Audio – WJCU

While we will be celebrating our 250th Anniversary here in the States, the Grand Departe of the 113th Tour de France will lead off with a team time trial in Barcelona on Saturday.

As always, I turn to our friend and resident all-thing-TdF Joe Lindsey, managing editor of Escape Collective. He knows the ins and outs of the stages, the courses, the riders, and the teams for all the European race, but we focus this conversation pretty much on the Tour this time around.

My questions go to topics such as which riders might surprise us, how the intense heat could impact the race as we well as the teams, and what this year’s course has in store for us.

Jonas Vinnegard is apparently 100% healthy and ready to go – two full years after his horrific crash in 2024, and he’s already shown some stellar results this year.  He and Tadej will be the ones to watch for that head-to-head rivalry; but, perhaps there is someone else on the horizon? And who is Paul Seixas anyway?

Joe has some thoughts…

This episode brings together a long and sorrowful history and a bicycle tour that commemorates it.

We are all familiar with rides that have meaning such as fund raisers for medical research, rides that create long-lasting memories and friendships such as RAGBRAI, and rides that bring back fond memories such as the upcoming re-creation of the Bikecentennial Ride in July, celebrating the founding of our Nation.

And then, there are rides that reaffirm some truths about who we are and what we stand for as a people while shedding light into how we might deal with the truths of our history and do better in the future.

Today’s conversation falls into the latter category and my guest is Will Chavez, the associate editor of the Cherokee-Phoenix, the official newspaper of the Cherokee Nation. 

The paper itself has a long and interesting history, beginning in what is now called New Echota, once the capital of the Cherokee Nation in Georgia and now a historic site.

In the 1830’s – 1838 to be exact – the removal of 100,000 Native Americans, including the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole – from their homelands in the Southeastern United States to Indian Territory – now Oklahoma – resulted in thousands of deaths from harsh condition, starvation, and disease.

The route that was traveled by the tribes back in the 1800’s is now commemorated each year by 12 specially chosen young Cherokee riders as they travel the almost 1000 miles on the Trail of Tears.

Will offers us a look back at history and forward to what these riders take home from the historic journey they are privileged to take.

Will’s new book “Riding the Trail: Cherokees Remember the Removal,” is now available for pre-order and you can follow all of the news from the Cherokee Nation through the Cherokee-Phoenix newspaper.

Seven years ago, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett gave up their cars, moved to the Netherlands, and have been exploring urban transformations around the world. 

The last time I spoke with Melissa and Chris, back in 2022, they had just published two books, Curbing Traffic and Building the Cycling City.  They didn’t have the opportunity to do the traditional kind of book tour at the time because of the pandemic, but that’s since changed.

In fact, with their kids heading off to college and beyond, and their new book, Women Changing Cities, global stories of urban transformation, just published, they’ve been able to travel and speak about their work in person all over the world.

Their work has led them to so many women who are doing remarkable things in their respective cities, and their stories are both fascinating and inspiring.

Women Changing Cities highlights the stories of nineteen women working in eleven different cities as Melissa and Chris shine the spotlight on what can only be termed a modern transformation of urban thinking.

Our conversation ranges from why women are still not well represented in the planning space of engineering, politics, and architecture, to the astounding fact that only 8% of the 300 largest cities in the world have elected women as mayors.

The explanations of how those things are gradually, but surely, changing are encouraging.

Their new book, Women Changing Cities: Global stories of urban transformation, is available from RIBA.org as well as all your favorite book sellers.  The suggestions in the book, the women who are highlighted, and the beautiful photography that graphically shows some incredible results, will inspire anyone looking for ideas and support to bring to their community for consideration – and hopefully, implementation.

And for more information on what Chris and Melissa are doing next, you can follow them at modacitylife.com.

This is the next episode in our series of great rides around the U.S. for spring and summer 2026. Today, we visit Maine.

Lung diseases affect 35 million people in the U.S. and the American Lung Association is the first stop for advocacy, research, and funding for those people and their families. 

The 42nd annual Trek Across Maine – yep – 42 years! – has to be one of if not the longest running event of its kind – a fund raiser as well as what you will hear is almost a family reunion withf hundreds of folks, for what promises to be a lovely three-day ride around Maine.. And with a Father’s Day weekend date… it’s a great way to celebrate Dad!

My guests are Matt Sturgis, who has held many positions with the American Lung Association in connection with this ride and other offices around the eastern seaboard, and Lance Boucher, who is the voice of the organization in advocacy and public affairs.

My second guest today is Professor Chris Sweet.  He’s the Information Literacy and Scholarly Communications Librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University.  His just published book, a History of Bicycling in Illinois: 160 Years of Booms and Busts, goes all the way back to the late 1800’s, tracing the ups and downs of cycling from manufacturing and racing to how bicycles figured into the wars of the 20th century and beyond.

I didn’t think there was so much to learn about the history of bicycles and cycling in Illinois, and I was wrong!  Professor Chris Sweet, who is the Information Literacy and Scholarly Communications Librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University, is also an avid cyclist and a historian. 

His research reached back into the late 1800’s to explain the subtitle of his book, 160 years of booms and busts, and brings it right up to the to effects the pandemic had on cycling just a few years ago.

I don’t think I’ve met a more fascinating person than adventurer Laura Killingbeck.

For example, how many of us know from a very young age who we are and what we want from life and then follow that desire into adulthood?  Especially when we are talking about a rather solitary and independent life.

Laura Killingbeck is one of those people who DID know, and her story is incredibly compelling.

Laura is a naturalist – a hunter gatherer as she decided very early in life – and she has been on the move, writing and talking about her work, ever since.  You won’t want to miss this conversation.

Then, in the second half of the show, we take a 180-degree turn when my guests are Carlos Rogers and Robin Morton.  Carlos is one of the partners who owns the Philadelphia Cycling Classic and Robin is the race director.

After a 10-year absence, this iconic and well-loved event is back and just like that, Philadelphia is the proud host of a professional cycling race again.

We’ll find out all about it a bit later in the show.

I don’t know how you feel about trees, but I for one think they may be vastly underrated and WAY more important than people might give them credit for. Although, you as a listener are probably not one of those people!

My guests today, Paul Putman and Jonathan Cain, are here to talk about the annual Tour de Trees, a small and very significant ride taking place this September through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Tour Des Trees is a long-standing ride on the multi-day circuit.  It raises funds for exploration and science while teaching daily along the way.

Then, I speak with cyclist and author Paul Dunt.  In the summer of 2014, Paul, who lives in the U.K., came over to the States with a traveling companion to ride the original 4,000+ mile Bikecentennial Trail. His new book, TRANSAM – Cycling Coast to Coast on the Trail that the US Loved first, chronicles his journey across the U.S.and he has some great stories to tell.

With the upcoming 50th anniversary of the original Bikecentennial Ride, Transam gives us a thorough look into not only the trail itself, but what he found about the U.S. 12 years ago.

As we wrap up our third and final episode on eBikes, Ash Lovell and Matt Moore from People for Bikes take us into some of the legal issues and possible remedies to defining and separating an eBicycle from an eMotorcycle.

When absolutely no state in the country makes it legal to ride an eMoto – because they exceed the attainable speed limit ascribed to an eBicycle – and parents are unwittingly buying them for their kids – we find ourselves in a no-win situation.

Many of these non-bicycle bikes are getting through customs without any scrutiny – and no one seems to know how or why that is happening.

As Ash and Matt explain, People for Bikes is working feverishly to craft legislation to take to D.C. as well as for individual States, and to find a way to inform the public.  All daunting tasks.

On a positive note, there is finally a bill that was introduced on the House Floor – The Safe Speeds Act. HR7839 – that will define an eBike as well as get the CPSC involved – which is paramount to seeing safety standards enforced.

Before we get to our guest, I want to give a HUGE shoutout to our very own Bike Cleveland Executive Director, Jacob VanSickle.  Jacob was named Professional Advocate of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists at the National Bike Summit a couple of weeks ago.

Jacob has taken what was the fledgling Bike Cleveland organization and put it on the national stage in many ways.  Our cycling experiences here in NE Ohio have been immensely enhanced by his leadership.  Congratulations Jacob!!!

In this, the second in our series on eBikes, I speak with Larry Pizzi,.  Larry is the president of Pedigo, a long-time senior executive in the e‑bike industry, and an active participant in national policy and advocacy efforts, collaborating with brands, dealers, and organizations like PeopleForBikes.

While Larry’s views don’t particularly contradict those of Hans Rey, who was my guest in the first of this series, they do bring up important aspects of the conversation that Hans and I didn’t cover.

Larry and I have known each other for a long time, and he too offers his opinions about eBikes and what we – specifically the industry – need to be thinking and doing so that access to eBikes remains viable for everyone – not just riding on trails.

Larry has laid out his “call to action” plan for us around three points: safety, access, and innovation.

This episode of the show is Part I of a series about eBikes and the ongoing issues surrounding their definition, usage, regulation, and legislation – all topics of controversy and conversation.

So many people, companies, policymakers, and organizations stand to find themselves negatively impacted as the definition and regulation of the category becomes mired in misunderstanding and frankly, fear.

eBikes, as first defined, were bicycles with a pedal assist motor without a throttle that would help flatten out the hills and offer a boost for a weary rider attaining speeds of up to 20mph. 

Over the years, other so-called eBikes have been introduced to the market and now we have machines that can reach speeds topping 50mph with no pedaling capabilities. 


These have been termed eMotos by some, but out in the “real world” the distinction between the two is being blurred and undesirable consequences are beginning to become apparent.

Today’s conversation is with mountain bike luminary Hans “No Way” Rey.  Hans is an Ambassador for Bosch, probably the largest manufacturer of quality eBike “motors” on the market.  Hans is also one of our bicycle world’s icons – stretching back several decades as a wild and exciting mountain bike trials rider.

Much less known though is his long-time interest in eBikes – as far back as 1997 when he converted one of his regular bikes with a bionic rehab motor. 

Today, Hans is deeply concerned about the ever-escalating power of motors that are becoming so prevalent as to make some communities outright ban the entire category of electric bicycles. He notes that just putting a crank on the bike and calling it an eBike is not working – that these over-powered machines are NOT bicycles at all.

We talk about the definitions of eBikes, what the industry needs to be thinking, and where the responsibility for making these determinations lies.

I really love having the chance to talk with my NYC friend and colleague John Surico – Professor Surico actually.

Today, John joins me from his local coffee shop, so you’ll hear a bit of background chatter at times, but the conversation is – as always – enlightening.  And, I don’t mind a bit of ambient noise.

As many of my listeners know, my conversations with John are focused on his work in NYC, where he was born and raised and where he teaches, writes, and works on a great many projects, including his monthly Substack column, Streetbeat.  I’m pretty sure he doesn’t sleep.

As we reported in the past, many cycling and walking projects that were in the works – whether shovel ready, already in process, or even completed, are being shut down or even torn up. The administration in D.C. thinks bike lanes are “ugly” and a waste of money. 

Case-in-point is the already in place bike lane on Arizona Avenue which was reduced to painted lines from a separate protected lane, sparking a debate between federal policies and local transportation needs. And on it goes.

John and I talk about how congestion pricing has worked so well that, using a newly coined term, there is a space dividend – meaning things are opening up with less traffic, pollution, better safety, and the extra space created – so what can we do with that?

We begin our conversation with the snow-ma-geddon winter storm, how the new Mayor of NY handled it, and how Lyft’s much relied upon Citibike system was impacted.