I Ride a Bike

08/25/2023

S4/E11: On a hot summer day I took a drive to Lewiston, Maine where I met 91-year-young Don Robitaille at his home of 63 years. His darling wife poured me a glass of lemonade over ice as we sat down at their kitchen table to record the final episode of season 4 — where Don primarily shared snippets and stories from his solo ride from Maine to Seattle at the age of 70. Full of great advice and stories of heartwarming interactions, I felt lucky to have had the conversation.

OH, and today (August 25) is Don’s 92 birthday! Happy Birthday Don!! To many more years of pedaling!

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com

⁠Click to watch Don’s Channel 8 interview from April 2023: https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-bicyclist-shows-no-signs-of-slowing-down-at-91/43590960 #

08/25/2023

Don Robitaille turns 92 tomorrow. He’s ridden 60+ miles in the past 3 days. He called today to ask when his episode is coming out, which we recorded a few weeks ago.

It’ll be out sometime tomorrow. Happy birthday Don!

08/08/2023

S4/E10: I met Tim Bruce while having post-race beers after Rasputitsa⁠ in ⁠East Burke, VT⁠ in April 2023. We were all chatting about the day and sharing our experiences, and then Tim started to share some bike stories from years past. I had him hit pause and asked if he'd like to share them on the mic (which didn't take much convincing) so we reconnected a couple months later to record this episode. There are the standard memories from first bikes and that excitement from the early years, and a great recounting of his recent ride at the ⁠Unbound Gravel⁠ in Kansas. But what really makes this episode special is the story he shares about one particular year at the ⁠Leadville 100⁠, and riding with his dad in an attempt to finally get him his ⁠sub-12hr buckle⁠ and become an "official finisher" after many years attempting this monumental feat.

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com

07/25/2023

BIKE SHORTS E5: We had just turned off the mic after recording the final episode of Season 3 when Jordan Parks started in on another story. I immediately stopped her and said “This is perfect for a Bike Shorts episode!” so we sat back down for a few more minutes, where she shares a mysterious tale of being watched by 100 eyes while riding at dusk in Ojai. What do you think it was?!

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com

Story-inspired artwork by . BW photos by

07/20/2023

It’s been a while. Wanted to say hello.

Today I met 91yr young Don Robitaille at his home of 63 years. His darling wife poured me a glass of lemonade over ice as we sat down at their kitchen table to record the final episode of season 4 — where Don primarily shared snippets and stories from his solo ride from Maine to Seattle at the age of 70. Full of great advice and stories of heartwarming interactions, I felt lucky to have had the conversation.

I also took a power nap with Louie, and then met my mom for snacks, drinks, and some catching up.

Was a great day. Except for the stye.

More soon(er)

06/27/2023

S4/E9: With ⁠Tira Denny⁠'s race season in full swing (and an energetic toddler at home), I was so appreciative that she shared a bit of her valuable down time to chat bike stories on the mic. We start with an early memory, where a long bike ride and a bit of bribery turned into a brand new bike thanks to her dad. Then we travel across the Atlantic to a time when an ambitious London adventure turned into a less-than-exciting UberX ride. And I particularly enjoyed hearing how endurance racing began with a rather simple goal of self-fulfillment through competition, and how her partner Mike and their daughter Zoey have now honed her focus and determination to the level of a champion.

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com

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06/20/2023

BIKE SHORTS E4: Last October (‘22) I sat down with my good friend and adventure buddy Eric Brackett to record this episode of Bike Shorts. He said he had a story he’d been holding on to, and wanted to get my honest reaction while we were on the mic. And this one certainly didn’t disappoint! Without giving it all away, it’s a stolen bike story that doesn’t go exactly as you might expect when a man known as Wolf enters the picture.

Sadly, in January of 2023, Nicholas “Wolf” Gardner’s life was cut tragically short. After learning of this, I wanted to give some time before releasing this episode. I also took some time to read about Wolf through words written by his family. It’s yet another reminder that we never know the true story behind those we may have a chance encounter with. So please listen to the episode, then read his obituary and some of the notes people left. There’s also a video at the bottom to see his life in pictures.

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com

06/13/2023

S4/E8: When looking back at his childhood, Michael's single greatest Christmas was when we walked into the living room to find a beautiful gold and silver bike from Montgomery Ward leaning against the wall. And he's been hooked ever since. As he grew, so did his style of riding and the types of bikes that where associated — from BMX with giant back-yard jumps to a Schwinn Varsity that he took for a 100-mile ride when he was only 12 while listening to 38 Special on repeat. Later in his teens he found inspiration watching the Tour de France on The Wide World of Sports and still has a special fondness for John Tesh which he's more than happy to admit. These days you can find him riding with his sons or helping kids find the joy of MTB racing through the Southern Maine Mountain Bike Syndicate, which he helped to start.

Listen Now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com

Southern Maine Mountain Bike Syndicate

06/01/2023

Adult me: I don’t need another bike.
10-yr old me: Please please please pleeeeease?!

New bike designed to recreate the Chopper MK2 and remind people of the joy of cycling

05/24/2023

S4/E7: Eric Desautels wasn't really into T-ball as a kid, so when his dad convinced him to take his first group MTB ride at the age of 6, it was on a bike that he discovered what would become his life's passion and joy. He quickly started entering some local races, and by the time he was in his early teens, he was already winning championships up against kids several years older. In addition to the races, there were healthy doses of your standard backyard BMX shenanigans, riding miles and miles to buy a Coke, and just the pure joy of summer adventures. And even as he competes at the Elite level now, the simple pleasure of riding a bike maintains the base for living a happy, healthy life.

Listen now: https://www.irideabike.com/listen-eric-desautels
desautels.73

05/16/2023

Sell a bike! Buy a bike! Buy two bikes! Just visit Allspeed Cyclery & Snow at their amazing new location and see why they’re the official bike shop of the podcast! You can also check out the mural I did. Whatever. Just GO!

Join us again for the best bike swap in Portland! We are now accepting used bike drop-offs, through Friday May 19 at 6pm. The swap takes place 10am-6pm May 20 at our Portland location.

IF YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR BIKE, bring it to us anytime before Friday, May 19th at 6pm.

IF YOU WANT TO BUY A BIKE, show up at 936 Brighton Ave at 10am on Saturday, May 20 to get a great deal on a wonderful selection of used bikes - INCLUDING select demo and NEW bikes on sale from Allspeed!

Click the link in bio for all the details.

05/16/2023

BIKE SHORTS E3: When local kite-boarding legend and amazing trail builder Scott Furr⁠ first shared his story of an unexpected encounter with a porcupine while on a night ride, I knew I had to get him on the mic for an episode of Bike Shorts. It’s one of those things you just have to hear (and see) to believe.

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com/listen-scott-furr

05/12/2023

Katie Abbott Balliett I promise I won’t buy another bike!

🤞🏼

05/09/2023

S4/E6: Bike-riding enthusiast, author, and super rad mom Leah Day was kind enough to share a few great bike stories between her Friday group ride and opening her bike shop to the public. Her fire for adventure was ignited at an early age while living in Philadelphia, and when you hear her stories of a cross-country bike tour with her son Oakley, or her recent solo ride over the Andes Mountains, her energy and excitement is sure to inspire. And if you’re one of the listeners that may not have ridden in a while, do yourself a favor and head to ⁠Lighthouse Bikes⁠! Leah would love to help you remember what it’s like to feel like a kid again on two wheels!

Listen now: www.irideabike.com/listen-leah-day

04/25/2023

S4/E5: Artist and photographer Mardi Millay rode her bike over on a beautiful spring day to share stories of her life’s journey — which began in a Cambodian orphanage in the late 1980s. After an arduous beginning, Mardi and 9 international siblings were adopted by a family on the coast of Maine, where cycling really began to take hold. She recounts first memories of riding bikes around the Bar Harbor area, but it’s when she moved to Portland that she really got her first taste of the freedom and independence a bike would allow. Now she rides as often as possible; always learning, looking, listening and most importantly — finding adventure and treasure wherever she goes. Her ultimate goal is to ride her bike around the U.S. — to discover and document what America means, from her own unique perspective.

Listen now: iRIDEaBIKE.com/listen-mardi-millay

04/21/2023

When I started this podcast in 2021, I was stoked when I hit 100 listens. Now I’ve multiplied that by 100!! And I just want to say I’m so appreciative of all of you taking the time to listen in! And to all the amazing guests for sharing their stories! Thank you!! ~ Seth

.cough .catale (and more!)

04/18/2023

S4/E4: Last minute sessions are some of the best. So when critical care nurse (and wannabe home remodeler) ⁠Garrett Curtis⁠ took a quick buzz through Southern Maine before heading back to ⁠Fruita, Colorado⁠, we set up the mics and hit record. Originally from the booming metropolis of Bangor, Maine, Garrett recounted his early years on two wheels — from the time he accidentally invented the removable handlebar for a particularly memorable jump, to bombing around the aptly-named "no man's land" behind the old junkyard. And though he rode quite a bit growing up, it was while on a job assignment in Utah that the undeniable love of mountain biking really took hold. Now he spends as much time as he can ripping the red rocks and dirt trails of Colorado and Utah with his dog Rosie, girlfriend Sarah, and anyone else with the energy to tag along. Speaking of Sarah, thanks for the intro, AND for the mid-session beer delivery!

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com/listen-garrett-curtis

04/17/2023

How have I never heard of this?!

Max Skate Bike commercial recorded from Super Channel around 1989. The actual commercial was longer, but we always missed the first few seconds.Yeah and I th...

04/13/2023

NEMBAfest was a blast last year! And looking like this year will be even better! I'll have my mobile recording studio set up, and for those looking to share a bike story, some free cool schwag and stoke-laden high-fives. Hope to see you there! Carrabassett Region NEMBA New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA)

Tickets are live for NEMBAfest 2023! Join us for a weekend of celebrating summer and all things mountain biking in Carrabasset Valley, August 4-6.
https://member.nemba.org/event-5187382

For more information check out: https://www.nembafest.com

04/11/2023

S4/E3: He was in the middle of a move back to Vermont, but Dave Cohen took some time to put down the boxes and share some stories about his history and passion for bikes. We start in Queens, NY where he grew up as an adventurous young bike rider heading into Manhattan — much to the dismay of his mother. And how over the following years, no matter where life took him, the bike continued to grow as an important aspect of his day-to-day life. From the first Critical Mass rides in San Francisco, to first experiences riding a bike through a Vermont winter. And no, he didn’t use his cargo bike to move. Though he most definitely thought about it.

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com/listen-dave-cohen (or available wherever you consume your podcasts)

04/10/2023

My brother Jesse and sister Lila working in our “bike shop” sometime around 1990. THESE are the memories and the soul of why I started I RIDE A BIKE. The ground covered in dirt and rocks, random bike parts scavenged from overgrown yards and revived into something we could ride, and the scars on knees and elbows proving that we were all once young enough not to care about much more than what the day would bring.

04/04/2023

S4/E2: Jesse Abbruzzese joined me on a beautiful day in February to chat bike stories, and when you sit down with the “Director of Music and Entertainment” for the Portland (Maine) Bike Party, you know it’s going to be a fun conversation. We start with his early years in Illinois, recounting the thrills and injuries associated with an adventurous childhood in the country. As he rode into early adulthood, there were tornados, parties in corn fields, bikes flying off car racks, and plans for bigger things including a sculpting apprenticeship with an artist named Timeless. And as his creative endeavors began to overlap with riding bikes, we learn where Jesse finally found his passion for all things bike party and how he found his place with the growing crew of like-minded riders in Portland, Maine.

Listen now: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com/listen-jesse-abbruzzese (or wherever you get your podcasts)

Portland Bike Party - Maine

03/28/2023

To kick off Season 4, I sat with the amazing and energetic Dr Lizzie Baker ( ) where she shared stories about her inspiration and involvement with Patrick Dempsey () and the Dempsey Center () for the annual Dempsey Challenge as well as the Trek Across Maine (). There’s a surprise birthday “cake” story about Jason Spooner (), her formative years spent as a camp counselor, some fun facts about being an EDM DJ, and enjoying a recent rave vibe ride at Jibe Cycling (). Jeez, say THAT 3 times real fast.

Listen: www.iRIDEaBIKE.com/listen-lizzie-baker
or wherever you get you podcasts.

03/27/2023

The sun is shining, birds are singing, Louie is chillin. Happy Monday! 🌞🌅🐕
Also, Season 4 comes out tomorrow! Kicking it off with Dr Lizzie Baker for Episode 1.

02/17/2023

Signed up for our first-ever gravel race with my adventure partner . Only 2 goals: have fun, finish race. T-minus 10 weeks.

06/16/2017

I know I'm biased, but damn my takeout looks good. Flavor for days.

05/05/2017

Korean Ginger Chicken Taco (and a MITA) while waiting for my Buffalo Chicken Taco & Southwest Salad, to go. Even if I didn't know the owners, I'd be this stoked. @ Woodhull Public House

07/24/2016

Ring 42. Portland, Maine. Steady line by

07/03/2016

Riding bikes and making friends along the way. Thanks for the tip about Oak Knoll. Happy 4th, Bill.