250 miles through Peru, Oregon headphone bill pulled from the legislature, Bike Trailer Blog tells you how to overhaul your cheap trailer’s bearings, Sunset magazine names Portland OR “best city to ditch your car” in, when was that tour?, 1 1/2 years, the plan changed, L.A., “Fuck it, let’s just cross the country,” body rebellion, kindness of strangers, not too good at planning, “can we buy some butter? (we needed some fat),” a much needed bath, “we almost died” (Mark told this story after we wrapped the program), terrain preferences, Kansas winds, tornado hotel, raining sheets (not sheep), “where did we go from Oklahoma?”, Bikecentennial & an atlas, Whitehorse will confuse you, “it tastes kind of like seal,” “fishy butter,” Florida was the end, Kentucky & Tennessee are lumpy, 100 mile days through the Smokies, your body remembers it, going home to Alaska, 600 mile circuit solo loop (300 miles unpaved!),

Drinks
Mark provides his Vagabond Gingered Ale, a dark ale with strong hints of ginger and about 7-8% ABV.

Music
“Don’t Hear Me Wrong” by Centrevol, a Long Beach CA based band, from their 2010 EP Momentum.

Stories from BikePortland.org featured with permission from editor Jonathan Maus.

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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)

Stories from BikePortland.org featured with permission from editor Jonathan Maus.

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E011 – Kate Lopresti: The Constant Rider

January 31, 2011Bicycling, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

This week we bring you a delightful conversation with Kate Lopresti, author of a public transit themed independent ‘zine (which happens to be attractively bound and presented!) titled “The Constant Rider.” She shares her experiences and observations about riding the bus in Portland, OR and writing about them.

If you want a copy of The Constant Rider Omnibus for your very own so you can read the same stories we have, use the “Donate” button to the right to send us a few bucks for postage – we’ll slip it into an envelope and send it right to your door! Supplies are limited, but Kate was generous to give us a few extra copies and we’ll share them while we can!

We discuss: hello to listeners (including the Ft. Collins CO Belle Stars), introducing Kate Lopresti, the IPRC, Microcosm Publishing, surprisingly classy beer, the Bike Trailer Bloglinks to Austin Bike Zoo’s Rattlesnake, CycleWild releases their 2011 bike camping schedule, the Bicycle Travel Network tells of the Cycling Silk project, BikePortland.orglinks to the BTA’s new video: “Strategies for Getting Around Without Bike Lights (Or Pants).” A Washington DC blogger proposes a cycling social contract, bikes couldgenerate wind power (!), Oregonian columnist writes about transit “seat hogs,” Kate reads a selection about “bonking” while riding light rail, “a free car is never free,” getting into riding buses, zipcar.com, the 24 hour neighborhood, cultural diversity on buses, Brandon gives away a free business idea, buses are great for reading, thanking bus drivers, talking to drivers (nice or otherwise), “I flash my pass like I’m all that,” curiosity about schedules can start conversations, “the longer I ride, the more normal these outbursts seem,” young man pop-lock-break-dancing at the bus stop, “A Drunk In Three Parts,” police pulls a dude with a joint, “line 75 is the hipster bus,” one last reading of “passenger descriptions.”

(click here for a few extra minutes of conversation we couldn’t fit into an hour’s program – bus stories for those interested)

Drinks
we share a half gallon growler of Hopworks’ Organic HUB Lager to the enjoyment of all.

Music
Seattle alt-rock outfit Explone – “Girl With a Black Eye” from their 2010 albumDreamers/Lovers.

Stories from BikePortland.org featured with permission from editor Jonathan Maus.

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E008 – Path Less Pedaled

January 10, 2011Bicycling, Technology, Touring, Transit, Travelsprocketpodcast

This week in a super-sized edition of The Sprocket we present our exciting interview with Russ Roca & Laura Crawford of The Path Less Pedaled (pathlesspedaled.com); see also The Epicurean Cyclist (Russ’ bicycle blog), Russ Roca Photography, andTangerine Treehouse (Laura’s metalcraft site). We disuss: moustache headbadges,hopworks beer, getting into full-time bicycle touring, taking it slow (no rush), working along the way, simplicity & technology, gear, cold winter in the southwest, middle of nowhere, passing the time, eating a ton, hospitality is awesome, public transit to Yosemite, bikes on trains, british cyclists in the past on youtube (cyclists’ special), getting rid of stuff, “they will still be making plates,” Surly Long Haul Trucker, flat pedals article & not clipping in, social connections home & abroad, tough times & bugs, dying by missle fire in new mexico, great campgrounds, iphone travel apps, extension cords, texas was a big surprise, advice: just do it!

Drinks
we all enjoyed Hopworks Urban Brewery’s Organic Survival “Seven-Grain” Stout & theOrganic Hopworks IPA.

Music
“The Realists” by The Carrier Pigeons from their 2009 EP Unfinished Business.

Stories from BikePortland.org featured with permission from editor Jonathan Maus.

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E007 – Amish Guy On A Train

January 3, 2011Bicycling, Simpler Living, Train Travel, Travelsprocketpodcast

holiday cheer and food intake, german beer and clam juice in budweiser, Portland considers bike licensing, Representative Earl Blumenauer knocks down opposition to bike signage, Portland plans for a new Sullivan’s Gulch bikeway, Seattle bassists makes custom trailer for his instrument, crossing the country by train with Adele (first female guest!), conversation with an Amish man, trustworthy beards

Drinks
Brandon enjoyed an EKU 28 from Kulmbacher Brauerei, Brock drank a Budweiser Chelada

Music
“Out of Town” by Seattle alt-rock outfit Explone from their 2004 album Crooks.

Stories from BikePortland.org featured with permission from editor Jonathan Maus. featuring excerpts from “The Clouds Are All The Same” by Cush from their 2000 LPThe New Sound. Find this excellent record at: www.northernrecords.com All songs from Cush’s album “Cush (The New Sound)” Published by Songs of Media Creature (BMI) a/c Northern Records Music (BMI) and Media Creature Music (ASCAP) a/c Northern Rock N Roll (ASCAP) Courtesy of Northern Records by exclusive arrangement with Media Creature.

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The Sprocket Podcast

simplifying the good life

Category Archives: Travel

E025 – PathLessPedaled: Big Adventure, Small Wheels

E020 – Joe Kurmaskie: The Metal Cowboy

E019 – Michael Parziale: Grease Not Gas

E016 – Seth Richardson: Meticon Bikes

E013 – Mark Parrish: Epic Bicycle Tour

E011 – Kate Lopresti: The Constant Rider

E008 – Path Less Pedaled

E007 – Amish Guy On A Train