Podcasts about bikes: practical, cultural, political

Now that i got all excited about bike activism and bicyclists’ rights i have came across two U.S.-American podcasts on those issues by doing a quick search in the iTunes podcast directory.

The bikescape podcast by Jon Winston based in San Francisco claims featuring “commentary and interviews about bikes and bike culture” and from what i have listened to it surely meets those claims. Furthermore it tracks what’s happening regarding critical mass in the U.S. — especially in New York since after the protests against the RNC last fall — and other activities in the bike community. The cool thing is that Jon often takes his recording facility with him and does on-the-road interviews with people at events or in community places.

The other podcast i have started listening to is actually a radio show called Bike Talk which is recorded in Davis, a smaller city in California. They have all kind of practical answers to questions like: how to commute by bike? how to prevent car-bike confrontations? how to deal with flat tires? From what i can tell from listening to a couple of shows they seem to a bit more ‘harmless’ in terms of bike activism.

Those shows are produced across the pond, yet i think most things that get covered and talked about matter just the same over here. Technical and practical issues are of course just as applicable as political and social aspects. There is a debate and a growing movement evolving on alternative forms of mobility (no pun intended) in North America that seems to be encountered by the state with some aggression. It is alarming to see what is happening to those bicycling compañeros exercising their right for freedom of speech in New York. Maybe some people have understood that the argument for more bikes and less cars on the streets has also something to do with oil and even the war against the Iraqi people.