This week’s guest is Wisconsin Bike Fed youth programs manager Jake Newborn. Thanks in large part to the work Newborn and his colleagues do at the Bike Fed, it has arguably never been a better time to ride a bicycle in Milwaukee. There are more dedicated bike lanes than ever, new legislation being passed to protect cyclists and pedestrians alike, and there’s a bunch of unique bike-centered events that bring riders together all year long. Perhaps the most notable Bike Fed-affiliated undertaking is the Santa Cycle Rampage, which brings hundreds of Claus-clad riders to local bike lanes every December.
Prior to this year’s Rampage (scheduled to take place Saturday, December 1), host Tyler Maas met up with Newborn at the Bike Fed’s Milwaukee office in Silver City. There, they spoke about the upcoming Santa Rampage, the variety of other events and services the organization offers, ways the city and state must improve for riders, and non-Fed-fueled things like Riverwest 24 and the Bike-In Movie series that help make Milwaukee an altogether special place for cyclists.
This episode is brought to you by Surly Brewing, a Minnesota-based brewery and the official beer of On The Record. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Piles (“Blue Glue”) and Vinz Clortho (“Endless Road”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!).