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Mechanical Safety, Part 2 of 2. Bill Mould, chief mechanic at Spokes Etc in Alexandria, Virginia, rounds out our initial safety check of an unfamiliar bike. See what you should be seeing at the derailleur, wheels, tires and more. Check your ride and hit the road and have a great season of safe cycling. Thanks for the checkout, Bill!

Greetings come from Gunner Shogren, well-known mountain bike racer and the subject of a documentary film about what it’s like for a professional athlete considering retirement. Check out the press release for the award winning “Scars Don’t Sweat” by Joshua Tunick. Thanks, Gunner!

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

Mechanical Safety, Part 1 of 2. If it’s springtime where you are, you’ll be interested in this week’s program. Are you shopping for a second-hand bike? Just pulled the old clunker out of the basement? Or maybe you’re prepping the machine for autumn storage (hello, Australia!). Bill Mould, Chief Mechanic at Spokes Etc in Alexandria, Virginia guides us through some safety considerations before putting an unfamiliar bike on the trail. Bill is a master bike mechanic and instructor, with a bench full of certifications and decades of advanced maintenance under his tool belt. We’ll be dropping in on Bill now and then for some expert advice and a helpful shot of practical maintenance knowledge. Don’t miss Part Two next week…

We first meet two racers fresh off the mountain bike track at the recent Greenbrier Challenge. Cass and Tanya were joined by over five hundred others in April in northern Maryland for one of the fastest growing MTB events in the world. The event is now part of the UCI system, which means watch for future Olympic cyclists in an upcoming episode.

You may notice a different look to the video file this week, as A Billion Bikes will now often be seen in 16×9 widescreen aspect (non-letterboxed), and a higher resolution in iTunes as well. If you’re watching with older software, you may see a picture that’s squeezed horizontally. Updating your browser or other media player should correct the problem.

We hope you’re enjoying the series, and we’ll be bringing you more programs from bicycling cultures around the world. If you’re aware of international programs in any language that would benefit the audience here, I’d be very happy to hear from you at programs@abillionbikes.TV .

Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next week!

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

On the Canal, Part 6 of 6: Cumberland is our goal today, and so is the end of our cycling adventure from Washington DC to the western edge of Maryland. After 184 miles and three days on the towpath trail, cyclist and producer John Urman guides us into the autumn beauty and historical richness of Allegheny County. The National Park Service gives the inside story on how the Canal changed Cumberland from a frontier town to the second largest city in Maryland.

Plan your own C&O Canal bicycling adventure! There are excellent resources online, and remember you can get your own copy of John Urman’s “On the Canal” in full-resolution DVD with bonus features, from John’s website at OntheCanal.org. Drop him a note and see where he’s off to next. Thanks, John, for the wonderful trip!

First is a rowdy hello from members of the West Virginia University Cycling Team. That’s what you want ringing in your ears as you round the lap marker at the Greenbrier Challenge. Thanks, guys!

Next week begins several original segments of A Billion Bikes, and you’ll likely recognize a few faces. Enjoy the show and enjoy the ride!

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

On the Canal, Part 5 of 6: It’s a brisk morning on the homestretch to Cumberland. Leaving Hancock, several odd and fun things cross our path. Arch your brow, tack up a buck, and keep your eyes peeled through the Paw Paw as we join cyclist & producer John Urman for Part 5 of “On the Canal”. Find more from John at OnTheCanal.org.

First, say hello to Todd Wells, top winner of the recent MTB/mountain bike Greenbrier Challenge in Maryland and well on his way to qualifying for another Summer Olympics. Todd blew a rear tire on the trail in the last kilometer, but then rode the bike flat to win with more than 7 minutes lead. Well see more of what happened in the hills on that Sunday afternoon on a future program. Congrats, Todd!

Then try to figure out an unusual new bike frame with half a front fork. The Lefty by Cannondale is demonstrated by mountain bike racer David Jones at Greenbrier.

Check back next week for the conclusion of “On the Canal”!

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

On the Canal, Part 4 of 6: We’re a hundred miles from our starting point in Washington DC as we roll through Fort Frederick and Hancock, Maryland. Cumberland is closer than Georgetown now, but there’s no hurry as we linger through the beautiful scenery and rich history along the way. And a generous meal in Hancock awaits us now at the end of Day Two. Remember that this entire program is available with extra features in full-quality DVD by checking out cyclist & producer John Urman’s website at OnTheCanal.org.

Parlez-vous le francais? We first enjoy a European hello from Denis Chazelle (aka “Super Frenchie”), a member of Paris-based Frappadingues. This is a fun mountain biking club that plans informal rides in the French countryside using an online discussion group. Merci tres beaucoup, Denis! Nous esperons vous voir a Paris!

Then a quick peek at a new way to train in your living room. With a similar philosophy to freeweights, training rollers leave the bike loose, allowing you a more natural cycle training experience and a better (if more careful) workout. Looks like fun!

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

On the Canal, Part 3 of 6: Leaving Harpers Ferry with John Urman (OnTheCanal.org), we track the southern edge of Maryland to Shepherdstown, Antietam and Williamsport. We’re halfway to Cumberland on the C&O Canal and enjoying a beautiful and relaxing spin through American history in this excellent program.

First, we hit the dirt for a quick hello from Austin Steo with the Midatlantic Off Road Enthusiasts at MORE-mtb.org , a group that not only develops the sport of off-road bicycling, but participates in the responsible design and maintenance of the trails themselves. We’ll be hearing more from MORE, here on A Billion Bikes.

And remember that you can subscribe free to A Billion Bikes in iTunes, on a PC or a Mac, and the podcast will be delivered to you automatically every week. When playing video in iTunes, you can drag the video window edge to make it bigger, click on it to make a larger movable window, or press CNTL-F or CMD-F to playback full screen on your computer. Here’s an iTunes tutorial from Apple to help you get full use of automatic delivery.

If you already have iTunes installed, you can click this link to be automatically subscribed. (On a PC, launch iTunes first.)

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

On the Canal, Part 2 of 6: After lunch on day one, we’re halfway to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Visit the Monocacy Aqueduct, railroad town Brunswick, Point of Rocks, and a few interesting shops along the way. Cyclist & producer John Urman (OnTheCanal.org) guides us through pre-Civil War history and modern scenic beauty - as well as a mighty fine cycling workout - along the Potomac River and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal .

Saying a fun hello to start us off are two lovely ladies just stretching their cycling legs. Lisa Schamess and her daughter Mona (watched over by comfy pooch Sydney), break out the new bikes for their first cycling season.

Then a return visit with Leslie Reissner, who explains one of the streamlined clipless pedal systems. Here behind the famous East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, note the blooming pink & white cherry blossoms, actually vanished now for another year. If you ever find yourself on the Washington DC mall, you may see Leslie on a lunchtime circuit sporting his own Canadian maple leaf red.

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

This week we’re on the east coast of the U.S., and heading off on a three-day ride up the entire 184 miles of the historic C&O Canal, part of the National Park Service. Welcome to Part 1 of “On the Canal”. Starting at mile-marker zero in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC, cyclist & producer John Urman guides us through the beauty and history along the Canal, which hugs the Potomac River all the way to Cumberland, Maryland. This is the first of 6 episodes, and the entire DVD program is available with bonus features from the producer at OnTheCanal.org .

(And if you’re curious about the legend of the Three Sisters Islands, John expands on the story here .)

First is a quick hello from Barbara, back from her own adventures and enjoying a bit of reading.

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

Part 5 of our current feature bids a fine farewell to the great city of Copenhagen. For work or play, young or old, rain or shine, this is one of the very best cycling communities in the world. Thanks to the City of Copenhagen for bringing us this program. Learn more and plan a visit!

First is Leslie Reissner, enjoying springtime at the blooming of the cherry blossoms in Washington DC. We’ll visit with Leslie again in future programs. Then a rare find at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum - one of only five existing bicycles designed and built by the Wright Brothers shortly before their invention of the airplane!

Check back next week for new programs from North America and around the world, right here on A Billion Bikes!

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV

Part 4 of our current feature invites us into the recreational cycling communities of Copenhagen. Kick back, relax and discover the City Bikes program, offering free use of bicycles for locals and tourists alike. For both work and play, this is one amazingly well-considered cycling city.

First up is a quick hello from Andrea White, Executive Director of the Bikestation Coalition at Bikestation.org, a program which designs and operates cycling facilities at urban transportation hubs across the country and internationally.

And then a fascinating comment on the relation of bicycles and computers from Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs. Turns out the Macintosh was almost named “The Bicycle”! (See page 115 of his 2011 biography.) This clip is from an excellent 60-minute film about the research possibilities at the Library of Congress, which is available from MLFilms.com.

Next week is our farewell to Copenhagen, so watch for new programs and original productions in future episodes, right here on A Billion Bikes!

Jeff Cook
ABillionBikes.TV