Thomas Porter taught himself basic bicycle mechanics by scavenging bikes out of the metal pile at the local transfer station, taking them apart and reassembling them (sometimes with new paint or as singlespeeds) for himself and his friends. Coupling that passion with his metalworking experience gathered at art school and working as a metal fabricator, he officially opened doors on a bike framebuilding practice when he started Porter Cycles in 2010. We were fortunate to see his handy work firsthand at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, and the mountain bike/urban utility vehicle at his booth immediately jumped out as one of our personal favorite bikes of the show. It is not often you see a frame based on a 26-inch wheel platform built up with a generator hub and light, fenders and an incredible plated front and rear rack system. Tom's artistry shined through in details like the removable and interchangeable low-rider pannier assemblies that could be switched from the front rack to the rear rack. Just an all-around solid bike crying for adventure, in an eye catching blue pearl paint and adorned with the signature Porter Cycles head badge.

He has built fixies, mountain bikes, cargo bikes and as we caught up with him, the was putting the finishing touches on a very special mixte for his mother. All bikes produced to the highest standards, designed and built to each rider's individual needs.  Do yourself a favor and take a look at the signature curved seat tubes, the talon stems and the logo stamped brass dust caps that he's made. We had a great time talking with Tom about his process, and we're super excited to see him start ramping up bike production and get more badass Porter Cycles out in the wild.

IG: @portercycles

Phil Harwood is a bicycle painter at Alchemy Bicycles in Denver, Colorado. We talked to Phil about how his experiences as a bike messenger in Boston and as a painter's assistant and mechanic in the Independent Fabrications shop in NH have prepared him for the current challenge of painting high-end titanium and carbon frames with Alchemy Bicycles. Phil offers insights about the multiple processes that each frame undergoes during the painting process and the level of care that is paid to each frame to assure a durable and sharp-looking finish.

Additionally, we hear about Phil's experience building his own carbon bike from the ground up, starting with rolls of carbon fiber and making the tubes that make up the frame. Make sure you check out the Alchemy Arktos full-suspension carbon mountain bikes that are changing people's expectations of how good a full suspension bike can look.

Phil can be found on Instagram at: @philipharwood. Alchemy Bicycles can be found at: @alchemybicycles.

Other Topics Discussed: Independent Fabrications, Chris Rowe, ENVE, Serotta,

A beautiful thing happens when avid cyclists draw from their experiences to create bicycle frames, components and accessories and Igor and Adrian of Velo Orange have not only done that, but they've knocked it out of the park.  Velo Orange began in 2006 as a U.S. based importer of new old stock components from Europe, but once those supplies ran out they turned to manufacturers to create their own line of parts for the bicycles that they wanted to be riding.

While probably best known for their fenders, racks and handlebars, the current line up of Velo Orange components features an impressively wide array of other parts as well, ranging from cranksets to headsets and from brakes to leather saddles, offering virtually everything you need for your build. In addition to the clean and classic polished silver finish, many parts are now being offered in a dark "noir" finish as well to suit the vision of your build.

Velo Orange also carries a small family of versatile and well-designed framesets that showcase a commitment to the classic aesthetic while simultaneously taking advantage of modern technology where appropriate. The Piolet, a bikepacking inspired frame, is an example of how Velo Orange continues to embrace the wide-tire, adventure cycling movement. But if braze-ons and disc brakes aren't your thing, there is the more traditional Campeur touring frame with cantilever brakes and clearance for 700c x 38mm tires with fenders.

Check out all the goods at https://velo-orange.com/ and make sure to check out their blog too. It's always abound with creative, thought provoking articles about bike builds, how-to's, new product announcements and of course jaw-dropping photos.

If you like getting lost for multiple hours and having to back track to get on-route then you may want to skip this podcast! Otherwise, if you're into using an ever-evolving software program that works on your Android, Apple, Garmin or Wahoo to plan and follow routes, then Kevin Prentice is about to be your new favorite person! Ride with GPS was established over ten years ago and has grown into one of the most trusted and reliable navigation programs for individuals, event organizers and tourism organizations alike.  It has never been easier for you to share routes with participants through your Ride with GPS account, so all they have to do is download and go. No more route signage or paper cue sheets for you to worry about on event day.

Don't take it from me, have a listen to Kevin as he shares a couple of boots-on-the-ground stories about how events like Land Run and websites like Cycle Cal Coast.com have partnered with Ride with GPS to keep their event running smoothly and to keep their riders smiling. Other businesses like Swift Industries and Bikepacking.com have recently embedded maps (powered by Ride with GPS) into their websites so people in their communities can more easily find and share routes. 

Our guests this episode extend an open invite to you to go bike camping on June 23rd!

Martina Brimmer is the master problem-solver and punk rock aficionado behind the Seattle Washington based Swift Industries. In addition to the daily business of making great bike bags and apparel, Martina's experience at cooperative bike shops in college provided invaluable perspective on the magic of the community that forms around bikes.  Morgan Taylor is a life-long bike fan from his early days riding freestyle BMX and North Shore mountain biking in his native Vancouver transitioning to adventure based bike camping and exploring. Morgan's role at Swift is to be the heart and soul behind the Swift Campout event - connecting people with others and fueling the bike camping stoke.

Don't get hung up on not having the fanciest gear, the nicest bike, or even knowing all the bike jargon. Just throw your gear in a basket or backpack and register on Swiftcampout.com to either find a route that others are riding near you or register your own route. At that point, all that is left to do is take a little bike ride with new friends! It's that easy. You can make the trip as short, as scenic, or as weird as you want. You can travel by paved road to a campground or you can navigate a mountain pass to a remote camp site. Put your pin on the map, let others know that you are participating by using #swiftcampout and have fun!

Other topics mentioned or discussed: Friends on Bikes, Prescott College, Adventure Cycling, Warm Showers, WTF Bike Explorers, Path less Pedaled, Grant Petersen.

If you've ever experienced the frustration of a mid-ride flat, then you'll appreciate all the engineering and testing that goes into Teravail Tires. David Gabrys and team take each tire from  fledgling concept to prototype and then put them through the rigors of field and bench testing, making 100% sure they are competent and reliable before releasing them into the wild. As we learned, there is an awful lot that goes into making a tire ready for mass production, and a lot of thought is put into the intended use of a tire model to make sure the casing, sidewall construction, rubber compounds and tread pattern are optimized for the target terrain.

Teravail specializes in gravel road, all-road and off-road tires in many of today's popular sizes. The fact that their 700c Cannonball tire only comes in 35mm, 38mm and 42mm sizes gives you an idea of the kind of riding Teravail tailors their models for. They also carry 650b, 27.5, 26 and 29 offerings, so they have something for everyone. Keep an eye out for additional sizes to be added to the current models in August 2018, and for new models to be launched in early 2019.  

It takes a village of really smart people to dream-up, concept, design, manufacture and test each Teravail Tire, so you can rest assured that by the time it meets your rim, it is ready for any gravel road, class IV road or singletrack you can throw at it.

You can keep up with Teravail on IG: @teravail or on FB: https://www.facebook.com/TeravailTires/ and make sure to say hi to David and check out his photography on IG at: @45nrth.david

Other topics discussed: Dirty Kanza, Salsa Cycles, Surly Bikes, Quality Bike Products, 45NRTH

We always get really excited when we talk to good people doing great work that benefits all bicyclists. Bike Index is the perfect example of a simple and all-inclusive program that everyone can use.  All you have to do is register, enter your bike's serial number and upload a few pictures. Then if your bike ever gets stolen, you login and flag it so others in your area know to be on the lookout. Bike Index is directly responsible for 4,600 recovered bicycles over the years, which is an incredible accomplishment by any measure.

Lily Williams and Bryan Hance checked in with us to share the Bike Index story, all the way back from when co-founders; Bryan (then running the Stolen Bike Registry) connected with Seth Herr who had a vision and kickstarter support to launch a bicycle registry through the success that they're experiencing today. Bike Index now has over 160,000 registered bikes, they recently launched an Ambassador Program, and they also offer integration services to dovetail bike registration with the software you're using at your bike shop, workplace, campus or town. They also have innumerable crazy tales of bikes recovered, such as one that was found after 10 years, a bike recovered in the back of a stolen Porsche, and even an individual in Seattle that has a knack for recovering stolen bikes.

We encourage everyone to go to Bike Index.org and register their bikes today. Then, once you get done telling your friends and LBS to do the same, show a little love and appreciation for their mission by hitting the donate button.

Other Topics Discussed: Oprah, Bike Repo Batman, Chicago Cyclocross, Hagens Berman Supermint,

To honor bicyclists killed by motorists,
promote sharing the road,
and provide awareness of bicycling safety.

That is what the people behind the Ride of Silence have been doing for the last 16 years, by organizing silent, no-drop, rides of remembrance across the world. Tim Potter, (the super-volunteer behind the website), joins us to explain the origins of the Ride of Silence and why it is such a powerful reflective experience.

To support the good work that Ride of Silence is doing, you can start by participating in your local ride (or by organizing one if there isn't one already) and by donating to their cause. By participating you'll help shine a light on road safety for all users and you'll increase your connection with your immediate community.  We all benefit from safer roads, so let's spread the word.

Other Topics Discussed: Richard Tom Foundation, League of American Bicyclists, White Rock Lake, TX, and Vision Zero.

Stain Chayley, the Instantaneous Power Output Grand Champion of the 2001 Vermont Mountain Bike Festival, joins us for a meandering conversation on the Red Hook Crit, downhill racing at Losinj, Croatia and Ben's new bike build.  Engaging, enthralling but not epic (because the word epic is overused and if everything is epic, then by definition, nothing is epic).

Other topics discussed: My Cup of Tea, The SteerStopper, Gates Carbon Drive, quill stems, Kasai generator hub, Soma Fabrications, Green Mountain Gravel Growler.

We didn't even give Eric Benson a week to decompress after the 2018 Eroica California ride, before inviting him to join us to recap the event and talk about the L'Eroica event series worldwide and the concept of vintage bike rides. As he put it, "the beauty is in the fatigue," right?  From the pictures we've seen of the scenery along the routes and the incredible vintage bikes that turn out, the Eroica California is a ride that deserves to be on everyone's bucket list! 

As Eric mentions, there are multiple ride length options with stops along the way serving wine and homemade whole food options for riders. They also hold a festival serving a large meal and host vintage bike exhibitors for you to peruse bikes and bike parts from the era. What a fun celebration of the machines that we all love so much.

Check out the 2018 ride and keep tabs on the 2019 announcements at their website: https://www.eroicacalifornia.com/. You can also give them a follow on Instagram at: @eroica_california for some beautiful photos of the event.