The Pedalshift Project celebrates its one year podcastaversary with a packed show featuring my thoughts on Paris as bike touring destination and an interview with Peter Rice, author of Spandex Optional Bicycle Touring. Because Pedalshift has a book club now. Sort of.
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 022 (mp3)
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Who else has some early bike touring overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the brand new Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
Follow-up
- It’s been one year of Pedalshift as a podcast, so I think we can safely say it’s no longer a project. Tell me what you think… should we change the name of the show to Pedalshift or are you attached to the Project? Best answer gets a shoutout on the show and coveted FOTS status (which has precisely zero value beyond the name).
- Amtrak still not on board with unboxed bikes on all lines.
- Kickstand alternatives followup: the shooters stick hack sucked.
- Chris Gonzales on how not to lose shit:
- Losing your shorts is never a fun thing to do! After losing a rain jacket from a bungee while touring, and promptly backtracking 10 miles that day for my shower’s pass jacket, I started running the bungee through an arm or a leg hole. I’ve never lost a thing after that now. And that’s after 1500 miles! Loving your podcast Tim, keep it up!
- Shoutout to listener Jill in PGH – next time we’re doing a meetup of cool bikey Pittsburgh people!
- iPhone mystery rescuer… when he called my studio to let me know the phone was safe, he mentioned he once had a phone returned in a similar manner so he was paying that back. Love this. Let’s ALL do the same when we find misplaced items!
- Another five star iTunes review by Moondogz!
- Reminder Pedalshift Tour Journals has the full DC-Pittsburgh C+O/GAP ride through June. Look for Volume III: Erie Canal in July!
Paris
Amazing city for biking- Narrow bike lanes, but hundreds of miles of them
- Bike and pannier security has to be a focus
- Excellent bike ahops of all varieties and I’ve found most have a very good English speaker on staff
- I prefer to try the local language before asking about English (as a courtesy)
- Velib bike share an excellent alternative to get around if you can secure your bike off street.
- Go see the tourist hotspots, but also go find a neighborhood you like and explore in detail. Sit at a cafe… Walk or bike the streets… It’s a city with great personalities.
- I happen to like the 6th Arrondissement which include Luxembourg Garden, St. Michel, St. Germain and borders on Montparnasse (the theater district).
- France is considered a excellent for touring – I hope to be able to mix that in someday!
The Interview
Peter Rice is a writer, author, marketer and consultant living in Albuquerque. Born and raised in Washington State, he earned a B.A. from Colorado College and spent several years doing time in print journalism, including a stint for the now defunct Albuquerque Tribune.
Rice has written a number of books, booklets, and guides on an array of topics, bicycle touring being the most prominent. Because he never skimps on research, he rode many many thousands of miles on tours of the West and South, just to make sure it was as fun and enlightening as it looked. (For information on how to arrange a private phone consultation for your tour, or to book him as a speaker, visit Peter’s website.)
When not riding, Rice enjoys pondering the state of the world, killing time with good friends, visiting his Toastmasters club, and continuing a three-decade-long mission of learning to cook.
Music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 021
390 miles (with detours)
Completing the ride itself
Corrections, aka “Tim is so frequently wrong.”
An amazing tour from Key West to Deadhorse – 
Thank you Samuel P. Taylor… whoever you are
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 019
If you’ve been 
The exciting news I want to share is I plan on podcasting these tours even more extensively than my 
Not everyone needs single origin, shade grown, city roast beans in order to enjoy their brew on bicycle tour. No, some coffee drinkers are happy with Brand X from a can, pre-ground and thrown into a drip maker. Most of us are somewhere in between. The most important starting point for knowing what to pack for your java needs is knowing your own standards. Some people are just going to have to go all out and create a cup that’s similar to one they’d make at home or ask from a barista. Others might find the fussiness more time than they want to spend before rolling. Know who you are and you’ll avoid the wrong end of the spectrum.
If you make coffee at home and consider yourself at least medium snobbish, you probably make your coffee from freshly ground whole beans. That grinder may have a blade, or it may have a burr but it probably plugs into a wall and that’s unlikely to fly on bike tour unless you’re riding between hotels and B&Bs. If you’re just saying no to instant, you have two choices in this non-electrified existence… buy ground coffee or get a hand-crank grinder.
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 016
60 miles of separated bike paths all around and across the island
Cyclemeter GPS
ey it’s the direct download link for episode 015