Podcasts about great allegheny passage

Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader, Cerity Partners Three years after launching his independent RIA, Patrick Larkin merged with Cerity Partners—but not because that was the original plan. He explains how ownership changed the way he viewed enterprise value, optionality, and the future of his business. In Summary Going independent is often viewed as the destination. Patrick Larkin discovered it was just the beginning. Louis sits down with Patrick, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners and former founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, to discuss an unconventional journey: leaving Wells Fargo to build an independent RIA, then choosing to merge that business just three years later. Rather than following a predetermined exit strategy, Patrick shares how ownership fundamentally changed the way he thought about enterprise value. A conversation with a prospective acquirer revealed that buyers weren't interested in purchasing a book of business—they were looking for a business. That realization reshaped how he invested, hired, delegated, and ultimately positioned his firm for the future. The conversation from our Build Grow & Transact series also offers a candid look at life after a merger, from evaluating cultural fit and partnership to balancing autonomy with the resources of a larger organization. More broadly, it illustrates how ownership creates optionality—and why the most valuable decision an advisor makes may not be the one they originally envisioned. The Storyline After spending nearly 15 years building a successful practice at AG Edwards, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo, Patrick Larkin launched Oak Hill Wealth Advisors in 2022 with a simple objective: build a business on his own terms. Like many advisors, he expected independence to be the final destination for a long time. But then there was the realization that ownership changes more than economics; it changes perspective. And it became the beginning of an entirely different way of thinking. As acquisition inquiries arrived sooner than expected, Patrick realized something that fundamentally changed his strategy. Sophisticated buyers weren't evaluating his client relationships as a book of business; they were evaluating Oak Hill as an enterprise. That insight shifted his priorities from maximizing short-term profitability to building a business that could thrive beyond its founder. Just three years after launching, Patrick chose to merge with Cerity Partners—not because he was looking for an exit, but because he believed it strengthened the future for his clients, his team, and his family. Louis and Patrick explore what led to that decision, how ownership increased the value of his business almost immediately, why he compares independence to an IPO, and what advisors should consider if they hope to create options for the future—even if they don't yet know what that future looks like. Topics Covered Building enterprise value versus maximizing annual income Creating optionality through ownership Leaving Wells Fargo to launch an independent RIA Why buyers value businesses more than books of business Evaluating strategic partners and acquisition opportunities The economics of independence and business valuation Life after merging with Cerity Partners Balancing autonomy with enterprise-scale resources Leadership, succession, and building beyond the founder Long-term ownership and partnership models > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why did Patrick decide to leave Wells Fargo? (11:07) Patrick explains why growing frustrations around control, firm priorities, and the ability to build his business eventually outweighed the comfort of staying put. How did going independent immediately change the value of his business? (21:42) Patrick introduces one of the episode's biggest ideas: why launching Oak Hill felt like taking a company public and how ownership increased the firm's value almost overnight. Why did Patrick sell only three years after becoming independent? (20:03) An unexpected conversation with a prospective acquirer completely changed how he viewed enterprise value and accelerated his long-term thinking. What separates a business from a book of business? (21:42) Patrick discusses why recruiting advisors, delegating client relationships, and investing beyond himself made Oak Hill more attractive to strategic buyers. Why Cerity Partners? (26:48) Rather than focusing on valuation, Cerity emphasized culture, partnership, and long-term alignment—qualities Patrick says ultimately mattered most. What is life actually like after a merger? (37:57) Patrick offers an unusually candid perspective on autonomy, leadership, and why he says he hasn't second-guessed the decision once. Key Takeaways Ownership creates opportunities that often aren't visible until after independence. Enterprise value is built by creating a business that can thrive beyond its founder. The first acquisition conversation can be valuable even if no transaction occurs. Cultural alignment may ultimately matter more than valuation when selecting a long-term partner. Independence doesn't eliminate future options—it expands them. Strategic transactions can strengthen outcomes for clients, employees, and owners simultaneously. The goal isn't simply to own a business; it's to create choices for what comes next. https://youtu.be/f7FGLGjBbyo Quotable Moments “The day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public.” “Potential acquirers weren't interested in buying a book. They were interested in buying a business.” “Ownership isn't simply about control. It's about creating optionality.” “The fear of leaving is almost always worse than the actual experience of leaving.” FAQs Why did Patrick Larkin merge with Cerity Partners only three years after launching his RIA? Patrick explains that independence changed how he viewed enterprise value. After learning what sophisticated buyers were actually looking for, he intentionally built Oak Hill as a business rather than simply managing for annual profitability. Why does Patrick compare independence to an IPO? Because ownership immediately transformed the economic value of his practice. Rather than participating in an internal succession model, he owned an independent enterprise that carried substantially greater market value. What changed after Patrick became independent? Beyond gaining control, he began making decisions through the lens of enterprise value—investing in advisors, systems, and infrastructure that would make the business less dependent on him personally. What made Cerity Partners stand out? Patrick cites the firm's culture, partnership model, meritocracy, long-term vision, and ability to combine local autonomy with enterprise-level capabilities. Is this episode only relevant for advisors considering selling? No. The broader lesson is that ownership creates flexibility. Whether an advisor ultimately remains independent or joins another organization, understanding how enterprise value is created can influence decisions from day one. What is the biggest lesson Patrick hopes advisors take away? That independence isn't simply about leaving a firm. It's about creating the ability to choose what comes next on your own terms. Patrick explains that independence changed how he viewed enterprise value. After learning what sophisticated buyers were actually looking for, he intentionally built Oak Hill as a business rather than simply managing for annual profitability. Because ownership immediately transformed the economic value of his practice. Rather than participating in an internal succession model, he owned an independent enterprise that carried substantially greater market value. Beyond gaining control, he began making decisions through the lens of enterprise value—investing in advisors, systems, and infrastructure that would make the business less dependent on him personally. Patrick cites the firm's culture, partnership model, meritocracy, long-term vision, and ability to combine local autonomy with enterprise-level capabilities. No. The broader lesson is that ownership creates flexibility. Whether an advisor ultimately remains independent or joins another organization, understanding how enterprise value is created can influence decisions from day one. That independence isn't simply about leaving a firm. It's about creating the ability to choose what comes next on your own terms. Related Resources From Start-Up to $31B Behemoth RIA: The Catalysts Behind the Growth of Mega-Firm Cerity Partners Ownership Matters: What Advisors Need to Know When Evaluating Firms Top Tips for Setting Your Business Up for Success Years Before a Move Patrick LarkinPartner and Practice Leader Patrick is a Partner and Practice Leader in the Lansdowne, VA office. He is a member of the Lansdowne Practice, where he works closely with families, foundations, and non-profits to help them define and achieve their financial goals with clarity and confidence. With a deep specialization in retirement income distribution planning and complex risk and wealth management strategies, Patrick is known for helping clients simplify complicated financial decisions, reduce uncertainty, and build sustainable, long-term plans. His approach emphasizes fiduciary responsibility, transparency, and personalized guidance — ensuring clients always feel informed and empowered. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Patrick was the founding member of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, where he built a highly respected independent advisory practice that earned the trust of families, professionals, and mission-driven organizations across the region. His leadership was instrumental in shaping a client-first culture that continues today. Patrick's work is rooted in a passion for long-term relationships — guiding clients not just through markets, but through life's milestones such as retirement, business transitions, philanthropic planning, and wealth transfer across generations. He takes pride in being both a strategic advisor and a steady partner to the people he serves. Patrick lives in Bluemont, VA, with his wife Angela, their two children, Paige and Sean, and their Golden Retrievers, Huckleberry and Genoa. Outside of the office, Patrick and his family enjoy an active lifestyle — whether it's hiking and backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, biking the Great Allegheny Passage, or sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. These experiences reflect his belief in balance, resilience, and enjoying the journey — values he also brings to his work with clients. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years A conversation with Louis Diamond and Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader at Cerity Partners.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years. It’s a conversation with Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: Ownership as a way of creating opportunities you can’t always predict. That’s exactly why we created our Build, Grow, and Transact series. Independence isn’t the end of the story. It’s often the beginning of thinking differently about enterprise value, optionality, and what comes next. Today’s guest is Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners, and formerly the founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Patrick spent nearly 15 years building a successful practice at A.G. Edwards, Wachovia, and eventually Wells Fargo before launching his own independent firm in 2022. Just three years later, he merged that firm into Cerity. At first glance, that timeline might seem surprisingly short, but as you’ll hear, the merger wasn’t a change in direction. It was the result of seeing his business differently once he owned it. Yet, it’s this perspective that really brings that thought home. Patrick said the day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public because overnight, what had been viewed as a book of business became an enterprise with substantially greater value, some four to five times the value of what it was worth at Wells. And that realization changed the way he invested, the way he hired, and ultimately the way he thought about the future. Pat and I also talk about something advisors don’t often discuss candidly, what life actually looks like after a merger. How much control do you give up? What changes day to day? How do you know whether you’re joining a partner or simply selling a business? Whether your long-term plan is to remain independent forever or eventually join a larger organization, Patrick’s experience is a reminder that ownership isn’t simply about control. It’s about creating optionality and putting yourself in a position where the next decision is yours to make. So let’s get to it. Patrick, thanks for coming on our show today. Patrick Larkin: Oh, my pleasure. Nice to meet you, Louis. Louis Diamond: You too. So let’s start off basically how we start every interview. Tell us about yourself, your background, and how you found your way into our industry in the first place. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, thank you for asking. I knew I always wanted to be a financial advisor. That part really wasn’t in question, but upon graduating college and being a 22-year-old, I knew that it was probably not practical to walk in and start advising people my parents’ age with their life savings. Probably wasn’t going to be a recipe for success. So I took a quick tour through the pharmaceutical industry first, which ended up being unexpectedly valuable. My employers there pushed me to think like an entrepreneur and within our territories. And honestly, that mindset never left me. It shaped how I built everything that came after. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself in Loudoun County, Virginia in Northern Virginia, and I became an FA trainee with A.G. Edwards, absolutely fantastic firm to start my career. Now, what drew me to this career was pretty simple. I felt like it was one of the professions that we had an opportunity to do so much good for others while simultaneously also doing well for yourself, and those two things aren’t in conflict. I also really loved the idea that in this profession there was no hiding. You don’t get paid to show up. You get paid for what you actually do. And perhaps for me, what was most important, I loved the weight of responsibility. I loved earning people’s trust. I loved the idea of deserving, being deserving of their trust, and being a steward of what they’ve worked a lifetime to build. I never took that lightly, and I still don’t. Louis Diamond: That’s amazing. Yeah, I mean, the number of people I’ve heard, you talked so fondly about A.G. Edwards and there’s a bunch of other firms that have since been absorbed or emerged that are like the regional firms of old. So not surprised to hear you loved it. A.G. Edwards, obviously, became Wells Fargo Advisors or was acquired or merged with Wells Fargo. So I know you’re at Wells and A.G. Edwards until 2022. So give us a quick version. How’d you build your practice from the pharma world into being in FA? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, so as I started with A.G. Edwards, I came in at really just the perfect time. It was towards the end of the financial crisis. And I built the business the old-fashioned way with a lot of cold calling and eventually did some dinner seminars, which I can tell you is a very expensive way to learn how to speak in front of a room. But I made some progress, and I was also in a great office, small enough that some of the advisors there would hand off some of the smaller accounts that they weren’t interested in working with, and got an opportunity to get a lot of reps in working with real life clients and individuals. I knew early on I didn’t have enough talent to win on talent alone, so I made up for it and compensated for that with really hard work. The real turning point came for me when A.G. Edwards was first acquired by Wachovia Securities, and that was about five years into my career. And at that point, my branch manager, who was eyeing retirement, asked me to step in as her partner, and that changed everything. We eventually moved over to a Wachovia Securities office, another really great local office in Loudoun County, Virginia. And from that office, I worked on and became a CIMA, a CFP, worked with the clients, built a business through referrals. And I found at that point in my career when I would go to a meeting with Wachovia, eventually Wells Fargo, as a young 30-year-old, I would look around the room often and realize that I was the youngest person in the room. The funny thing was 10 years later, I would go into that same room and I’d look around and I still was the youngest guy in that room. And those demographics in our industry, and when I came into our industry, ultimately led that office that I worked in with Wells Fargo Advisors, I eventually was the recipient and party to five different succession plans- Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: … at Wells Fargo Advisors. I hoped that I had built a reputation as somebody that these other advisors would entrust with their clients. And over that time period, really, I would say professionally, one of my accomplishments I’m most proud of is all five of those retired advisors that I used to work with, who had an opportunity to see me work with clients, all became clients of mine, I still continue to work with. And it’s professionally just one of the greatest honors that I’ve ever had. Louis Diamond: I mean, that’s a large number of advisors you helped sunset, but I would agree it’s the ultimate proof of concept that they not only trusted you with their clients and their life’s work, but now also with their family’s wealth. So I like that, kind of the full life cycle there. So I’m curious, though, you stayed at Wells through a really turbulent time through the fake bank scandal. There’s a lot of attrition. I mean, obviously, they’re still a powerhouse to this day, but what kept you at Wells for as long as it did before you left in 2022? Patrick Larkin: You described it as a turbulent time. Pretty turbulent might be an understatement. Even before Wells, the transition to Wells, Wachovia Bank had been the first company that we transitioned to from A.G. Edwards. And we, of course, went through the financial crisis during that time period and handholding our clients and helping them get through that time period and dealing with concerns that we shouldn’t really have to be prepared with. “Is my money safe? It’s not what’s happening to the market, but is my money safe in your institution?” But once things stabilized, I found real purpose in partnering with some of the retiring advisors and opportunities that came up. It was a really wonderful climate and atmosphere in our local office. It was really a family-like atmosphere, and I still had a lot to learn. And all those advisors that I partnered with, I’ve joked I’ve never had an original idea in my entire life. I stole all my good ideas from them. And some of them were really ahead of their time, and I learned, adopted, and built my own philosophies by working closely with them. Ultimately, by the time I left Wells Fargo, I was finishing up the fifth sunset program and had only made my way halfway through the sunset before the opportunity presented itself to create my own practice. Louis Diamond: So I’m curious, when did you first seriously start thinking about leaving and what really tipped the scales for you? What was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, it really was a number of small items and ultimately one big one. But for a long time, I’d been content, but as I tried to grow the business beyond what I could do individually, I felt like I kept running into walls. There were it felt like limitations on how I could build out my team and structure the practice the way I envisioned it. Additionally, there were some new policies that also started to bother me. One of them was the platform advisory fee, which in my eyes was less about client transparency and more about replacing a declining revenue source on the firm’s balance sheet. And after dealing with clients and helping them through the bank scandal at the firm, I was concerned that this would come back and hurt me and the relationships that I had with my clients. Incidentally, I just recently onboarded a new client that transferred to us. And for them, looking at their statement, identifying this platform advisory fee- Louis Diamond: Oh boy. Patrick Larkin: … was the last straw for them before they moved about 15 million of assets to us. Also, I thought I would be I would be a better allocator of resources than Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo retained about half of the revenue that I earned for the business. They seemed to think that the best allocation of that money was additional middle management. Whereas, I thought investment in technology, investment in additional personnel, and an investment in marketing were best places to continue to build out my vision. The final straw, and really a thing that crystallized everything for me was when I read a book in 2021 called The Infinite Game, a book written by Simon Sinek. Chapter eight, the title is Ethical Fading. And it uses the Wells Fargo bank scandal as a case study in what happens when a firm loses its moral compass. I read the chapter and thought, “There it is, I have to do something.” That was really the final push I needed. I mentioned earlier I was very fortunate to start my career with a company called A.G. Edwards, a regional brokerage firm. And while I was at A.G. Edwards, there was a research report that came out on A.G. Edwards as a company. And I’m going to paraphrase a little bit on what was said in that report, but ultimately there was a line in there, and it was a criticism, but I took it as a huge positive as being an employee there. The line said, “While management does not necessarily say it, we believe the client is put ahead of the shareholder.” And that was something I was very proud of. And I just, upon reflecting on it, felt confident those were words that I never was going to see go to print about Wells Fargo. Louis Diamond: So you left Wells in 2022 and founded Oak Hill Wealth Partners in Lansdowne, Virginia. Walk us through that decision. Why go independent rather than going to another firm? Patrick Larkin: I really thought moving to another firm, the things that I had grown frustrated with at Wells Fargo Advisors, I would also find at another wirehouse firm. I was ready, and honestly, the simple answer is I thought I could do better. And I wanted control after having what I felt like was very little control. I had grown frustrated with others making important decisions, and I wanted an opportunity to grab the reins and make decisions on my own. I believe at that time, the future of wealth management was going to be built around fiduciary advice, and I didn’t want to watch that from the sidelines anymore. I was watching what was happening in the industry. And as we were trying to hire new advisors, reaching out to college graduates who were studying CFP programs, identified that they were more inclined to want to start employment with an RIA than a wirehouse. What made the timing work really well was Wells Fargo had actually introduced a program to help advisors in the private client group spin off and establish their own RIAs. Now, whenever I tell this to another advisor, particularly ones that are wirehouses, they can’t understand it. And quite frankly, I don’t understand why they helped us do it, but we were about the 30th practice that they helped us through this process and they provided real support. They hired consultants, made vendor recommendations, even referrals to financing so I could pay off my last succession plan before I left. The only really upside for Wells Fargo was that the ask was that we continue to use First Clearing as the custodian. And one of the downsides for me was I was going to leave all of my deferred comp behind with Wells Fargo. Now, all clients had to do to join me was sign a positive consent. And on May 9th, 2020, we turned on our computers in our new office and our clients were already there. That same day, we launched and started a relationship with Charles Schwab. And it was so exciting to be able to start shopping for what I thought was the best FinTech, really feeling like I was stuck with proprietary tools that Wells Fargo advisors had offered. I felt like I was a kid in a candy store. And if there was a cool tool that I identified that would help us serve our clients better, I was all in and I was buying it. I really feel that some of the technology that Oak Hill eventually bought into and some of the tools we’re using now are going to take years and years before they eventually trickle down to where the wirehouses are, if ever. Louis Diamond: Interesting. So it was really it was for the most part an internal move from one- Patrick Larkin: It was- Louis Diamond: … channel to the other. Patrick Larkin: … it was an internal move, but there was no requirement to stay at First Clearing. As a fiduciary, they couldn’t make those demands. And again, they helped us with the financing, which is really unusual that they helped us secure a loan so I could pay off the last retiring advisor. It’s really unusual that a bank will loan money where there is no business at the time, but because of previous experience that financial institution had working with Wells, they helped us facilitate the transaction. And the program is still in place at Wells Fargo, which is absolutely amazing to me after the experience that I’ve just had myself. Louis Diamond: Yeah, it’s interesting. I mean, does it cannibalize a more profitable revenue source? Sure. But if the alternative was all the assets go to Schwab or Fidelity, to me, honestly, it’s smart. I think they played the long game by not being adversarial on it. Patrick Larkin: I think they played a long game and they took the philosophy, and I think they use it as a recruiting tool that if you love them, set them free. And that’s exactly what they did. Louis Diamond: So for the rest of the episode, I want to talk about your eventual, and not that long period of time, transaction or decision to merge Oak Hill with Cerity Partners. This is our Build, Grow, Transact subseries. And I was really struck by your story because you were three years or so into running Oak Hill, and then your merger with Cerity Partners, an amazing RIA closed. That’s a fairly short runway. Usually when I see folks go independent for the first time, it’s 10, 15, 20 years, maybe never, that they decide to merge or sell. I’m curious to understand your thinking about the transaction. Were you looking to do something? Or was it just like right place, right time and the opportunity presented itself? Patrick Larkin: I had started Oak Hill with the intent of eventually down the road, much closer to retirement, looking for a partner. The opportunity and what I learned early on helped change that idea and philosophy, and I adapted and made modifications to take advantage of it. Louis Diamond: Interesting. So you weren’t necessarily planning on selling or merging the business, it just kind of circumstances happened the way they did? Patrick Larkin: Yeah. When we started Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, it was a really pretty short period of time before we started getting calls from larger national RIAs about potential acquisition, much sooner than I expected. Early on, I just brushed them off, but about a year in, I took one of those calls and it really just opened my eyes up. I realized for the first time this small firm, this little practice actually had some real value, way more than I’d given it credit for. That first call, that first exploration didn’t go anywhere. It wasn’t a good fit. But what it gave me was a much clearer picture of what the serious acquirers were actually looking for. And that changed decisions I made at Oak Hill going forward. I really at that point stopped trying to optimize for near-term profit and really thought of my business as a business and started building towards enterprise value, sometimes at the cost of short-term income. And that turned out to be exactly the right call. Louis Diamond: That’s such an interesting perspective. Let’s double-click into that concept. So it sounds almost counterintuitive that if you kind of had this light bulb moment that like, “Okay, maybe I want to transact my business sooner than I initially thought.” I think most people would say, “Let’s become lean and mean. Let’s become as profitable as possible so my EBITDA’s higher.” But you took the different approach. What were the decisions you did to invest more in enterprise value rather than current cash flow? Patrick Larkin: A true business is one that doesn’t need me to be here every day to operate. And when we left Wells Fargo Advisors, it was myself and one other advisor that created Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. I was responsible for about 95% of the assets and revenue. And one of the more significant investments we made is in additional advisors. I recruited three new advisors, all CFPs, to join Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Whereas, before I had been largely managing all the relationships myself. For someone that kind of grew up in the regional wirehouse space, it’s pretty counterintuitive to start moving relationships away from you onto other advisors. You’re trained and built to create a moat around your relationships, and realized that the potential acquirers are not interested, at least the ones I was interested in, weren’t interested in buying a book. They were interested in buying a business. And that just meant every decision we made going forward was not profit-driven, but how can I increase the value of the business? So after that first call, I knew I probably would be looking to move forward with a transaction sooner as opposed to the end of retirement. That information that I got on that first call helped me realize that when Oak Hill Wealth Advisors opened its doors on May 9th, 2022, we effectively had an IPO. I had great familiarity with how the succession plans at Wells Fargo Advisors worked. And on that day that we opened our practice, the value of my business jumped to be four to five times the value of it in a succession plan at Wells Fargo Advisors. Now, I knew going forward that I was going to be able to increase revenue. I was going to be able to increase EBITDA. I was going to potentially have some benefits from a market tailwind. I knew the multiples of EBITDA that the firms use may fluctuate, but the biggest change by far occurred leaving the wirehouse and having the value of my business grow four to fivefold in that same day. So what I really focused on was making sure that I was going to, when I was ready to start looking again after I had worked on improving the practice, really was going to look for a firm that was going to be a good cultural fit for both my clients, my team, and myself. Louis Diamond: That’s such a cool perspective. I’ve never heard anyone say that the day we launched your independent business was like an IPO. But honestly, it’s so true. You’re planting a flag in the ground that like, “Here is real value. This is value that we’ve created that we own rather than it being a book of business and a W-2 paycheck.” And it’s a fascinating perspective. Patrick Larkin: Yep. It really is amazing that the value changed that much on one day and the future value changes. Looking at the equity that I owned in Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, it made sense to consider is there a better way to take some risk off the table for myself and my family and diversify some of the equity that I had in Oak Hill Wealth Advisors with a larger enterprise? Louis Diamond: It makes complete sense. Obviously, everyone would sign up for 4 to 5X increase in value. Patrick Larkin: Sure. Louis Diamond: That’s not the reason most people go independent, but it’s important to know. And also, what I really liked about what you shared is I think a really valuable learning for anyone is those calls come in, whether it’s from annoying people like me or from an acquirer, from a firm, they’re not all noise. You took it as an opportunity to learn. Even though that first person who called wasn’t the right fit, it crystallized something in your mind and it let you make proactive decisions that ultimately paid off in spades when it came time to sign the dotted line for your transaction with Cerity. So I think it’s brilliant. And it’s very big picture, big-business-owner-type stuff that I think a lot of people will just filter out because it’s annoying and I’m young, I’m not looking to sell, but that was the journey. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, that first call changed my opinion about timing of when to move forward with a partnership. Originally, I thought this would be something at the end of retirement. The timing of doing so sooner seemed a lot more appealing after having that conversation and realizing what we had actually built. Louis Diamond: Amazing. So ultimately you decided to merge with Cerity Partners. We’ve had Kurt Miscinski from Cerity Partners on the show. They’re a real heavyweight within the RIA world. Most recently, they were valued at $8 billion in a recap, and it’s a very impressive firm. What specifically drew you to Cerity versus other potential buyers? Like you said, you got a lot of calls. Patrick Larkin: After that first call, I just got to work and focused on continuing to take care of our clients, building a team, adding new advisors, being a mentor to those advisors. But at the same time, we were being approached fairly regularly by that point. And I had a pretty good system for quickly deciding whether something was worth a second look, and most weren’t. But about a year ago, one of the national RIAs caught my attention and I started having conversations with them. And once I had progressed with them, I though, “You know what? If I’m giving this consideration, I really need to cast a wider net.” So I reached out to other RIAs that I had looked at and admired and been keeping an eye on. And ultimately, my longtime business coach, Barbara Kay, suggested I talk with Cerity Partners, a company that one of her other clients had just recently joined. And from the very first call, I could tell something was different. And I talked to many different companies. Cerity Partners, and an individual I spoke with, Geoff Newman, they weren’t leading with valuation formulas or deal structure. They were asking questions about my clients, my team, and how I actually ran the practice. They had a very defined process for identifying partners who were genuinely compatible, not just advisors with books that were transferable. And that distinction mattered greatly to me. They also offered really, in my opinion, the right balance of support and still having some autonomy. And their aspiration to deliver consistent standard of care to clients, whether they be in California or Virginia, so that those individuals get the same quality of experience, resonated with how I was already running things within my practice. That combination of support and autonomy, I really liked the idea of continuing to have oversight over my local practice, over our practice, which included the budget, salaries, and bonuses. It more than anybody else felt like a partnership and not a buyout. And I really appreciate it during that first call, Cerity was the only company that talked about a hundred-year plan. It was amazing to me to hear what their thoughts were. Most of the other firms I spoke with talked about valuations. And very quickly in the process, I found myself on a Zoom call with a Patagonia fleece vest-wearing private equity rep walking me through a valuation. And it was efficient, but it was not a cultural fit for me. And the infrastructure behind us and the combination of autonomy is really harder to find than most people think. As I progressed with Cerity, I remember early on in the process thinking to myself, “My God, I hope they want me, I hope they want me,” because I could tell I’m a very process-driven person They had a process with the way they brought me on board. And ultimately, we had a due diligence trip set up to go to one of their larger offices where I met with one of their leaders, Claire O’Keefe, part of their practice development, and had an opportunity to meet with different leaders within the firm and really get my arms wrapped around the potential that they had. Just the quality of the people I encountered through the whole process just kept reinforcing the decision. And by the time we got to the finish line, it didn’t feel like a transaction. It felt like I was joining something that I was excited to be part of. So just a little bit more about what attracted me to Cerity, their culture is just phenomenal. Cerity Partners uses the word “meritocracy” and they actually mean it. Ownership and influence here track your contribution, not your tenure or how well you play the politics. I just attended my first partner meeting in April, and without exaggeration, it was the most extraordinary professional meeting I’ve attended in my 25-year career. During the meeting, there was open debate about the direction of the firm, and every voice in the room carried weight. You could feel the culture. And that type of culture is built over years. You can’t fake it. Everyone in the room it felt like was rowing in the same direction. And by the time the meeting was over, I was so excited to get back to my team and tell them about what I had just witnessed, I wasn’t looking for the exit. I was looking for the brick wall to run through. I was so excited. And every once in a while I wonder having spent so much time in the wirehouse spaces, the bar just set really low for me when I talked to some of my other colleagues that have been independent for a long time. But it was just an absolutely amazing experience. And I do want to just add, one of the last really important things to me about Cerity Partners is I’ve been very fortunate with my career and in this profession. And part of my goal over the rest of my career is to have a legacy. And my legacy currently exists with the families I’ve advised and the team that I’ve built and have served and led. But Cerity Partners is helping me achieve even a greater legacy in our industry with our shared long-term goals. During my first meeting, they talked about their hundred-year vision of being a worldwide employee-owned professional services firm. And currently, and this is very exciting, the employees are the largest shareholder of the firm. No one else I talked to talked about their long-term goals like this, and it’s a vision I believe in. I want to contribute to help to see it accomplished. And one day when I do retire, I want to look back and see how I contribute it to a company that I believe is going to change the direction of professional wealth management. Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: My partnership with Cerity Partners is going to make that a reality. It’s just an amazing place. Yeah, very happy. Louis Diamond: Honestly, you can’t fake that type of enthusiasm. It sounds like- Patrick Larkin: It’s not- Louis Diamond: … you entered into a transaction, which is it’s like jumping into the deep end. How do you sort through what’s the sales process versus what’s real? How much of this is actually going to translate to my life? But hearing you not that long after the transaction, you still feel that and it’s very cool. In the press release I read, you cited estate planning, private markets access, and cross-border planning as key reasons for the merger. Can you talk about what it was about those? Maybe- Patrick Larkin: Yeah. Louis Diamond: … anything else that was missed? Patrick Larkin: Yeah. Louis Diamond: And were those not things that you felt like you could have delivered yourself as a standalone? Patrick Larkin: I thought that they were going to help me be able to be more effective in delivering those, but they weren’t the complete picture. The capabilities that we cited in the release were genuine gaps I wanted to fill and have available for clients and be able to prospect and go after new additional clients. But being fully honest, there were also deeper drivers. One was my team. Sometimes we get emotional about this. Being someone who’s trusted is really important to me, and that’s something I hold in high priority. There are people that followed me out of Wells Fargo to join me. One of my client associates had delayed her retirement so that she could join me and help us launch for the first three months. One of my other client associates has been with me close to 15 years. These are people that trusted me to do the right thing and to make sure that I wasn’t walking them off the plank. Being able to join Cerity Partners and give them a future that didn’t hinge entirely on my personal longevity was a huge relief. And Cerity Partners is an ownership culture. I’m so happy to say today that every single individual on my team in our practice in Lansdowne is now either an equity owner in Cerity Partners or very shortly will be an equity- Louis Diamond: So cool. Patrick Larkin: … equity owner. So they have a stake as well in what they’re building. It matters. My youngest client associate noticed how much it costs to send to FedEx. And he goes, “Now that I’m an owner, maybe we should rethink about sending regular mail.” Another driver was my family. And I’ve always had the philosophy of trying to prioritize and clients first, team and colleagues, and then my family. And I’ve always made decisions that if I put those others before myself, eventually I’ll be taken care of. And going through this transaction, it was so generous to my family and provided such security. There was a little bit of guilt that, “Am I doing this for all the right reasons?” But being able to secure my family’s future, converting equity in a three-year-old RIA into a stake of a $8 billion-plus valuation with institutional backing, that was a meaningful moment and I’d be less than honest if I glossed over that. I also really wanted to be part of something larger than myself. And the opportunity to help build a legacy in this business with Cerity Partners really gives me the platform to do that. Louis Diamond: Very cool. I can tell that you’re genuine, not just because of the way you sound, the way you’re speaking, but in the very beginning of the episode, you talked about the reason you got into this business was because you thought it gave you the dual purpose of being able to help people, but also being able to enrich yourself or your family. So this answer, it comes full circle. You’re able to accomplish all these goals, which made it the right decision. And I think, look, I say to advisors all the time, “You’re allowed to be greedy, you’re allowed to be selfish as long as the clients are still in the front of your mind as the most important thing.” There’s nothing wrong with doing better for clients, building a legacy in your case, but also reaping the rewards of all your hard work and labor and also all the risks that you’ve taken over your career. I got to ask you, though, from being an employee of Wells, where you were running your team, for the most part, you can run the business within their guardrails the way you want, to then running an RIA, which is really like you’re fully in control of everything, to now being a partner, but you’re not the one who has the name on the door anymore. Patrick Larkin: Right, right. Louis Diamond: Well, how do you think about the giving up control and full ownership of your practice versus owning a very small amount of a much larger entity? Patrick Larkin: There was such continuity. Oak Hill Wealth Advisors and Cerity Partners were so philosophically aligned that I genuinely never felt like I was giving up anything that I wasn’t glad to let go. My wife joined the business shortly before I left Wells Fargo Advisors. And still to this day, on my drive home from work, I call her up and say, “You’re not going to believe this.” And it’s all a positive, good thing. So Cerity has struck the perfect balance of that autonomy and support combination that I was looking for. So I still have control and a say over the way our practice is managed. Very shortly after the merger, my supervisor came down and met me for the first time, and we went out together after the day had ended. And early in the conversation I said to him, “What can I do to make your life easier?” And he said, “Pat, what can I do to make your life easier?” And that set the tone that still exists to this day. I almost cried when he said that because that was so different than what I had experienced up to that point. So the collaboration, the way we work together, it’s just absolutely amazing. And not once for a single moment have I second-guessed my decision. And it’s really weird because I’ve now been part of this organization for nearly nine months, and there just has not been one thing that’s occurred where I said, “That’s a disappointment.” It’s just been absolutely amazing every single day. Louis Diamond: Very cool. To me, there’s different arcs of when you want to ask people the question of, “Hey, any regrets?” And usually you don’t want to ask them too soon because they’re still going through the transition and integration and growing pains. And you don’t want to ask them too far in the future because you forget about what was life before. To be this short of a duration into this new partnership and to have these feelings, that’s absolutely pretty special. I got two more questions for you, Pat, if you don’t mind. Patrick Larkin: Sure. Louis Diamond: First one, economically, to me, one of the hardest things for really any advisor to really grapple with or to fully comprehend or make their own is, “I own 100% of the equity in my business. I get to decide when I want to sell in the future. My business is growing 10% per year. I wait to sell until 10 years from now, my business is going to be much bigger and I get to keep all the cash flow. I get to make all the decisions.” That compared to the path that you took, which was take cash off the table, which everyone understands, to, “Now, I own a much smaller piece of a much larger pie.” How would you talk to someone about the financial trade-off between a hundred percent ownership in their business, full control, full discretion over everything, versus becoming a minority equity partner in a larger entity? Patrick Larkin: You have to look at the valuation of my business, again, the day that we opened our doors as Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. There was such a massive jump in the value of the business. There was not going to be an opportunity for an appreciation at that level. So then, you have to compare what the growth rate is of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors versus a Cerity Partners. And I’m not embarrassed to say that Cerity Partners is and has been growing at a much faster rate of return. The value of the equity that I have retained in Cerity Partners, my ownership stake, I fully expect by the time I transact that business as I get closer to retirement, that’s going to be worth many times more than whatever opportunity I would have had at Wells Fargo with the valuation they would have provided me. Nevermind, very important, the tax consequences of a structure like this is all the retiring advisors that I worked with were taxed at their highest marginal rate. I owned a business and we were taxed at long-term capital gains rates. A significant difference in savings in what as the owner we actually realize. So yeah, I feel very comfortable with the ownership that I have and the control and continued opportunity with the meritocracy culture to increase my share of ownership in the company. Louis Diamond: Okay, and let’s do one more question here. I’ll pick it back up. So Pat, I think it’s a really cool perspective. It’s almost do your homework, and if you find the right horse and the right jockey that can run faster than you can on your own, that the equity value will compound and grow and appreciate in a faster, more efficient way than what you’re doing on your own, which makes complete sense. It’s the ultimate trade-off. And again, it’s like jumping into the deep end. On the one hand, Oak Hill was all you, right? You control the growth, for better or worse, for the good days, the bad days, the good years, the bad years, versus now your growth is diversified amongst hundreds of partners across M&A, across different lead flow channels, et cetera. It makes complete sense. But honestly, if I were an advisor, I don’t know how I would think about it. I think it’s all just fact-and-circumstance-based on where I am in my life and who the firm is and what I’m trying to accomplish. But it’s such a cool perspective because usually the playbook that we see, which is why we did this series, is go independent and there’s a long pause until there is a realization of all the value that’s been created. So seeing you do this in a much quicker timeframe, it seems like it was the absolutely right decision. To me, it just is another path, another way that an advisor or a firm is able to think about their future. Any final advice or parting words for someone who is sitting right where you were in 2021 or 2022 thinking about making the leap? And we’ll say a transition in general, or really anything you want to share to wrap our episode here. Patrick Larkin: Thank you for having me, and this is a great question. Happy to give a thoughtful answer to it. Before I’d left Wells Fargo Advisors through the program and started Oak Hill Wealth Advisors, I had an opportunity to go through a due diligence process and make sure that this was going to be a right move for me. There was no carrot out there that was obvious. I learned after that first conversation that I had built a practice that had some value to it. I was leaving behind the security of something I knew, leaving behind a significant amount in deferred compensation, and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. And through that due diligence process, talked to about five other firms that had recently left Wells Fargo to join this RIA program. I asked them a lot of different questions about what their experience was. And at every point during those conversations, they all said the same thing at different points. And it sounded like this. They said, “I’m working harder than I ever have before, but I wish I had done this sooner.” So my advice to those people, do it. I know that sounds simple, but I mean it. The fear of leaving is almost always worse than the actual experience of leaving. And I understand the inertia of not leaving and the real apprehension of what was on the other side. But what I found was a version of this profession I genuinely didn’t know was possible. One where I could do things the right way on my terms for the people I care most about serving. And not every path is going to look like mine. Some advisors should go fully independent and stay there, and that can be an incredible life. But when it comes time to look for a partner, quite frankly, if Cerity Partners is not on your shortlist, you’re making a significant mistake. And I say that not to sell anything, but because I’ve lived the comparison firsthand and there’s simply nothing else like it. Louis Diamond: So Pat, it’s been really fun, but I don’t think we’ve had anyone on the eight years or so we’ve been doing this show that’s gone through this type of arc or journey that you have. One of my big takeaways or sticking points that this episode brought for me is by going independent and taking control over your future, you created complete optionality for yourself to do exactly what you wanted to do with your business, even if that was different than what you initially planned. So in your case, it was selling within three years of going independent, but by taking action, being proactive, playing some offense, you made the opportunity happen on your terms and your timeline. So this has been fun in so many different ways. I loved your comment about how when you went independent, it’s basically like the day of your IPO, the four-to-five-times increase in value versus an internal succession deal, and even just the way to think about getting equity in a larger entity versus running your own plays only. So thank you so much for doing this. This has been fun. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibility seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firm’s or could a better option exist? Should I Stay or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind? It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively, whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook.   Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years A conversation with Louis Diamond and Patrick Larkin, Partner & Practice Leader at Cerity Partners.      Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Build, Grow & Transact: From Breakaway to Transaction in 3 Years. It’s a conversation with Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. And each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: Ownership as a way of creating opportunities you can’t always predict. That’s exactly why we created our Build, Grow, and Transact series. Independence isn’t the end of the story. It’s often the beginning of thinking differently about enterprise value, optionality, and what comes next. Today’s guest is Patrick Larkin, Partner and Practice Leader at Cerity Partners, and formerly the founder of Oak Hill Wealth Advisors. Patrick spent nearly 15 years building a successful practice at A.G. Edwards, Wachovia, and eventually Wells Fargo before launching his own independent firm in 2022. Just three years later, he merged that firm into Cerity. At first glance, that timeline might seem surprisingly short, but as you’ll hear, the merger wasn’t a change in direction. It was the result of seeing his business differently once he owned it. Yet, it’s this perspective that really brings that thought home. Patrick said the day Oak Hill launched felt like the business had gone public because overnight, what had been viewed as a book of business became an enterprise with substantially greater value, some four to five times the value of what it was worth at Wells. And that realization changed the way he invested, the way he hired, and ultimately the way he thought about the future. Pat and I also talk about something advisors don’t often discuss candidly, what life actually looks like after a merger. How much control do you give up? What changes day to day? How do you know whether you’re joining a partner or simply selling a business? Whether your long-term plan is to remain independent forever or eventually join a larger organization, Patrick’s experience is a reminder that ownership isn’t simply about control. It’s about creating optionality and putting yourself in a position where the next decision is yours to make. So let’s get to it. Patrick, thanks for coming on our show today. Patrick Larkin: Oh, my pleasure. Nice to meet you, Louis. Louis Diamond: You too. So let’s start off basically how we start every interview. Tell us about yourself, your background, and how you found your way into our industry in the first place. Patrick Larkin: Yeah, thank you for asking. I knew I always wanted to be a financial advisor. That part really wasn’t in question, but upon graduating college and being a 22-year-old, I knew that it was probably not practical to walk in and start advising people my parents’ age with their life savings. Probably wasn’t going to be a recipe for success. So I took a quick tour through the pharmaceutical industry first, which ended up being unexpectedly valuable. My employers there pushed me to think like an entrepreneur and within our territories. And honestly, that mindset never left me. It shaped how I built everything that came after. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself in Loudoun County, Virginia in Northern Virginia, and I became an FA trainee with A.G. Edwards, absolutely fantastic firm to start my career. Now, what drew me to this career was pretty simple. I felt like it was one of the professions that we had an opportunity to do so much good for others while simultaneously also doing well for yourself, and those two things aren’t in conflict. I also really loved the idea that in this profession there was no hiding. You don’t get paid to show up. You get paid for what you actually do. And perhaps for me, what was most important, I loved the weight of responsibility. I loved earning people’s trust. I loved the idea of deserving, being deserving of their trust, and being a steward of what they’ve worked a lifetime to build. I never took that lightly, and I still don’t. Louis Diamond: That’s amazing. Yeah, I mean, the number of people I’ve heard, you talked so fondly about A.G. Edwards and there’s a bunch of other firms that have since been absorbed or emerged that are like the regional firms of old. So not surprised to hear you loved it. A.G. Edwards, obviously, became Wells Fargo Advisors or was acquired or merged with Wells Fargo. So I know you’re at Wells and A.G. Edwards until 2022. So give us a quick version. How’d you build your practice from the pharma world into being in FA? Patrick Larkin: Yeah, so as I started with A.G. Edwards, I came in at really just the perfect time. It was towards the end of the financial crisis. And I built the business the old-fashioned way with a lot of cold calling and eventually did some dinner seminars, which I can tell you is a very expensive way to learn how to speak in front of a room. But I made some progress, and I was also in a great office, small enough that some of the advisors there would hand off some of the smaller accounts that they weren’t interested in working with, and got an opportunity to get a lot of reps in working with real life clients and individuals. I knew early on I didn’t have enough talent to win on talent alone, so I made up for it and compensated for that with really hard work. The real turning point came for me when A.G. Edwards was first acquired by Wachovia Securities, and that was about five years into my career. And at that point, my branch manager, who was eyeing retirement, asked me to step in as her partner, and that changed everything. We eventually moved over to a Wachovia Securities office, another really great local office in Loudoun County, Virginia. And from that office, I worked on and became a CIMA, a CFP, worked with the clients, built a business through referrals. And I found at that point in my career when I would go to a meeting with Wachovia, eventually Wells Fargo, as a young 30-year-old, I would look around the room often and realize that I was the youngest person in the room. The funny thing was 10 years later, I would go into that same room and I’d look around and I still was the youngest guy in that room. And those demographics in our industry, and when I came into our industry, ultimately led that office that I worked in with Wells Fargo Advisors, I eventually was the recipient and party to five different succession plans- Louis Diamond: Wow. Patrick Larkin: … at Wells Fargo Advisors. I hoped that I had built a reputation as somebody that these other advisors would entrust with their clients. And over that time period, really, I would say professionally, one of my accomplishments I’m most proud of is all five of those retired advisors that I used to work with, who had an opportunity to see me work with clients, all became clients of mine, I still continue to work with. And it’s professionally just one of the greatest honors that I’ve ever had. Louis Diamond: I mean, that’s a large number of advisors you helped sunset, but I would agree it’s the ultimate p

A haunting legend lingers along Borden Tunnel on the Great Allegheny Passage in Frostburg, Maryland. In August 1912, an ill-fated day trip on the Western Maryland Railway ended in tragedy—leaving behind one of Maryland's most chilling ghost stories and the spectral Woman in White said to wander the tracks to this day. Join Jannette Quackenbush on a haunting ride along the Great Allegheny Passage..

1:10 What have we been up to?7:49 Thomas got a “Brick” for his phone21:22 Umbrella recommendation22:58 Nakasendo and Iya Valley26:00 Water filtration recommendation27:57 Great Allegheny Passage bike trail31:15 Color-coded zipper pulls34:18 The four nations43:45 How is Robby's mom adjusting to the move?45:30 Do we use a personal locator beacon?49:50 Will Thomas vlog his Japan trip?50:09 Why is sleeping in nature so good?59:42 Would Thomas ever grow his hair out? And would the other guys grow a mustache?

I'd ridden an ok amount that year, but to be honest, as the year was winding down I realized there were two spots I always hit that I haven't been to yet. So I needed to play a little clean up and get wheels down on those two gems! In part 1, I tackle the big hill on the Cumberland side of the Great Allegheny Passage!

Send us a Text Message.Gail Perry shares hut to hut hiking with Hike. She covers both international and U.S. based hikes that can be done with overnight stays in rustic lodges, huts or even hotels. Gail has also designed a page a day calendar for 2025 that covers 25 treks from around the world! Here are some of the treks we discuss:Laugavegur Trail, IcelandMilford Track, New ZealandCamino de Santiago, SpainGreat Allegheny Passage, PennsylvaniaCotswold Way, EnglandSneffles Traverse, Colorado San Juan mtnsRogue River Trail, Oregon For Laugavegur Trail, here's the tour company Gail used: https://adventures.isLink for more information on the GAP: https://gaptrail.orgLink for the company Gail used for self-guided Caminos: https://n.followthecamino.com/en/Connect with Gail:Walks of the World is available to preorder!Instagram  | YouTube  |  TikTokSupport the Show.Connect with Hike:Instagram: @thehikepodcastTwitter: @thehikepodcastFacebook: @thehikepodcastEmail: hikepodcast@gmail.com

20th February 2024 The Spokesmen Cycling Podcast EPISODE 346: Monica Garrison SPONSOR: Tern Bicycles HOST: Carlton Reid GUEST: Monica Garrison of Black Girls Do Bike TOPICS: LINKS: https://www.the-spokesmen.com/ https://www.ternbicycles.com https://www.blackgirlsdobike.org https://twitter.com/CarltonReid TRANSCRIPT Carlton Reid 0:13 Welcome to Episode 346 of the spokesmen cycling podcast. This show was engineered on Tuesday 20th of February 2024. David Bernstein 0:29 The Spokesmen cycling roundtable podcast is brought to you by Tern bicycles. The good people at Tern are committed to building bikes that are useful enough to ride every day and dependable enough to carry the people you love. In other words, they make the kind of bikes that they want to ride. Tern has e-bikes for every type of rider. Whether you're commuting, taking your kids to school or even carrying another adult, visit www.ternbicycles.com. That's t e r n bicycles.com to learn more. Carlton Reid 1:03 I'm Carlton Reid and today's episode is a half hour chat with Monica Garrison of Black Girls Do Bike a Pennsylvania nonprofit now in its 11th year of group rides and more for black women and girls. And yeah, I should have checked out the weather map before I asked the first stupid question. Have you been riding today? Monica Garrison 1:28 Oh, no! There's snow everywhere. We had a big storm yesterday. Yeah, yesterday. Carlton Reid 1:35 I should have checked your weather. Okay. So how much of the year can you not cycle in Pittsburgh? Monica Garrison 1:43 Pretty much November to March is pretty snowy and rainy, and cold. So we have a nice big offseason here, though some folks ride through the winter. I'm not one of those people. Carlton Reid 1:57 So you kind of come say March, April, you're kind of really desperate to get out on your bike, that kind of thing. Monica Garrison 2:05 Oh, yeah, the mid March The weather seems to shift and and cyclists return full force and and then we're good. I mean, we get pretty hot in August and July, you know, it's a bit unbearable and humid. So there's some time there where it's not so pleasant to be out on the bike, but pretty much yeah, the rest of the year we're riding. Carlton Reid 2:27 So I really should have checked the weather. Because that was such a stupid question, wasn't it if you're deep in snow, and of course. That's okay. So the rest of the year. tell me about the rest of the year in Pittsburgh. What's it like riding in Pittsburgh? Monica Garrison 2:43 So Pittsburgh is notorious for its hills. It's a very hilly city. So it's not for the faint of heart. Literally. I think over the last 10 years, we've had a really good programme, Bike Pittsburgh is our local Bike Ped organisation. And they've done a really good job of creating infrastructure that connects. So there are large parts of the city that are interconnected for commuters and everyone else on bikes. So that's nice. We have what we call the gap trail here, which is a Great Allegheny Passage. And it starts here in Pittsburgh, and you can ride it all the way to Washington, DC. So a lot of local cyclists put that on their list of things to do in the spring and summer, before it gets too hot. And our we have Port Authority, which is our local bus transportation here. And they made an effort a few years ago to outfit all of the buses with bike racks on the front. So no matter where you're headed, you can take your bike with you Carlton Reid 3:52 Now, we're very jealous. When when we see Americans with, with buses with that on the front, we get very jealous, we've got very few services that will will do that. So I've seen photographs on your, on your website, where it's like the media images where you can get these the photographs you're allowed to use. And there's you and your kids, and there's a bike lane in Pittsburgh. So I can visualise extremely well, the bike lane that you were talking about there, but your kids. So not only are you getting women of colour, and you're getting people just generally onto bikes. You're we'll talk about your chapters in a minute, but you're getting your kids onto bikes. That's something that you wanted to do. That's something that just happened what so how have you managed to get your kids on bikes? Monica Garrison 4:46 I mean, when I was a kid, I loved riding my bike, so I just assumed that they would too. And I you know happened to me correct. But what I did was honestly I started them riding really early like my son and daughter for probably pedaling bikes at the age of four. And so the earlier you get them in, The more consistent you are with them wearing helmets, then it just becomes a part of their life. And so you know, when, when Black Girls Do Bike started, it was a time where I was riding my bike a lot more than I had in the past. And so I just invited them to come along, and they they kind of got bitten by the bug. I will say my, my daughter, my son is probably the one who goes with me the most these days, we'll load up the bikes and drive to like our downtown area and spend a couple hours riding around when the weather's nice. And that's really fun to do. So yeah, it's just a no, no, it's, it's a fun thing to do as a family. Cycling is great for me as a solo sport. But I also like bringing folks along and you know, showing them how fun it can be. Carlton Reid 5:55 So you have all these chapters across I mean, this one is the one that's in London, is that still going? Monica Garrison 6:01 it's still going but we have, we have a leadership vacuum, there we are our leaders who started the group stepped down to do another project. So we're actually looking for someone to kind of step in and, you know, rejuvenate the chapter. Carlton Reid 6:17 Tell me about the chapters in in the US than them and how big did they get? Which are the biggest ones? What's the chapter story? Monica Garrison 6:25 Sure, we have 103 chapters here in the US. So as you can imagine, pretty much every major city here has a chapter every almost every state has has at least one chapter. The smallest chapters are, you know, a few 100 ladies and our largest chapters have anywhere from 1500 to 2000 members. I will honestly say that I we've never gotten 2000 out on a bike at once. But generally our rides are, you know, anywhere from five ladies to maybe 40 to 50 ladies. Carlton Reid 7:04 Is it a kind of Facebook private group organised is that? Is that how you get in touch with everybody? Monica Garrison 7:10 Yeah, I think Facebook's been the easiest way. I mean, we're 10 years into this journey. So Facebook was a lot more robust 10 years ago, but it's still the best way to kind of organise people. And yeah, so each each chapter has its own Facebook, private Facebook group. And then so folks who are interested can go to BlackGirlsDoBike.org and then they can click on chapters, and then they can find the nearest chapter for them. Carlton Reid 7:36 You've got very, very strong, bold graphics. Is that something that was there from the get go? Or is that something that evolved? Did you have members who are graphic artists? How have you managed to be really bold and distinctive? Monica Garrison 7:53 That's a good question. So it was always the intention from the beginning. Or I should say soon after, there'll be an increase. So the plan really wasn't to have chapters and have t shirts and jerseys and all this, these things all came organically as people began to ask for them. But, but once we started to design gear, I yeah, I think, you know, I was a business major. So I have a little bit of insight into, you know, what makes for good advertising. I'm also a photographer, so I'm visually built to, you know, built to appreciate things and design. I do most of the design myself, I usually just have an idea, and then I'll collaborate with artists who can bring it to life. And I just, I There are a couple of reasons, I think, because as a Black woman, I know that, you know, our skin tone, generally looks really nice with bright colours, it's kind of they complement each other. So I never shied away from bright colours and in, you know, variety in that respect, but also in terms of getting the message out, I think, you know, if someone's wearing a shirt, and it's visually appealing, and it catches the attention, then you're more likely to spread your message and have people ask, what's this about? You know, I've never seen this before. So I do think the the visual part of it is a huge part of our success. Carlton Reid 9:20 And I kind of guessed why I kind of surmise that you're a photographer because you've got your credit on some of the photographs. And there's obviously a studio lights going on there. There's some serious photography going on behind the scenes there. That's like some pretty impressive stuff. Monica Garrison 9:36 Thank you. Yeah, I think that's been one of my favourite parts of this process is I've been able to flex my photography and video videography muscles a little bit. And, you know, in terms of like posting on our social media, that's that's it's a nice way for me to be creative and not get too caught up in the day to day things. Carlton Reid 10:01 So before that 2013 You've been going now this is your 11th 11th. Yeah, yeah. So So back, it was 2016 There was an article in bicycling it was by Elly Blue. Elly was the person who had the idea for bikenomics. So that's me and Elly have spoken a lot over the years. So I know who Elly is. But there's, there's a quote in there, which I'd like to quote back to you. I mean, it is 2016. I'm not expecting you to remember this. But I just want you to riff on this really. And that is, so this is a quote and this is from you "know that my journey to riding may be completely different than yours. Know that my experience while riding, and even how I am perceived, while riding will be different to yours." So Monica, clearly I cannot even start to imagine what it must be like for you as a Black woman on a bicycle because it bicyclists famously kind of like we're out there sometimes when we're not the most favourite people have lots and lots of what can I outcasts in many respects, even now. So you kind of take that, and then you take the fact that you're a woman. And then you add on you're Black. So you're, you're really stacking it against yourself here. So so kind of riff on what you said there about how the perception, your perception of you when you're riding is going to be so so? Monica Garrison 11:44 Yeah. Yeah, thanks for kind of breaking that down. It's, so I do remember the quote, now that you read it, it's, it comes back to me, I still believe it to be true. So you have a couple of things. So most women who are women of colour even plus size women, which is a category I fit into, we're not expected to be cyclist, right. No one expects us to pull up on a bike. So you the first thing you overcome is the expectation of from the outside world, like, where did you come from? And what are you doing on the bicycle? And we could also have those internalised things just from our community. When folks say, Well, you know, why, why do you own a bike? Or how'd you get how'd you get into that? So there's expectation. And you mentioned drivers on the road. That's a big thing. For me, I prefer not to ride on the road, I try to ride on the trails as much as possible. But that's just it's a comfort level thing. And I think it varies from city to city and because all cities aren't the same, but you know, as a woman cyclist you have, you might have men catcalling you, drawing attention to you physically when you're on the bike from from a car, as a cyclist of colour. I know some cyclist, I can't speak for all but some cyclists of colour feel less safe on their bikes. Because you know, the person behind the will, could have ill intentions for you. And, you know, an automobile always wins that contest, right? So if someone does want to do your do you harm or at least intimidate you, you know, you could be in a vulnerable, a more vulnerable position if someone doesn't appreciate you being on the road as a cyclist, but then also has a problem with the colour of your skin. So I feel like I feel like most cyclists of colour feel that pressure as well. Carlton Reid 13:46 Sorry, sorry. If you're in a car and you experience racism, you're in a car, you've got locked windows, you can you can kind of hide. But if you're on a bicycle, you can't hide, your skin is out there, you're really like making sure that people know you're there and that must be very vulnerable. Monica Garrison 14:06 It does feel very vulnerable. It's almost like you feel like a sitting duck, right? So if you put yourself in that position, I imagine you want to feel like you are equipped maybe to escape right? So physically, you may want to make sure that you have the strength, the stamina to get out of a tough situation. But yeah, when it comes down to it, as I said, the automobile is always going to win. So if someone does want to do you harm, not a whole lot you can do and that's the scary part, as a cyclist and a cyclist of colour. Carlton Reid 14:46 And then nothing all that I'm going to assume here that that's one of the reasons why you would want to ride in a bunch of women, Black women together because you are not going to you want to get like there's a group of you? You're no longer alone? Monica Garrison 15:03 Yeah, sure, safety in numbers. If you're on the road, and they're, you know, 10, 15 of you, then you're drawing attention in the way of all the cars are going to see me. Right. So safety, but also there's strength in numbers. So if something does happen, then you have folks there who are witnesses to report it. Hopefully, the the fact that there are multiple women, or people will deter someone from doing something, you know, negative. But yeah, certainly that I mean, there are many reasons why riding together is great and there are positives, but I think that's definitely one of them. Carlton Reid 15:40 At this point, we'll cut from Monica to a short ad break. Take it away, David. David Bernstein 15:46 This podcast is brought to you by Tern bicycles. The good people at Tern understand that while a large cargo bike can carry oodles of stuff, many of us prefer something a little more manageable. That's why they've come up with the HSD e-cargobike for folks with big aspirations to go car free, delivered in a compact size, with its rear shock, 280 kilos, and a combined hauling capacity of 180 kilos. The robust new HSD is stable and easy to manoeuvre, even when under load. And with its Bosch eBIKE SYSTEM tested and certified to meet the highest UL standards for electric and fire safety you'll be able to share many worryfree adventures with a loved one whether it's your kiddo or Nan. Visit www.ternbicycles. That's te r n turn bicycles.com to learn more Carlton Reid 16:46 Thanks, David. And we are back with Monica Garrison of Black Girls Do Bike. So tell me about your Sheroes. Who are they? Monica Garrison 16:56 Yes, Sheroes are women across the country who have volunteered their time to organise at least one monthly ride. They moderate the Facebook pages that we talked about earlier. And they keep you know, they keep it exciting. They also are plugged in, I'm plugged into the sheroes. So they let me know what folks are asking for or what things we need as an organisation or even get their opinions on, you know, designs, for instance, for cycling gear. But they're just really enthusiastic women who who our boots on the ground, they're doing the work that keeps the organisation moving forward. And they are really amazing. They're like super fans of Black Girls Do Bike for the most part. And I'm very grateful to have them working on our side. Carlton Reid 17:48 Now, how's the industry been with you? Because famously, the industry is pretty white, is generally male. It's kind of tech bro, but for bikes. So how has the industry? How does the industry perceive you? How is the industry maybe funded? You supported you? How have you done with the industry? Monica Garrison 18:13 Sure. The I think in general, the statement would be that the industry has been very supportive. I was my first like introduction to the cycling community was the National Bike Conference in Washington DC many years ago. And I was really well received there. And then over the years, we've managed to have partnerships with probably Trek Bike was our first like manufacturer that would that partner with us for a couple of years. And they you know, they help support our national meet up one year and we all went to trek headquarters and participate in the Trek 100 we've been partners with REI, who's a big outdoor supplier store here in the US. I don't know if they're overseas, but they've been a really nice strategic partner, not in terms of monetary support, absolutely. But also, you know, behind the scenes, finding out where our pain points are as an organisation and also connecting us with other orgs who are operating in the outdoors for minority groups. And, you know, for other activities like hiking and running and things like that. And then just along the way we we've had a number of other just companies who have stepped up from year to year to support us in different ways. But so yeah, overall, I think it's been amazing. I've been in rooms that I never imagined I would be, you know, answering questions and helping with things like plus sizing for women in merchandise. You know, even even with designing bikes, I've given input with that. Notoriously women have Black women have issues getting cycling helmets that fit over their natural hairstyles. And I've been involved in, you know, some folks who want to change that. So I think overall, it's been great. I've done lots of interviews through the years. And I think our message has, at least within the cycling community, I think our message has gotten out there. I think a lot of people are aware that we exist and know that we need support. Carlton Reid 20:28 So imagine, you know, go back to 2013, when when this first kicked off, and now, have you seen any systemic changes? So you see, have you seen anything like, oh, wow, that's so different to 10 years ago? Or is it this is going to be an uphill struggle? How do you how do you think it's gone up? There's 10 years? And how much of a difference maybe have you made? Monica Garrison 20:52 Yeah, I think we've made really good strides. I think, when you when you show up to a bike event, now versus 10 years ago, there are a lot more women and people of colour at those events. I think I think obviously, we have a long way to go. But I definitely want to acknowledge the progress that we've made. And I hope that Black Girls Do Bike has been central and you know, letting people know of the concerns and issues that face our community, uniquely. But beyond that, I think, the most important thing, if you know, if we're here, 10 years from now, still doing this work, is kind of the pain point has always been having people of colour in the decision decision making chairs, right, working at companies working in the industry, whether it be racing, whether it be you know, even other types of cycling, BMX, all of all the genres of cycling, I think we don't have enough people of colour, who are working in those jobs, who can affect change from the inside. And as always, we'd love to see more bike shops that are owned by people of colour, which is a rare thing here in the US. Carlton Reid 22:09 Monica, it's gonna be a tough one to answer but but why is that? What Why? Why do you have to do what you do? Why Why isn't it just normal for a black person to get out of bicycle? What's what's, what stopped black people from doing this? Monica Garrison 22:27 That's a good one, I think, well, I'll speak for myself, but then I'll go a little bit more broadly into it. So when I was a young person, I didn't, there were no women in my family who rode bikes, I've never seen other than in my adult life, as a young person never saw my mom, you know, just casually get on a bike and ride it. So there's that there is just not a norm in our community. Beyond that, I think you won't really ride regularly, unless you have a bike that you enjoy riding that's comfortable. And to get to that point, you have to spend some money, right to get a bicycle that is, you know, essentially fit to your body and, and is comfortable to ride. And so it could be just a matter of making the investment, there are a lot of sports that black people aren't in because the barrier to entry be economic. And so here in the US, that's, you know, the, there are a lot of black people below the poverty poverty line, who will never be able to enter some of these sports. And, and I think some people are just intimidated to walk into a room where they're the only person that looks like them. Not everyone but but I think that is that can be a characteristic of people of colour, Black people. So you know, if you you may not want to show up to a ride, when you aren't going to know anybody you anticipate it's going to be all white guys who you may or may not have anything in common with, you don't know how competitive the rides gonna be. So there are a lot of unknowns. And I think that alone is enough to keep you from trying something new. So that's kind of where we come in, right? We we are pushing cycling as an activity that everyone can enjoy. But we're also giving you a safe space, for lack of a better word, to to enter into it and to try it and see if you like it. You may try it and not like it never come back. But for some people, they show up they ride and they find that it's you know, enjoyable and they and they continue to come and they discover something new. So we try to get that image intimidation factor out of the equation. Carlton Reid 24:47 trying I'm trying to think if I have know the answer here, but in the Netherlands, where it's a societal norm to ride a bike, Black people ride bikes. Asian people ride bikes, you know, Muslim women in their hijab ride bikes. It's because it's a cultural norm to ride a bike, because you were saying there before about, you know, you didn't see your mom ride a bike. Well, in the Netherlands, all people will see their mom, their Auntie's, their grandmother, the bank managers, everyone on bicycles. So there's no real huge split in, in like a colour thing at all. It's just it's a cultural thing. And so, on the one hand, I'm asking you a question about being Black on a bicycle. But that question could be just as easily have asked of white people, generally, white people generally in the cultures, you know, in Britain, and in America and not in the Netherlands, but where we were out, it's not a cultural norm to be on a bicycle. So that's why people are on bicycles. And there is the colour aspect to it, of course, but it's just generally, people aren't on bikes. At the end of the day, and we are Monica, we are kind of weird. Monica Garrison 26:03 No, you're right, you're right. It's, it's not a cultural norm to ride a bicycle in the United States, maybe with the exception of a few cities. I think, and I've heard this argument made, and I, for now, I agree with it until I hear a better one, which is, and I don't know if this is true in the UK, as well. But here the infrastructure here is built around cars, right? So it's car centric. So there is really a safety concern with being on a bicycle and on a lot of major roads in the US. And secondly, we value as a culture, individualism and we lead tie status to our car. So it's the bicycle is secondary. The funny part is there was a time when bicycles were the main form of transportation here, right, and, and roadways were actually built a many of our fundamental roadways were built so that cyclists could get around and then at some point that that shifted, but I honestly don't think we'll ever move away from that maybe in 100 years, when, you know, cars are self driving, and it's a lot more safe. And, you know, folks, their, their definition of success has changed. But for now, with a car centric society, I think cycling will always be a second class citizen, Carlton Reid 27:29 just to end really, and that there's a quote, another quote, I'm going to pick up from the Elly Blue article again, this is this is Monica by you. And I'd like you to riff on this a bit if you if you can. So, you said the cycling spectrum is a beautiful one. So what do you mean by the cycling spectrum? Monica Garrison 27:46 I mean, the spectrum of personalities, and literally the types of people who ride bikes, I find as a as a general bunch, cyclists are extremely kind, gentle people. And, you know, anyone who appreciates the, you know, the value of getting on a bike and in finding that relaxing, I'm willing to be a friend to that person. But yeah, and even just a cycling in general, there are many types of cycling. So you can kind of there's a phrase here you get in where you fit in. So once you decide that you like riding a bike, there's so many things open to you in terms of the kind of cycling that you do, whether it's long distance like cross country rides or cyclocross, gravel, BMX. You know, there's so many things that you can get into. Carlton Reid 28:40 Monica, it's been an absolute pleasure to talk to you. Can you please tell people where they can? I'm definitely going to plug the fact that you're looking for London people, but just where can people get more information? About Black Girls Do Bike, I'm kind of giving it away back is going to be a bit anyway, just give us the URL? Monica Garrison 29:02 Sure. Blackgirlsdobike.org is the best way to find us. And from there you can link to as it's pretty easy to navigate so you can link to our shops, check out our gear, you can link to our chapter page and see all the cities that we're in. Carlton Reid 29:18 Thanks for listening to Episode 346 of the spokesmen podcast brought to you in association with Tern Bicycles. Shownotes and more can be found at the-spokesmen.com The next episode will be a fireside chat on the Isle of Man with Richard Fletcher. That's out at the weekend. But meanwhile, get out there and ride ...

The popularity of biking has grown over the past few years. There was a surge in ridership in the United States in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a 120% increase in sales when compared to the previous year.Since then, the number of people riding bikes in America continues to go up. In 2022 alone, there were 55 million people hopping on a bike and cycling somewhere. Whether it's for fun, sport, transportation, sightseeing or even food delivery, more and more of us are hitting the road by bike. This episode is all about Spokes & Spectacles: Epic Bike Journeys.Roff Smith is an award-winning magazine writer and photographer, as well as a long-time contributor to National Geographic and many other high-profile outlets, like Time Magazine, Newsweek and Conde Nast Traveler, just to name a few.Smith's latest work, NatGeo's 100 Bike Rides of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Cycling Experiences takes readers to six continents with an amazing list of bike rides.He provides first-hand accounts to some of the world's most exciting and memorable bike paths, including his favorite, The Danube Cycle Path, which he describes as, “A waltz along the banks of Europe's grandest river from the medieval town of Passau to the imperial grandeur of Vienna on a delightful purpose-built cycle path."He lightlights a "showstopping feat of engineering," known as New Zealand's Lake Dunstan Trail. It is fairly new and has locals and visitors "over the moon" while venturing out on a bicycle path running along the face of a cliff. Smith even recommends going down the gully to grab a coffee, scone or burger on a floating pontoon.Many of the most popular rides encourage readers to explore landmark locations while participating in what Smith labels, "Cycling Through History." The pages of his latest work are filled with pathways to the past. For instance, there's a ride that traces the journeys taken by thousands of freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad Route from Mobile, Alabama all the way through Ontario, Canada. It's a lengthy ride that often takes one to two months and is best completed during the summer months.The ride along the Great Allegheny Passage is also steeped in history. Riders get to cross a bridge which was used to transport as much as 15% of U.S. steel during World War II. It just so happens this bike path is what is referred to as a "rail to trail," which is created when an agreement is established between a railroad company and a trail agency to allow the use of out-of-service rail corridors as a trail for walkers, runners and bikers.Another favorite invites readers and riders alike to visit The Punta Olimpica in the Peruvian Andes, which was named after the 1936 Peruvian soccer team that beat Austria. Although a controversial decision followed the team's victory, a protest led to this breathtaking highway that zigzags down the mountains.Whether descending into the the orange-painted Utah valleyscapes of The TranAmerica Trail, to feeling the bite of the cold air while cycling Glacier National Park in Montana, or bending down on one knee in Tuscany along one of the most romantic rides on the planet, there is a bike ride for anyone's bucket list.In today's world, biking has become one of the best ways to get from point A to point B. Whether it is for fun, transportation, or sport, millions of people are hopping on bikes and embarking on two-wheeled escapades. It's time to pick your next destination, put on a helmet and peddle your way to pure happiness.

Since retiring in 2015, The Wander Women, thrill-seeking nomads Kristy Burns and Annette Demel have hiked tens of thousands of miles, including the Colorado Trail, the Oregon Coast Trail, Superior Trail in Minnesota, Lonestar Trail in TX, going back-to-back-to- back on the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail to earn the Triple Crown. In addition they have added a few thousand miles on their bikes touring through the Pacific Northwest, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and through some American Rail Trails, including the C&O Canal, Great Allegheny Passage and the Empire State Trail—biking from Buffalo, NY to the heart of New York City. Living out of their RV full-time, they are no strangers to seeking adventure and living life to the fullest. They embody what it means to “Find Your Feral” and don't shy away from the opportunity to share the importance of getting out and finding joy with others. They are living out their goals and continue to find more epic journeys as they set out to through hike the Arizona Trail, The Camino de Santiago, to complete the Ragbrai bike ride across Iowa, and to go global with long distance hiking in Slovenia and Coatia. There is no stopping these wander women, who definitely live up to their name. Host: Marci KornegayRecorded: January 12, 2023For more information, links and resources and hundreds more conversations from the world of women's sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the ONLY GLOBAL PODCAST FOR WOMEN'S SPORT with more than 60 hosts, 1600+ episodes across 50 shows and over 7 million downloads. Every episode is a WiSP SPORTS ORIGINAL PRODUCTION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We are ranked in the top 2% of more than 2.71 million podcasts worldwide. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.

Ever wonder who planted the seed for Cambria County to grow into one of the best hiking areas in the state? It was local trail legend Laurie Lafontaine and in this episode she sits down with me at the Dillweed Bed and Breakfast in Dilltown, Indiana County, to share her story and how many of the local pathways came to be. That ranges from her position as the trails head for abandoned railways and trail development for America's Industrial Heritage Project to development of the Great Allegheny Passage, the legacy of her advocacy and much more.

There's a path that takes you from Pittsburgh to D.C. with almost no car traffic...you just have to bike a few hundred miles. The Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Towpath lead you over railroad bridges, through a national park, and along a waterway where mules used to pull barges — all while passing little towns with hotels and cafes that cater to cyclists. Sebastian Modak, the editor-at-large for Lonely Planet, recently wrote about the 335 mile journey. He joins us to explain why this trail is a great place to start if you'd like to try a long bike trip. Check out Sebastian's story, “Finding a different tempo on a bike ride from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC.”  Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We're also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Great Allegheny Passage stretches from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh and picks up where the C&O Canal Towpath stops on its way from Washington, D.C. Within the more than 40 miles of the GAP in Somerset County there's roughly as many attractions for visitors to inspect, such as the Salisbury Viaduct, which provides a breathtaking view from its 101-foot height. Joining me this month to provide background on this historic path is Somerset County parks and trails Director Lindsay Baer, who some listeners may recognized from the 9/11 Trails episode. Larry Adams, county parks board members, also tags along and provides invaluable information about the Great Allegheny Passage, which he gained while building the first 16 miles during his time managing Ohiopyle State Park.

In this episode we discuss a recent bike trip on the GAP trail from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland.

Emmy Award winning producer Beth Dolinar joins Bryan Perry, Executive Director of the Great Allegheny Passage and Jim Cunningham to discuss events relating to the screenings of the new documentary "The Great Ride Landmarks Along the Trail," which airs on WQED June 16th at 8pm. Recently praised by the New York Times and other national media, the trail continues to generate tourism in the bicycle route from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. Three screenings with questions and answers from the principals will celebrate the film closing with Confluence, PA and Frostburg, Maryland.

Continuing our revisit of the 2019 tour from DC to Cincinnati. In February's installment, we ride up out of Cumberland on the Great Allegheny Passage! Originally podcast May 30, 2019.

I've ridden an ok amount this year, but to be honest, as the year was winding down I realized there were two spots I always hit that I haven't been to yet this year. So I need to play a little clean up and get wheels down on these two gems! In part 1, I tackle the big hill on the Cumberland side of the Great Allegheny Passage! Clean Up Tour 2021 Not much in the way of show notes this episode... but check out my posts on Insta for some images I mention! Join me LIVE on Friday December 10th at 9pm ET! As we close out 2021, we gather for a long-delayed live show... we'll chat all things bicycle touring, so bring your questions for a big ol' Ask Me Anything. PLUS I'll reveal my first tour of 2022! Check it all out over on YouTube or pedalshift.net/live. Pedalshift Society As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer's upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there's one-shot and annual options if you're not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society. Kimberly Wilson Caleb Jenkinson Cameron Lien Andrew MacGregor Michael Hart Keith Nagel Brock Dittus Thomas Skadow Marco Lo Terrance Manson Harry Telgadas Chris Barron Mark Van Raam Brad Hipwell Mr. T Nathan Poulton Stephen Dickerson Vince LoGreco Cody Floerchinger Tom Benenati Greg Braithwaite Sandy Pizzio Jeff Muster Seth Pollack Joseph Quinn Drue Porter Byron Paterson Joachim Raber Ray Jackson Jeff Frey Kenny Mikey Lisa Hart John Denkler Steve Hankel Miguel Quinones Alejandro Avilés-Reyes Keith Spangler Greg Towner Dan Gebhart, RIP Jody Dzuranin Lucas Barwick Michael Baker Brian Bechtol Reinhart Bigl Greg Middlemis Connie Moore William Gothmann Brian Benton Joan Churchill Mike Bender Rick Weinberg Billy Crafton Gary Matushak Greg L'Etoile-Lopes James Sloan Jonathan Dillard John Funk Tom Bilcze Ronald Piroli Dave Roll Brian Hafner Misha LeBlanc Ari Messinger David Gratke Todd Groesbeck Wally Estrella Sue Reinert John Leko Stephen Granata Phillip Mueller Robert Lackey Dominic Carol Jacqi McCulloch John Hickman Carl Presseault David Neves Patty Louise Terry Fitzgerald Peter Steinmetz Timothy Fitzpatrick Michael Liszewski Hank O'Donnell David Zanoni David Weil Matthew Sponseller Chad Reno Spartan Dale Carolyn Ferguson Peggy Littlefield Lauren Allansmith Eric Burns Thomas Pearl Darrin McKibben Richard Stewart Dave Fletcher Jack Smith Luke Parkinson Music You've been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Sunfields has a new album available NOW,AND Jason has a new solo album coming this year, AND his first solo album is now streaming on Spotify, including America, the Pedalshift theme. Go listen! And Jason is doing live events in and around Montreal, so go listen LIVE too! https://soundcloud.com/sunfields

Rich Fitzgerald talks to Larry about his annual Great Allegheny Passage bike ride. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode I am going to provide you with a recap of my recent bicycle trip, riding the Great Allegheny Passage and a bit of the C&O Canal Towpath. Around the same time Hurricane Ida was heading towards the east coast, myself and 7 friends loaded up our bicycles and made our way to Pittsburgh. The plan was to be self-contained and ride 7 days from Pittsburgh to Washington DC via the Great Allegheny Passage and then the C&O towpath. We would be staying in hotels and AirBnb's along the way. Well we did indeed ride 7 days but the remnants of the hurricane altered our route. www.murphologypodcast.com

Come along and spend the next hour with us talking about gravel bikes, adventure biking, bikepacking, bike camping, or just playing bikes. Joining us on this episode are Paul and MB from South Side Travelers Rest Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. Travelers Rest is a unique boutique hotel catering to explorers. The hotel sits strategically near the trailhead of the Great Allegheny Passage. It's a perfect launching off point for GAP travelers and cyclists. On the web: https://www.sstrpgh.com/ On Insta: https://www.instagram.com/sstrpgh/

We interview Les and Sandy who just finish the Great Allegheny Passage as I am starting it!

Today we talked with Marc from Customer Follow Up, Inc. I was introduced to Marc a few years ago when I was invited to speak at www.tips-club.org. TIPS is one of the oldest Networking Clubs in State College, so if you're in search of NUMEROUS local businesses from a wide array of areas, definitely start with this website! Marc's business was started by himself and his lovely wife Tracy in 1997. CFU helps businesses provide the level of service that impels their customers to give them more work and refer others. It was very insightful to listen to his views ranging from “why you start a business” to “how to make the business grow.” And ALWAYS having the mentality of “Customer First.”We also discuss a charity bike ride that he and his daughter Ali started. It's called BIKING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS MENTAL HEALTH. Marc will set out from Pittsburgh at the end of this Month annually and ride 150 Miles to Maryland, in 1 day on the Great Allegheny Passage. To learn more about this or to make a donation to this amazing cause visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/biking-for-first-responders-mental-health.Also check out Ali's website http://Onthejobandoff.com She's written books on this, there's a blog, a podcast and multiple other resources all geared towards the Mental Health of the Brave Men and Women that put their lives on the line daily! She also travels the Country speaking to First Responder groups, so if you or someone you know is a First Responder, this is definitely worth checking out.Hearing Marc's story of this ride is amazing and he hopes to make it grow annually, and possibly get more participants.On a personal note for myself: Marc and I met on a chance encounter here in Happy Valley, he is the absolute definition of the kind of folks you hope to meet in your lifetime. Then I've had the pleasure of meeting his Lovely wife Tracy and it made it even better! These two have been so nice to me and The Trapper in just the few conversations we've had when I'm in his neighborhood and stop by. Today was wonderful to get to chat a bit longer and to be able to share this conversation. And if I could ramble one more thing of praise to this wonderful family….if you've ever seen that big Star that is lit up high in the trees for the entire Valley to see…Marc hung that in a tree in his front yard! So check out his business, check out his daughters website, and click on the link to support this AMAZING fundraiser.I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did having it, such a pleasure.

Over the course of six days, we traveled 350 miles starting out along the south shore of the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail. We peddled through broad synclines of Pennsylvanian stratigraphy and anticlines exposing Mississippian stratigraphy as we made our Approach to the Appalachian fold and thrust belt.

Lisa Speas or "Conundrum" has been long-distance backpacking for many years traversing a variety of trails, the longest of which being the Appalachian Trail. Her AT journey was anything but typical and even included flatlining in the emergency room. Lisa and Ryan discuss her journey on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath, and the Great Allegheny Passage. She also shares her experience and advice for women hikers over 50 and how her backpacking style has evolved over the years. Katie Westling is out of the Shennies at last!! The knee continues to improve, and she is past the Roller coaster. All in all, a week of success, including her picture at the ATC in Harpers Ferry. If you like what we're doing on the Hiking Radio Network, and want to see our shows continue, please consider supporting us with either a one-off or monthly donation. You'll find the donate button on each Hiking Radio Network page at https://www.hikingradionetwork.com Any support is gratefully received.

America's Friendliest Long-Distance Rail-Trail - GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE (gaptrail.org)

In this special episode, we sit down with Rachel Sager for an in-depth discussion of Sager Mosaics and The Ruins Project, where she is telling forgotten stories and creating amazing artwork along the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail. A native of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Rachel Sager works on the cutting edge of the contemporary mosaic fine art movement. Her imaginary map-like mosaics have been featured internationally and in cities throughout the U.S. where she has received multiple Best in Show Awards in juried exhibitions. Learn more at: https://ruins.sagermosaics.com/

Day 3 was sneakily the toughest of the 4x44 GAP Loop. Sure the hill wasn't as steep as day 1, but this one was the full 44 miles long. Would the heat get the best of me? Upcoming Bikey Events   The 18th Annual Filmed by Bike is happening virtually this year September 10-13. I've wanted to check this out for years but could never coordinate my Portland travels or check out any of the roads shows. But this year, I'm in. Check it out at filmedbybike.org.   FOTS Analisa van den Burgh is the organizer behind the Cycling With Summit September 18-20. It's a great lineup of speakers including Pedalshift friend Jasmine Reece. Go check it out at milesofportraits.com/cycling-with The GAP 4x44 Loop It seems hard to believe I hadn't bike toured on anything except the C&O in six months. SIX months! I love me some C&O, but if you're like me variety helps keep me sane. So in August 2020, still in the midst of a global pandemic that was sticking around the US longer than any of us wanted, I figured out a safe and responsible way to roll on a different trail.... the Great Allegheny Passage. And due to some lucky happenstance, I could do a loop where each day was a convenient and Syracuse University numerology-friendly 44 milles (#GoOrange).   Check out Day 1. Check out Day 2.   Day 3 was sneakily the toughest of the 4x44 GAP Loop. Sure the hill wasn't as steep as day 1, but this one was the full 44 miles long. Would the heat get the best of me? Photos Check out Pedalshift on Instagram! Statistics Miles biked 44 (GO ORANGE!) Food resupplies 1 Minutes spent with two feet in the Cassellman River 20 Rattlesnakes 0 Less crowded Ohiopyles 1 Arguably semi-chilly beverages at camp earned 2 Flats 0 Pedalshift Society As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this spring's DC to Cincinnatti bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there's one-shot and annual options if you're not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society. Kimberly Wilson Caleb Jenkinson Cameron Lien Andrew MacGregor Michael Hart Keith Nagel Brock Dittus Thomas Skadow Marco Lo Terrance Manson Harry Telgadas Chris Barron Mark Van Raam Brad Hipwell Stuart Buchan Mr. T Nathan Poulton Stephen Dickerson Vince LoGreco Cody Floerchinger Tom Benenati Greg Braithwaite Sandy Pizzio Jeff Muster Seth Pollack Joseph Quinn Drue Porter Byron Paterson Joachim Raber Ray Jackson Jeff Frey Kenny Mikey Lisa Hart John Denkler Steve Hankel Miguel Quinones Alejandro Avilés-Reyes Keith Spangler Greg Towner Dan Gebhart Jody Dzuranin Lucas Barwick Michael Baker Brian Bechtol Reinhart Bigl Greg Middlemis Connie Moore William Gothmann Brian Benton Joan Churchill Mike Bender Rick Weinberg Billy Crafton Gary Matushak Greg L’Etoile-Lopes James Sloan Jonathan Dillard John Funk Tom Bilcze Ronald Piroli Dave Roll Brian Hafner Misha LeBlanc Ari Messinger David Gratke Todd Groesbeck Wally Estrella Sue Reinert John Leko Stephen Granata Phillip Mueller Robert Lackey Dominic Carol Jacqi McCulloch John Hickman Carl Presseault David Neves Patty Louise Terry Fitzgerald Peter Steinmetz Timothy Fitzpatrick Michael Liszewski

Day 2 was, at least on paper, the most chill of the 4 segments—all downhill and the coolest of the remaining days. But with an unexpected state of affairs in Ohiopyle, will my chill day become the most stressful of the tour? The GAP 4x44 Loop It seems hard to believe I hadn't bike toured on anything except the C&O in six months. SIX months! I love me some C&O, but if you're like me variety helps keep me sane. So in August 2020, still in the midst of a global pandemic that was sticking around the US longer than any of us wanted, I figured out a safe and responsible way to roll on a different trail.... the Great Allegheny Passage. And due to some lucky happenstance, I could do a loop where each day was a convenient and Syracuse University numerology-friendly 44 milles (#GoOrange).   Check out Day 1.   Day 2 was, at least on paper, the most chill of the 4 segments—all downhill and the coolest of the remaining days. But with an unexpected state of affairs in Ohiopyle, will my chill day become the most stressful of the tour? Photos Check out Pedalshift on Instagram! Statistics Miles biked 44 (GO ORANGE!) Food resupplies 1 Ounces of ice cream eaten 16 Rattlesnakes 0 Overcrowded conditions 1 Inactive water fountains 0 Big tunnels 1 Chilly beverages at camp earned 3 Flats 0  

The GAP 4x44 Loop tour begins with some question marks about heat and hydration, and oh yeah... a 24 mile climb to the eastern continental divide. With no climbing in my bicycling since 2019, could I haul me and a fully loaded bike up that hill? It seems hard to believe I hadn't bike toured on anything except the C&O in six months. SIX months! I love me some C&O, but if you're like me variety helps keep me sane. So in August 2020, still in the midst of a global pandemic that was sticking around the US longer than any of us wanted, I figured out a safe and responsible way to roll on a different trail.... the Great Allegheny Passage. And due to some lucky happenstance, I could do a loop where each day was a convenient and Syracuse University numerology-friendly 44 milles (#GoOrange).   Photos Check out Pedalshift on Instagram! Statistics Miles biked 44 (GO ORANGE!) Food resupplies 1 Rattlesnakes 1 Rattlesnake bites 0 Inactive water fountains 1 Big tunnels 3 Chilly beverages at camp earned 2 Flats 0

As I round the corner to my next tour of the Great Allegheny Passage, what are my biggest challenges? You know, other than the pandemic thing. The GAP 4x44 Loop tour preview has all the answers...   Housekeeping   Morning rides on the C&O and WMRT - not seeing a lot of signs of touring in Hancock and I mention this as a followup from last week's show... I'd expect to see someone in the Hancock area but I'm only surveying one C&O campground on the west side of town and the C&O Bike Shop bunk house. If you're on the C&O this summer, I'd be curious to get your take on the touring "traffic"   Thanks for the feedback on touring during COVID... seems to be some consensus on cancelling bigger tours and keeping things local. That's where I'm largely at, although this tour will bring me well outside of my home stomping grounds, but the start and finish is arguably the edge of my home touring neighborhood. Speaking of...   The GAP 4x44 Loop Considered going lighter and hammock only, but decided to roll full loaded in case tent is a more comfortable solution (which it may be) Considering a new camping hammock, but bringing my cheap one Biggest challenge - water. Unlike the C&O, the GAP has very little water on-trail, and I'm going to assume those sources may be shut due to COVID. Plan on bringing my water tank (4L) plus several .5L bottles to be safe Heat index has been very high lately, so I'm assuming it may be the same.  Food. Toying with no stove for this trip and cold soaking or eating whole foods (good!) or stuff from cans (bad, but tasty!) Cold bag - I might attempt some chilled delicacies and use a modified cold bag with frozen water bottle and cold brew for day 1 and buy ice at resupply after day 2 if I'm wanting to keep things cold for day 3 and the final night of camping. It's easy to say yes to this for the first day and night since I would consume the melt on day 2. Tested it on the Brompton overnighter, so it works ok. Limiting the clothing. Look, I talk a big game, but I tend to wear the same stuff. My partner may not be excited by this when she picks me up on day 4. I will bring at least 3 masks, 2 of which will be gaiter style. I've got one I really like that has elastic on both ends and that makes it ideal for holding above the nose. I have a new ear hook one I may use as my camp-only one. New ride: the bike rides like a champ now that it's been reconstructed. New fork is black, so the bike has a decidedly Frankenstein vibe, but that's ok by me. I'm glad I've done the whole trail before but I think I'll miss completing the last 62 miles to PGH. Given that I've done the whole C&O in pieces this season, I might look to do that western third of the GAP in the fall, depending on how things go. Next week's show is the August Best Of, featuring Episode 087 on hot weather touring. You know, in case we get any hot weather ¯_(ツ)_/¯  The GAP 4x44 Loop Tour Journal will start August 13th and get us into Labor Day and the September best of, TBD Thanks so much for listening and supporting the show!

The GAP Relay -- a 150-mile race along the Great Allegheny Passage -- is back for its third year, despite a global crisis that forced organizers to completely rethink the event. One thing hasn't changed: the sustainability partnership between PEC and event host P3R that made the GAP Relay the greenest relay race in America. We welcome back P3R's Troy Schooley to discuss the new format and the growing movement for sustainability in distance running. Then, a closer look at one of the tools PEC used to mitigate the GAP Relay's environmental impact: carbon offsets obtained via the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) in Portland, Oregon. BEF's Heather Schrock explains how offsets work -- and how individuals and businesses of all sizes can use them to pursue their own sustainability goals.

As travel starts to return to normal in the Laurel Highlands, we bring in the experts in outdoor fun and relaxation to help you enjoy an overnight stay and travel through out region. Benner's Meadow Run joins the show to discuss how they're doing curbside check-ins to maximize social distancing and incorporating new fun activities. Then, the Great Allegheny Passage explains why their bike trail is such a great trip for any activity level, with something new to see at every stop from waterfalls and natural wonders to maple products and local brew. Thanks to LHTC Broadband and Camp Christian for their generous sponsorship that makes this show possible.

Gather round the virtual campfire where fellow listeners and bike tourists join together to give all their reasons to say, thanks bicycle touring! Pedalshift Live Coming in December... Saturday 12/7 3pm EST! New tour reveal, revisiting cycling WNY and an AMA! See you in March! I'll be presenting at the 2020 National Bike Summit! Details to come, but looking to do a meetup if listeners will be in DC.  Thanks Bicycle Touring   Hi Tim, this is Vince Greco from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. I hope this isn't too late to get into U. I know it's a day after the deadline but one of the share what I'm thankful for that bicycle touring. I am thankful for all the places and the distance that bicycle touring can take me, but this year in particular. I am thankful for a beautiful fall Gap ride with motion decent, although colder than I expected whether it was nice to see the Gap in a different season, cuz usually I end up writing in the spring or early summer, but I'm also very thankful for your podcast. Actually. I ended up adding the entire Montour Trail into my ride. In fact, I did a loop. I started in Cumberland went out to Pittsburgh on tour and came back to Cumberland again, but I heard about riding the Montour from your podcast and how to do that. So just wanted to say thanks.       Hey Tim, Brian Benton a long time listener and the podcast I think I haven't missed any episodes. So my my thankful thing I would say I'm thankful for the opportunity. I had this year off, you know and Gap trail with my son. He graduated with his PHD in physical therapy in May and then the Stars aligned we were able to do an eight-day Bike Tour since I'm a teacher. I had this summer off and he hadn't started his job yet. He isn't a cyclist but he was an incredibly excellent shape from playing college level Ultimate Frisbee on his biggest complaint on the trip was his butt hurt em, I think we can all relate to that and one of the best memories I have from the trip was standing at a waterfall on the gap for 30 minutes and neither of us felt the need to talk. I don't know if we'll ever get to do this again ever, but that makes this just an extra special trip. So I say thanks Tim for the motivation to do the CNO and GAP Trails. I have a memory with my son that I'll never forget dead. Thursday for the podcast    We don’t celebrate thanksgiving where I’m from (New Zealand), but practicing thankfulness is always nice so I thought I’d join in.    I’m thankful for the friendly and helpful people I’ve met through cycling. My local bike shop has been really great with helping me understand basic bike maintenance, and what I do and don’t need. I’m also thankful for the cool bike activist people in my area that I’ve met recently. They campaign for better cycling infrastructure, lawmaking, and driver/biker education, and I feel lucky to have made some awesome new friends. (Rory in New Zealand)     I have a kind of strange thing I give thanks for. I like to listen to audiobooks when on long rides; what I've found is that books, or sections of books, get linked in my mind to the places I was riding while listening to them. For instance last spring I rode down from Astoria (re)listening to mostly Robert Heinlein books. I was on a book called Friday in southern Oregon and I can't think of the Seven Devils without thinking of that book too. (Ray)     I think my reflections are like my fellow travelers.  Reflections of kindness, beauty, making friends, overcoming challenges and exploration fill the bicycle travelers' "carts."  I'm no different.   As a photographer I have always loved sharing (marketing) images of what I see around me.  One of my favorite slogans is "seeing is believing."  So many people in our face-paced society never or seldom take the time to SEE the world around them.     Seeing is much easier when you travel by bicycle.   You can actually choose to SEE and to capture a moment that is in front of you.  Sharing images are easy in today's world, so now everyone can enjoy it ~ not just you.     The opportunity to SEE is my favorite thing about bicycle travel.  SEEing never lets you down ~ it makes memories forever! (Keith)     I guess I'm thankful for buying an e-bike. It's kind of reinvigorated by love bicycling. I love riding it and it's just it's just the best thing it's kind of heavy, but it it gets the job done. It's a tract verb plus and got a good deal on it, and I put the 700 Mi on it since Memorial Day. (Mark)     I’m thankful for all of the great people I’ve met through biking. You won’t meet better people than you will in the cycling community.(Scott)     I'm thankful to have been blessed with a home on the C&O. I am especially blessed to ask passersbys if I can assist them. I've met some wonderful people who have stopped to use hose, have a snack or rest by fire pit. I am so very Thankful to be on the trail.(Clara)     I'm thankful that at 62 years old I can still cycle 50-60 miles a day. Thankful for all the friends I've made over the years while biking and the kindness people show you while on the trails. I had a flat tire once and every person that rode by stopped to offer assistance. A great group of people!(Diane)       Bicycling has really saved me from myself. At 345 and gaining my PTSD was making me eat myself to death. I was so depressed that I thought of suicide daily. I figured I could eat till my hearts content and be dead in a year. When it didn't happen fast enough I got hostile. Fired, fat and hostile I ran low on money and took to the trail for cheap transportation. 2 years ago and I'm 210 now, ride almost every day sometimes as far as 60 miles , sometimes pulling my dog to the park. I'm so thankful I stumbled upon this obvious solution to both my mental and physical health.(Paul)     I am so grateful that the Great Allegheny Passage runs through my home town of Connellsville. The town that boomed in the coal and coke era is slowly being revitalized thanks to the formerly under appreciated beauty of the area that is now highlighted by the trail. I am blessed to be witnessing that rebirth, and to still be able to enjoy the freedom of riding miles and miles with no traffic concerns. I am thankful to be part of the wonderful diverse community of bikers, all sharing a childlike joy found in biking to new places. (Barb)     Thankful that I am in my cathedral of light with the sunlight filtering through the green or gold in areas we would never see unless you are on the seat of a bike!(Mary Ann)         Love riding the GAP, Ive met people from all over, the scenery is 2nd to none, hope to ride again soon before it gets to cold.(Phil)     I am thankful for still being able to ride. I know it won't last a long time, but while it does, every ride is special! (Johnny)     Thankful I’ve been able to ride the GAP / C&O in it’s entirety in 2015 and many varying rides on portions of it. Riding in over a dozen MS 150 rides and recently riding a ride from Los Angeles to San Diego for The MS Society as well. Always feels good to help people as I’m riding & enjoying the bike.(Tom)     Thankful for all out great R2T trails for us runners to run on!!!!!!(Anthony)     I am thankful I got the opportunity to ride from Pittsburgh to D.C. this summer. One of my major bucket list rides checked off!(Ed)     I'm thankfull for two great rides on the GAP one in the spring and one in the fall. Thankful for the great weather I experieced on both occasions and spectacular color on the fall ride. Thankfull I have a friend who now has an eBike like me so we can travel together and thankfull we can cost share.(Roxanne)     The freedom, the openness, opportunity to just go. Im thankful for that. Grateful and blessed to have had what i feel to be an epic roundtrip on the GAP and C&O. It changed my life. The people i met changed me. And this was my first time being on those trails. Im thankful for it all!(Ryan)     I am truly thankful for the opportunity to explore and have crazy adventures on two wheels. To have a sister Kathleen who travels with me on long journeys, constantly inspires me to keep going & refuses to give up regardless of injuries, bike malfunctions and inclement weather. In addition.. she has opened my eyes to this great cycling community who are some of the most magnificent memorable people I have ever met! - Cheers to all & have amazing holidays!!!(Stephanie)     I am thankful for family and good friends. Bicycle touring is great but nothing replaces family & friends. Invite them along.(PPP)     I am thankful for all the wonderful people that I have met along my journey on the c&o the gap and also the Montour trail now. I'm thankful that my life is started over in a better way. Before I started my journey October 9th 2019 everyday I contemplated suicide. My depression and all had me so bad I didn't like people I didn't like my own life. But since I started my journey on the c&o in Harpers ferry I have met so many people, so many good people they have changed my outlook of life and now I can't see my life any other way thank you to everybody that has been there to help me out mentally physically financially, much love to everyone. (Michael)       I'm thankful for ALL of these, in terms of bike-touring! The people/experiences are perhaps at "the top", but everything else is "right behind" ;-] (Pete)     I am thankful for my health that allows me to feel the sense of wonderment that I experience when riding somewhere far from home under my own power. It is a feeling of vulnerability and excitement all wrapped up in one.(Chris)     I'm able to take something that I use for two wheel therapy, commuting, hauling from the grocery store, riding with friends & family, achieving personal stretch goals, and then take it on a vacation self-supported at low cost and low emissions to some of the most beautiful places in the world as well as down the road from home. From an over-nighter to extended travel, how could I not be thankful for that? :-) (Rod)     The communities and organizers who have created safe, integrated as well as alternative routes for me as I enter and explore different regions.(Paul)     I'm thankful to have access to a machine that lets me slow down and truly enjoy the journey.(Peggy)     I’m grateful that the bear on the trail ahead of us ignored the pebbles we were firing at it with our slingshots. We thought it would just leave and we could continue bikepacking on the trail. Instead we had to push our bikes through a river to get past it.(Adrian)     I'm thankful for my health and for the kindness of strangers (also, you have an awesome last name :) (Suzanne Mooney)     Nice surprises, like a beautiful sunrise in the morning when I didn't expect it. Thankful when I manage to weather difficulties, and come through them (Caroline) Pedalshift Society As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this spring's DC to Cincinnatti bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there's one-shot and annual options if you're not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society. Kimberly Wilson Caleb Jenkinson Cameron Lien Andrew MacGregor Michael Hart Keith Nagel Brock Dittus Thomas Skadow Marco Lo Terrance Manson Harry Telgadas Chris Barron Mark Van Raam Brad Hipwell Stuart Buchan Mr. T Roxy Arning Nathan Pulton Stephen Dickerson Vince LoGreco Paul Culbertson Scott Culbertson Cody Floerchinger Tom Benenati Greg Braithwaite Sandy Pizzio Jeff Muster Seth Pollack Joseph Quinn Drue Porter Byron Paterson Joachim Raber Ray Jackson Jeff Frey Kenny Mikey Lisa Hart John Denkler Steve Hankel Miguel Quinones Alejandro Avilés-Reyes Keith Spangler Greg Towner Dan Gebhart Jody Dzuranin Lucas Barwick Michael Baker Brian Bechtol Reinhart Bigl Greg Middlemis Connie Moore William Gothmann Brian Benton Joan Churchill Mike Bender Rick Weinberg Billy Crafton Gary Matushak Greg L'Etoile-Lopes James Sloan Jonathan Dillard John Funk Tom Bilcze Ronald Piroli Dave Roll Brian Hafner Misha LeBlanc Ari Messinger David Gratke Todd Groesbeck Wally Estrella Sue Reinert John Leko  Music You've been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Sunfields' latest album may be their best yet. Go get it.

This year's GAP Relay -- a 150-mile team footrace along the Great Allegheny Passage -- was the first carbon neutral trail relay in the nation. Troy Schooley of race organizer p3r talks about the movement toward sustainability in endurance sports, and Allegheny Trail Alliance director Bryan Perry explains why the partnership is good for the GAP and the trails community.

Robert talks about taking your bike on the plane. How to package it in a bike box, bag or solid case. Once packaged, what to expect at the airport. Issues with over-sized and over- weight items will cost you $$$. A set of options include shipping your bike by FedEx Ground, take it with you on the plane, use a bike shipping company (BikeFlights), or just rent a bike at your destination!Taking you bike on Amtrak is also discussed. Particularly in conjunction with riding the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Towpath between Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. The 'Capitol Limited' has space for 8 bikes on that trip. Bike fee is $20*(*Bike fee subject to change without notice.).

On this week's episode, we delve deep into some bike talk, specifically talking about the new Cannondale Topstone Carbon gravel bike. We have some listener voicemail and email to answer, as well as, a rundown of upcoming events. Brian is heading off once again for a bike tour - this time along the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath with Wilderness Voyageurs. Joey and Wes finally get to return to something more akin to normal now that Joey & Jessica have gotten married (Congrats!!!!). We got to sample a pretty amazing beer this week with the Rocket Frog Woobie Porter - 4.5 out of 5 stars on unTapped for Brian! Not to be forgotten we run down this week's Strava club and have a fairly rousing This or That. So sit back and close your eyes to listen to the smooth soothing tones of Mid-Atlantic Gravel, Travel & Dirt - unless you are in your car driving, then keep both hands on the wheel too.

The 14th Pedalshift Tour Journal whisks you (by bike, natch) from the District of Columbia across three of America's great trails to Cincinnati, Ohio. In part two, we follow the Great Allegheny Passage from Cumberland, MD to Pittsburgh, PA and then hit the roads again into Ohio. The rain falls and the terrain turns hilly... does Type 1 fun turn to Type 2? DC to Cincinnati - Great Allegheny Passage For a preview of the ride, check out Pedalshift 162. For Part 1 on the C&O towpath, check out Pedalshift 165. Pedalshift Plus folks! Stay on the bonus feed and you'll get a special bonus pod with each episode... kind of a summary of my thoughts on that part of the route! If you join Pedalshift Society at any point in the run, you'll get access - pedalshift.net/society. Mark your calendars - Pedalpalooza - Friday, June 14th in Portland, OR. Details coming soon and also at pedalshift.net/events. Sprocket, Joyride, Go Dig a Hole and more of your favorite shows repping on bikes with mics! May 4 Slept HARD til 6:30 WiFi not so hot Gas station cuisine Weather looks unsettled - rain likely Stick in my front wheel since Paw Paw??!! May need air in my tires - beyond supple Tree down requiring going on tracks for a brief moment... but none on C&O which was a miracle! So muggy! Went to shorts Trail was good in parts, soft in others Felt slow Tunnels have a perceptible cool breeze that hits you well before the opening Mason-Dixon Line Fog in Big Savage tunnel!! ECD! Like a rocket tied to my bike - even with a headwind Ice cream as the rain starts in Meyersdale Not sure where I’ll stop? With rain likely all night it would be best to push but energy will dictate —— Ride to Rockwood was delightful AF A little light rain is nice to ride in if it’s not a slog Why is it always raining when I’m in Rockwood Bought a sandwich and they were playing Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House... delightful Definitely going to Confluence. I have 18 in me! Easter Egg on the MM44 Post... First real PGH influence - tattered Pens towel posted outside, recalling better championship days Also Whoopee Pies - Pennsylvania’s best contribution to society if it weren’t all sugar and therefore poison Rockwood always strikes me as a bit suspicious of me. Bar next door was playing a deep cut from Poison. Time to go. Jammed those 18 miles - listened to 90s music on shuffle. Turns out Filter is great to bike to. Army Corps campground only $5 buuuut showers not open Like Cube said... today was a good day May 5 Rained all night and will likely rain all day in Confluence. Interior of tent is starting to condense on the tarp so staying put doesn’t ensure staying perfectly dry To zero or not to zero? The further north the earlier the rain ends Going to trust my rain wear and my dry bags and push at least to Connellsville and assess 12 miles to Ohiopyle was as expected - muddy and steady but slow rain. Tried passing a biker with a trailer and a dog taking up the whole trail - dog sped up to my full passing speed so I just backed off They didn’t like being followed so they pulled off. Not a great moment but understandable Then a downed tree took some real effort to get over (me and panniers) and under (rest of the bike) Could use a laundromat - likely tomorrow unless I call the day in Connellsville Aaaand I made it to a laundromat! And man was I soaked! It was cool enough that not addressing my state would be bad so this was a great time to stop. Feeling good - not sure if this is my stop for the night or if I push on an extra 40 miles and earn that zero day! —— The GAP after an all day rain is no better than the C&O after and all day rain. No trail handles it well unless it’s paved. Like riding on the beach from Connellsville to West Newton - no more rocket tied to the back of the bike! Rain down to occasional sprinkles Getting pizza at Fox’s hoping to gather some energy for the final push to Draco (about 9 miles) May arrive after dark No signal there IIRC I pass the 300 mile total mark in a mile! Tomorrow looks like great weather for my wrap up of the GAP and the start of “new to me” for this tour! May 6 Trail from West Newton to Dravo was substantially better - hard packed and fast. —Not sure why the other portions were so bad But the GAP does recover more quickly than C&O Apparently the ACA led Eastern Express group started in the last day or two. They’re assuredly experiencing bad conditions Camp at Dravo is excellent - stocked with wood and heavenly. Pitched my tent in an Adirondack for extra privacy and went to sleep Plans - PGH for a bit then bus FF and ride until I get to a reasonable wild camp spot. May not ID the place for obvious reasons but I’ll describe elements of it. Missed Thrones last night - will watch during my break while I wait for sundown prior to my stealth camp tonight COLD night was contrasted with nice warm sun. Felt good coming to PGH but had to change from heavier gear to sun riding gear. Because it was closer to lunch I went to Urban Tap in the south side, which I really liked on my  trip last fall. Got some lower alcohol sours with a salad (it’s shocking what you crave on tour) with my bike locked to itself a few feet away on the sidewalk outside the open sliding windows. A gaggle of nearly graduate Pitt students were celebrating a bday over drinks nearby. Bus leaves near Heinz Field then a less than ideal ride. Here we go! Road route from Ambridge, PA to Kent, OH May 7 Morning came early! Did a riding morning edition —— Entered Ohio with little fanfare Shoulders shrank (at times to nothing) but drivers were good at giving a wide berth Got on Bike Route J which was low traffic but had simply awful stretches of pavement. Deep ruts and potholes plus scattered gravel everywhere. Rideable but meh. Scenic farms and houses on large plots of land dominated the day Decided to skip the stealth camping and get an inexpensive hotel about a 20 minute ride from the Kent State campus. Simply put, I need a shower worse than I need to save face as camping guy. Headwinds were gusty and tough today Mixed terrain - hills flattened a bit as I got closer to Kent but the last few miles had some eff you’ers mixed in Cheaper hotels were away from the campus and city center so I’m missing out on checking it all out. Too biked out after 68 miles to add more! Statistics Miles 234 Bus miles 16 Flats 0 Mechanicals 0 Camping nights 3 Stealth nights 1 Roofed nights 1 Mile Marker 44s Easter Egged 1 Number of times I heard "yinz" in Pittsburgh unironically 1 Pedalshift Society As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows, bonus podcasts and tour journals! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there's one-shot and annual options if you're not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society. On to the society!   Kimberly Wilson Caleb Jenkinson Cameron Lien Andrew MacGregor Michael Hart Keith Nagel Brock Dittus Thomas Skadow Marco Lo Terrance Manson Harry Telgadas Chris Barron Mark Van Raam Brad Hipwell Stuart Buchan Todd Stutz Mr. T Roxy Arning Nathan Pulton Stephen Dickerson Vince LoGreco Paul Culbertson Scott Culbertson Cody Floerchinger Tom Benenati Greg Braithwaite Sandy Pizzio Richard Patch Jeff Muster Seth Pollack Dave Roll Joseph Quinn Susan Brewster Drue Porter Byron Paterson Joachim Raber Ray Jackson Jeff Frey Kenny Mikey Lisa Hart John Denkler Steve Hankel Miguel Quinones Alejandro Avilés-Reyes Keith Spangler Greg Towner Dan Gebhart Jody Dzuranin Lucas Barwick Michael Baker Brian Bechtol Reinhart Bigl Greg Middlemis Connie Moore William Gothmann Brian Benton Joan Churchill Mike Bender Rick Weinberg Billy Crafton Gary Matushak Music You've been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Their latest album may be their best yet. Go get it.

Wherein we explore all the fun, adventure, and history, not to mention fitness, that can be found on this beautiful and unique rail trail. Hear from Bryan Perry, Executive Director of the Allegheny Trail Alliance, with insider tips and information on how to have the best experience, view the WQED DVD/video, and hear why the GAP is the nation's "friendliest, long distance bike trail." The GAP trail was founded in 1995 and the Allegheny Trail Alliance (ATA) is a coalition of seven trail organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania and western Maryland that is charged with promoting and enhancing the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile, multiple use, rail-trail system between Cumberland, Md. and Pittsburgh, Pa. And for most of us, it's definitely a blessing that it's almost completely flat. None of those punishing hill climbs you get in some of the other mountainous biking trails around here! In fact, can you guess how old the youngest biker rider is who completed the entire trail as a through-ride? Four. Years. Old.  Completed in 2013, the GAP connects to the 184.5 mile C&O Canal Towpath in Cumberland and provides a non-motorized, nearly level trail system between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The Great Allegheny Passage section from Cumberland to Ohiopyle is a segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, one of eight nationally designated scenic trails. The Great Allegheny Passage trail is open daily, dawn to dusk. You can download a printable map of the GAP Trail or the C&O Canal Towpath  and you can access those links from our shownotes at www. wildful.wordpress.com. The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is a scenic, safe, and satisfying 150-mile rail-trail through the Allegheny Mountains, it's the longest such trail east of the Mississippi River. In Cumberland, the GAP connects to the C&O Canal Towpath, which runs from Washington, D.C. to Cumberland along the Potomac River. Using both trails, riders can trace a 334-mile path outlining our country’s westward expansion. Details at www.gaptrail.org.

Episode 8 picks up where Episode 7 ended. The previous episode described in detail the preparations for riding the GAP. This podcast provides day-by-day details on the actual trip. Chris used mapping software during day one on the ride from Columbus, OH to Steubenville, OH. The day two trip was on the Panhandle and Montour trails, ending in Homestead, PA. By day three the guys were on the actual GAP route from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD. Day three's ride was Homestead to Connellsville. Day four took them from Connersville to Rockwood. And finally, day five concluded the road trip ending in Cumberland, MD.This program provides detailed information on the trail, and shares lessons- learned from this ride experience. A 25 picture slideshow is featured on the Steel City Cycologist website from the GAP trip.

Episode 7 is the first of two episodes on the Great Allegheny Passage. In this podcast Robert and Chris go into detail on mapping software, what to pack for the road-trip and note that the bikes, under load, weighed in at 50 pounds. That will change the ride characteristics of your bike!Their GAP ride started in Columbus, Ohio. First day (of 5) was Columbus to Steubenville, Ohio. Day two from Weirton, WV to Homestead, PA. Day three, first day on the actual GAP trail, was from Homestead to Connellsville. Connersville to Rockwood was day four. The final day was Rockwood to Cumberland, MD. Total ride was about 330 miles.The guys offer very detailed information on getting the bikes ready, what to pack and how to pack it. If you plan to ride the gap, this episode can help you plan your trip.Product Review: Kryptonite Bike Lock.

Robert introduces himself and tells what he rides and where he rides. He then provides a preview of upcoming episodes of Steel City Cycologist. The podcasts cover bikes and equipment, area trails, riding the Great Allegheny Passage, and an emphasis on bike safety. Other topics upcoming will be nutrition-hydration essentials and the connection between running and cycling. A product review is provided for the Tacx Vortex Trainer.Steel City Cycologist is Pittsburgh-based but covers bike trails in the Pittsburgh area as well as Eastern Ohio and Northern West Virginia.

The Great Allegheny Passage 2019... What's in store for the trail? Allegheny Trail Alliance's Doug Riegner returns to the pod with the full scoop on the GAP! Housekeeping XFL Tour: I'll be rolling my own route across central Florida from Tampa on the gulf coast to Cocoa Beach on the east. Preview episode drops in two weeks! Podcast sponsor slots are available starting in the new year... check out pedalshift.net/sponsor for more info. Meetups & Live Shows Miles of Portraits touring the US - join us for the two DC area events where I'll be MCing and helping out the Q&A... Tyson's REI on 1/22, 6:30-8:30pm  DC REI on 1/24, 6:30-8:30pm, followed immediately by a meetup at Wunder Garten. XFL Orlando meetup Saturday 2/9, time TBA - pedalshift.net/orlando. Pedalshift LIVE Friday February 22 at 9pm ET! It will be the wrap up show for the XFL tour... takeways and a whole lot more. We'll do another AMA session too, so send me your bike touring or non-bike touring questions to pedalshift@pedalshift.net or come and ask in the chat box the night of.   The Interview Another chat with Doug Riegner (check out our first discussion, right when we met way back in episode 051). The trip I refer to specifically was highlighted in Pedalshift 084. All tagged GAP content on the site can be found here.   Doug Riegner is the Director of Community Relations of the Allegheny Trail Alliance, a coalition of trail organizations charged with promoting and enhancing the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-trail system between MD, PA.  During the off seasonDougworks to publishTrailGuide, an authorized publication of both the GAP trail and 184.5-mile C&O Canal Towpath. Through his work with TrailGuideDouguncovers, develops, and maintains healthy relationships with local communities & leaders, visitor bureaus, and trail related businesses along the 335-mile corridor.     Doug is also a National Parks Service Trails & Rails volunteer serving on the Capitol Limited “Amtrak” train between Cumberland and Washington DC.   In your best elevator pitch, what's the Allegheny Trail Alliance and what is it doing to make bike touring in the region better? 2018 was a challenging year for weather on the trails - what's the status of the tunnels and trail conditions as we head into the off season? There were some rumors that Ohiopyle was going to get a hiker/biker campsite at trail level - were those rumors true and is there any new info on that? Any other news on camping options on the GAP midtrail down to Cumberland? You've mentioned on some of the forums that the C&O is getting some resurfacing work done - do you know if NPS sticking to its guns on the historic nature of the towpath surface, or are they making some exceptions (like Big Slackwater's concrete surface)? We like crazy stunts in addition to tours around here - marathon through-riding of the CO/GAP is definitely one! How much of a thing is it? It feels like there's been a real growth in numbers in bike touring traffic the last few years. Does ATA have any data on that? What's your go-to order at Yough Twister? We're a solid few days into 2019. What's the thing you're most looking forward to on the GAP this year? Pedalshift Society As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like my upcoming XFL trip this winter! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there's one-shot and annual options if you're not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society. Kimberly Wilson Caleb Jenkinson Cameron Lien Andrew MacGregor Michael Hart Keith Nagel Brock Dittus Thomas Skadow Marco Lo Terrance Manson Noah Schroer...

This month, we celebrate 40 years of the Great Allegheny Passage  (nicknamed the GAP), the 150-mile rail trail that runs through the Laurel Highlands, with guests from the GAP, Rock City Shuttles and Maple Leaf Outfitters, LLC,  Laurel Highlands Happenings is sponsored by LHTC Media, Inc. and Downtown Irwin's Car Cruise.

With more than a million visitors a year, the Great Allegheny Passage is one of Pennsylvania's biggest trail development success stories. A group of state and local government officials rode the GAP this fall, along with community and business leaders from the area, to get a closer look at some of the economic benefits it's brought to communities along the route. We drop in on the tour on this week's show.

The Chesapeake and Ohio National Historic Park towpath stretches from Washington, DC to Cumberland , MD. From there the Great Allegheny Passage connects Cumberland to Pittsburgh, PA. That’s about 330 miles of contiguous, car free bicycle touring paradise. And it was cursed. Well, at least for me. I’ve ridden the C&O multiple times, since it’s southern terminus is practically in my backyard. And I’d ridden the GAP up from Cumberland to the summit of the Eastern continental divide… but I never had time to continue on. And Pittsburgh alway beckoned… like a siren. But we all know what happens to sailors who follow the call of the sirens, right? Learn more and get this journal and more at pedalshift.net/plus. In 2014 I finally had a chance to through-ride the GAP and C&O, choosing to start in Pittsburgh and bike home. That failed pretty spectacularly, with a tire blowout and some pretty fierce tendonitis. You can read more about that trip over at pedalshift.net (just search GAP and follow the aroma of failure). The following spring, I was determined to make it happen. This time I was solo and I also chose to reverse the ride, going from DC to Pittsburgh. And the curse lifted. Sort of. I finished, but I’ll let you be the judge of whether my through rides of the GAP and C&O are cursed. This route is one to repeat again and again. There’s so much to see, so much history… so much to love about being on a bike and away from cars and rolling deep into the wilderness.