Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 186: Thanks Bicycle Touring 2019 (mp3).
Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify
Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109
Pedalshift Live
Coming in December… Saturday 12/7 3pm EST! New tour reveal, revisiting cycling WNY and an AMA!
See you in March!
I’ll be presenting at the 2020 National Bike Summit! Details to come, but looking to do a meetup if listeners will be in DC.
Thanks Bicycle Touring
Hi Tim, this is Vince Greco from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. I hope this isn’t too late to get into U. I know it’s a day after the deadline but one of the share what I’m thankful for that bicycle touring. I am thankful for all the places and the distance that bicycle touring can take me, but this year in particular. I am thankful for a beautiful fall Gap ride with motion decent, although colder than I expected whether it was nice to see the Gap in a different season, cuz usually I end up writing in the spring or early summer, but I’m also very thankful for your podcast. Actually. I ended up adding the entire Montour Trail into my ride. In fact, I did a loop. I started in Cumberland went out to Pittsburgh on tour and came back to Cumberland again, but I heard about riding the Montour from your podcast and how to do that. So just wanted to say thanks.
Hey Tim, Brian Benton a long time listener and the podcast I think I haven’t missed any episodes. So my my thankful thing I would say I’m thankful for the opportunity. I had this year off, you know and Gap trail with my son. He graduated with his PHD in physical therapy in May and then the Stars aligned we were able to do an eight-day Bike Tour since I’m a teacher. I had this summer off and he hadn’t started his job yet. He isn’t a cyclist but he was an incredibly excellent shape from playing college level Ultimate Frisbee on his biggest complaint on the trip was his butt hurt em, I think we can all relate to that and one of the best memories I have from the trip was standing at a waterfall on the gap for 30 minutes and neither of us felt the need to talk. I don’t know if we’ll ever get to do this again ever, but that makes this just an extra special trip. So I say thanks Tim for the motivation to do the CNO and GAP Trails. I have a memory with my son that I’ll never forget dead. Thursday for the podcast
We don’t celebrate thanksgiving where I’m from (New Zealand), but practicing thankfulness is always nice so I thought I’d join in.
I’m thankful for the friendly and helpful people I’ve met through cycling. My local bike shop has been really great with helping me understand basic bike maintenance, and what I do and don’t need. I’m also thankful for the cool bike activist people in my area that I’ve met recently. They campaign for better cycling infrastructure, lawmaking, and driver/biker education, and I feel lucky to have made some awesome new friends. (Rory in New Zealand)
I have a kind of strange thing I give thanks for. I like to listen to audiobooks when on long rides; what I’ve found is that books, or sections of books, get linked in my mind to the places I was riding while listening to them. For instance last spring I rode down from Astoria (re)listening to mostly Robert Heinlein books. I was on a book called Friday in southern Oregon and I can’t think of the Seven Devils without thinking of that book too. (Ray)
I think my reflections are like my fellow travelers. Reflections of kindness, beauty, making friends, overcoming challenges and exploration fill the bicycle travelers’ “carts.” I’m no different.
As a photographer I have always loved sharing (marketing) images of what I see around me. One of my favorite slogans is “seeing is believing.” So many people in our face-paced society never or seldom take the time to SEE the world around them.
Seeing is much easier when you travel by bicycle. You can actually choose to SEE and to capture a moment that is in front of you. Sharing images are easy in today’s world, so now everyone can enjoy it ~ not just you.
The opportunity to SEE is my favorite thing about bicycle travel. SEEing never lets you down ~ it makes memories forever! (Keith)
I guess I’m thankful for buying an e-bike. It’s kind of reinvigorated by love bicycling. I love riding it and it’s just it’s just the best thing it’s kind of heavy, but it it gets the job done. It’s a tract verb plus and got a good deal on it, and I put the 700 Mi on it since Memorial Day. (Mark)
I’m thankful for all of the great people I’ve met through biking. You won’t meet better people than you will in the cycling community.(Scott)
I’m thankful to have been blessed with a home on the C&O. I am especially blessed to ask passersbys if I can assist them. I’ve met some wonderful people who have stopped to use hose, have a snack or rest by fire pit. I am so very Thankful to be on the trail.(Clara)
I’m thankful that at 62 years old I can still cycle 50-60 miles a day. Thankful for all the friends I’ve made over the years while biking and the kindness people show you while on the trails. I had a flat tire once and every person that rode by stopped to offer assistance. A great group of people!(Diane)
Bicycling has really saved me from myself. At 345 and gaining my PTSD was making me eat myself to death. I was so depressed that I thought of suicide daily. I figured I could eat till my hearts content and be dead in a year. When it didn’t happen fast enough I got hostile. Fired, fat and hostile I ran low on money and took to the trail for cheap transportation. 2 years ago and I’m 210 now, ride almost every day sometimes as far as 60 miles , sometimes pulling my dog to the park. I’m so thankful I stumbled upon this obvious solution to both my mental and physical health.(Paul)
I am so grateful that the Great Allegheny Passage runs through my home town of Connellsville. The town that boomed in the coal and coke era is slowly being revitalized thanks to the formerly under appreciated beauty of the area that is now highlighted by the trail. I am blessed to be witnessing that rebirth, and to still be able to enjoy the freedom of riding miles and miles with no traffic concerns. I am thankful to be part of the wonderful diverse community of bikers, all sharing a childlike joy found in biking to new places. (Barb)
Thankful that I am in my cathedral of light with the sunlight filtering through the green or gold in areas we would never see unless you are on the seat of a bike!(Mary Ann)
Love riding the GAP, Ive met people from all over, the scenery is 2nd to none, hope to ride again soon before it gets to cold.(Phil)
I am thankful for still being able to ride. I know it won’t last a long time, but while it does, every ride is special! (Johnny)
Thankful I’ve been able to ride the GAP / C&O in it’s entirety in 2015 and many varying rides on portions of it. Riding in over a dozen MS 150 rides and recently riding a ride from Los Angeles to San Diego for The MS Society as well. Always feels good to help people as I’m riding & enjoying the bike.(Tom)
Thankful for all out great R2T trails for us runners to run on!!!!!!(Anthony)
I am thankful I got the opportunity to ride from Pittsburgh to D.C. this summer. One of my major bucket list rides checked off!(Ed)
I’m thankfull for two great rides on the GAP one in the spring and one in the fall. Thankful for the great weather I experieced on both occasions and spectacular color on the fall ride. Thankfull I have a friend who now has an eBike like me so we can travel together and thankfull we can cost share.(Roxanne)
The freedom, the openness, opportunity to just go. Im thankful for that. Grateful and blessed to have had what i feel to be an epic roundtrip on the GAP and C&O. It changed my life. The people i met changed me. And this was my first time being on those trails. Im thankful for it all!(Ryan)
I am truly thankful for the opportunity to explore and have crazy adventures on two wheels. To have a sister Kathleen who travels with me on long journeys, constantly inspires me to keep going & refuses to give up regardless of injuries, bike malfunctions and inclement weather. In addition.. she has opened my eyes to this great cycling community who are some of the most magnificent memorable people I have ever met!
– Cheers to all & have amazing holidays!!!(Stephanie)
I am thankful for family and good friends. Bicycle touring is great but nothing replaces family & friends. Invite them along.(PPP)
I am thankful for all the wonderful people that I have met along my journey on the c&o the gap and also the Montour trail now. I’m thankful that my life is started over in a better way. Before I started my journey October 9th 2019 everyday I contemplated suicide. My depression and all had me so bad I didn’t like people I didn’t like my own life. But since I started my journey on the c&o in Harpers ferry I have met so many people, so many good people they have changed my outlook of life and now I can’t see my life any other way thank you to everybody that has been there to help me out mentally physically financially, much love to everyone. (Michael)
I’m thankful for ALL of these, in terms of bike-touring!
The people/experiences are perhaps at “the top”, but everything else is “right behind” ;-] (Pete)
I am thankful for my health that allows me to feel the sense of wonderment that I experience when riding somewhere far from home under my own power. It is a feeling of vulnerability and excitement all wrapped up in one.(Chris)
I’m able to take something that I use for two wheel therapy, commuting, hauling from the grocery store, riding with friends & family, achieving personal stretch goals, and then take it on a vacation self-supported at low cost and low emissions to some of the most beautiful places in the world as well as down the road from home. From an over-nighter to extended travel, how could I not be thankful for that? 🙂 (Rod)
The communities and organizers who have created safe, integrated as well as alternative routes for me as I enter and explore different regions.(Paul)
I’m thankful to have access to a machine that lets me slow down and truly enjoy the journey.(Peggy)
I’m grateful that the bear on the trail ahead of us ignored the pebbles we were firing at it with our slingshots. We thought it would just leave and we could continue bikepacking on the trail. Instead we had to push our bikes through a river to get past it.(Adrian)
I’m thankful for my health and for the kindness of strangers (also, you have an awesome last name 🙂 (Suzanne Mooney)
Nice surprises, like a beautiful sunrise in the morning when I didn’t expect it. Thankful when I manage to weather difficulties, and come through them (Caroline)
As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this spring’s DC to Cincinnatti bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Harry Telgadas
Chris Barron
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Stuart Buchan
Mr. T
Roxy Arning
Nathan Pulton
Stephen Dickerson
Vince LoGreco
Paul Culbertson
Scott Culbertson
Cody Floerchinger
Tom Benenati
Greg Braithwaite
Sandy Pizzio
Jeff Muster
Seth Pollack
Joseph Quinn
Drue Porter
Byron Paterson
Joachim Raber
Ray Jackson
Jeff Frey
Kenny Mikey
Lisa Hart
John Denkler
Steve Hankel
Miguel Quinones
Alejandro Avilés-Reyes
Keith Spangler
Greg Towner
Dan Gebhart
Jody Dzuranin
Lucas Barwick
Michael Baker
Brian Bechtol
Reinhart Bigl
Greg Middlemis
Connie Moore
William Gothmann
Brian Benton
Joan Churchill
Mike Bender
Rick Weinberg
Billy Crafton
Gary Matushak
Greg L’Etoile-Lopes
James Sloan
Jonathan Dillard
John Funk
Tom Bilcze
Ronald Piroli
Dave Roll
Brian Hafner
Misha LeBlanc
Ari Messinger
David Gratke
Todd Groesbeck
Wally Estrella
Sue Reinert
John Leko
Music
You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Sunfields’ latest album may be their best yet. Go get it.