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

Nick and Taylor ride Joe Borfo’s Tandem in Griffith Park

Latest Episode

26/21 Bike People Are The Best

May 29, 2026

Taylor meets a guardian angel, Sherry, who breaks wind for him on her ebike, and her partner Cindy, who drive him and his bike 60 miles

1:29

Taylor meets a good bike Samaritan, Henry

7:30

News: Our first look at transportation reauthorization, a Massachusetts Micromobility Bill, San Jose cyclists may soon have to share bike lanes with DoorDash delivery robots, and LA says it needs six more years, more staff for mobility projects that got $100M from state

10:07

Will protected bike lanes and pedestrian features on Chicago’s Archer Avenue survive the impatience of drivers through the construction process? -With Dixon Galvez-Searle of the Southwest Collective.

12:40

How San Francisco is responding to a 32% growth in biking and ebikelash in the state of California, with Robin Pam of Streets For All, Brett Thurber of The New Wheel, and Claire Amable, Advocacy Director of the SF Bicycle Coalition.

29:45

Taylor talks with Hiker Lars and biker Hugh in Humbug State Park. All three took advantage of “hike and bike,” California parks’ inexpensive, no-reservation policies.

45:02

bikelash, bikepacking, bikepeople, protected
26/20 What We’re Up Against

May 22, 2026

Taylor’s Ride.

Taylor tours the Marin Museum of Bicycling and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame with Ross, the Curator.

6:40

Taylor interviews the Elk County Postmaster, WarmShowers.org host Judy Bonney.

12:32

Two anti ebike bills were defeated in California. With Kendra Ramsey, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition

17:06

News: Sacramento deploys AI in parking enforcement vehicles to detect bike lane violations.

Illinois transportation bills aim to address speeding and bicycle safety.

NYC is transforming 10 miles of roadway in Brooklyn into giant ‘bike boulevards’.

Mexico City sex workers oppose the World Cup bike lane.

21:47

We must change the incentive for a driver to flee a hit and run while under the influence, says Jim Pocrass, our bike lawyer.

24:24

A third option with more trees, fewer cars, and not as many through streets for NYC’s Park Avenue redesign, by Miser, Micromobility NYC Reddit Moderator. With Gersh Kuntzman, Streetsblog NYC Editor.

30:15

ebikelash, hitandrun, redesign, tour
26/19 Bike The World

May 15, 2026

Despite fierce opposition from Beverly Hills NIMBYs, the Los Angeles D Line can now take you from Downtown LA to Beverly Hills faster than anything except a helicopter, Joe Linton, Streetsblog LA Editor, reports. As proof, Streetsblog LA will host a race between a cyclist, a driver, and a D Line rider.

3:15

Stacey’s News:

It’s now illegal to block bike lanes statewide in Colorado. Police in one Colorado town launch a tool to report illegal E-bike and motorbike activity. Amazon stops illegal e-bike sales in California.

11:35

Taylor gets one last session on bike tour readiness before his SF to Michigan ride from the Adventure Cycling Customer Experience Coordinator Josh Bowden.

17:10

P.L. and Kristen Meindertsma of Cycle 5 To Survive are making good on their pledge to bike five continents over five years while raising $500,000 from each of 5 different charities.

31:22

Bridge Street Elementary parents Lauren Kaskey and Howard Moore start a bike bus to their Northampton, Massachusetts elementary school for Walk, Bike and Roll Day.

47:55

With Bike Talk co-host and Livable Communities Initiative co-founder Lindsay Sturman.

bikebus, bikelanes, touring, transit
26/18 Up With Independent Bike Shops, Justice For Cyclists, Making Our Own Bike Plan, and The Kittie Knox Plays

May 8, 2026

Taylor’s Tour from SF to Mackinaw Island, from his daughters to his dad, begins May 16 at 8am. You’re invited.

Mechanics Dani and Paola at independent LA Cyclery help Taylor get his bike ready for the tour when corporate shops wouldn’t (4:30).

Stacey’s News: Seattle pays injured cyclist $9.25 million for poorly designed bike lanes, Richmond VA ticketing for parking in bike lanes, Santa Monica launches automated cameras to detect bike lane violations, The New York City Mayor’s office unveiled a Design to Put the ‘Park’ Back in Park Avenue, with a two-option survey; and Mamdani joins cyclists for 40-mile Five Boro Bike Tour across NYC (9:49).

UC Davis’ “Justice 4 Lincoln” group demands separated and protected bike lanes and pedestrian corridor, a “Lincoln Loop,” where UC Davis student Lincoln Sabini was killed by a car driver. With Aaron Shaw 13:30.

Taylor and Nick discuss whether a mother’s criminal liability for her son’s e-moto killing of an elderly man is justified, and whether our concern is proportionate to the percentage of traffic deaths involving ebikes with our bike lawyer, Jim Pocrass (24:24).

The worst bike lane contest, bike month, and taking charge of designing complete streets in Pasadena with Jonah Kanner of the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition (30:23).

The Kittie Knox Plays “in place” (and on bikes) dramatize the story of the 21 year old bi-racial African American woman seamstress and cycling enthusiast. Winner of the League of American Bicyclists’ Kittie Knox Award, Kittie Knox Plays playwright Patrick Gabridge talks bikes and history from Northampton, Massachusetts (45:10).

history, protected, tour, trafficviolence
26/17 Bikes Win In The End

May 1, 2026

Washington D.C.’s Bike Advocacy Group, WABA, wins its fight to protect “America’s Bike Lane” from removal by the federal government. Washington Area Bicyclist Association Advocacy Director Kallie Krumpos reports (3:10).

At the California Bike Summit April 23–24, advocates met with legislators to champion safer streets and better bike infrastructure. CalBike Executive Director Kendra Ramsey reports on the Summit (10:45).

A sampling of Bike Month events in California, including the LA River Ride. Bike Week rides in Western Massachusetts include bike breakfasts, the Great Tree Ride, and an “Intergenerational Ride.” In Detroit, Michigan, the Pushing Pedals Sunday Ride supports black-owned restaurants (16:15).

Anyone who wants to join Taylor for a leg of his upcoming San Francisco-to-Michigan tour, please let us know (18:15).

Omaha, Nebraska Launches Free, All-Electric Bikeshare For Residents. UC Davis students push for bike safety changes following a bicyclist’s death. For Earth Day, the Trump Administration announces its “Freedom to Drive” Initiative To Expand Highways Across America. E-bikes, e-motos, and other micromobility devices are in a legal gray area in Massachusetts (19:47).

The Car Harm study by corresponding author Patrick Miner finds that cars are destructive to every aspect of life. With Patrick and Bike Talk listener Kevin Grishkot (23:30)

The venerable La Grange bike club of Los Angeles joins forces with The Challenged Athletes Foundation. Taylor talks with challenged athlete coach Deb Carabet of the La Grange Bike Club (41:13).

bikelash, disability, protected, tour
26/16 Bikepartisanship

April 24, 2026

Taylor talks with featured advocate Bronwyn Brightener and Director Ben Wolf of the documentary Changing Lanes about the contested Road Diet on McGuiness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (2:15).

Eric Brightwell, host of the Nobody Drives in LA podcast, at the Changing Lanes screening (7:19).

A concerned listener and bike safety designer/advocate, Abe a.k.a. Sundance, offers his “lane saber,” a light-up safety flag/space bar, for Taylor’s May trip up Highway 1(9:18).

The second installment of a series on Gloria Ines getting a bike. Taylor and Gloria decide that Taylor will give her a bike to fix up at a bike co-op, the Los Angeles Bike Oven (15:38).

Listener Email: Solidarity for Taylor’s ride through Minneapolis from Brett McGraw, another biker who wears backpacks, Nietifa Van Suiker on Bluesky, and another vote for more ebike power from BirdmanStevens, also on Bluesky (18:38).

News: Cycling Data is now available on Google Earth, Prague has built a bridge just for cyclists, pedestrians, trams and buses, Cologne will also rebuild a bridge just for bicycles and trams, and NYC Mayor Mamdani announces an immediate overhaul for cyclists and pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge (20:51).

In Northampton, Massachusetts, complete streets opponents are claiming that fixing the unsafe downtown streets will hurt the town’s kids by taking money from schools. Proponents of the Picture Main Street redesign say most of the money comes from a Department of Transportation grant, not the city. Also, where are kids supposed to go after school? Math teacher Ray Paquette, a bike rider who’s an active member of the Northampton teacher’s union, NASE, along with Northampton Strong Towns members Jen Nery and Benjamin Spencer (22:38).

72nd st. on New York City’s Upper West Side will get a two-way protected bike lane, converting four lanes of traffic to two, thanks to Mayor Mamdani’s Department of Transportation. Taylor talks to Carl Mahaney, Director of Streetopia Upper West Side (39:38).

Why is CicLAvia, Los Angeles’ open streets event, so great? CicLAvia Chief Strategist Tafarai Bayne contextualizes the next event, on LA’s West Side April 26 (54:14).

bikelane, bikelash, openstreets, tour
26/15 Bike Bus, Bike Tour, Bike City, Bike Sport

April 17, 2026

A school bike bus is recognized by the Burbank, California City Council for promoting safe, active Transportation. With Alfonso Directo, Jr. Advocacy Director of Act-LA and Roosevelt Elementary School parent (2:53).

Bike Films: “Major Taylor: Champion of the Race” Earns National News & Documentary Emmy Award Nomination (9:40).

“Changing Lanes,” a documentary about the conflict over a protected bike lane in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on McGuinness Boulevard. Taylor talks with the Director of Changing Lanes, Ben Wolf (10:28).

Listener Email: Julian disputes Asha Weinstein’s take on high powered bikes from Bike Talk’s 26/12 episode (15:04).

Stacey’s (Charlie’s) News: Jersey City Approves First Protected Bike Lane in The Heights Along Franklin Street. The City of Detroit makes bike lane data available to all riders online. Local Cyclists Fund Their Own Bike Lane Sweeper as City Fails to Maintain Infrastructure (18:25).

An urban planner running for the City Council of Glendale on safe streets and active transportation, Alek Bartrosouf (20:39).

The Spring Classics 2026 with Dane Cash of the Escape Collective (32:50).

Coffee and bikes (53:32).

A bill to cap NY Citibikes at the price of a bus or subway ride by NYC Councilmember Lincoln Restler (54:35).
26/14 Biking Is Not a Crime

April 10, 2026

Taylor plans a May bikepacking trip from San Francisco to Michigan.

A listener explains why she uses a backpack instead of panniers, and Tim Dyet’s review says “everyone gets a seat at the (Bike Talk) table.” (5:15)

The Safe Speeds Act will require the CSPC to distinguish ebikes from illegal emotos, if passed. However, the CSPC, charged with protecting consumers from things like exploding e-bike batteries, was gutted by the Trump administration for regulating lithium ebike batteries. Caron Whitaker, Deputy Director of the League of American Bicyclists, explains (8:04).

Stacey’s Charlie’s News: Federal legislation addresses e-moto issue. 85 bikes seized after authorities stop planned Bay Bridge takeover. 8-year-old girl on bicycle dies after colliding with car in Charlotte, CMPD says. Guardian Bikes wants children’s bikes made in the U.S.A. — and tariffs against rivals (15:26).

The Mamdani administration has reversed the Adams administration policy of criminalizing ebikes. Oonee bike storage founder Shabazz Stuart and Streetsblog NYC reporter Sophia Lebowitz put it in context (18:21).

Terence Heuston spent ten years fighting for Sunset For All, a protected bike lane on the famous arterial Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Now he’s burned out, because the city spends too much time seeking community input on data-supported street safety designs that save lives (37:00).

ebikes, emotos, protected
26/13 Bikeside at the National Bike Summit

April 3, 2026

Hands Off DC bike lanes, says the Washington Area Bicyclists Association in the face of the Trump administration’s intention to remove a key part of their bike network. Kalli Krumpos, Advocacy Director, gives WABA’s perspective (2:34).

Voices from the March 24-26, 2026 National Bike Summit in Washington, DC from bike messenger/reporter Joel Gwadz: Terry Lansdell, ED of Walk Bike North Carolina, Niles Barnes, Deputy Director of East Coast Greenway Alliance, Natasha Smith, Coordinator of Bike Walk Bowling Green in Kentucky, Patrick Martin, President of Bike ABQ in Albequerque, NM, Steven Hardy-Braz, a board member of BikeWalk NC, and Desiree Squire, Education Manager at Bike Durham in North Carolina (13:36).

Charlie’s News: Bike East Bay’s Celebrate Trails Day ride supports the Bay Skyway. Queensland may implement strict e-bike regulations. The T’s bus service will exceed pre-pandemic levels this spring. Emmanuel Grégoire has won the Paris mayoral election (23:22).

Los Angeles is finally adding 125 speed cameras (25:41).

Truck crash survivor Marianne Karth created the Stop Underrides Town Hall April 15 because she’s hoping lives will be saved by this commonsense legislation -already law in Europe- mandating sideguards on trucks (27:53).

“Which bike should I buy?” Taylor gets answers to the eternal question for Gloria Ines, who’s in the market, from Battle Road Bikes owner Jim Cadenhead (27:53).

bikelane, speedcam, summit
26/12 Bike More, Worry Less – E bikes and AVs

March 27, 2026

Taylor talks with Brent Muth at Ojai’s MOB bike shop and then at a farmer’s market with Annette, a member of the international nonprofit Cycling Without Age, which takes the elderly out for free bike rides (1:33).

The League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit (9:33).

Cambridge, Massachusetts has seen a 250% ridership increase over two decades, with a crash rate decrease. There will be a National Town Hall on April 15th for the Stop Underrides Act of 2026. Bike lanes next to the National Mall are set to be removed despite lower crash rates and faster car travel times. The NYPD will stop giving cyclists criminal summonses for minor offenses (10:18).

Listener Email: Terry Fitzgerald questions our “cyclists can do no wrong” approach, but gets Bike Talk stickers for a positive review on Apple (13:09).

A metastudy on how Autonomous Vehicles can be safer yet may increase Vehicle Miles Traveled and displace transit. With Farah Naz, University of Texas-Arlington, co-author of the study (16:05).

Bob Mittelstaedt and Asha Weinstein Agrawal discuss the Mineta Transportation Institute report on ebikes and an e-moto “rogues gallery” of illegal ebikes(31:28).

The irrational fear of ebikes in Massachusetts and a Micromobility report by MassBike, with Galen Mook, a.k.a. “Mookmaster Bikes,” the Executive Director of MassBike, and friend-of-the-show bike shop owner/mechanic Jim Cadenhead (49:34).

The study showing biking may reduce dementia (54:59).

AVs, ebikes, tour