Can You Help?

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On November 1, 2007

In General

I got an email from my friend, Gary Rossi, who runs the Ride Across California for the Rancho Penasquitos YMCA. You remember, the ride Emily and I did last spring. He needs some help in relief efforts for San Diego County families who have been devastated by the recent wild fires.

Here is what Gary’s email said:

I am working with the Community Wild Fire Task Force that is helping meet the needs of the fire families in Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Ramona. We have a group of over 30 organizations finding a variety of items for these families.

I am responsible for finding sporting equipment to replace those items that have been lost.

We are in the process of locating a donor or two for bicycles, 16” and 24”, with the accessories as well as two skateboards with the helmets and pads.

So here’s the question: Can any of YOU help Gary help the families of San Diego County? Put yourself in the place of these kids who have lost everything and please help.

Send me an email or call our voice mail line at 206-203-FRED (206-203-3733) and I will put you in touch with Gary.

THANK YOU!

Enhanced Podcasts?

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On October 25, 2007

In Blog, Podcasts, Technical Notes

I have been toying with the idea of doing an ‘enhanced’ version of The FredCast and I want to know if this is something you would like me to do. I listen to lots of podcasts, but it seems that the ones I find most useful are the ones that are enhanced.

In case you don’t know, an enhanced podcast is just another type of audio file that allows graphics and/or hot links to be included along with the audio. So if I am doing a story on, for instance, Team Slipstream/Chipotle, your iPod or iTunes could show a photo of the team along with a clickable hot link that would take you to the Team Slipstream web site. Cool, huh?

Also, enhanced podcasts include chapter markers (just like DVDs) so that, for instance, you could skip a news story in which you aren’t interested. Of course, you’re interested in every news story I do, right?!? 😉

The only problem with enhanced podcasts is that they aren’t supported by all portable media devices or desktop players, so I would continue to produce the standard mp3 podcast in the existing feed, and I would add a second feed that would include the enhanced podcast in AAC format.

If this is something that a lot of you want, then I will do it. Just be forewarned that the enhanced podcast might be slightly delayed (up to 24 hours) due to the additional post-production, but hopefully I will get the workflow down quickly and the delay would be non-existent or negligible.

So . . . are you interested? Is this something you would like and find useful? Give me your feedback in the comments section of this post. And stay tuned.

Show #85 – Thoughts and Prayers

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On October 24, 2007

In Podcasts

Listen now by clicking here:
For The Week of September 24, 2007

Sponsored by Cambria Bicycle Outfitter
Click here to get a special offer just for FredCast listeners!

PARTLY PERSONAL

  • MS Bay to Bay Bike Tour
  • Southern California Wildfires

IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK

  • Charity Cyclist Killed in South Carolina
  • Floyd Landis Appeals to Court of Arbitration for Sport
  • Oscar Pereiro Awarded 2006 Tour de France Yellow Jersey
  • Bruyneel, Leipheimer, Contador and others Sign With Astana
  • Doping News
    • International Doping Summit News
    • Iban Mayo Cleared of Doping Charges
    • Danilo Di Luca Gets 3-Month Suspension
  • Racing News
    • Road Worlds
    • ProTour Wrap-up
    • Preview of 2008 ProTour
    • Tour of Utah is ON for 2008!
  • Product Recalls
  • Chanel Announces Fashion Bicycle

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • FredCast Sock Design Contest Extended to October 31
  • FredCast Transalpine Adventure – June 24 – July 4, 2008

IN TODAY’S FEATURES:

  • Trip Report: Cycling in Italy at the Italian Cycling Center
  • Ride Report: MS Bay to Bay Bike Tour
  • Ride Report: MS Waves to Wine Bike Tour
  • Halloween Cycling Accessory
  • Upcoming Event: Slipstream Meet and Greet
  • Upcoming Event: El Tour de Tuscon
  • Upcoming Event: Burnaby Velodrome Fall Challenge
  • Upcoming Event: Six Days of Burnaby

PODSAFE CYCLING MUSIC:

  • Love in a Bottle by Lee Coulter

Show Notes: Available HERE

There are many ways you can listen to the show:

Windows Media Player File Real Audio File Subscribe in iTunes RSS Feed for your Pod Catcher

Thoughts and Prayers

By

On October 24, 2007

In General

As you know, less than two weeks ago I was riding my bike from Irvine to San Diego as part of the MS Bay to Bay Bike Tour. Other than a little rain on Saturday morning, it was a wonderful weekend. We were privileged to be riding through some of the most beautiful communities in the nation.

Now all of that has changed.

As you know, Southern California is enduring one of the worst firestorms in memory. I have friends and teammates who right now are camping out in evacuation shelters, hotels, friends’ homes, and offices. All of them are wondering whether they have a house to go home to. And, as Tim Jackson notes on his blog, there are folks in the bike business who are touched by this tragedy as well.

At a time like this, it is impossible not to be concerned and emotional. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone (from Santa Barbara to Mexico) who has been touched by this tragedy.

If you’d like to help out, please take a look at this article from the L.A. Times.


(photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters – as seen on the Kryptonite blog)

The FredCast 85 is On The Way!

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On October 23, 2007

In General

As promised, I prepped and recorded Show #85 on Tuesday night. I still have a bunch of post-production work to do, so expect to see it in iTunes or your podcatcher some time on Wednesday.

Thanks for your patience. The FredCast should finally be back to a regular schedule.

I hope. 😉

Show #84 – Interbike 2007 Day 3

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On October 8, 2007

In Podcasts

Listen now by clicking here:
September 28, 2007 (released October 8, 2007)

Sponsored by Cambria Bicycle Outfitter
Click here to get a special offer just for FredCast listeners!

PLEASE DONATE TO HELP ME START TO FINISH MS

INTERBIKE 2007 – DAY 3:

PODSAFE CYCLING MUSIC:

  • Happy by Jimmie Bratcher

Show Notes: Available HERE

There are many ways you can listen to the show:

Windows Media Player File Real Audio File Subscribe in iTunes RSS Feed for your Pod Catcher

Show #83 – Interbike 2007 Day 2

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On October 5, 2007

In Podcasts

Listen now by clicking here:
September 27, 2007

Sponsored by Cambria Bicycle Outfitter
Click here to get a special offer just for FredCast listeners!

INTERBIKE 2007 – DAY 2:

PODSAFE CYCLING MUSIC:

  • Happy by Jimmie Bratcher

Show Notes: Available HERE

There are many ways you can listen to the show:

Windows Media Player File Real Audio File Subscribe in iTunes RSS Feed for your Pod Catcher

Next Show on The Way

By

On October 2, 2007

In General

I have at least two more shows from Interbike to bring to you, but business travel and bandwidth issues have prevented me from getting them done. I will be back home late Wednesday night and hope to get at least one out before the weekend.

As for the bandwidth issues, some of you may know that the site was down over the weekend because The FredCast exceeded its bandwidth limits (which are already pretty high). I had to spend a bit more money just to keep the site back up and will likely need to do so indefinitely. As they say in business, this is a good problem to have.

Thanks, as always, for your understanding. Sometimes life just gets in the way of podcasting. Can’t wait to get home and go for a ride. The bike is now outfitted with both the SRM and the PowerTap, both for reviews. Yeeha!

10 Reasons Why I Returned My iPhone

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On September 29, 2007

In General

Anyone who knows me or listens to my shows, knows that I drank the Apple-flavored Kool Aid many years ago. The first Apple product I ever owned was my treasured Apple IIe that my parents bought me as a high school graduation present. Between then and now, I’ve owned literally dozens of Macintosh products from the Mac-plus and SE through to a brand new MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and my wife’s new 20″ aluminum iMac.

So it should come as no surprise that as soon as Steve Jobs announced the iPhone, I wanted one. At first, the rational side of my brain kicked in and told me not to buy one. I’ve got an iPod video, I own a smart phone (a Treo 700p that I actually like), the iPhone doesn’t have a GPS, and this is a v. 1.0 product.

But then I got a new job and Apple dropped the price, so last week, against my better judgment and against the admonitions of my wife and daughters, I bought an 8 GB iPhone.

Like teenage romance, it was like at first sight, and I was certain that I would grow to love the iPhone. Unfortunately, after a week of use, I returned it to the Apple Store and will now wait for v. 2.0. Click the ‘more’ link for my 10 reasons why (in no particular order):

Read More

Show #82 – Interbike 2007 Day 1

By

On September 26, 2007

In Podcasts

Listen now by clicking here:
September 26, 2007

Sponsored by Cambria Bicycle Outfitter
Click here to get a special offer just for FredCast listeners!

INTERBIKE 2007 – DAY 1:

PODSAFE CYCLING MUSIC:

  • Happy by Jimmie Bratcher

Show Notes: Available HERE

There are many ways you can listen to the show:

Windows Media Player File Real Audio File Subscribe in iTunes RSS Feed for your Pod Catcher

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