The Wheel Community Podcast

‘The Wheel Community' podcast returns with episode 49! This week I'm sharing my talk with Braden Govoni, owner of Outpost Richmond bike shop. During our talk Braden shared stories from his journey in the Richmond, VA cycling community, the various bikes he's owned, and his time working in local bike shops including the beginnings of the Carytown Bicycle Company. And of course we talked about the founding of Outpost Richmond and the progression of the shop and his vision for the shop. Also we talked about his epic ride on the GAPCO trail with some friends (including prior guests Mark North and Brantley Tyndall). And he shared his thoughts on just getting out to ride in the way you want to.  To find out more about Outpost Richmond bike shop follow the link below. https://outpostrichmond.com/

‘The Wheel Community' podcast episode 48 is out now! This week Dan Schmitt came by to share his cycling origin story. During our chat Dan recounted his rekindled interest in cycling in his 30s, his years coordinating the Yellow Jersey Century ride in Ashland celebrating the start of the Tour de France, the story of getting the Big Bike installed at Four Mile Creek Park, and the motivations for his epic bike ride across the country. In describing his epic bike ride he shared the wonderful experiences he had with all the people he encountered, the challenges presented by nature, what equipment and bike setup he used, and all the things that helped him manage the long voyage. Come check the episode out!

‘The Wheel Community' podcast episode 47 is now available! My guest this week is Emily Monroe from Bike Walk RVA. During our talk she shared stories from her time bike commuting in college, when she got a mountain bike for the local James River Park System trails, gradually doing longer and longer rides, the founding of the MountainCat 100 bike ride, and tales from her many bikepacking adventures.

‘The Wheel Community' podcast episode 46 is now available! This week I get to share the cycling origin story of Addie Johnson. While recounting her cycling experiences she shared how she was inspired to try a few triathlons in high school while using a beach cruiser, when she decided to get her first geared bike, her first time doing group rides, completing a double century, and dialing in her on the bike nutrition. Come check out the conversation!

‘The Wheel Community' podcast episode 45 is out now! This week I had the honor of talking with Emma Langley, professional cyclist with team EF Education-TIBCO-SVB. During our talk Emma's shared how she got into triathlons and early road racing in college, some of her challenges and successes during her collegiate racing career, the process to getting considered for a professional cycling contract, getting a contract with EF Education-TIBCO-SVB, and what life and competition is like racing as a professional in the US and internationally.

‘The Wheel Community' podcast episode 44 is now available! This week's guest is Travis Gatesman. During our talk Travis shared how we got into bike commuting year-around, transitioning from marathon running to cycling, slowly figuring out the best nutrition habits for him while riding, becoming a regular Zwift user and his vetting process for joining a Zwift racing team in category A competitions.

‘The Wheel Community' podcast episode 43 has been published! This week I talked with Rebecca Calderone. In this episode Rebecca shared her experiences bike commuting while in graduate school, tales from her time bike commuting while working in Japan, the fun times joining her dad for weekends at several Bike Virginia Tours over the years, and learning more about the local bike community in Richmond, VA.

‘The Wheel Community' podcast episode 42 is out now! My guest this week is my friend Lester Brown. During our talk Lester shared stories from his early years of riding trails in the James River Park system, his time as President of the VCU Mountain Bike club, how he got into racing and how he's progressed in the local racing scene, the founding of the ‘Yawn@Dawn' rides, and even a few stories about riding with his young son.

‘The Wheel Community' podcast ep 41 is out now! Mark North, a cofounder of Outpost Richmond bike shop, was my guest this week. During his visit Mark shared his short time participating in duathlons, doing local pickup races at Eastgate, participating and placing first in big off-road events, getting into the long distance ‘randonneuring' rides and eventually participating in the epic 1200km ‘Paris Brest Paris' event, and the his role in the founding of Outpost Richmond bike shop.

‘The Wheel Community' podcast ep 40 is out now! This week I talked with Haywood Bonner, member of Wolf Pack Alpha cycling club & Urban Cycling Group. Haywood shared his transition from being an avid runner to an avid cyclist, getting his first bike as an adult, starting to ride casually with a neighbor, then feeling inspired to ride faster with the Wolf Pack, and eventually having his fitness needs fulfilled through cycling.

‘The Wheel Community' podcast ep 39 is available! Maggie Barton, a member of the Sweet Spot cycling team, was my guest this week. In our talk she shared her beginnings of riding a fixed gear bike around Richmond for fun and transportation and eventually deciding to complete the 2 day Bike MS 150 ride, to starting indoor trainer workouts at a local bike shop then getting recognized for her abilities and encouraged to try racing, to fully embracing a life of road racing and cyclocross events, and discovering she loves climbing.

‘The Wheel Community' podcast episode 38 is in the wild! This week I get to share the cycling story of Kim Moore, VP of RABA in 2022. She told the story of riding a tandem up to Ashland on her first bike ride as an adult with almost no riding experience prior to, being encouraged to start riding by her husband, her early days of joining RABA and finding fellowship with the club, preparing for her first Bike VA event with soon to be discovered lifelong friends, and what keeps her riding now.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 37 has been published! On this week's episode I had the pleasure of talking with Tamara Broadnax and Sandy Norman from Black Girls Do Bike Richmond Chapter. They shared the beginnings and growth of the Richmond Chapter of Black Girls Do Bike, how the organization works to promote cycling for women of color, along with each of their own stories from their cycling experience. Black Girls Do Bike Richmond Chapter: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlackGirlsDoBIkeRichmond Black Girls Do Bike National: https://www.blackgirlsdobike.org/

On the morning of Saturday August 13, 2022, 2 female riders (Jonah Holland & Natalie Rainer) were struck by a drunk driver on a clear section of road in Varina, Virginia. Natalie was severely injured and Jonah did not survive her injuries at the scene. I wanted to say something about this tragic incident and share a few thoughts.  Jonah is survived by a son and daughter, if you would like to provide any assistance to the family please let me know. Natalie Rainer has extensive injuries and has a long road of recovery ahead of her. A ‘GoFundMe' page (see link below) has been set up to help with the medical expenses for that recovery, if you can provide any assistance I know she and her family would be immensely thankful (donations can be given anonymously).  gofundme Page for Natalie: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-natalie-rainer-recover Wheel Community email: twcrvapodcast@gmail.com Thank you for listening, and stay safe.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 35 is out now! Come listen to my talk with David Randolph with Wolf Pack Alpha cycling club. During our chat David shared his experience doing solo rides in Roanoke, VA in his early riding, his initial encounters with members of the Wolf Pack on the Virginia Capital Trail, switching to bib shorts, getting different bikes, noticing his fitness gains from riding with faster riders and now preferring group rides.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 34 is out now! This week I talked with Matt Juaneza. In our talk Matt shared how he got started riding the James River Park System trails in college, when we began participating and racing in off-road events, getting his first cycling jersey, what motivates him to keep riding, when he challenged himself to lose weight by his 30th birthday (then put some back on), and other entertaining stories from his time behind bars.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 33 has been published! Russ Starke, President of RABA for 2022 was my guest this week. During our talk we covered his history with RABA and cycling in the area, his time bike racing and using classic trainers, providing support for professional bike races, an epic bike ride going 1000+ miles around the perimeter of Virginia, and other interesting topics from his time riding.  image: Russ at the end of his 1000 mile bike ride around Virginia, finishing at the VA state capitol.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 32 is LIVE! This week I talked with Keith Van Inwegen about his time on 2 wheels. We talked of when he participated in his first Cap2Cap ride, the time he rode from Richmond to Blacksburg and back, his appreciation for off-road and on-road riding, and other tales from the ‘big dumb rides' he's completed.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 31 has been published! This week I talked with Erin Horil, coach with Endorphin Fitness. During our entertaining talk we covered her time with the JMU Triathlon club, how she enjoys the structure of training, becoming a triathlon coach with Endorphin Fitness, our mutual enjoyment of stroopwafels, and other fun stories from her active life. Photo: Erin Horil in full motion at the Pink Power Triathlon in 2021

‘The Wheel Community' episode 30 is out! Come listen to my talk with Thomas ‘Scott' Scott. We talked about getting one of his early bikes built, our mutual appreciation of pop-tarts, what kind of riding he likes to do, using the Apple Watch Activity badges to achieve his fitness goals daily through cycling, and other entertaining stories from his riding experiences.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 29 is available! This week I talked with Jeanne Minnix. During our talk we discussed her experience joining RABA, being motivated to ride more with others, going on solo adventures to make the height of the pandemic more bearable, and other stories from her time on 2 wheels.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 28 is in the wild! Come listen to my interview with David Hunter, a rider with RollCallRVA. While discussing his varied journey in cycling he shared the story of how he finished a century at age 13, the times he's worked and managed bike shops, racing on tandems, stories from his time as Neutral Support at professional races, and the beginnings of the RollCallRVA rides.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 27 has been published! This week I talked with Andre Campbell. We covered how he started riding regularly with coworkers, how he learned firsthand what it meant to ‘get dropped', started to ride with the Wolfpack Alpha cycling club, how he got starting racing, and what keeps him motivated to ride more.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 26 is now in the wild. This week I had the privilege of interviewing Jan Waldron. We talked about him sampling 12 different group rides when he first joined RABA, using his friends Strava rides to create his own fun routes to ride, riding at a distance with friends through the pandemic, and many other enjoyable stories from his cycling life.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 25 is out today! This week is a Live episode recorded at Starr Hill Brewery as a part of Bike Month 2022 in Richmond, VA. There was an awesome panel assembled to discuss biking in the area including Carmen Hamlin (rvaMORE), Kyron Copeland (Urban Cycling Group), Brantley Tyndall (Bike Walk RVA), and Clark Jones (rvaMORE). We talked about the progress of the Fall Line Trail, what RVAMORE does, and how we can engage new riders. To find out more about of each of their organizations please follow the links below: Urban Cycling Group : https://www.urbancyclinggroup.org/ rvaMORE : https://rvamore.org/ Bike Walk RVA : https://www.sportsbackers.org/program/bike-walk-rva/  

‘The Wheel Community' episode 24 has been published. This week's guest is Denelle Grant. She talked about her experiences racing off-road, what motivates her to keep doing different types of races, using a smart trainer and Zwift, and the story of a bad crash at Wintergreen.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 23 has been published. Check out my talk this week with David Beach, owner of Beach Athletics LLC. We talked about his early days riding around the streets of New York City, his first rides with Wolf Pack Alpha Cycling at West Creek parkway, participating in his first race, and changing his eating habits to improve his performance.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 22 is out today! This week I talked with my friend, Dan Cherkis. We covered Dan helping organize the Carytown Bicycle Company rides, his initial rides with RABA, and details of an incident that still encourages him to keep his helmet on until he gets completely off the bike. 

‘The Wheel Community' episode 21 has been published with this week's guest, Dan Girouard who runs the cyclingva.com website. We talked about his time racing, connecting with RABA after a hiatus from cycling, and how the cyclingva.com site was started and what goes into keeping it up to date.  I encourage everyone to visit the cyclingva.com site and check out all the resources there. The site has links to many of the cycling clubs in Virginia, information about various events around the state (and how to list a new event), guides and maps to cycling in VA, and even an extensive list of USA made cycling products. https://www.cyclingva.com/

‘The Wheel Community' episode 20 has been published! This week I talked with my friend, Brian Ezzelle. We chatted about his first bike race as a young kid at a local dirt track, his passion for cyclocross, and finding solace in his cycling community and structured training.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 19 has been published! Listen to my talk with Tremain Jackson, one of the members of my zwift racing group ‘Team CREED RVA'. We talk about his progression from only riding local roads on a mountain bike to taking on challenging climbing road biking events, riding indoors on Zwift, and navigating staying active with a young family.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 18 has been published! This week I talked with my friend Nate Ayers, coach with Peaks Coaching Group. We discussed how he started mountain biking, getting into racing, and being in a few severe crashes and navigating the injuries following each crash.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 17 is out! Check out my talk with Micah Jewell, local racer and mechanic at Molly's Bike shop. He shares some of the challenging events he has competed in, how he became a mechanic at Molly's, and acknowledging the age gap when he shows up to rides and events. And there is a short preview video of our talk for anyone that might want to see what it looks like behind the audio. Check out the link to video on youtube below or google search for ‘The Wheel Community - ep 17 - Micah Jewell - preview video'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4QiaR4bznk

‘The Wheel Community' episode 16 has been published! This week I talked with John Hamilton, Bicycling Advocacy Director for RABA. We talked about his cycling experiences, joining rides with RABA, and taking over the Bicycling Advocacy Director role for the club.

‘The Wheel Community' episode 15 has been published!!! Take a listen to the talk with my friend Ross Kimball, one of the many awesome riders I've met through the Yawn@Dawn weekly ride. We covered how he handled riding through the pandemic, tackling his first century ride, dealing with being hit by a car on his work commute and other interesting stories from his time cycling.

This week I talked with Matt and Bev Brown, a couple that have been riding together for years. We discussed their meeting in college and the early times riding together, some of the cycling adventures they've been on while traveling, and tips for anyone that also might be interested in cycling while traveling.

‘The Wheel Community' is back and episode 13 is out today!!! Check out my talk with Erin Wittwer, mom, cycling coach, and racer. We discussed her time on a racing team, the founding of Sweet Spot Cycling Studio, and coaching her husband.

No guest this week, but I wanted to say thank you to everyone for all the support. More talks to come. Happy Holidays!

Episode 11 of ‘The Wheel Community' podcast is out today! Come listen to my talk with Meredith Whitehurst, triathlete and finisher of numerous Ironman events. We talked about her starting triathlons, navigating life with the pandemic, and her concerns over wanting to accomplish her athletic goals and be a present mother to young kids.

Episode 10 of ‘The Wheel Community' podcast is out today! This week I sat down with Jeff Clinton, father and a member of Wolf Pack Alpha Cycling. We talked about the lessons he's learned while riding, his motivations for losing weight (and realizing the benefits after making that choice), and pushing himself for greater gains on two wheels and in life.

Episode 9 of ‘The Wheel Community' podcast is out today! This week's episode covers my talk with Jessica Conley, bikepacker and sprint chaser. We cover how she got inspired to try cycling after reading a book about riding the Blue Ridge Parkway (then doing it solo as a novice), showing up to some of her first group road rides still prepped for touring (bags and all), and when she decided to try structured training at Sweet Spot Cycling Studio. And we made a short preview video of our chat, for anyone that might want to see what it looks like behind the audio (google search for - ‘TWC ep 9 Jessica Conley - preview video' or use the link to youtube below, ~6 minute video). https://youtu.be/1GuEqZBa5jI

Episode 8 of ‘The Wheel Community' podcast is out today! This week's episode covers my talk with Brantley Tyndall, Director of Outreach for Bike Walk RVA, Trans Am Bike Race finisher, and selector of delicious snacks (watch the video). He shared his history of cycling at VCU, some of the challenges advocating for safe cycling spaces, and enduring through the Trans Am Bike Race. And there is a short video of our conversation, for anyone that might want to see what it looks like behind the audio (google search for - ‘TWC ep 8 Brantley - preview video' or use the link to youtube below, ~6 minute video) https://youtu.be/Af4aKP34FTE

Check out my talk with Gregg Hillmar, RABA Century Chair, League of American Bicyclist & USA Cycling Certified Coach, Triple Threat Training Team Coach and Organizer, and all around good dude. We discuss his first experiences riding as an adult, the start and growth of the Triple Threat Training Team, and how he handled riding through the first pandemic year.

This week I talked with Paige Lee, a newer member of the Richmond Area Bicycling Association. We talk about her riding with family, how she discovered RABA, and her cycling experience so far.

Come listen to my conversation with Paula Dahl, Event Director of the ‘Storming of Thunder Ridge'. This episode we talk about her cycling journey, riding a tandem, the history and growth of Storming of Thunder Ridge, and her preferred snacks on a ride.

A talk with Tamara 'FitnessAngel' Arnold about riding with Wolf Pack Alpha Cycling, her first time at the Bryan Park races, being a woman of color on a bike, and her learning the ropes of road cycling.