There is only one word for my guest today and that word is hero!  And, Lynne Salvo is definitely one of mine.

Back in 2019, pre-covid of course, I spoke with Lynne as she was riding across Canada as the oldest woman to complete the trek coast-to-coast for a Guiness World Record.

Then, two days ago and ahead of the hurricane that was about to pummel Maine, Lynne completed her 2023 west-to-east ride to break a record set by another woman (under a completely different set of rules!) and break it she did, once again becoming the oldest woman to ride across the U.S. on a bike.

With her 74th birthday coming up September 21st, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Lynne as she rode into NE Ohio on August 27th.

It was like sitting down with an old friend and picking up where we might have left off decades ago – chatting and laughing and enjoying the company.

If you’d like to see her blog entries and daily videos, log on to lifeislikeabike.wordpress.com.

First up is a name that is synonymous with bicycles – I would venture to say that no one who listens to this podcast doesn’t know the name OR hasn’t had a bicycle with that name on the downtube at some point in his or her life.

And after a lifetime of living and breathing bicycles, Richard Schwinn has decided it’s time to retire and at the end of June, his Waterford Precision Cycles stopped taking new orders and prepared to close the business – which he did the following month.

Richard Schwinn and I have been friends and business colleagues for decades.  I am always interested in what he has to say and how he thinks about things and today, he shares his thoughts about his decision to retire and close Waterford,  who – if anyone – might fill the gap in what was a unique place in the custom bicycle business, and what the future might look like, including his ideas on eBike and what he calls “electronification.”

Then, I speak with Sergio Bravo, the producer of the Master Bike Builder’s Show that will take place September 16-17th in Bentonville, Arkansas.

As Bentonville continues to develop as a favorite destination for cyclists, Sergio is bringing a custom bike builder’s show to highlight artisans and their work in a beautiful outdoor setting.

With the absence of shows such as NAHBS and the NE Bike Builder’s Sho w, some regional options are beginning to fill the void and today, we speak with Sergio Bravo who decided that it might just time for a new Bike Builder’s Show. The MBBS will take place September 16 and 17th Bentonville, Arkansas.

Sometimes I wonder how I ever became so lucky as to be able to have conversations with the people I do, and this episode of the show highlights two of those people.

First up is Jennifer Boyd.

Jennifer is the founder of Boyd Productions,LLC, a documentary production company that prides itself on creating films that spark curiosity, connectivity, and societal change. Her multilingual, female-led team has more than 20 years of experience in filmmaking, music, television, and journalism.

Jennifer has produced and directed more than 25 documentaries on topics ranging from climate change to gun control. Good Morning America has called her work “groundbreaking.”

The doc – as she calls it –is called The Street Project.  The production is fascinating, the content relevant, and several of the people who are included in this film have been on the TOC podcast in the past.

The Street Project is a story about a massive movement across the world to reclaim our largest public spaces – namely, our streets. The film starts in NYC and looks at the issues of safety and the usage of space across the globe. With more than 40,000 cyclists or pedestrians killed across the world last year, Jennifer Boyd gives us a thorough examination of how the way we’ve used our public spaces and what has changed through the last ten decades.

Then, I speak with custom frame builder Dave Wages from Ellis Cycles.

You may remember that Dave cut his frame building teeth with Serotta and Waterford and now, both of those companies are gone. Dave will be with me in the second half of the show.

The bicycle business has its biggies – the Treks and Specialized and Canyons – and then it has the custom builders such as Richard Sachs, Peter Wiegel, and my guest today, Dave Wages.

Between those two bookends, there were companies such as Waterford Precision Bicycles and Serotta Custom Cycles.  These were shops that could produce a frame-to-order within a few weeks and might have a small staff that could turn out upwards of several hundred to perhaps a thousand frames per year.

Now, those mid-sized custom shops are mostly gone.

So I wanted to know what a builder who worked for shops like that and has since gone out on his own to produce his exquisite one-of-a-kind framesets thinks about the situation as well as what he sees going forward.

Dave’s insights are spot-on and I think you’ll appreciate what he has to say.

This episode of TOC offers up two very different topics.

First up is Matt de Neef.  He is the managing editor of Escape Collective, the online presence of independent cycling journalism.

I caught up with Matt just before Stage 1 of the Tour to chat about his article, In Pursuit of the UCI Overlord, published June 22nd on the Escape site. 

In his story, Matt details the shady goings-on of one Aaron Brown who, in 2012, disappeared with more than $70,000 of “other peoples’ money.”  That money was intended for a defense fund for Irish journalist Paul Kimmage.

Matt dove down the rabbit hole to find out what happened to the money and to Aaron Brown.  What he found will boggle your mind.

In the second half of the show, we’ll speak with Craig Della Penna. 

If you want to know anything about rail trails, he’s da man!  Our conversation today is about the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail System and what it is going to take to complete a 104-mile section in the northwest portion of the state.

Craig is the President of the Board of Directors at Norwottuck Network, as well as the Owner of Sugar Maple Trailside Inn in Florence, MA. He doesn’t just talk the talk!

In my last podcast, I mentioned my guest – Jenny Graham.  In 2018, she embarked upon and completed a round-the-world trip by bicycle.

This, however, was not just ANY trip – THIS was a Guinness World Record attempt and break the record she did – by 110 days!

Her story – from start to finish – is detailed in her new book, Coffee First, Then the World, which was just released in the States on June 13th.

Her telling of her story is extraordinary – the story itself is extraordinary – and our conversation is soooo much fun.

From the custom Shand Bicycle to her zip-bottom Endura bibs, Jenny doesn’t leave anything out of her story.

We talk about her wardrobe because, during her ride, she experienced all the seasons and ended up in the Southern Hemisphere in winter.  We talk about her fears – like bears crossing Canada.  And, we talk about how she raised the money to accomplish this amazing feat as well as what’s next for her.

Grab a beverage and find a comfy place.

This is a sort of special episode.

Beginning Tomorrow, June 17th, PL And Kristen Meindertsma will begin the first of 5 yearly journeys to raise a cumulative $2.5 for 5 charities over 5 continents.

PL and Kristen met at an Ironman competition in 2000, married, and have been working and raising their two children.

But, the call of the needs of people around the globe coupled with that desire to get back on the bike was the genesis of what has become a most unusual philanthropic event.

So, this conversation is their send-off!  And, I hope you’ll follow along.

You can follow them at cycle the number 5 to survive.com.

Not too long ago, we spoke with Paul Tolme, the communications director of the Cascade Bicycle Club headquartered in Seattle.

I was so taken with some of the programs this 10,000-member club is developing and implementing, that when Paul contacted me about the Pedaling Relief Project, which is reaching a huge milestone, as well as to update me on some of their legislative initiatives, I thought I’d share his news with you. 

Our conversation sort of began before I did the “formal intro” so, I figure we’ll just fade into it… he’s always raring to go!

I always take away such great information from the work Cascade is doing.  You can find out more about the Club, read the blog, sign up for any of their events, or learn about their many and varied programs at Cascade.org.

My second guest is the Washington Post’s award winning author Gretchen Reynolds.

Gretchen writes the “Your Move” column for the Post on Wednesdays.

Today, we’re going to talk about what sometimes happens with athletes who exercise at intense levels over long periods of time.  In her May 17th article, “When Too Much Exercise Is Bad for Your Heart,” Gretchentalks about a new study of ultra-endurance athletes which showed an unusually high incidence of AFib.

We’ll also discuss the benefits of exercising outdoors in green space. Turns out, it’s the best!

As promised the last time we spoke with him, Wayne Stetina, SRAM’s senior field guide, is back to school us on the new SRAM Eagle Transmission system.  In fact, you might want to take some notes.

From learning about cassette mapping to the simple installation of the chain, Wayne gives us the details in a clear and precise manner. 

The result though is in the riding and according to Wayne, the harder you pedal this new system, the easier it shifts. 

I really appreciate Wayne’s thoroughness in explaining the new system.  For more information about SRAM’s new Eagle Transmission you can log on to SRAM.com OR… better still, go to your LBS and ask to try one!

In the second half of the show, we welcome back Bike Cleveland’s executive director, Jacob Van Sickle.

Fresh from the National Bike Summit, Jacob fills us in on this year’s legislative asks including the tax credit for eBikes, and catches us up on what has and is about to happen in NE Ohio to improve biking and walking.

When I think back – decades really – to when I first heard about the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath project, it barely registered because it seemed so far away.  Yet, here we are! The Towpath project is finished – all the way into downtown Cleveland.

James Hibbard had a shot at being one of the top track and crit riders of his era, except, he wasn’t willing to take that one last step – he wasn’t willing to add a doping regimen to his training.

But that’s only one part of the conversation I had with James about his new book, The Art of Cycling, Philosophy, Meaning, and A Life on Two Wheels.

James is a philosopher – both in education – he has a PhD in th discipline, and in the way he views life, sport, and especially how we behave and think.

He uses cycling as a means to shed light on his beliefs of where we as a society are today.  He see us living in a detached disconnected virtual world – and he gives us insight into what living in a world where a tangible pursuit – such as cycling – might give us a new vitality by re-engaging with the world around us.

My thanks to James Hibbard for joining me today.  I hope you enjoyed our conversation.

His new book, The Art of Cycling, Philosophy, Meaning, and A Life on Two Wheels, is available for pre-order right now.  Publication date is May 2nd, and you can order from any of the usual places.

Our next episode with Wayne Stetina takes us to school – SRAM school – where we will learn all about the new SRAM Eagle Transmission system.  You listeners who like to geek out – will LOVE this!

My first guest is no stranger to TOC.  A couple of times a year, at least, I ask journalist and NYU professor, John Surico to join me and catch us up on what is happening in NYC. 

The reason I look to him and to NY is that he’s got his ear to the ground on everything from climate and sustainability to walking, biking, and advocacy plus a lot more. I like the way he thinks and especially what he talks about on his substack pages, Streetbeat.

In our conversation, I ask him what his students might be thinking about the field of journalism as the editorial and reporting landscapes continue to shift and morph – with fewer print papers and magazines, more controversial news outlets, so much misinformation, and the need for focus on relevant problems – like climate, cities, sustainability, and more.

John just completed a year working with the Central Park Conservancy to help explore how to keep the iconic park healthy and relevant while studying the park to see what climate change is doing to the trees, grass, and general environment.  He talks about two of the programs he worked on and how they might impact the park going forward.

His insights and observations always give me food for thought as I look at the issues facing NYC and how we mirror them across the country.

In the second half of the show, I welcome Paul Tolme, the communications manager and spokesperson for the Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle, Washington.

Several years ago, I spoke with a young PhD candidate out in Seattle about the work he was doing along with the Cascade Bicycle Club to have an inequitable helmet law repealed in the city.  The initiative worked, the law was repealed, and helmet use didn’t decline – win X 3.

Today, I speak with Paul about the organization itself – its amazing number of club members – 10,000 – and the statewide programs and events it offers.

In addition to the famous rides the club offers – the 44 year old iconic STP Ride (Seattle to Portland) and the RSVP – Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party,) as well as all the programs and tours offered, I don’t think any single fact was more impressive than a 10,000 member club roster.  Even though the club is a statewide organization, 10,000 members is mighty impressive.

With that kind of support, it is no wonder that Cascade is able to influence local and state legislators and planners to improve cycling and walking in Washington, develop great educational programs, like the one that is being implemented in schools, and organize one of the most iconic and enduring events in the country – The famous STP – Seattle to Portland ride – that will be held July 15th and 16th this year.