Ben and Bikes

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Colorado's Professional Bike Race May 28, 2017

Show notes

Editorial Note: In this podcast it is inadvertently mentioned that the race that precedes the Colorado Classic is the Tour of California, it should be the Tour of Utah.

7 years ago, I stood on the steps of Colorado’s Capital Building, along with 4,000 other cycling enthusiasts, to witness the birth of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Quite possibly the longest and hardest to pronounce name in sporting event history, this marked the return of professional cycling to Colorado since the heady days of the Coors Classic which ran from 1980 to 1988 and before that the Red Zinger.

Sadly, this event was not to last

Scroll forwards to 2016 and rumours began to circulate that there was a new team in town, represented by RPM Events, an investment team that includes Denver’s Gart Family and local philanthropist Ben Walton (grandson of Sam Walton) with the goal of resurrecting a Professional bike race in Colorado and soon it was announced that this race would be called the Colorado Classic. Not only a bike race, but also a huge music festival, all under the banner of Velorama Colorado.

The event will run from August 10-13, have 4 race stages in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge and Denver, the 3 day music festival, based in Denver’s hip and trendy RiNo district will feature headline acts such as Death Cab for Cutie & Wilco.

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Velorama

Visit the Colorado Classic Web Site

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One Man's Return From Tragedy May 14, 2017

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In June 2007, Jamie Osborne was doing the one thing that listeners to this podcast love to do. Riding a bike. Nothing more, nothing less. He was on a lunch ride with colleagues, the same as he had countless times before.

Things were getting a little competitive, the lead group’s pace increasing to 25 miles per hour. Jamie, ever so slightly the competitive and self driven type, found himself off this pace and dug deep within himself to catch up. Next came the unimaginable. His bike’s frame failed and broke in two places resulting in a partially severed spinal cord.

Listen to us discuss the accident, his long road to recovery and his life today.

It is a remarkable story of courage, fortitude and overcoming tragedy with a winning mindset.

His book, "Will Your Way Back" is available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.

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Will Your Way Back: How One Man Overcame Tragedy with a Winning Mindset $16.78 By James H. Osborne The broken bike

The Injury

Rehab

On the bike again

Skiing Again

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What it takes to build a mountain bike trail Apr 30, 2017

Show notes

On April 20th, I was on the 303 Trail Monitor Facebook page and saw that someone called James Kovaly had posted some pictures of a sign he had placed on one of the crown jewels of the trail system known as “Buffalo Creek” and this generated a storm of controversy.

The sign, sitting off to the side of what looks to be a 3 out of 5 switchback reads “Don’t Skid” “Skidding destroys the trail”. This was like red rag to a bull for many of the red blooded 303 Trail members who wrote comments like “I give it 5 years before we have stop lights and cops enforcing speed limits out there”

Listen to the two of us discussing why James, a leader within the COMBA organization, worked with the Forest Service to place these signs.

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COMBA's Web Site

COMBA's Annual Members' Party - May 18th

Details about Buffalo Creek

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What it's like to ride a recumbent bikes Apr 15, 2017

Show notes

Back on February the 4th I was riding my road bike on a favourite loop near my house. I was about to hit a Strava segment named “Short Grind’ , given that it’s on a little kicker of a hill, when about 400 yards ahead of me I see something in the bike lane, that I can’t quite make out. As I get closer I pick out a small flag waving like the lure of angler fish. Closer still and I make out the unmistakable image of someone riding a recumbent bike. I pull alongside and attempt to have a conversation with the pilot. He’s a little out of breath to have a long chat so I keep going to the top of the hill and wait for him there.

Thank goodness Jeff didn’t think I was some kind of axe murderer, and just to prove my theory that 90% of people are inherently good, he asked me if I was OK. At that point I told him that I run a podcast called Bikes And…and that I’d always wanted to interview someone who rides a recumbent bike. We traded information and a few emails later, a little cajoling from me, and I am so excited to welcome him to this podcast.

Links to organisations and companies mentioned in this episode of Bikes And...are listed below the photos.

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Lightning Bikes

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A bike ride ends in violence Apr 01, 2017

Show notes

Editorial Note: In this podcast Andrew described the attack taking place on the north facing side of North Table Mesa. It was actually the south facing side.

Last week end, news began to spread, here along Denver’s Front-Range biking community about a mountain biker who had been assaulted on a popular bike trail near Golden, the North Table Mountain Trail.

Most of us who live here realise that if you add the amazing access we all have to incredible trail systems to Denver’s growing populations, there is inevitable conflict between bikers, riders, runner, horse riders and hikers and dog walkers. Pressure on these trails can be significant but conflicts are typically resolved in one way or another, but this incident went way beyond a few curt words and maybe an exchanged middle finger.

Nobody owns the trails, and courtesy among trail users is assumed. In this situation, the rider was physically assaulted, pulled to the ground, kicked, punched and his bike damaged.

Links to organisations and companies mentioned in this episode of Bikes And...are listed below the photos.

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Jefferson County's Victim Outreach

Drunk Cyclist Web Site

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The Filmed by Bike Festival Mar 19, 2017

Show notes

In this Podcast, I’m joined by Ayleen Crotty, the founder and Festival Director of “Filmed by Bike” a Portland, Oregon Film Festival held every year at the historic Hollywood Theatre.

From May 5th – 7th the 15th Filmed by Bike Festival showcases documentaries, animation and scripted features that are not only shown to the local audience, but are also distributed around the country and the world for communities that want to host their own film festivals, spreading the word of bike advocacy and helping people understand that riding a bike is not all about improving your Strava time, but more about just plain old community and having fun.

Links to organisations and companies mentioned in this episode of Bikes And...are listed below the photos.

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“Race Across America” Lorenz Wetscher| Bavaria, Germany

“Dada | The Malagasy Trialist” Felix LaBlanc | Chambery, France

“Flashes of Altai” Joey Schusler | Boulder, CO

“Gorge Roubaix” Kenji Sugahara | Salem, Oregon

“Dada | The Malagasy Trialist” Felix LaBlanc | Chambery, France

The Filmed by Bike Website

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The Reach The Beach Bike Event Mar 05, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to double digits and Episode 10. The second in the series of Bikes and …Great Causes, an interview with Brian Mayo, Regional Director of Special Events at the American Lung Association who is the master coordinator of Reach The Beach, a bike event held in Portland, Oregon every year to raise money for the American Lung Association.

Also, Brian talks about the inaugural Washington State version of Reach The Beach.

Links to organisations and companies mentioned in this episode of Bikes And...are listed below the photos.

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Crossing the start line

En route

Bikes And...Bikes

They Reached the Beach!

The Pelican Pub...Heaven

The American Lung Association

Reach the Beach

The Pelican Pub

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Bikes and Beer - The Perfect Combination Feb 19, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 9. Bikes and…Beer and have I wanted to do this one since the beginning of the Bikes And…Podcast? Absolutely.

Bikes and Beer go together like Fish and Chips, Apple Pie and Ice Cream and Chips and Dip. For many people, the idea of grabbing a beer after a day in the saddle is one the things that motivates you to keep rolling up and down the trail. My friends at the Velominati (Episode 6) have devoted Rule #47 to the idea of the intertwined nature of bikes and beers – “Beer is a recovery drink, an Elixir for post ride trash talking, and a just plain excellent thing to pour down the neck”.

There are, of course, many beers to choose from, but me for there really is only one company that produces my go to malted adult beverage, and that is Oskar Blues.

Links to organizations and companies mentioned in this episode of Bikes And...are listed below the photos.

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What's Your Tipple?

Evolution

Beer...Here

The Receptionist

Oskar Blues

Reeb Bikes

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Riding a Bike and Being a Parent Feb 05, 2017

Show notes

For this Podcast we’re back at the Blue Spruce Brewing Company, the location for Episode 2's podcast Bikes And…Community. The story of one man’s quest to recover his stolen Yeti. Thank you to them as ever. As a reminder the Blue Spruce Brewery is located at 4151 E County Line Road in Centennial, CO and offers its own ales on tap & classic pub fare, plus open mic & music events.

Today I’m joined by the Schmidt family, Chris, Jessica and their 8 month old son Carter. Both Chris and Jessica are avid mountain bikers and balancing that passion with that of being a parent can be a tall order. They have managed to adjust their lives around the arrival of young Carter and were kind enough to offer to share their experiences, lessons learned and stories about how this adjustment has happened.

In other words, if they can do it, so can you!

Links to organizations and companies mentioned in this episode of Bikes And...are listed below the photos.

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The Blue Spruce Brewing

Yeti Beti

The Little Bellas

The Golden Giddyup

The Bailey Hundo/Hundito

Yeti Bikes

Santa Cruz Bikes

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The Rules of Riding A Bike Jan 07, 2017

Show notes

The Velominati, Keepers of the cog, sacred order of the cycling disciple who spend their days committed to poring over the essence of cycling to understand how it makes up the sport’s colourful fabric. This, they believe is the Velominati's reason to be.

They are so passionate about these beliefs that they have detailed them in a book called “The Rules” – 95 of them in fact, that talk to the way of the cycling disciple and available on Amazon.

Some of you may already know about the 5th rule or The Five. If you don’t know, I suggest you buy the book.

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The Rules: The Way of the Cycling Disciple $13.85 By The Velominati Rule #16 - Respect the jersey

Rule #21 Cold weather gear is for cold weather

Rule #55 Earn your turns

Diebolt Brewery

Alaskan Brewing Company

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