Outspoken Cyclist 8/24/2023

First up is a name that is synonymous with bicycles – I would venture to say that no one who listens to this podcast doesn’t know the name OR hasn’t had a bicycle with that name on the downtube at some point in his or her life. And after a lifetime of living and breathing bicycles, Richard Schwinn has decided it’s time to retire and at the end of June, his Waterford Precision Cycles stopped taking new orders and prepared to close the business – which he did the following month. Richard Schwinn and I have been friends and business colleagues for decades.  I am always interested in what he has to say and how he thinks about things and today, he shares his thoughts about his decision to retire and close Waterford,  who – if anyone – might fill the gap in what was a unique place in the custom bicycle business, and what the future might look like, including his ideas on eBike and what he calls “electronification.” Then, I speak with Sergio Bravo, the producer of the Master Bike Builder’s Show that will take place September 16-17th in Bentonville, Arkansas. As Bentonville continues to develop as a favorite destination for cyclists, Sergio is bringing a custom bike builder’s show to highlight artisans and their work in a beautiful outdoor setting. With the absence of shows such as NAHBS and the NE Bike Builder’s Sho w, some regional options are beginning to fill the void and today, we speak with Sergio Bravo who decided that it might just time for a new Bike Builder’s Show. The MBBS will take place September 16 and 17th Bentonville, Arkansas.