Do we need e-shifters? Is Taylor a luddite? (0:19)

Listener Email: South Carolina’s Freeway for Bikes https://www.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/comments/1qinw7z/south_carolinas_freeway_for_bikes_it_makes/ (2:43)

Blind riding in tandem, with Sonya Chapnick (3:44).

Charlie’s News: New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposes a “stop super speeders” pilot program https://empire.streetsblog.org/state-of-the-state-exclusive-hochul-will-push-stop-super-speeders-bill-through-her-budget. Check out the best new bike lanes of 2025 https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/best-new-bike-lanes-2025. A New Jersey ebike lumping law threatens low-income riders and immigrants https://hudsoncountyview.com/op-ed-murphy-must-veto-anti-safety-anti-affordability-anti-immigrant-e-bike-bill/. Ontario government spent hundreds of thousands in the legal fight to rip up bike lanes in Toronto https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/foi-shows-province-external-lawyer-cost-bike-lane-challenge-9.7042278 (14:33).

NY Governor Kathy Hochul wants to appease our car oppressors with cheap insurance and low coverage in NY, StreetsblogNYC editor Gersh Kuntzman says in this NY Minute https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/01/14/gov-hochuls-car-insurance-cuts-threaten-payouts-to-crash-victims-experts (17:19).

On “Everything That Has Changed Since Congestion Pricing Started in New York,” with NY Times writer Emily Badger https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/05/11/upshot/congestion-pricing.html (19:43).

Los Angeles Bikerowave Co-op Head Mechanic Shane Quentin on the co-op model. Interviewed by Liana at Bike! Bike! in Mexico City (39:50).

Bike Mechanic Jim Cadenhead consults with Taylor about fixing a flat on his Surly. Problems: there's a thru-axle and he thought it was tubeless (2:45).

Charlie’s News: Virginia plans to get rid of parking minimums in September https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB262. Zohran pleases some as he smooths a notorious bump at the end of Williamsburg Bridge https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/nyregion/mamdani-pothole-williamsburg-bridge-bump.html, but leaves others dissatisfied with the continuation of cyclists receiving criminal summonses https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/01/07/mamdani-says-he-opposes-tischs-criminal-bike-crackdown-but-its-apparently-still-in-place. Over 2,700 ebikes have been sold and subsidized in the Bay Area in the last 6 months https://oaklandside.org/2026/01/08/alameda-ava-energy-ebike-voucher-program-2000-purchased-east-bay/. As mountain biking gains popularity, bike parks are becoming the status quo instead of traditional trail development https://www.bikemag.com/mountain-bike-trails/mountain-biking-parks-vs-trails (11:13).

Zohran Mamdani's transportation and bike focus in his first week as Mayor of NYC through the eyes of Carl Mahaney, Director of Streetopia Upper West Side; Sophia Lebowitz, reporter with Streetsblog NYC; Miser, who runs the Micromobility NYC subreddit; and Shabazz Stuart, founder and CEO of Oonee bike storage (16:20).

The NYPD targeted cyclists in the Williamsburg Bridge bike lane near the “zohramp,” where Mamdani personally fixed a bump. Meanwhile, drivers ran red lights with impunity

https://www.reddit.com/r/MicromobilityNYC/s/Wi4hDxk6eA (42:22).

Los Angeles is ‘throwing good money after bad’ trying to solve the traffic problem at its airport, LAX, says Jacob Wasserman https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-12-16/lax-airport-traffic-olympics (46:06).

Bike Talk Listener Survey results (0:40).

Notable bike-related laws of 2025 with bike lawyer Jim Pocrass (15:00).

Mamdani’s transit-focused inauguration in a New York Minute with Streetsblog NYC Editor Gersh Kuntzman (21:45).

Charlie’s News: Mamdani brings back de Blasio-era plan for McGuinness Boulevard. Leadville, CO will host Fat Bike Worlds later in January. Citi Bike prices are increasing for the 5th consecutive year. A 93-kilometer bike highway is coming to Dubai (23:32).

Los Angeles tactical urbanist Jonathan Hale charged with vandalism for installing a DIY-crosswalk where there should have been one https://la.streetsblog.org/2025/12/08/police-and-fire-departments-shut-down-volunteer-crosswalk-painting-event-in-westwood (28:31).

All Bodies on Bikes founder Marley Blonsky hit by car in a Portland protected bike lane, unhurt; and the new ABOB movie, book (44:48).

A sample of the interviews that made Bike Talk Bike Talk in 2025:

Lucy Maloney, bike advocate turned council member in Vancouver from Episode 2533 https://biketalk.org/2025/08/2533-bikes-up/ (0:38).

Zohran Mamdani interviewed by micro mobility organizer "miser" when Zohran ran for Mayor, from Episode 2525 https://biketalk.org/2025/06/2525-we-love-la-deliveristas-zohran-for-bikes-nyc-and-picture-main-street/ (13:56).

Black Girls Do Bike/Anjoleah Daye on BGDB in Los Angeles from the 2/7/2025 Episode https://biketalk.org/2025/02/bikes-for-kids-in-la-and-florida-black-girls-do-bike-and-ebikes-over-60/ (24:37).

Sophia Lebowitz on the problem of illegal ebikes, or emotos from Episode 2543 https://biketalk.org/2025/10/2543-ebikelash/ (37:23).

Jonathan Hale on painting DIY crosswalks in Los Angeles from Episode 2534 https://biketalk.org/2025/08/2534-build-it/ (45:18).

Listener email: The AV debate: safer than humans (Waymo at least, but Teslas crash more often). On the other hand, AI is inhuman and AVs could increase car dependency (https://www.commondreams.org/news/tesla-robotaxi-crash-rate) (1:07).

Charlie's News: Pride bike racks in response to pride crosswalk removal in Florida; University of Minnesota study shows biking before sunrise doesn't hold back elementary school cyclists; Bike LA and Lime Hero partner to round up for local programs; Cheeky vests win back funding for bike lane plowing in Ontario (5:30).

Why don’t drivers lose their license for multiple DUIs and worse in California? (See License to Kill https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/04/license-to-kill/). We ask our lawyer (and sponsor), Jim Pocrass (8:20).

The Federal Reauthorization bill won’t include money for bikes, walking, or anything that would slow cars for the next 5 years unless we let congress know that Americans want to be safe on their streets. Caron Whitaker of League of American Bicyclists asks bike groups to sign on to this letter to congress: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTXpKC8AL92qTCPzwoYTNRKoqRpk7pffOQPZyzf1Y-Ig1-aw/viewform (15:37).

A judge in Queens, NYC ruled that a partially finished protected bike lane had to be removed. Her judgment was questionable and should be overturned, StreetsblogNYC writer David Meyer says https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/09/heres-everything-wrong-with-the-judges-order-to-rip-up-the-31st-street-protected-bike-lane (18:46).

Sustainable travel expert Peter Cox on cycling as a social movement (33:25).

Vehicular cycling and Aaron Swanson of League of American Bicyclists' League Certified Instructor's most recent graduating class in Los Angeles https://bikeleague.org/ridesmart/become-instructor/ (4:15).

Charlie’s News- Streetsblog NYC article on everything wrong with anti Astoria bike lane ruling https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/09/heres-everything-wrong-with-the-judges-order-to-rip-up-the-31st-street-protected-bike-lane; are AVs like Waymo cyclists’ allies? https://www.wired.com/story/can-bike-riders-and-self-driving-cars-be-friends/ Indianapolis plows bike lanes for first time https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/indianapolis-dpw-plows-major-trails-and-protected-bike-lanes-for-first-time; NJ bill would require license and insurance for all ebikes https://www.nj.com/news/2025/12/nj-bill-would-require-licenses-registration-and-insurance-for-all-e-bikes.html; Comebacks to this year’s anti-bike arguments https://momentummag.com/your-comeback-guide-to-all-the-anti-cycling-arguments-youll-hear-this-year/ (7:25)

Coffee + randonneuring= Coffeeneuring https://chasingmailboxes.com/2025/09/29/coffeeneuring-challenge-2025-youre-only-15-once/. With Karen Canady (15:38).

Bike Long Beach on NIMBY opposition to the Orange Avenue Backbone Bikeway https://carlitelb.org/2025/11/16/save-orange-ave-bike-lanes/ (23:55).

Biking in winter in Minneapolis with Brett McGraw (36:20).

A European bike tour with Craig and Tamara Blett (45:30).

Stacey’s Bike Thought (55:14).

Our Mission Statement, reviews, a listener email, and please take our survey! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVwttiNKX8APpEgM3lmvlUI9d8KqQl9uedQ8YmdiJ5rPf0ow/viewform (0:19)

Charlie’s News New bike lanes in Boston increase bike trips and decrease car traffic https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/12/05/boston-data-show-streets-with-new-bike-lanes-successfully-shift-traffic-from-cars-to-bikes; Astoria, Queens rips up a partially installed bike lane due to bikelash https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/05/queens-judge-orders-city-to-nix-half-installed-queens-bike-lane; Iowa City free bus ridership and service is up, emissions down https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/climate/iowa-city-free-buses.html; FSA/HSA pre-tax $ can be put towards a bike- with a doctor’s note https://usa.streetsblog.org/2025/12/04/this-holiday-season-buy-your-kid-a-bike-with-your-pre-tax-healthcare-money(4:57).

Montreal plows snow from bike lanes and sidewalks. Why can't every snowy city? We ask Patrick Murphy of Oh The Urbanity https://bsky.app/profile/ohtheurbanity.bsky.social (7:28).

A round table on the NY Times Article "The Dangers of Ebikes" https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/briefing/the-dangers-of-e-bikes.html with our New Yorker/Marin County panel- Warren Wells, Policy and Advocacy Director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition https://marinbike.org; Carl Mahaney, Director of Streetopia Upper West Side https://www.streetopia.city; Sophia Lebowitz, writer of “The ‘Problem’ With E-Bikes? The Super Fast Illegal Ones,” https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/10/21/the-problem-with-e-bikes-the-super-fast-illegal-ones and Miser, organizer of the subreddit MicromobilityNYC https://www.reddit.com/r/MicromobilityNYC/: (14:50)

A bike tour of Japan by Aaron Lipstadt (42:25).

Bill Walton's Bike Thought (54:57)

Stacey's Bike Thought (55:22)

Also, 12/12/25 is the last day people can order Bike Talk books from the Bookshop page at biketalk.org with Standard Shipping to have them arrive on time to put under the tree.

Bike books for Christmas-with the editors of Microcosm’s “They Ride at Night” anthology of Queer, Feminist, Fantastical Bicycle Halloween Stories, Summer Jewel Keown and Elly Blue (3:36).

Queens City Couriers delivers anything by bike in Buffalo, New York. Rebecca tells us about that, a bike messenger memorial, and how being a bike courier compares to being a Marine, which she also has been (13:15).

Charlie’s News: NYC council candidates funded by Uber, women transportation leaders, bike lane sweepers, and last year’s Chicago and Philadelphia traffic casualty stats (25:55).

Police bias, media bias, and bike law with Jim Pocrass (27:14).

How to get in shape for a bike tour, the latest in our bike tour series with Josh Bowden of Adventure Cycling (36:29).

And drop in to our December 16, 4pm Pacific Instagram event with Adventure Cycling at https://www.instagram.com/adventurecycling/

The most recent Los Angeles CicLAvia’s 11/23  “Stranger Things” open street event was made possible by Netflix (0:18).

Katie Wilson’s election as Mayor of Seattle through a bike lens with Brie Gyncild, Gordon Padelford and Merlin Rainwater of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and Tom Fucoloro, editor of Seattle Bike Blog (8:25).

News: LYFT’s Citibike in NYC is the world’s most expensive bikeshare, Families For Safe Streets in Portland seek to stop “superspeeders” with a bill to require speed limiting technology in their cars, People For Bikes invests in the St. Louis bike network, and the CPSC warns about Rad Power ebike batteries (28:19).

“Dashcam” app and handlebar mount by Armin Samii create an affordable bike camera that helps gather crash data to keep riders safer (33:30).

Disc brakes explained by Jim Cadenhead of Battle Road Bikes in Lexington, Massachusetts (47:12).

Taylor bikes in the rain to LA Bikefest to talk with LA Bicycle Advisory Committee’s car-free Jennifer Gil and to World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims with Rob Kadota and Streets Are For Everyone founder Damian Kevitt (2:08).

News: LA City Controller makes an app where you can see the where LA budget goes https://budget.lacontroller.app, the USDOT declares it won’t fund biking, walking, or trains, the LA River bike path design and timeline is contested, there’s an aluminum velodrome in Tucson, and a Wyoming and Idaho bike/ski trail would complete the 180 mile Greater Yellowstone Trail network (10:50).

Email: “Skirting the Negativity Pit;” Rick Bosacker, MD on the disconnect between the positivity of cycling and the negative responses from online trolls. Rick writes that bike advocates may fail to speak out because of “pluralistic ignorance” (15:48).

Bike Touring and camping gear and bike recommendations from Josh Bowden of Adventure Cycling (17:48).

The Hierarchy of Cycling Needs: Charlie interviews Lisbon researcher Rosa Felix on her modeling of people’s self-assessed propensity to bicycle (40:48).

Bikes For All volunteer Craig Smith introduces the bike charity that gives bikes to people who need them (51:58).