E059 – Josh Zisson: Bike Safe Boston

Advocacy, Bicycling, Communication, Gardening, The Law

This week, in lieu of Dr. Jeff’s scheduled appearance, we present an interview Brock taped with bike lawyer Josh Zisson from Boston, MA during his December travels.  Josh has been working on bicycle law awareness and connecting bicyclists with resources for legal problems and clear presentation of state bicycle laws across the country.  He was also recently featured in an article from Fast Company.  And don’t worry, Dr. Jeff will be back in February once Brandon is done celebrating his birthday!

We discuss: bike lawyers, bicycling improvements in Boston, bike czar Nicole Freedman, perceptions and visibility, TravellingTwo & the dutch perspective, LA’s bicycle harassment law, confrontations, taking the lane, Whale’s Tale Pale Ale from Nantucket, Josh’s Bicycle Accident Reportcards, the Idaho Stop Law, Josh writes about “Putting Your Foot Down,” hopes for the future of bicycling in Boston, the Hubway bike share program, low income neighborhoods and transportation options, Brock’s take on Boston and its liquor laws, Portland: a paradise for bicyclists?, the armored car incident, parking meters and bike politics, Boston Bikes, Fred Armisen’s fear of bicyclilng, rail crossings that might be more bike-friendly, thePrince Spaghetti Factory, the shocking state of state laws, a catalyst for advocacy, bike boxes, knowledge leads to possibilities, Tim Jaques and the mispronunciation of his name, reflective Bike Safe Boston T-Shirts to benefit advocate groups, and the possibility of a burgeoning bicycle law network to protect you from unconscionable (or “scumbag”) lawyers.

Headlines
via SoupCycle: Educate yourself about which foods to definitely buy organic and which aren’t as bad.
via Ethan from PedalPower: bicycle composting tumbler helps you aerate your food scraps for the garden
via Michael Andersen: experimenting with packless travel!
via Carl in CA: many youngsters are finding driving to be less appealling

Mailbag
JohnnyK says “I really love coffee.  I probably drink more coffee than you guys drink alcohol.”

Chris in Arcata says: “I’m in Arcata, CA. Thank you for a podacst full of great fun, and info. Your podcast, and portland in general provide me constant inspiration to advocate bike issues in Arcata. I ride a sidewinder trike cycle which gets lots of attention in town. I also am a kinetic grand champion racer. Most well known as the “peace peddler”, and more recently the “sprocket brothers-private eyes” solving a case on the course. With a awesome portland based pit crew ! I have other bikes as well. My bicycle base is for fun, excersice, utilitarian uses. So a good variety of uses. Recently have seen two cargo bikes in town. Spoke to the woman on one yesterday, and she always has her child in the cargo box. It looks adorable, and practical. She said she got the cargo bike used in portland. I recently got the little package ear flap cap. So rest assured portland has it’s presence on the beautiful northern CA coast.” Thanks for the donation Chris!

Patrick in Davis CA says: “received the cool Sprocket Podcast stickers. I put one on my pepper peddler coffee box and one on work point of sale computer. Hope you get more UC Davis listeners in the coming new year. Really enjoyed the interview and learned new things about my coffee.”  Also, thanks for the Donation!

 

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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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E058 – Tom’s Cargo Bikes

Bicycling, Building, Technology

Tom’s Cargo Bikes builds all kinds of conveyances from repurposed bicycle frames in style and with finesse.  Tom LaBonty gives us the rundown on how he got into this pastime, how he cut his chops on the skills necessary, and what he’s done with the bikes he builds.  You can get yours, too, and for not as much as you’d expect to pay!  Check out tomscargobikes.com

We discuss individual builds, growing up in Montana and fixing up muscle cars, moving to the city and getting out of regular car use, massive snowstorms, cargo bikes at Alaska Air, learning the terminology, 50 bikes built, Spin Art Bike, Yolo Colorhouse, blender bike, the Xtracycle,Multnomah County Bike Fair, Bikes for Humanity, bake feets, proprietary steering systems, “it’s all in beta,” marshmallow roasting, bass player uses cargo bike, Dutch sperm cargo bike, an unwitting bidding war, Tom’s portland hotel bike serves beer & coffee, and environmental pragmatism.

Brock & Brandon also discuss the possibility of stickers, prom themes and sea foam, whipped cream and other delights, new years’ plans, and pensive adolescent habits.  Also: quad frame tallbike video! 

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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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E057 – Pedal Powered Family

Bicycling, Downsizing, Family, Technology, Touring, Train Travel, Transit, Travel

A Happy Christmas to all, and to all another great archived interview.  The Pedal Powered Family consisting of Reuben, Heidi, Eden, and Harper have been on the road now for some time, giving their children a unique opportunity to discover the world while taking hold of a personal dream themselves.

With them we discuss British Columbia, warmshowers.org, the route (and their progress on a map here), website and blog, Voodoo Doughnuts, their bikes & setup (including a genius DIY sun/rain cover), their Portland visit, interruptions, employment – being self employed and leveraging an extended leave of absence, email, facebook & twitter, traveling with kids and listening to their schedules, less time working hard & going fast, routine is good, heading south into Mexico & South America, then to the east coast, other modes of transport: rental car & train, simple living: finance & reducing expenses, minimalizing

Brock & Brandon discuss their own holiday traditions, what counts as a Northwestern state, TriMet free rides on New Year’s Eve before the interview.  Also Brandon suggests sharing Brock’s Xmas Mixtape.

Mailbag
JohnnyK sends his comment to E54, as does Logan. 

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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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E056 – Jena Robinson

Bicycling, Communication, Downsizing, Gardening, Kitchen

This week we talk to old friend Jena Robinson, who currently lives in the Nashville, Tennessee region, about her work with food reclamation and helping to meet needs.  We discuss: Nashville Greenlands, the Lents neighborhood of Tennessee, a work cooperative arrangement, dumpster diving, Nashville Food Project, garden management, meal delivery, working yourself out of business, primitivism leanings, accounting for non-financial costs, ethnic diversity in the community, etc.

While trying to connect with Jena, we weren’t sure if we’d connect with her and in a panic invited our wives to sit down with microphones and BS a bit.  It REALLY is a little rambly, due to the hosts’ ill-preparedness, and not to be ascribed to our wives.  Topics include bicycling accidents, coffee overnighters, new helmets, etc.

We also discuss regional Pacific Northwest accents, and also historical ones a la Daniel Day-Lewis.  And Brock is looking to have coffee or beer with Boston area listeners in the last two weeks of December.

Mailbag
Street Books is hosting a book drive.  By this week it’s already happened but you can check their wish list and make donations here.

Logan sends us an article on the Oregon Trail game from Dave Knows Portland!

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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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Stickers are now available!

Advocacy, Bicycling, Business

Just in time – perhaps a tad late for Christmas, but for personal holiday of the heart, we’ve received our first run of bike-sized stickers from Bike Punk and want to make them available to you if you want one. Here’s what the stickers look like (they are about 4 inches in width):

Here’s the deal: we’d like to send these to anyone who wants them for a minimal donation. The stickers cost about 50 cents to make, these days a stamp is about 50 cents, and PayPal’s fees are about 30 cents plus a small cut of the donation amount. So if you can send us a donation of $1.50 we can send you one sticker; add another 50 cents for each additional sticker you would like sent to you. Remember to specify which color scheme (black background or white background) and amounts you wish for, and above all, include your address so we know where to send your sticker!

Portland residents can message us and arrange cash for the stickers at just 50 cents each, and Brock or Brandon might be able to deliver them personally! Or say hello if you see us in public and ask if we have some on us.

Bike Punk prints on USA-made vinyl with eco-conscious ink using renewable energy and a really neat printer! They also have a delightful assortment of their own sticker designs, among other things.

Thanks, and happy holidays!

Brock + Brandon

E055 – Alex Roth: The Pepper Peddler

Alternate Fuels, Bicycling, Brewing, Cargo, Coffee, Communication, Kitchen, Technology, Travel

This week we’re privileged to interview Alex Roth, founder of a Davis, CA based business that roasts and distributes coffee around a bicycle-based infrastructure.  Learn more at thepepperpeddler.com We discuss: misconceptions about The Pepper Peddler, roasting peppers, inspired by Burlingame Pizza, Davis mayor names the unofficial coffee of the city, Trek in the Park, he’s like a drug dealer, Four Loko drives regulation, HUB’s 7-Grain Coffee Infused Stout, the roasting setup with cycle mechanism and propane heat, business flux, roasting as a team and the Post-Roast Toast, delivery and pre-sales, coffee politics and economics, the “milkman” model of delivery, the kids that deliver the coffee and the fleet of bikes, rain pay (!), coffee origins and fair trade/organics, regional taste, describing flavors shouldn’t cause insecurity, a rough sketch of coffee economy, local food sources, seasonal orders, the special dark roast, the roaster’s blend, Fox 40 news spot, and lastly Alex’s bands The Mad Cow String Band and the West Nile Ramblers.

Mailbag
from David Heddy: “Very important discovery today…Brandon has talked about this several times.”

from Logan: “Whoah! Big news! Alan and Michael are closing up shop at EcoVelo! ‘Times they are achangin‘’ to quote Bob Dylan.” (we also mention this atrocious song from Dylan’s xmas project)

from Radimar: Portland is near the top of the list of Cities With Strangest People. True.

From StreetBooks: a book drive happening December 15th in 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)

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E054 – Franklin Jones: B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery

Bicycling, Business, Cargo, Technology

This week we talk with Franklin Jones, founder and visionary for Portland-based B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery, the company that delivers cargo to businesses by electrically assisted tricycle.  We discuss the difference between a courier service and established route delivery, their delivery radius, Dave’s Killer Bread, working for David Evans & Associates, B-Line’s beginnings and the Boston-based company (MetroPed) that helped inspire it, contracting with the city’s office suppliers, the re-opening of the Morrison Bridge, Cycles Maximus Trikes and the Stites Design Truck Trike, bridge problems, B Corporations as a new business movement, working with nonprofits like Sisters of the Road, etc.

Brock talks about getting his saddle stolen and his new security configuration, And Brandon briefly describes his insomnia while enjoying a candy cane.

Mailbag
Gus gave us the whole quote: “”Lies, damned lies and statistics” -Mark Twain

Filmed By Bike says: “Thanks for talking about Filmed by Bike Lounge at Bike Craft! Hope to see you there. Come hang out in The Lounge with us.  BTW – you should have Amos on more often. Your threesome was hilarious.”

Carl sends a care package of links: picture of a bike for 10, and some great bike stickers at http://peacesupplies.org/; and in response to Brandon’s turkey stuffing photo: “I am not even going to look at a grown man “stuffing” a turkey. Aren’t there laws in Oregon about that kind of behavior? Isn’t he married now? I am saying that now but perverted curiosity may get the best of me….”

JohnnyK comments: “You guys rock!  I think I am going to post something for every show now.  Something totally off subject and useless.  It’s not like I am going to offend anyone since I am the only one that is posting on the website.  BTW is your mailbag a pannier, messenger, or backpack?”and also gives some posterior boil advice. Then he donates enough for two growlers, so I guess we have to read his comments 😀

The Belle Starrs send us their sexy, sexy new calendar as a Christmas gift along with a sweet note. If you’re interested, you can get one here.

Headlines
Portland Transport: TriMet considers Bus Rapid Transit options
REI via listener Blayne: a great article about Merino Wool and how to choose yours
TriMet Diaries: what to do when a fare inspector boards your MAX train
BikePortland: Pedal Powered Talk Show begins production in Portland
BikePortland: historic and legendary “Bike Swarm” in solidarity with Occupy movement

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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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E053 – Alex Rauch: Tour to Chicago

Bicycling, Health, Touring, Travel

This week we share with you a phone interview done with Alex Rauch, a former Oregonian now living in Chicago who Brock met as he was beginning his tour across the western states.  He details the joys of lesser known national parks, the great expanse of emptiness that exists in Idaho, connections with strangers along the way, and a (somewhat graphic) description of an unpleasant physical setback solved, in part, by attendance at a Wal-Mart health clinic.

Brock & Brandon share stories from their Thanksgiving weekend events and commiserate about patchy beards.

Mailbag
Donation received from John in NZ – thanks!

Listener Tony compliments the dialogue montage from the 50th show

Blayne from BC suggests we interview someone from Icebreaker, the merino wool company from NZ that has its US headquarters here in Portland OR!

Adri comments: “Love it. This was fun as hell to listen to. Dr. Jeff is great. He should be on the podcast again.”

JohnnyK comments: “Since not many leave comments I thought I would. Hmmm I noticed that you guys get much clearer to understand the more you drink. Anyway great fun and good learning.“

and an iTunes store review from Amos Hunter.

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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E052 – From The Tiny House!

Bicycling, Communication, Downsizing, Housing, Kitchen, Technology, Transit, Travel

We recorded our first episode away from home today at the RowdyKittens tiny house!  Logan and Tammy were nice enough to invite us in after we passively floated the idea via podcast, and so we set up a plethora of wires and instruments in their roomy miniature dwelling.  We were also joined by their friends Heather (of Mile73.com) & Dave (of TriMet Diaries and DaveKnows.org) who contributed to the conversations on tiny house life and low/cheap cell phone life (Heather’s in-depth examination of iPhone thrift is here).  All told, a lovely time was had by all!

Technical Note: the laptop we took over for recording was missing our usual recording software and I ended up downloading a freeware option on the spur of the moment to capture our show.  Since I’m not as familiar with the secondary option, I ended up mixing some of the test audio with the actual show audio; it turned out to be a little too confusing to listen to, but if you REALLY want to wade your ears through that cacophony because you love the show that much, get in touch and I’ll see what I can do.  Apologies, and thanks for listening!  – Brock

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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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E051 – Amos Hunter

Bicycling, Communication, Transit

Amos Hunter joins us this week to speak on the upcoming BikeCraft event (December 3 & 4, 2011 at Sandbox Studio) as well as his work with Portland’s own Bike Temple.  We drink Rock Bottom Brewery beer, and merriment ensues.  Also, here’s a link to the 8 peice ukelele band he’s in, Honky Tonk Prison.

Brock tests out the prototype of the Tom’s Cargo Bikes tallbike:
http://youtu.be/8JVqQk-pyS4

Headlines
Via Listener “Radimar”: Denver woman steals back her stolen bike while on a test ride
Springwise via Sally: in Paris, smartphones can now be used for transit passes
Street Roots via Sadowsky: local homeless paper comments on Occupy movement & housing
BikePortland: school custodian establishes bike club for kids in Hillsboro OR
BikePortland: Spencer Boomhower on residential neighborhoods vs. freeways
Portlandize: Dave Fuecht posts some fantastic photos of our city in Autumn colors

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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