E023 – Adam & Jodie Rust: Car-Free With Kids

April 25, 2011Uncategorizedsprocketpodcast

Adam & Jodie Rust are Portlanders who have been getting around with their two daughters primarily by bicycle for the past several years; they share some of their experiences with us on this week’s episode.

We discuss: burning stuff on Easter, tell us your stories, trouble finding the headlines sounder, bus to Tillamook, first timers vs. speed racers, Freudian slip and the clean episode, giving up the car, the cool two people on one bike trick, the evolution into bicycling, avoiding assumptions about needing a car, tricky times with newborns, it’s not a pain getting groceries, Mercy talks about hills and trailers, Chariot Cougar trailer, makeshift studio equipment, camping trip to Vernonia, surprises along the ride, “parenting win,” cars or bikes?, “crisis” moments when a car would be nice, pretending to watch a movie, flat tires are no fun, Adam is a bicycle realtor, but sometimes meets clients with a ZipCar, NE Portland is bikey and Williams Ave. is busy, Holland has a Facebook page, renting your house out (another fellow has written about this as well), bicycling tour this summer to Crater Lake, surround yourself with encouragers, Cambridge family writes blog Carfree With Kids, Cambridge’s Broadway Bicycle School

Headlines
Cyclelicious via BikePortland: Frontier becomes the first bicycle-friendly airlinePathLessPedaled via BikePortland: From Portland to the Coast on folding bikesBikePortland: San Francisco considers speed limits and a ban on tallbikes on the golden gate
BikePortland: Bunny On A Bike – ride photos

Drinks
Brock bought Brandon a Mike’s Harder Blueberry Lemonade(8%), drank a Pabst Blue Ribbon himself, Adam drank the Guinness Extra Stout, and Jodie enjoyed Trader Joe’s coffee with a teaspoon of sugar.

Music
Skamania County, Washington’s own Traffic And Weather present “Disappear” from their unreleased demo collection.

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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E022 – The Belle Starrs

April 18, 2011Bicycling, Funsprocketpodcast

This week we chat with Jordana Barrack and Nora Prazan, founders of the Fort Collins, CO all-lady bicycle gang The Belle Starrs.

We discuss: free pile of rotten wood, The Professor, fanfare, “rambunctious women of the road and trail,” the bike camping trip that started it all, Denver’s Cheetah Bitches, garter belts and headbadges, facebook is the new way to start a gang, “bring together the glorious women who love bicycles,” gender balance among cyclists, group rides, defining the word “gang,” cowboys and indians, Ride magazine coverage, nurturing passions, Field of Dreams, Zoobombers and their mayor-sanctioned installment, Ladies’ wrenching workshop, spreading the word, asking questions, who was Belle Starr?, a nautical star on her tombstone, The Dandy Lions rise in response, knife fight!, Filmed By Bike and the “Crash” film, Fall Roundup, upcoming events, Spring Fling, persistent rain, spontaneous rides announced by facebook, the F***ing Bike Club, mildly inappropriate acronyms, the Belle Starrs website, facebook, and email list, Spoketyles, beer cozies

Headlines
BikePortland: Coffeehouse owner says cyclists have worn out their welcome
BikePortland: cyclist policeman and swerving motorist sit down over coffee
CycleWild: some of Matt’s touring gear

Drinks
Jordana & Nora sent us via parcel post these awesome beers: New Belgium’s Vrienden, 8.5% ABV, and New Belgium’s Ooh Lah Lah, also 8.5% ABV!

Music
thanks to listener Blayne for recommending The British Columbians. This is their song “A Fine Mess” from their upcoming album release.

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E021 – CJ Speelman: Wrench Raiders

April 11, 2011Advocacy, Bicycling, Communicationsprocketpodcast

CJ Speelman of Portland’s Wrench Raiders tells us about fixing bicycles and sharing time with less privileged folk, and how to get involved.

We discuss: Brandon rides to Salem and back, Oregon City Elevator, Burgerville, dot net, Logan is like our rich uncle, Statesman Journal via Brandon’s Dad: Lee the Horselogger travels cross-country in a horse-drawn cart, Streetsblog via BikePortland: NYC bike lane opponents hired a PR firm to talk trash, Streetfilms via BikePortland: another fascinating look at post-car culture, this time about highway removal, KCET via BikePortland: a fascinating look at Los Angeles’ bicycling history, including a 20 mile long raised bikeway!, Bike Snob NYC: hillariously written piece on NYC bike lanes, CycleWild: Adventure Cycling launches a new website dedicated to overnight camping trips (S24Os), Matt Picio’s cross country journey and gear, GoBicycleTouring.info: The Food Cyclist chronicles a global journey to research food systems, BikePortland: awesome Portland bicycle commuter portraits from Jim Golden, what Wrench Raiders is, coolest rigs in town, not trying to be sexy, disconnection, the crew & community, BikePortland article, reprogramming our relational skills, Brandon goes undercover as a homeless guy, support systems, the Tricycle Campaign, B-Line delivery trikes, busted stuff & star-rusted chain, DON’T USE WD-40 on your bike, chain link bike capsule thing, long distance travel, Portland to Seattle by transit, rainbow people, department store bikes sometimes DO hold up, buying new parts is better, Abraham Fixes Bikes, pulled pork pizza, volunteers and how talking not working is OK, building stereotypes, vietnam vets, everyone’s story is unique, connections

Drinks
Brandon & Brock each drink a 24oz Pabst Blue Ribbon, and CJ drinks a 22oz Newcastle Brown Ale.

Music
“After All Our Yesterdays” by Joe Poppino from his 2009 EP The End.

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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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E018 – Joshua DeParrie: The Bicycle Plumber

March 22, 2011Bicycling, Business, Walkingsprocketpodcast

Joshua DeParrie is a service plumber, but with a very interesting catch: he gets around, both to and from his worksites, by bicycle! We had him in for an entertaining and informative explanation of how that works. His website for St. Francis Plumbing iswww.bicycleplumber.com

We discuss: Hillstomp puts on an awesome show, Brandon is quitting his job, Jon stalks us on the facebooks, french names, send us your stories, help us design a new logo, we should podcast our morning coffee, The Railroad Revival Tour with Mumford & Sons &Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, PathLessPedaled.com: how to talk to your partner about bike touring, and folding bikes secreted onto airplanes, The Lazy Randonneur: why I don’t dress up like a traffic cone, BikePortland.org: a bike/transit damage case turns out OK, Bike Trailer Blog: go to the ski slopes by bike, drinking in the ski lodge, how does a plumber get around by bike? On a Kona Ute, of course, Black Oak trailers, growing up on bike/on foot in Portland, inspired by not liking large trucks, paradigm shift, motivations, localized life, gas boycotts and the fungability of oil, “digging ourselves into a hole of cynicism,” “wondering if it was really going to work,” substituting a bike for a truck is like LOTR, tools and tool bags, “I don’t carry everything with me all of the time,” going to the store is inevitable, Forest Heights and Portland’s east/west side class battle, Marvin Gaye is dead, malt liquor tastes like formaldehyde or the floor of a WalMart, the real angry bird, close encounter with a falcon, Saint Francis and his connection to nature, Portland could become a car-free city, Jerusalem’s tiny streets, Bicycle City [which is actually planned for North Carolina!], create a socially conscious market demand, “Copenhagen left,” bicycle plumber aspirations, the Sawzall is awesome, incentives, “Supportland,” the bicycle plumber is like Rosa Parks, not so much like Joe the Plumber, pace of life, Phoenix to Portland in a U-haul, walking is best, monads, Sting & The Police’s “Synchronicity II” and Dire Straits’ “Industrial Disease”

Drinks
Brandon – Fish Tale Organic India Pale Ale from Olympia WA, Brock & Joshua: Ninkasi Total Domination IPA from Eugene OR.

Music
“I Can’t Wait” from Seattle-based Explone‘s newest album Dreamers/Lovers released in 2010.

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E017 – Heddy on Bicycles

March 14, 2011Bicyclingsprocketpodcast

David Heddy, a good friend and all-around smart guy, speaks with us about his bicycle experiences and what to look for in a bicycle if you’re just getting started as a commuter.

Ft. Collins listener alert: Portland band the New York Rifles will be in town 3/14 (today, as in publishing day!) with a show at Surfside 7!

We discuss: stolen bike tools, itunes review, re-introducing Heddy, brake adjustments,microwaves, trading bike work for New Belgium beer, Green Garbage Project: making your own butter, BikePortland: Women on Bikes, and a gravity bike at freeway speeds, as well as a big-ass cargo bike with an awesome trailer and electric assist, what do do when you are yelled at on the road, Tuscon Velo: family trades car for extracycle bike, growing up in Flint, reading BMX magazines in church, Stump Jumper, racy bicyclists, bike commuting from a farm, cross crusade, short term bike camping, Rivendell Bikes’ S24O,Burley Trailers for pulling your kids along with you, dangers of being close to the ground,Xtracycles, S24O to Vernonia, getting kicked off light rail, Banks-Vernonia multi-use path, discomfort on bikes, “can I say ass?”, Heddy recommends a road-style bike vs. a mountain bike, get a bike that is big enough for you, “a fistful of seatpost,” Heddy was a bike mechanic, brake clearance, handlebars, ergonomic (like a keyboard?), paying for bike stuff, getting your butt broken in, commuting can be easier than it seems, “go out and hold some hands,” Rivendell’s tip sheet for happy cyclists

Drinks
Brandon’s is the Ninkasi Otis oatmeal stout (7.2% ABV), Heddy consumes a New Belgium 1554, and Brock uninterestingly drinks a steaming cup of Echinacea tea.

Music
Portland-based baroque pop band Sunbeam shares their song “Bulldogs,” available for free on their website!

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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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E015x – Dinner With John

March 1, 2011Uncategorizedsprocketpodcast

We recorded our conversation during the meal if you’re interested in hearing our off-the-cuff observations with our significant others. The charts that John drew up are available here for your perusal.

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E015 – John Feeds Multitudes

February 28, 2011Bicycling, Kitchensprocketpodcast

John Eads of Pyro Pizza joins us to cook an incredible bounty of food, and then to discuss food systems, budgets, and the state of nutrition in the industrialized world.

Note: We also recorded our conversation during the meal if you’re interested in hearing our off-the-cuff observations with our significant others. The charts that John drew up are available here for your perusal.

We discuss: Zach in Ft. Collins might give us a handmade bike show update,bikeportland.org has some great galleries, Logan’s neighbor looks trustworthy, whiskey stones, NYT (thanks Mark Parrish): retired police officer grows her own tobacco in her backyard, Bike Trailer Blog: Moving from house to house in Kentucky by bike,Oregonian: TriMet bus routes look a bit like an anthill. 1 day’s routes in 2 minutes,Oregonian: bus driver refuses to drive bus after driver’s seat is smeared with feces,BikePortland: as bicycle ridership increases, road accident numbers go down across the board, gobicycletouring.info: newlywed couple plans to bicycle through all 50 US states, Filmed By Bike: April 15-17 ($8 per show or $25 weekend pass), “I micromanage for a living,” food cart explosion, “I Am John Eads” T-shirts, moving the cart with a dump truck, the great meal, Newsweek article: The Dinner Divide, “what the hell are they buying? for $1000/month I could have almost everything imported from france!”, cheap, mid-level, and most expensive versions of the same meal, charts on what people spend per calorie, $.88 Banquet frozen meal, shopping for 4 items in 2.5 hours, 16 plates worth on 12, “my wife scolded me for not making dessert,” french bread crust sleeve/cast, big box stores are scary, american processed cheese food, polymers, 4000 calories a day, portion control diets, eating your child’s food,uncrustables, folks in the west hills can donate, “meat is not a spice,” sodium goes through the roof, Brock was the only one that ate the meatballs, industrial food is the standard, availability of high quality food, america is becoming a food desert (see alsothis article), “No one I knew could cook anything,” the dodo bird of vegetables, addiction to junk & organic MREs, “we’re not crusting the sandwiches,” making food can be time consuming, the Old Crow melted the lacquer off of the coffee table, cooking beans in quantity (and soaking them), “the problem with a lot of poeple…”, fast food logo stress study, mostly natural & organic & local is possible with planning and other people, “bug ’em to hell,” obvious red flags on breakfast cereals & juices, oranges are better & cheaper anyways.

Drinks
together, we drink a large portion of a bottle of Old Crow Bourbon

Music
the fabulous Portland-based Hillstomp presents their unique blend of buckets-and-cans-blues on their latest release Darker the Night and this week’s featured song, “Banjo Song #1.”

the meal:

wrangling the ipod into place with tape to record the dinner conversation:

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The Sprocket Podcast

simplifying the good life

E023 – Adam & Jodie Rust: Car-Free With Kids

E022 – The Belle Starrs

E021 – CJ Speelman: Wrench Raiders

E020 – Joe Kurmaskie: The Metal Cowboy

E019 – Michael Parziale: Grease Not Gas

E018 – Joshua DeParrie: The Bicycle Plumber

E017 – Heddy on Bicycles

E016 – Seth Richardson: Meticon Bikes

E015x – Dinner With John

E015 – John Feeds Multitudes