When you stop to think about it, over the past hundred years or so, a lot of societal change has involved, or been caused by, the humble bicycle. Paved roads, pneumatic tires and heavier than air flight are just a few of the developments for which the bicycle has been the catalyst.
This week’s guests are planted squarely at the intersection of bicycles and progress.
First up is author Sue Macy, whose new book Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (with a few flat tires along the way) documents how the bicycle helped liberate women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sue’s prose and the images she collected for the book are engaging and enlightening.
In the second half of the show, Diane chats with Larry Pizzi, President of Currie Technologies. Currie makes electric-assist bicycles, which may be the breakthrough in bicycle development that clears the way for large numbers of people to use bikes for everyday transportation. Larry tells us the history of the company, how he sees the electric assist bike in the market, along with a bit of explanation about the technology itself.
As always, Diane and I find time for news, calendar and a bit of banter about cycling.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:20 — 27.2MB)