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12. Burning Matches - Mark Tucker - Bringing the Fire
01:08:19||Season 1, Ep. 12Mark Tucker has been one of my favorite bike racers to watch since returning to racing in 2022. I’m excited for you to get to know Mark and get insights on this great sport! In this episode you’re going to get a lot of great bike racing tips but even if you’re not a bike racer you will learn how to improve your cycling no matter what riding level you’re at. I love that Mark did not even get into cycling until his 40s due to a back injury (he didn’t even like the idea of cycling as a form of exercise when his doctor first suggested it!), but has built an absolutely dominating record on the bike. Most of all Mark’s passion for bike racing illuminates something truly special about this sport: you can bring the fire at ages when most people can no longer enjoy the sports they once loved. You can ride a century, you can ride across the country, and YES you can race your bike even into your 90s!I recently visited my brother who nearly died from cancer earlier this year. His first exercise in his journey of recovery from surgery and radiation was when we got out for a 12-mile ride together. He was hooked! We rode over 50 miles together that week and riding is now a part of his weekly routine.No matter what your level of riding - getting in 10 miles or riding 50 races a year - I hope Mark’s story will inspire you to get on your bike and feel the fire!PS I’m listing this here so you don’t have to hunt through the episode to see that Mark’s all time power record is 371 watts - I believe my top FTP is around 220 watts. I’ve got some work to do!
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11. Burning Matches - Lon Haldeman - Double Centuries for 10 Days
59:30||Season 1, Ep. 11Any interested in riding long distances on their bike won't want to miss this!I’m incredibly excited about this episode with my first cycling hero Lon Haldeman. When I first fell in love with riding a bike as a kid in the very early 80s, articles and tv coverage of Lon Haldeman racing across America created absolute awe and inspiration for how far your will paired with this simple machine could take you in all meanings of those words. I was going through a very difficult time in the Spring of 2025 when a number of serendipitous events led me to peel my 1983 St. Louis Cycling Club membership card out of an old photo album. Seeing the surprise that had remained hidden since the card was first placed under that film 40 years ago let me know that not only were things were going to be okay but that life had a lot of great surprises ahead for me. Note this episode was first recorded in April 2025 and had a number of delays, so some items referenced like the Terrible Two ride are now passed.Thank you Lon for sharing your story and making such a difference in so many people’s lives, including mine.
10. Burning Matches - Tom Brinker - The Captain & the Stoker
55:13||Season 1, Ep. 10Tom Brinker was one of the great bike racers I met through the St. Louis Cycling Club in the 1980s. It was really fun to reconnect with Tom after so many years, talk about the great times we had in St. Louis Cycling Club and learn about all his exploits at the national level that I knew about but had very few details on. What an incredible biker racer and another example of the many great people and times we all get to experience thanks to the bike.
9. Burning Matches - Karl Becker - He Wanted Everyone on a Bike
38:23||Season 1, Ep. 9I’m really honored to present the next episode about Karl Becker and his father Joe Becker.Previous episodes have focused on people I know through my current Northern and Southern California cycling communities. For this episode I circle back to where my bike racing history began in St. Louis, Missouri, racing for the St. Louis Cycling Club.Karl Becker was one of the iconic bike racers of that time when bike racing and punk rock music were inseparable. We also get to learn more about Karl’s dad Joe Becker who, among many other cycling feats, raced in the 1956 Olympics.Karl and Joe show how this great sport extends throughout our lives into their careers among the great historic bike shops of St. Louis, and how they touch their community in many positive ways.I hope you’ll also enjoy the insights about Penrose Park Velodrome and St. Louis Cycling Club, the old cycling club in the United States, founded in 1887.Here’s to two giants of cycling. Enjoy the episode!
8. Burning Matches - EJ Trains
32:43||Season 1, Ep. 8Oh man, do I have an episode for you! I REALLY enjoyed my conversation with EJ and got to go down some really great cycling and personal rabbit holes.I first became familiar with EJ when he was the “star” of NorCal Cycling’s “Couch to Crit” Season 2. EJ went on to develop his own successful YouTube channel “EJ’s Training Camp” and social media following. See links below. It’s been really fun watching EJ grow as a bike racer on the Northern California bike racing scene. I’m super appreciative of all he’s done for the sport with great entertainment, bike racing tips, and the people and events he has showcased and brought attention to.We also get to talk about EJ’s recent exit from cycling. The concept of burnout and shifting your passion is an important one. I hope you enjoy the conversation with EJ!
7. Burning Matches - Pete Sweeney
43:18||Season 1, Ep. 7Cycling friends! Get ready to enjoy a great episode that hits a lot of topics that us riders can benefit from. Pete Sweeney is a longtime competitive cyclist with the Bobas cycling team in Sonoma County, California. What I love about these interviews are the great stories and insights you get from the everyday troops on the front lines of cycling greatness: the local riders who create the local cycling communities.Pete and I talk about cycling technology (70s/80s vs today), the benefits and downsides of cycling teams, local racing, and tips for race performance including one of my newest favorite cycling mantras: The Wheel is Life!Huge respect to the Bobas for contributing to my subconscious reminders to return to my home on the bike and to Pete for an awesome interview and another example of the incredible underground bike races hallmarked by spray painted finish lines!
6. Burning Matches - Brady Winegar
35:31||Season 1, Ep. 6I'm really excited to present my interview with my great cycling friend Brady Winegar who I met on my regular training in Santa Clarita, California.The impetus for this episode was Brady's first bike race at the age of 55 on March 23, 2025. I am so proud of Brady for taking that leap to ride the Chuck Pontius criterium. No matter how many miles you've logged on a bike, it's easy to get intimidated by racing. But as Brady and I discuss, there are incredible rewards as we learn the process of "renegotiating with your body and mind" as Brady put it so well.