Bike Talk - A radio show dedicated to the idea that for public and planetary health we need to prioritize public transportation by bikes

Latest Episode

Car Sinks, Vehicular Cycling, Blocked Lanes, Gravel Bikes, and World Naked Protest Rides

August 2, 2024

Taylor pays $1200 for his car’s damper pulley, which leads to a discussion of how cars are money sinks and we need universal mobility.
0:23

A listener email from Berkeley resident Benjamin Fry rekindles a debate on “vehicular cycling.”
6:20

Vehicular Cycling is part of the history of bike education. The Advocacy Director of Bike East Bay, Robert Printz, lays it down. Also, how Oakland unblocks bike lanes.
8:35

What gravel bike to buy, and where to ride gravel. A conversation with Taylor, who’s thinking of buying a gravel bike, and veteran bike advocate and founder of Gravel Bike California, Zachary Rynew.
22:23

Taylor talks to author Steve Hunt about the article Naked Protest and Radical Cycling: A History of the Journey to the World Naked Bike Ride.
38:30

Stacey’s Bike Thought
57:10

blockedbikelanes, carscost, gravelbike, vehicularcycling, WNBR
Suing Cities for Blocking Bike Lanes, Bike Philosophy, and Project 2025’s Bike/Ped Plans

July 26, 2024

Taylor’s Colorado bike trip included electronic shifting; also, practicing bike salutes.

Can we sue cities over blocked bike lanes? Attorney James Pocrass answers in his Legal Moment.
6:54

What’s more philosophical, road biking or commuting? Nick comes to Jesus Ilundáin, co-editor of Cycling: Philosophy for Everyone, for a tour of the mind.
17:10

The Conservative Heritage Foundation’s outline for a Trump presidency, Project 2025, would mean no federal money at all for bike/ped or transit projects. Caron Whitaker, Deputy Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists, reports.
35:26

How do we know Middle Aged Men In Lycra aren’t bike advocates? A listener asks, and it sends Taylor, Anne Marie, and Nick on a wild ride.
44:00

The Term Middle Aged Men In Lycra is both ageist and body shaming, Anne Marie concludes.
57:37

Bike Talk Stories, our Google Group and In Memoriam: George Christensen, Dr. Barbara Friedes, Jacob Ramirez, Rob Jenner
58:30

Stacey’s “Deep” Bike Thought
1:02:22

2025, advocacy, blockedlane, lawsuit, philosophy
Riding for Redemption, Community, and Strong Towns

July 19, 2024

Airing the grievances of bike haters can be an effective strategy as long as we’re not equally crazy, says Charles Marohn, Strong Towns founder, in our webinar “Podcasting for Bike Advocates.”
0:40

Biking ski slopes in summer, and other highlights of Taylor’s family trip to Colorado and Utah.
2:55

Andy May returned to cyclocross racing less than a year after losing a leg. He’s still riding and racing, and works for a company that makes prosthetics.
8:08

It’s hot. Especially in cities, because of the “heat island” effect.
22:53

Detroit’s huge weekly social ride, “Slow Roll,” is the closest thing to world peace, according to our correspondent and Slow Roll leader Reo.
25:58

LA’s All City Co-ops Ride connected LA’s major bike co-ops, Bicycle Kitchen, Bike Oven, and Bikerowave, as well as Bici Libre, Ride On, and LA Bike Academy. Interviews by Anne Marie with Bike Oven cook Joe Borfo and riders Anna, Vicente, and Ida.
26:54

A bit more about social rides.
37:32

Strong Towns’ new Northampton, Massachusetts chapter talks about getting bikeable, walkable streets and more “workforce” housing. With Danielle McKahn and Benjamin Spencer.
39:05

Stacey’s Bike Thought
55:58

collectives, socialrides, strength, survival
Bike Messagers

July 11, 2024

Gear Ratios Explained by Joe Lindsey and Anne Marie Drolet (advanced intermediate).

How the Tour de France inspires Taylor Nichols to draft behind strangers-and how they react.
6:03

The symbolism of a bicycle in your dreams, according to “Dreamapp.”
7:38

Two weeks into the Tour de France, and it’s one of the most interesting and competitive races in years, according to Joe Lindsey, bike writer.
10:53

Are high profile bike sports good for active transportation advocacy?
Also: wearing the MAMIL (Middle Age Men In Lycra) epithet as a badge.
29:30

Reframing the mainstream narrative around road safety, road violence and active transportation with Tom Flood.
35:39

Stacey’s Bike Thought
58:50

activetransportation, drafting, dreams, gears, mamil, messaging, tourdefrance
Let Freedom Ride

July 5, 2024

Let Freedom Ride
Anne Marie’s bike packing trip to Point Mugu State Park.

The inexplicable bike hate of James Clarke in Glendale, California balanced by defenders of mode choice and street safety, Glendale Councilmember Dan Brotman and California Assemblyperson Laura Friedman.

5:25

Upcoming group rides in Detroit with guest Reo Ramsey, President of Detroit’s Motown Trailblazerz ride.

29:10

The Grand Fundo in Western Massachusetts and The All City Co-op Ride in Los Angeles
32:27

Anne Marie’s audio from LA’s recent Critical Mass, with etymology of the name.
33:13

A Complete Streets Bill, SB 960, passed the California Assembly that would use highway money to facilitate biking and walking as choices along with driving in California. California Bike Coalition Policy Director Jared Sanchez gives the timelines and details of the bill.
37:35

Biniam Girmay became the first Black African rider and first Black cyclist from any continent to win a Tour de France stage.
40:35

John St. Angelo writes us an email about his 1,1750 mile ride from Kansas City To Bristol, RI for his 60th high school reunion.
45:04

A bike lane sweeper has been invented by Pierre Lermant that hooks up like a bike trailer to clear debris from bike lanes.
47:27

Stacey’s Bike Thought
57:40

bikelanesweeper, bikelash, bikepacking, co-oprides, completestreets, criticalmass, electeds, freedom, grandfundo, motown, rides, tourdefrance
Bike Church

June 28, 2024

Voices from CicLAvia in South Los Angeles, where public spaces and health were reclaimed for a day through car-free streets.
5:43

Cycling Past 50: how older adults will need to adapt to their changing cycling abilities with older adult mobility and wellness researcher and Executive Director of dblTilde CORE, Carol Kachadoorian.
22:47

Teaching adults to ride with Rob Kadota, Chair of the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee.
35:43

Racer and bikepacker Adin Maynard describes a route in the heart of Western Massachusetts he designed for Bikepacking.com.
44:32

Stacey’s Bike Thought
108:32

bikepacking, ciclavia, community, oldercyclists, openstreets, southla wnbr
Pedalpalooza

June 21, 2024

The Bicycle Film Festival in the Berkshires, with local organizers Nick Russo and Alison McGee. Also, Olympic mountain bike champion Lea Davison on her film “You Can’t Do it Alone” on coming out and the Unbound gravel race.
2:03

What’s Pedalpalooza? A festival of bike fun in Portland, 20 year volunteer organizer Megan Sinott explains.
10:56

Cyclists’ Personal Injury Attorney Jim Pocrass on the problem of hit and runs.
20:45

Taylor asks Chris Bruntlett, coauthor of Curbing Traffic and Building the Cycling City, “how did the Netherlands get so bike friendly?”
32:50

Stacey’s bike thought.
57:26

berkshires, bff, bikefilms, bikefriendly, gravel, hitandruns, mtb, netherlands, pedalpalooza, unbound
Families for Safe Streets

June 14, 2024

NY Governor Hochul’s abrupt and catastrophic turnaround on congestion pricing leaves people who live in NYC with all the costs of cut-through traffic, and none of the money that would have funded transportation. Taylor, Nick and Anne Marie talk with journalist Charles Komanoff and Transportation Alternatives Communications Director Alexa Sledge.
3:24

Taylor talks with Families for Safe Streets members who confront the preventable epidemic of traffic violence by advocating for life-saving changes and providing support to those who have been impacted by crashes. With Laura Fredricks, Jay Hightman, Lindsay Caron, and Grandma Beverly Shelton.
28:52

Stacey’s Bike Thought
1:00:00

congestionpricing, Familiesforsafestreets, trafficviolence
The Art of Cycling

June 7, 2024

Voices from the West Hollywood Pride Ride.
2:36

Can a victim of hit and run sue for PTSD? Los Angeles cyclist Aaron Lipstadt consults Jim Pocrass, a personal injury attorney specializing in bikes.
13:34

The Art of Cycling: Philosophy, Meaning, and a Life on Two Wheels, by James Hibbard, is about Western philosophy and the limits of rational thinking, being on track for the Olympics, and doping in elite sport.
23:28

Voices from a kids’ Bike Rodeo by Safe Routes To Schools in the town of Worthington, Massachusetts.
48:08

Stacey’s Bike Thought
54:15

bikerodeo, hitandrun, philosophy, photogallery, pride, ride, rights, saferoutestoschool, safestreets
Killed by a Traffic Engineer

May 31, 2024

Taylor’s European bike interviews: Rome “didn’t get the memo” on safe streets for bicyclists, while Barcelona’s Superblocks are awesome as advertised.
1:14

Wes Marshall shatters the delusion that science underlies our transportation system in a new book, “Killed by a Traffic Engineer.”
12:50

Seattle gets its first protected, “Dutch-style” intersection; Winnipeg doesn’t. Boardmember of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and co-leader of Queen Anne Greenways Mark Ostrow talks about Seattle bike advocacy’s long game with Winnipeg Bike Mayor and Board Director of Bike Winnipeg Patty Wiens.
39:06

Stacey’s bike thought
54:21

barcelona, BikeMayor, engineer, photogallery, rome, seattle, superblocks, traffic, winnipeg