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Wheels and Beyond
By Ben DurhamSociety & Culture
Wheels and Beyond episodes
- avid cyclist won't bike to the grocery store - with Fred Chagnon (ep17)
Fred Chagnon is a Randonneur (long-distance cycling sport) and avid cyclist in London, Ontario, Canada. I wanted to chat with him because he's also an avid listener of this podcast, but also “technically” not part of my target demographic – he's a MAMIL (Middle Aged Man In Lycra).
But even though he's a capable and confident cyclist who WANTS to be a utility cyclist, he still finds that there are so many barriers, even for him.
Grocery store runs and restaurant visits? Those are fairly difficult because he doesn't want to leave his bike outside, locked to a dinky little locking post.
As for danger, as a Dad of two sons, he's not one to put himself in unnecessary danger. So, as we hear in this episode, he will drive instead of ride for errands and other outings when cycling infrastructure that is lacking so much that it puts him in mortal danger.
We go over a lot more, too!
Get early access to videos and exclusive behind-the-scenes content access to our extensive brainstorming sessions, full interviews, and video commentaries over at https://www.patreon.com/bendurham
Do you have an insider tip or unique information on a story? Do you have a suggestion for a story you want me to cover? Submit via email: [email protected]
• where to find me •
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bendurham.ca
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bendurham.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenDurham.ca
Website: https://bendurham.ca
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SUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC1868
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id1761207261
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⌚ CHAPTERS ⌚
00:00 Intro / Randonneuring / Levels of Traffic Stress
11:45 concerns with utility cycling / bike parking
24:00 decision-making and planning / bicycle network
34:00 biking to school / normalizing biking
42:30 Hamilton Road / ghost bikes
47:30 commuting from Byron / theft prevention
01:02:00 driving is stressful / cycling reduces stress
1 hr 5 min - Bike Lane Bans? A City Councillor's Take - with Sam Trosow (ep16)
In this episode, City of London Ward 6 Councillor Sam Trosow and I dissect Bill 212. You probably know about it. And this was filmed in November 2024, so the now infamous last-minute 11-page addition of amendments hadn't even happened yet. We obviously talk about a bunch of other things, too, but the municipal impact of Bill 212 is the primary thing we try to stick to.
Get early access to videos and exclusive behind-the-scenes content access to our extensive brainstorming sessions, full interviews, and video commentaries over at https://www.patreon.com/bendurham
Do you have an insider tip or unique information on a story? Do you have a suggestion for a story you want me to cover? Submit via email: [email protected]
• where to find me •
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bendurham.ca
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bendurham.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenDurham.ca
Website: https://bendurham.ca
================
SUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC1868
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id1761207261
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⌚ CHAPTERS ⌚
00:00 Intro
00:21 Guest Introduction and Background
02:01 Discussion on Local Environment and Infrastructure
07:30 Concerns About Bill 212
14:37 Analysis of Bill 212's Implications
23:39 Impact on Municipal Planning and Active Transportation
34:50 Public Participation and Community Engagement
62:54 Conclusion and Future Considerations
1 hr 9 min - Mom combines daily exercise and commute - with Bayley Inniss (ep15)
Today we have Bayley Inniss on as our guest! She's a first year PhD student in health promotion at Western University who bikes to and from campus with her children as a means to stay active and cut down on her carbon emissions.
She wants to help people see that bike commuting CAN be the easy choice, possibly even easier than taking your car, especially when you can just avoid rush hour traffic entirely by not contributing to it!You'll find her on the roads of London trying to be a cycle commuting role model and inspiring others to give bike commuting a shot!We cover a bunch of topics, including:- How getting kids AND adults to be more active would improve everyone’s lives for so many reasons… including better focus and better sleeps- How she bike-commutes on an acoustic bike while towing her kids in the trailer!- The lack of driver awareness- How biking is so, so possible for so many people- Skipping traffic- And much more!Have a watch/listen ✌––––––––SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/bendurhamSUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC1868» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id176120726141 min - Bike Lanes Keep Me Safe - with Sheryl Rooth (ep14)
Today we have Sheryl Rooth as our guest! This is episode 14 of the Wheels and Beyond Podcast, this time recorded over on the second level of the Covent Garden Market, here in London, Ontario, Canada.
Sheryl's a lifelong resident of London, Canada, has been married to John for 35 years, and has two grown children. She's a Commissioner with the London Transit Commission (London's transit/bus commission) for the last ten years... and for the last five years, she’s been an avid cyclist! That means she gets around on two wheels for commuting, shopping, errands, doctor’s appointments, recreation, and just… everything. Pretty much!Every time she hops on her bike, she explores new parts of the city that are straight-up inaccessible from the seat of a car. She’s found a new freedom and confidence from cycling that she didn’t know she had, especially because arthritis in her knee has recently reduced her ability to walk. But pedalling a bicycle is such a low-impact activity, that it’s given freedom back to her!In this episode, we talk about a range of topics, including:- How she’s seen more of London in the last 5 years bicycling than she saw in the previous 56 years!- How bike lanes have changed the way she moves around the city- How the Thames Valley Parkway has been an AMAZING experience,- How ladies who are over 55 years of age should definitely try getting out on a bike!- And much more!So grab a drink, maybe some food, and listen in on our chat about active transportation :)––––––––SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/bendurhamSUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC1868» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id176120726144 min - Family of 4 with 1 Car - with Andrea Loewen (ep13)Welcome to Episode 13 of the Wheels and Beyond Podcast! Today we have Andrea Loewen joining us as our guest!She’s a co-owner of a family medicine practice, here in London, Canada and the family doctor recruiter for London and Middlesex County.Their family is also the first national Live Net Zero winner and have worked tirelessly over the last TWENTY YEARS to reduce their environmental impact as well as their dependency and reliance on cars.She and her husband have gone from commuting over 2-hours EACH PER DAY to downsizing to having it so that their family of FOUR now have one car between all of them.They now primarily rely on a combination of an electric cargo bike, another “regular-looking” ebike, acoustic bikes, transit passes, and cabs.So, buckle up for one of the shorter episodes that I’ve recorded so far because we were on a time crunch with a meeting fast approaching! But that just means that this conversation is absolutely JAM PACKED with awesome tidbits like:- How after moving from Northern Manitoba, to Calgary, Andrea really started cycling out of necessity to save money in order to buy a home. And then how each and every home after that brought her closer to her dream of driving as little as possible!- How she brings her helmet into stores so that people know she biked there,- How it’s important to dress accordingly when riding bicycles for utilitarian use,- And much more!––––––––SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/bendurhamSUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC1868» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id176120726125 min
- Can Vancouver Keep Up? - with Nic Laporte (ep12)
Nic's a Vancouver-based content creator with a focus on micromobility and urbanism who joined me for a chat while in London, Canada. Specifically in Springbank Park :)
In this episode of the Wheels and Beyond Podcast, we chat about a bunch of stuff, but some include:- how Nic ended up moving from London to Vancouver,- getting around by bike in small towns versus big ones,- how London isn’t as bad as SOME PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET make it out to be- motornormativity- why it’s EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT to show up to council meetings and having your voice heard as someone who understands urbanism, at least a bitSo have a watch/listen :)Nic's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nicthedoor––––––––SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/bendurhamSUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC1868» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id176120726138 min - Will Bicycles Replace Cars? - with Hailey Tallman (ep11)
Hailey Tallman's never owned a car and that's shaped the way that she's built her life – from being able to travel the world without being tied down, to being able to buy her house. She does almost everything on her e-bike, and before that, her various bicycles :)
In episode 11 of the Wheels and Beyond Podcast, we chat about SO many incredible bicycle-related topics, and even SOME topics I bet you've never heard of before!Things like…- her AMAZING artwork that focuses on envisioning the world that we want to live in,- how not owning a car allowed her to save up for a down payment on her house- how bicycles are OBVIOUSLY the best post-apocalyptic vehicles,- how our society victimizes women and cyclists in similar ways – think “but what were they wearing?!” and this is something she longs to change for the better through how she lives her daily life.- and more topics like, walkability, super blocks, a CRAZY bike theft story, safety, risk aversion, cycling pretentious, and much more!All-in-all, cycling gives Hailey the freedom, happiness, and peace of mind that getting around by car never could.So have a watch/listen :)––––––––SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/bendurhamSUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC1868» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id1761207261⏰ APPROXIMATE TIMESTAMPS ⏰00:00 Introduction01:21 The Sun is setting01:40 Who is Hailey?02:00 Hamilton Road Pedestrian Zone03:00 Hailey's Art04:40 Post-Apocalyptic Vehicles 10105:40 Oil is powerful and we need to preserve it09:00 The Future is Eclectic Not Electric11:00 Ebikes expands your life15:00 Safety on the TVP22:00 What makes Hailey an outlier?25:40 What Were You Wearing? - Cyclists VS Women41:00 City staff are finally getting it42:00 Biking community in London Canada46:50 A joke and final thoughts49 min - Car Enthusiast Talks Sustainable Transportation - with Matthew Tremblay (ep10)
Matthew Tremblay is a mechanical engineering technologist and long-time friend, whose passion for all things transportation runs deep.
On Episode 10 of the Wheels and Beyond podcast, we dive into Matt’s unique approach to reducing his carbon footprint, even as a car commuter. Matt shares his strategy of buying and restoring well-used vehicles, and his recent adventure in building his own ebike—which came along with his diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.We also take a trip down memory lane to 2018, when Matt was the first person I turned to while building my own electric assist bicycle. But can his love for cars coexist with active transportation and public transit? Tune in to hear us debate whether a car enthusiast can truly support a more sustainable transportation future.SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/bendurhamSUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC1868» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id176120726140 min - Mom of 4 Kids Ditches SUV for a Cargo Bike - with Holly Evans (ep9)Holly Evans is a mom of four from London, Canada who swapped her luxury SUV for a cargo bike and never looked back.On Episode 9 of the Wheels and Beyond podcast, we talk about how she, her husband, and their daughters live a car-lite lifestyle, clocking in an impressive 10,000 kilometres over two years on their Urban Arrow cargo bike!From daily school runs to grocery hauls—with all four kids and even their dog in the cargo bucket—Holly shares how their family navigates the city by bike year-round.Tune in to hear how ditching the SUV has transformed their day-to-day life and sparked conversations about the freedom and feasibility of biking with kids.SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/bendurhamSUBSCRIBE to and RATE Wheels and Beyond on:» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wheels-and-beyond/id1761207261» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgnlWWDihE1WFvEEC186831 min
- Colombia VS Canada's Public Parks (and more) (ep8)
Today, we have Sebastian on as our guest for Episode 8 of the Wheels and Beyond Podcast. We sat and chatted on a bench under one of the only bits of shade that we could find in White Oaks Park.
Sebastian is an architectural technologist and urban planning graduate from Fanshawe College, here in London Canada and developed a passion for cycling at the start of the pandemic and hasn’t stopped ever since.And now he tries to do his 40-km round-trip commute to work as often as he can on his road bike.Having been able to live and travel to different places, he’s also got some interesting things to say about various aspects of everyday life in London, Montreal, Banff, and Bogotá, Columbia.So, in this episode, we cover topics like:- being a tourist in your own city,- park design,- street design,- being active,- bulldozing Montreal’s downtown,- building cities for people, not carsAnd far more than I can list here without it getting excessive!So have a listen :)––––––––This episode's guest: Sebastian MHost: Ben Durham🌟 Join my Patreon to get ad-free videos, behind-the-scenes content, and support the production of these podcasts: https://patreon.com/bendurhamFind me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bendurham.ca/Check out https://bendurham.ca to ground yourself and see what I'm up to.54 min
About Wheels and Beyond
From the publisher's feed
Wheels and Beyond is a podcast where conversations about safer streets, traffic reduction, and how people get around cities motivates us to keep building this awesome community of like-minded people!
Add in some urbanism, fairly deep conversations, and whatever else happens to pop up naturally along the way… and you’ve got the gist of our podcast!
And when I say “our”, I mean that I’ll be talking with a variety of guests, who, just like you and I, are just regular people living their everyday lives, doing everyday things!
This podcast also goes by Wheels & Beyond :)