Bike Talk

BikeTalk
  • 4.8 (50)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

We are a bike advocacy and culture podcast based in Los Angeles, Ca.

  1. 4d ago

    Barcelona Superblocks, the Empire State Trail, and DEI bike lanes in the U.S. 26/37

    Back to Taylor’s Barcelona trip, and a tour of bike and public transportation infrastructure including Superblocks (Superilles) with Silvia Casorran, who helped implement them in Barcelona.  3:45 Author of the Washington Examiner article, “I thought bike lanes were ‘DEI.’ Then an SUV killed my father,” Chrissy Oakes talks about finding common ground with Republicans on bike lanes, and why the Left has a hard time accepting her as a safe streets advocate www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4690296/bike-lanes-safety-super-speeders/.  25:48 Bike Talk listener Tim Dyet was inspired to ride part of the The 750-mile Empire State Trail to NYC by Taylor’s recent SF to Michigan bike tour. He finished, and here’s how it went. 36:51 Streets Are For Everyone Director Damian Kevitt declares a traffic emergency in Los Angeles. Vision Zero was expired by the city last year, and there were 324 traffic fatalities-a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year https://la.streetsblog.org/2026/09/15/traffic-violence-victims-urge-mayor-and-council-to-declare-emergency-make-streets-safer.  48:46 48:46 Is it legal for lawmakers in Sacramento to obstruct Los Angeles' attempts to make its streets safer by adding language to a bill targeting a protected bike lane on deadly Forest Lawn Drive? LA lawyer James Pocrass says maybe not https://la.streetsblog.org/2026/08/29/breaking-forest-lawn-drive-safety-poison-pill-inserted-at-last-minute-in-state-bill. 49:36

    Barcelona Superblocks, the Empire State Trail, and DEI bike lanes in the U.S. 26/37

  2. Sep 10

    Bike Filming from Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego, Delhi to Sweden 26/36

    Jonathan Hale of People’s Vision Zero at a “ghost tire” placing on Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles, to honor 70-year-old Bijan Yousefian, a victim of traffic violence who died in a fiery crash there https://www.streetsforall.org/events/forest-lawn-ghost-tire-memorial-1. 2:30 High School senior Ben Mangiafico talks about the bike ride he hosted recently to point out the dangerous spots on his route to school https://scotscoop.com/student-organized-bike-along-brings-awareness-to-current-biking-infrastructure/. 6:25 Dr. Timm Döbert and Leanna Carriere on their 9-month, 30,000km ride from Alaska's High Arctic to Tierra del Fuego to follow the migration of Hudsonian Whimbrels, and Wings of Survival, the documentary about their journey https://www.wingsofsurvival.com. 12:45 Bicycle Film Festival Director Brendt Barbur on the Festival’s 26 year history and this year’s offerings https://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com. 25:30 Another bike film, The Cycle of Love (2025), is a documentary about a man who rode 6,000 miles from Delhi to Sweden in 1977 in search of a woman he believed was prophesied to be his wife. Director Orlando von Einsiedel talks with us about his film https://releasing.dogwoof.com/the-cycle-of-love. 40:06 News: Berkeley sued over Hopkins bike lane plan https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2026/09/03/community/neighborhood-group-sues-berkeley-hopkins-bike-lanes/. MIT professor struck by driver while cycling on Memorial Drive dies of injuries https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/04/mit-bike-crash-thomas-rose-memorial-drive. Folsom considers crackdown on e-bike wheelies, stunts and unsafe riding https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/folsom-considers-crackdown-on-e-bike-wheelies-stunts-and-unsafe-riding/. Japan halves speed limit to 30km/h on all narrow city streets https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/02/japan-new-speed-limit-30kmh-narrow-city-streets. 54:01

    Bike Filming from Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego, Delhi to Sweden 26/36

  3. Sep 4

    Streetfilms NYC, Anti bike lane bill in LA 26/35

    Language was added to a bill targeting a much needed protected bike lane and traffic calming project on LA’s high speed Forest Lawn Drive, where there have been more than 95 crashes and 4 fatalities since 2013. The bill was paid for by Forest Lawn Cemetery donations, and it’ll be an issue in the LA Mayoral race, says Michael Schneider of Streets For All https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-31/lawmakers-add-last-minute-language-to-bill-that-could-affect-forest-lawn-drive. 2:45 LA Metro will pay some drivers to drive less in a new program, as the city looks toward a more car-light 2028 Olympics. LA Metro spokesperson Patrick Chandler gives the details https://thesource.metro.net/hey-la-county-get-paid-to-give-your-car-a-rest/. 12:19 Streetfilms filmmaker Clarence Eckerson talks with Taylor about his work as an urbanist educator. 21:55 News: Pedestrian pronounced dead after Tour de Fat vehicle crash, 5 remain injured, in unknown condition https://collegian.com/articles/news/2026/08/update-pedestrian-pronounced-dead-after-tour-de-fat-vehicle-crash/. New Illinois law sets license, insurance requirements for e-bike riders https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/new-illinois-law-sets-license-insurance-requirements-for-e-bike-riders/3981339/. Newport Beach residents frustrated by e-bikes parked in front of their homes https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/newport-beach-residents-frustrated-by-e-bikes-parked-in-front-of-their-homes/. Bill to Strengthen Walking and Biking Programs, AB 2168, Headed to California Governor’s Desk https://www.calbike.org/ab2168-to-governor/. Cyclists have crashed on Market Street’s rail tracks for 130 years. Why can’t SF fix them https://sfstandard.com/2026/08/28/market-street-cyclist-safety-hazard/? 45:55 More eulogies from Bike Oven/ Killradio/ Bike Talk/ bike community documentarian and spirit-booster DJ Chickenleather’s memorial at the Highland Park Bike Oven. 49:08

    Streetfilms NYC, Anti bike lane bill in LA 26/35

  4. Aug 28

    The Journey Makes The Hero 26/34

    Chickenleather, spirit and documentarian of the LA bike movement for decades, died last week. We bring you his words from 2010 on getting “normal” people to bike, engaging the youth, and volunteering at a bike collective. 2:10 Taylor drafts behind Josep in Cataluña, Spain, and they talk afterward. 7:12 Bike Talk listener Tim Dyet says he’s inspired by Taylor Nichols' ride from SF to Michigan to do a 10 day ride of his own along the Empire Trail bike path in New York. 12:25 Team Samaritan riders Tom Schwein and David McKean aim to raise two million dollars with a Ride Across America for Catholic Charities to help fight the nation’s homeless epidemic https://teamsamaritan.org/samaritan-cycling-usa/. 17:45 Massachusetts Streetsblog reporter and editor Christian MilNeil on the elimination of a Boston bikeway by the Mayor Wu administration https://mass.streetsblog.org/2026/08/20/against-vocal-opposition-from-east-boston-residents-boston-streets-commissioners-unanimously-vote-to-eliminate-planned-bikeway-near-day-square. 33:00 News: 3 Cyclists Die in One Week in Hit-and-Runs in New York City https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/nyregion/nyc-cycling-bike-deaths.html?unlocked_article_code=1.71A.Gjqh.Y--_JwJrQTAf&smid=bs-share. Against Neighbors' Wishes, Boston Streets Commissioners Cancel Planned Bikeway Near Day Square https://mass.streetsblog.org/2026/08/20/against-vocal-opposition-from-east-boston-residents-boston-streets-commissioners-unanimously-vote-to-eliminate-planned-bikeway-near-day-square. E-bikes, scooters, boards prohibited at all of Newport-Mesa Unified’s K-8 campuses https://www.ocregister.com/2026/08/20/e-bikes-scooters-boards-prohibited-at-all-of-newport-mesa-unifieds-k-8-campuses/. Como mayor bans bikes in city centre after being hit ‘by one of these beasts’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/20/lake-como-italy-mayor-bans-bikes-city-centre-after-being-hit?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1. LA Mayor hits brakes on needed bike lanes near Forest Lawn. Mayoral opponent Raman is slamming her for it https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-21/bass-hit-brakes-on-new-bike-lanes-near-forest-lawn-raman-is-slamming-her-for-it. 46:01 Chickenleather's memorial at the Bike Oven in Highland Park, Los Angeles https://bike-oven.com. 48:39

    The Journey Makes The Hero 26/34

  5. Aug 21

    Backpedaling 26/33

    Taylor rides Barcelona, and says it’s civilized. A Quebec court rules against Toronto’s famously successful protected lanes. Michael Longfield, Executive Director of Cycle Toronto, explains https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/14/ontario-free-to-axe-toronto-bike-lanes-regions-top-court-rules. 4:15 NYC closes a 1 block gap in Ashland Avenue's protected bike lane in Brooklyn, known as “Crashland” for the danger created when Mayor Adams’ corrupt administration blocked that part of the path. Streetsblog NYC reporters Emily Lipstein and Michael Duggan fill in the gaps https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/08/12/crashland-no-more-mamdani. 15:28 A fully funded safety improvement project on Forest Lawn Drive was stopped by LA Mayor Bass despite years of public planning, extensive community outreach, and documented safety concerns. Streets Are For Everyone ED Damian Kevitt breaks it down https://www.streetsareforeveryone.org/blog/forest-lawn-drive. 20:25 Somerville, Massachusetts achieves Vision Zero for the third year in a row https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2026/0811/traffic-safety-somerville-vision-zero. 25:27 News: Driver Hits 11, Kills Two College Cyclists in Tennessee https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/19/us/cycling-team-crash-milligan-university.html#:~:text=The%20crash%20happened%20around%208,Carter%20County%2C%20Tenn.%2C%20officials%20said. The car killing of British rider Fin Tarling during Friday's stage of the Volta a Portugalhttps://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/czxqqlpnx98o. Bike hating Ontario Premier Doug Ford wins court battle to strip Toronto of its main downtown bike lanes https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/doug-ford-wins-major-court-battle-to-strip-toronto-of-its-main-downtown-bike-lanes/article_0da549f1-658b-4f93-b3aa-0dcd7f9273a8.html. London’s Cycleway network grows five-fold in decade to 450km https://cyclingindustry.news/londons-cycleway-network-grows-five-fold-in-decade-to-450km/. 26:37 Riders of the “friendly 8” in Halcyon, New Jersey, Kimberly Organo-Solo and Charles Sontag, with ride leader Lo Sontag, on why they ride and don’t ride more https://www.suburbanreview.com/p/d1011-sponsors-the-friendly-8-ride. 28:44 Owner of Allez Allez bike shop in Los Angeles, Kyle Kelley, whom interviewer Jim Cadenhead calls “the most famous fixie foo that ever was.” 39:19 Erasure poetry from bike hate mail submissions by Liza Birch, a Rhode Island bike advocate. 42:40

    Backpedaling 26/33

  6. Aug 14

    Beyond Cyclists 26/32

    Walk Bike Berkeley organizer Ben Gerhardstein on why Berkeley needs the Hopkins Ave protected bike lane they fought for so long to get and finally won, and why the opposition was so vitriolic. (2:15) A recent study, “Beyond Cyclists,” finds that support for and opposition to cycling infrastructure don't always follow intuitive lines, and the ways pro-bike arguments are framed matters. Quebecois researchers Jérôme Laviolette, Kevin Manaugh, Owen Waygood unpack their study https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X26003057. (6:30) Our bike lawyer Jim Pocrass talks with our news anchor, Stacey Randecker, about her e-bike crash, her medical treatment, her settlement, and why every document mattered. (35:05) News: Amazon responds to Mamdani’s cease-and-desist letter https://thehill.com/business/6017218-amazon-new-york-mamdani-e-bikes/. A Boston City Official Wants Cars To Stop Blocking Bike Lanes And Crosswalks https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/content/boston-city-official-wants-cars-to-stop-blocking-bike-lanes-and-crosswalks/. Durham Dedicates $1M To Protecting Bike Lanes https://indyweek.com/news/durham-dedicates-1m-to-protecting-bike-lanes/. UT Austin officials say a new mobility plan is coming as cyclists worry about potential bike ban https://www.kut.org/text/transportation/2026-08-06/austin-tx-university-of-texas-campus-speedway-bike-ban-cycling-pedestrians. (44:30) Fresno County’s Board of Supervisors buried Measure C, a transportation tax favoring local roads and transit over freeway expansion, using a procedural trick. A law just signed by California Governor Newsom would foil the Board and put Measure C on Fresno's ballot in November. The Supes plan to sue, claiming the law is unconstitutional. Fresnoland's Editor in Chief Danielle Bergstrom reports. https://fresnoland.org/2026/08/06/the-fight-has-just-begun/. (47:35)

    Beyond Cyclists 26/32

  7. Aug 6

    We're Not Copenhagen 26/31

    Taylor on being a bike nerd and making friends by bike, like Kay Shuster https://kaybikes4kids.com. Bicycles Are Partisan now, writes Lo Sontag https://www.suburbanreview.com/p/bicycles-are-partisan-now in light of the MAGA federal assault on biking. But the real divide isn’t left/right, it’s who has power and who doesn’t. 5:41 Listener Tim Dyet writes he plans a bike trip in NY, inspired by Taylor’s recent ride from SF to Michigan. Tim plans to take his bike on an Amtrak train- speaking of which, the League of American Bicyclists has issued a report on bike friendly trains https://bikeleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/LeagueOfAmericanBicyclists_AmtrakReport_2026.pdf. 19:45 Nietifa, a listener, suggests a “limited license” for bad drivers https://bsky.app/profile/lukewanderer.bsky.social/post/3mrajbqsdo22p. 24:27 In “The Social Cost of Automobility, Cycling and Walking in the European Union,” Swedish researcher Stephan Gosling says that in advocating for bike infrastructure, we shouldn't argue against cars. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921800918308097. 25:55 Stacey’s News: After years of debate, Berkeley approves Hopkins bike lanes https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2026/07/30/community/berkeley-hopkins-bike-lanes-approved/. Archer Ave Bike Lanes Tension Fuels Political Ambitions in Chicago https://southsideweekly.com/archer-ave-bike-lanes-tension-fuels-political-ambitions/. A woman in a Queens bike lane was fatally struck by SUV driver who never stopped https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/08/01/woman-in-queens-bike-lane-fatally-struck-by-suv-driver-who-never-stopped-nypd/. Pedestrians and cyclists can cross the Gordie Howe International Bridge for free in Detroit https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/07/28/pedestrians-cyclists-can-cross-gordie-howe-international-bridge-for-free-beginning-aug-5/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTZfQBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR7H4ETfc-ie_Zm2liqd5k6jgRd23CpR95PohJUgaZvudYwiPKgoDWtFrp-NoA_aem_nZIXP2dt91R24ORX0X1bQQ. 41:26 Berkeley’s long overdue approval of the Hopkins Avenue protected bike lane- Robert Prinz, Bike East Bay. 44:27

    We're Not Copenhagen 26/31

  8. Jul 30

    Bike Hope Versus Bike Hate 26/30

    The USDOT/FHWA removed bike lanes, road diets, and speed management tools that have been shown to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities from their list of Proven Safety Countermeasures on USDOT/FHWA sites https://www.npr.org/2026/07/16/nx-s1-5893672/dot-bike-lanes-speed-cameras-safety-measures. Is the administration anti-safety? Of course, as League of American Bicyclists Deputy Executive Director Caron Whitaker explains, the Proven Safety Countermeasures' removal by USDOT does not change the fact that they make roads safer. 6:50 Bike share is transportation! Recognizing this, bike-sharing Brooklyn Councilmember Lincoln Restler https://council.nyc.gov/district-33/ has a bill to cap Citibike fares at the price of a bus or subway. Lincoln talks about CD 33's other bike/active transportation/safe streets initiatives, too. 17:54 San Francisco architect Ben Frommagen is on a 4,200 + day streak of riding every day for two hours (almost 12 years). Taylor rides along with Ben and talks over coffee about the personal, mental and physical trade-offs of keeping the streak. 36:08

    Bike Hope Versus Bike Hate 26/30
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4.8
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

We are a bike advocacy and culture podcast based in Los Angeles, Ca.

Information

  • Creator
    BikeTalk
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    500
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Bike Talk

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