Ben And Bikes

There is a place where you can ride your bike that’s a cross between the French Alps and Hawaii. It rarely rains. It never really gets dark. It is never cold. It is never windy. There are no cars. You can always find friends from all over the world to ride with, or you can choose to ride by yourself. There are butterflies and Sloths and Mountain Goats and 1,000 foot waterfalls and you can ride through a volcano. Sound too good to be true, or maybe that I’ve been imbibing in too much of Colorado’s finest weed? Well, it’s all true, but I am missing out one really important fact. All this happens on a stationary trainer and, in my case, in my basement.Behold – Zwift. A new Verb added to the Oxford English Dictionary – To Zwift.Joining me today is Scott Barger, Zwift’s Co founder and Head of Member experience.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An interview with the founders of the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race and the Leadville Race Series, Ken Chlouber and Merilee Maupin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode is coming to you from Brooklyn and my guest is Seamus Mullen, an award winning New York Chef, author, a leading authority on health and wellness, and a cyclist.Seamus trained in Spain and, as they say, one thing led to another and he now operates two Spanish influenced restaurants, Tertulia (English translation – Social gathering) and a Tapas Bar called El Colmado (English translation – The Grocery Store).He is the author of Hero Food and Real Food Heals – But there’s a lot more to Seamus’s story that that.In 2007 Seamus Mullen was diagnosed with early onset Rheumatoid Arthritis.Some years after this diagnosis Seamus, found himself being described by an integrative doctor as a “hot mess”. Despite being at the top of the New York chef food chain, he was profoundly unwell, about 50 pounds overweight, in constant pain and taking some serious meds. He had been in this situation for about 10 years.As a result of a myopically planned diet, significant lifestyle changes and reco

For those of us who like to ride bikes, whether that be for commuting to work, riding with the kids to the park, trying to get King (or Queen) of the Mountain on that 7% bastard of a hill, or riding some sweet single track, People For Bikes have your backs. Visiting their web site – Peopleforbikes.org – will show you that 1.2 million people have registered with them. This podcast talks to those people who are not the shaved leg, Lycra clad, 1% uber athletes, and that is precisely who People for bikes represents.Joining me on this Podcast is Jenn Dice, PFB’s VP of Business Network and Government Relations. Jenn is a tireless crusader for bike advocacy, equally at home riding the Leadville 100 (future podcast episode) and navigating the halls of Government in DC.  Listen on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on GoogleJenn Dice in action See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Be On this podcastThe Bikes And Podcast's first international episode featuring an interview with Bidit Roy, Indian documentary film maker. I was introduced to Bidit by Ayleen Crotty of the Filmed by Bike Festival and subject of Episode 11.I talk with Bidit about his love of making documentaries, how they connect him to people who have a story to tell and his latest film. There are links to The Bicycle Maker,  which was featured in the Filmed by Bike Festival, On The Church Trail and his newest endeavour The Ride for Better India, below.Listen on StitcherListen on GoogleListen on iTunes See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I ride bikes, I hike and I fish, to name a few of my favourite outdoor pursuits. The common denominator is that all of these take place in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. The great outdoors represents a prescription, a healing place, both mentally and physically, providing me with the ability to escape from the stress and concerns of modern life, such is the power of adventure.But, what if what ails you was orders of magnitude greater than a bad day at the office, nose to tail traffic or a bounced cheque, what if you were struck down by cancer in the prime of your life, can a prescription for Outdoor Therapy provide you with the same opportunity for healing? The charity First Descents believes so. Their research shows that 100% of their participants reported increased ability to cope with cancer and it shitty effects.First Descents addresses what the National Cancer Institute identifies as a major determinant of long term survivorship; ongoing psycho-social supportive care. 

This episode comes to you from the Denver Headquarters of Guerrilla Gravity. Manufacturers of Badass Mountain Bikes. Made for going fast. That’s Guerrilla as in Che Guevara and not Gorilla as in King Kong. As I am a fan of a) Mountain Bikes and B) going fast I am looking forward to talking to the team about their brand, their story and what makes their awesome bikes, so awesome (y).Guerrilla Gravity bike frames are designed and built in house in Denver Colorado, no too far from Mile High Stadium, home of the Denver Broncos.The company is led by its President Will Montague, its Chief Engineer Matt Giaraffa and head of Marketing Kristy Anderson. All 3 come from quite different backgrounds, Mike for example has a background in both racing car and aerospace design, but as you might expect they share a passion for building a mountain bike that you are stoked to ride for a long time.Joining me today is Matt Giaraffa, Chief Engineer.Listen on GoogleListen on iTunesListen on StitcherThe GG Te

It’s 1994 and Rwanda, a land locked country on the Eastern side of Africa, just on the Equator, was in the midst of one of the worst genocides in history. In 100 days more than 1 million Tutsis were slaughtered, representing about 70% of their population. At that time a bicycle = life. If you had a bicycle you might escape the slaughter. If you had a bicycle you could try to make your way to safety, too afraid to look back at the staggering and stomach churning displays of man’s inhumanity to man.A documentary called Rising from the Ashes details how some of those survivors were given a reason to hope by cycling legend Jock Boyer (the first American to enter the Tour de France and a member of the United States Cycling Hall of Fame) as he helped a fledgling Rwandan cycling team not only get off the ground, but also, amazingly, managing to attend the London Olympics in 2012. The riders of Team Rwanda gave their countrymen a vision of something greater than themselves and

In the space of 12 months I have known three people commit suicide. All 3 of them were men. In my interactions with them, I never would have guessed there was anything wrong, and news of their suicide came as a complete shock.In conversations with the people they left behind though, it is clear that theirs was a thin veneer and they knew there were signs of inner turmoil; signs that only a loved one might have noticed such as severe moodiness, disinterest with things they loved to do and periods of complete withdrawal.Join me as I talk to April Paige, as we talk about the suicide of her partner and her creation of the Check In Foundation.Listen on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on GoogleClay Watson at a High School League RaceApril, Clay & BaileyThe Check In Foundation's Web SiteFind A Suicide Prevention Outreach ProgramCall - 800 273 8255 (talk)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a first, I’m pleased to say that I’m interviewing a member of that most select, elite and smart group of people, a listener of the Bikes And…Podcast. A listener who reached out to me with an idea for a story. Honestly, when I started this podcast back on 2016, this is exactly the sort of person I wanted to talk to. It’s been super talking to people who have events to promote, or beers to drink, but for the most part I have reached out to them to invite them onto the show. So, to have someone actually take the time to click on the contact button on my web site, fill out the form with an idea, means a lot to me. If you want to be on the show, don’t be shy. You don’t have to have the perfect voice, just an idea about a story relating to a bicycle. Listen on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on GoogleRobert & WestwindRobert Raymond's Web SiteEspada Latin Rock BandPeople for Bikes See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 lastScroll 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

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.Listen on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on GoogleWill Your Way Back: How One Man Overcame Tragedy with a Winning Mindset $16.78 By James H. Osborne The broken bikeTh

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.Download on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on GoogleCOMBA's Web SiteCOMBA's Annual Members' Party - May 18thDetails about Buffalo Creek See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 cajolin

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 co

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.Listen on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on Google“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 | S

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.Listen on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on GoogleCrossing the start lineEn routeBikes And...BikesThey Reached the Beach!The Pelican Pub...HeavenThe American Lung AssociationReach the BeachThe Pelican Pub See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. Listen on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on GoogleWhat's Your Tipple?EvolutionBeer...HereThe ReceptionistOskar Blu

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.Listen on StitcherListen on iTune

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.Listen on StitcherListen on iTunesListen on GoogleThe Rules: The Way of the Cycling Disciple $13.85 By The Velominati Rule #16 - Respect the jerseyRule #21 Cold weather gear is for cold weatherRule #55 Earn your turnsDiebolt BreweryAlaskan Brewing Company See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.