Speaker 1: 1:30

Well, it's time for Road Adventures with Cycling Men of Leisure, the podcast for cyclists who understand that riding is not just about getting to the destination, but the experience along the way. Now here are the original Cycling Men of Leisure Adam and Michael.

Speaker 2: 1:44

Welcome to Road Adventures of Cycling. Men of Leisure. Happy New Year on behalf of myself and my good friend Mr Michael Sharp.

Speaker 3: 1:53

Happy New Year everyone. Adam, happy New Year. Hope it started off really well for you.

Speaker 2: 1:58

Well, absolutely. I mean I found out where Big Brag 2025 is going. So how, I mean that was exciting. Georgia, georgia.

Speaker 3: 2:06

Yeah, yeah, and I spent my New Year's in Orlando.

Speaker 2: 2:13

Orlando, hey man, a couple of weeks we are going to be's in Orlando. Orlando, hey man, a couple weeks we are going to be together in Orlando, in Orlando, yes.

Speaker 3: 2:21

I'm spending a lot of time in Orlando the next couple months. That's okay. I'm looking forward to our trip because we're going to be golfing, we're going to be eating well, we're going to be drinking a little, a little of the good stuff here oh yeah, maybe have a cigar or two and we're attending podcast pod fest. Pod fest, excuse me, 2025, but it is about podcasting in your defense yes, pod fest.

Speaker 2: 2:49

So this show is gonna well, um, not to not to gloss over what you just said. I'm excited about it. I'm excited about golfing, uh, and I also am going to be in orlando multiple times, twice with you, uh and I'm, we're taking the show on the road. Uh, we are packing up my studio, um, and we are going to be able to not only record the youtube channel, which we're going to get into in a little bit. We are going to be able to not only record the YouTube channel, which we're going to get into in a little bit. We are also going to be able to record high quality audio, um, and we are taking the studio literally, I'm packing it down and taking it on the road.

Speaker 2: 3:25

So I'm pretty excited about the content that we're about to get, um and uh, we're also going to do some cool stuff. We're going to record on the golf course, so that'll be fun. We can see how well or unwell we both do, which I haven't had a golf club in my hand, to be honest, since August. So it's probably not going to no, maybe.

Speaker 3: 3:45

It's been longer for me, but this will be the thing. And there's Michael on the eighth green. This is his 12th attempt at trying to sink the ball.

Speaker 2: 3:55

Lucky for us, it's resort golf and the and the course is really wide open. So, uh, that's the best thing that I mean people don't realize that, but usually resort courses are real wide, especially Disney is real wide, and they're like, hey, I did not, so bad, and everyone else is like, well, they gotta to make you feel good and it is the most magical place in the world. So you know, absolutely you got to feel good about yourself when you're done as much as we're going to both be paying in tea prices, it better be better, be magical. Um, well, obviously, for you and I, the big thing was uh, recording the uh release of big brag 2025. Franklin was amazing coming up with his quizzes and distilleries and breweries and cigars.

Speaker 3: 4:41

I mean he like nailed our show right on the thing I mean he had trivia, you know. He flipped the script and made us try to answer those questions. Pointed out breweries, distilleries.

Speaker 2: 4:56

Um, I'd say Franklin knows us pretty well, yeah for sure, for sure, it's been, it's been, you know, really exciting and, and you know, I'm, I'm, I'm excited, um, if you have uh, not signed up, um, and you're saying you know what, I think I am going to sign up. Uh, we still would love to welcome you to Cycling Men of Leisure. Real quick, what does that really mean? Big perk, the huge perk is you're going to get a free jersey, because we already know we have 10 or more. Franklin does a wonderful thing where he has a marketing plan that if a team can get 10 or more, that they get a jersey to design. There's some requirements. Northside hospital has to be on their brag has to be on there, which understandably I mean, they're the one paying for it makes total logical sense, um, so that's so that's the big perk, is what you're saying?

Speaker 2: 5:47

the jersey would be one of the big perks.

Speaker 3: 5:49

Sure, I mean if you, if you're, I thought we discussed this earlier and I thought we were going to say that I was the big perk.

Speaker 2: 5:56

Well, this is listening to in 40 countries.

Speaker 3: 6:05

Okay, fine, you're right, the jersey's a bigger perk than I am. Okay.

Speaker 2: 6:09

I can live with that. Our platform gives us, as most apps are doing, like Starbucks told me this is what you normally order. No kidding, I didn't need you to tell me that I'm the one who orders it. But all these apps are doing that, even FanDuel, I saw today.

Speaker 2: 6:24

Fanduel's like this is how much you bet? I'm like I don't want to know that. Don't tell me that. At least it's not saying how much you lost left. Well, it didn't tell me my biggest loss, but it did tell me my biggest win and it told me it happened on the 16th of january in 2024. I'm like, oh, you mean the rest of the year wasn't big win days, so nope, um, I thought the super bowl, actually, some of those, some of those kind of prop bets and parlays, I thought where would have been better? But anyways, our platform for our podcast told us 40 countries. We are in the top 25%, which is still really cool. It's two years in a row for us and that's really exciting. How many downloads and how many minutes. Now, a few minutes here and there we have edited out just because of a mistake or something we said not many, though, no, not a lot.

Speaker 3: 7:17

We haven't really edited out content. We've edited out, uh like one day the power went out in my house so we had to obviously edit that together and things and different stuff like that. But uh, we really have never edited out any content or anything like that. We just kind of let it organically flow and if, if there's a you know a mess up, we just go with it Full transparency.

Speaker 2: 7:41

When we recorded the show obviously we recorded it before the new years uh, with Franklin, we actually had a technical issue recording that and we were able to patch it together and that's that just makes a. Not that you and I are great editors, it just the software allows it to really come together and and that's that just makes uh. Not that you and I are great editors, it just the software allows it to really come together and snap together nicely. So. But, truth be told, we had a, um, well, actually I do edit, well, I'm just kidding um, but, uh, we actually had a little technical snafu we were able to, we were able to fix it.

Speaker 2: 8:09

So, um, but you're right, we don't edit out a lot. We we find that just having a normal conversation, which leads me to, you are not going to hear listener spotlights today. Now, this is just the only episode that I know of that. We're not going to do it. We will pick up there, we will answer, but we are about to record together in person and we think it's going to be a little bit better for the audience that we do the listener spotlight in person and, um, if you've ever heard our show or record when we're in person.

Speaker 2: 8:39

Sometimes it can be a little bit more humorous because we're fighting over the board, or or we're, or he's like oh man, this was better when you're in, you know, when you're 90,000 miles away. So, um, listener, spotlight is not going away. We're just taking a break just for this episode. We're just going to have a deep, deep dive of 2024, and and how we felt it went. And with that, let me just kick it off. How do you feel the YouTube avenue of road adventures, of cycling men, of leisure went for us?

Speaker 3: 9:09

Uh, you know, I think it went well. Uh, we started it obviously this year and I think it's it's went well, considering we didn't really know anything about putting content on YouTube and it was video and not just us, you know, speaking into a microphone, that type of thing. So I'm very happy with it and I I it. Really, I was concerned that it was really going to hurt our numbers and stuff, but it hasn't. Uh, I thought, well then, maybe a whole bunch of people will just flip over and start doing that. Our numbers will go down, but it, you know, we're, we're in the top 25 again, uh, two years in a row. So, um, very happy with it and I think it it provides another avenue for the people that, well, I don't do podcasts but I will do YouTube, that type of thing.

Speaker 2: 9:59

So what do you think? I think it has some pros and cons. The pros are you know some people like to. I mean, you know you were in radio. I mean you did it for a living. And how many times do people listen to a DJ or the radio host and then all of a sudden you meet that person and you're like, wow, that's what they look like. And I mean I remember growing up in Southern Illinois and the radio station was WCILFM and I remember they had this DJ and then he was at a mall and I saw him and I'm like, wow, that guy looks nothing like I thought he looked like.

Speaker 2: 10:38

And so the the idea that you could jump on YouTube and and and take a look at us and and see who we are, and I think that's really cool. You know, I'm I'm more the one of, and each of us bring our strong suits, you bring the history, you bring the listener spotlight items. To be a hundred percent truthful, um, I'm more the guy behind the scenes, who's who's messaging people and communicating with people, and that's great. I mean, you have, you need that's teamwork. You know you have to have that. So, um, I do get some messages where, hey, we watched you on YouTube and I know those people, I've had conversations, used to listen to us, and so then I'm like, well, do they drop off? Well, scott Garwick, our good friend, wrote me today and he said, hey. He said I was at work at the bike store today and, even though I watched it on YouTube, I listened to your last three episodes. He's like I was literally laughing out loud. He's like I was literally laughing out loud. And so you know, having that relationship where some people watch us and then listen to us or go back and forth, I think that's a huge perk, and so sometimes we do bring visualization into the show.

Speaker 2: 11:47

If I could speak English, like Franklin made a mention that all three of us were wearing our brag hats the last time we got together. And can you picture the word brag on a hat? Sure. Can you picture blue? Sure. But anyone who was at Big Brag 2024 knows exactly that they went to the trailer. Those brim hats were there and so they could jump on and see that. And if you hadn't seen those, then you could jump on YouTube back and forth.

Speaker 2: 12:15

And I think the bottom line is, I think that there's some pros and some cons. The pros are what I just mentioned. The cons are I really just hope that the idea of the podcast was we become so obsessed you and I, or anyone who probably runs a podcast you become obsessed with numbers, how many downloads, how many, uh, all of the of the stats and and you know how long did someone listen, how long did, and so with YouTube we don't get that data. So sometimes I, um, you can, you can look a little bit, but what I mean is where the podcast. I can tell you, hey, on this episode, episode 47, of the 350 people who listened to it, 87% of the people listened all the way through. And then it kind of gives you and I some feedback, and that's gratifying feedback, where sometimes you and I have thought shows were going to be amazing, and then afterwards.

Speaker 2: 13:19

I'm like, well, they were great to you and I and that's okay too, because you and I enjoy doing it. You know, we're not going to be buying Lamborghinis off of doing a pot. We're not Joe Rogan, so we could buy toy Lamborghinis. So we could buy toy Lamborghinis. But anyways, that instant gratification and getting those numbers, and then some episodes you and I have done, we're like, yeah, it's not our best work, we'll get it out there, and then people just keep resharing it.

Speaker 2: 13:47

Close the door, yeah, and I'm like I obviously don't know what the you know. You should know what your own customers want. I think in general we have what they want want, but sometimes the episode goes back and forth. So I'm I'm still glad that we're doing it. We have increased, um, some of our camera quality uh, we are now using 4k cameras and um putting some of the better uh, like the franklin release episode, it was 100. Now that depends on what device you're looking at. If you're looking at a tablet that only brings in 720p, you're not going to see that. I mean, obviously. But if you had it on your television, apple TV I'm not paid by Apple, I wish I was. But if you had an Apple TV and it's 4K and you have YouTube, you will see us in all of our glory in 4K. So I like it. I think that, in my opinion, we continue, otherwise if you see the YouTube channel go away.

Speaker 3: 14:48

But no, it's a lot like movies, though. When they come out with a movie idea you know goes around Hollywood for years and years, and then they get their casting that they think is good, then they have to switch people out and, you know, they get into production and things change and but at the end, you know, the people think, oh, this movie is good, this movie is awesome, I mean, you know, whatever and sometimes it comes out to be really awesome and sometimes it's like can't believe they wasted years producing that. I mean it's like what we do. I mean there's when you said that I'm so thinking it's like, yeah, there's been just episodes that were like this is going to be epic, and then it was just like flatlined, you know, dead on arrival, and then there was other ones.

Speaker 3: 15:32

It's just like man, that's just the worst bit of junk we've ever thrown together. People are like, oh, we love that, and so it's like any type of creative endeavor. When you're producing content, you know sometimes you hit it right on the mark, Other times you don't.

Speaker 2: 15:48

but it's always funny. It reminds me of Shawshank Redemption. I mean now that it's obviously a classic, but you know, when they first said it came out, they were like the Shawshank what, you know nobody. It didn't do well in screening and didn't do well. And then, of course, now it's I mean, one of the best movies.

Speaker 3: 16:06

Yeah, it's a classic you know it's ever made.

Speaker 2: 16:09

Hendy Dufresne Crawled through 500 yards of the most fouling. Um, where's my sensor button there? There we go. Um, that's an interesting thing. What about? You know? We got this new board for 2024 all kinds of fancy toys and we were able to put our christmas sounds and our halloween sounds. Do you think the sound effects? I mean, I listen to listen to some um other podcasts in my life and they don't use some of the sound effects. I, I, I'm, I'm like a little kid when I do it, but uh, do you think that adds something, or should we make a change there?

Speaker 3: 16:47

You know, I think it adds something, I think it adds some fun, I mean it. It just gets into the kind of personalities that we have and the bantering back and forth. Uh, I will admit, sometimes the little 12 year old Adam comes out and I think he's like oh, look the light up there, lighten, push them, push them Uh yeah, you know exactly. Um.

Speaker 3: 17:14

So I think sometimes big when he's in the limo so I think sometimes, uh, you know your enthusiasm uh goes crazy, but I think it. I think it adds. It adds some fun to it, at least for me on this side of the board.

Speaker 2: 17:28

Okay, it adds some fun I know the listener spotlight, like even when Franklin was like listener spotlight, I go. You mean Oops, wrong button, oops, this is why I don't do this on a daily basis. Listener spotlight, but Okay, I was just curious of that. How do you feel I mean really?

Speaker 3: 17:54

there should be a lot less censoring of that Michael guy, because he's really cool.

Speaker 2: 17:59

Exactly, I'm sorry. You said you wanted more censoring. For those of you who don't know, Michael has an autistic stepson who's a wonderful young man. Michael has an autistic stepson who's a wonderful young man and he found out that on the show I sometimes will censor or beep Michael and he said he wanted to go to McDonald's on a vacation and Michael said no, we're not going to, and Max was like beep, beep.

Speaker 3: 18:28

We're not going to McDonald's. And then, just before I said McDonald's, he's back there and go.

Speaker 2: 18:36

Turns out. I heard you went to McDonald's that day. Yeah, probably so, all right. Well, I was just definitely curious about that. How do you feel about the episodes coming out every two weeks? I know that some podcasts put out an episode weekly and I just don't. I personally don't see how you and I could do that. I mean, um, with your, with your family and your obligation of your daughter and homework, and and then the editing that it takes, um, sometimes I'm wondering, like, how those people do weekly episodes.

Speaker 3: 19:14

So, you know, I I think two weeks is perfect for us. Okay, Uh, you're right. I mean, we have lives and things like that, and you know, when summertime gets here, you're on the golf course, a lot, and you, we all have other things going on. Um, I don't think it would be as much fun if we were doing this every week.

Speaker 2: 19:31

Honestly, it would be as much fun if we were doing this every week.

Speaker 3: 19:34

Honestly, it would seem more like work and sometimes it's like, oh man, we got to produce another, we got to produce. This gives us two weeks to put it together. Sometimes record a little early, sometimes you know we're right on the Saturday before getting it finished, but it gives us plenty of time, um plus, I think it adds to the content, because I think if we were doing it every week, we'd just be like, yeah, so, uh, how's things in Michigan go? You know, yeah, um, I, so I'm, I, I don't think I'd want to be doing it every week.

Speaker 3: 20:02

And I and I think it uh gives people enough content who enjoy listening to us, um, but it's not something that it's like you know, we're jamming down their throat every week.

Speaker 2: 20:13

So plus cycling is kind of kind of um, oh. But like Bragg comes out, you know, I mean, and obviously Franklin, and I'm so glad he explained some of his international rides and how they're scouting more and stuff you and I need to stop talking about it and go overseas and do it, let's do it.

Speaker 3: 20:45

I think that would make for a great ride and some great content.

Speaker 2: 20:49

But when you look at these larger rides, like Rag Braai is repetitive, I mean, and maybe not to the same areas, but somewhat to the same areas, and then Big Braai comes out, and so for us you and I are watching the calendar and having that two-week break to me is like okay, we can try to fit in these extra interviews. Like you know, we're working on a few different interviews and I have no problem saying what they are. We're trying to get Bike Virginia on, we're trying to talk to the people from, you know, padres and cycling, and we're working on those and we've got some commitments and we can't wait to bring that to you. And so you know, soon you and I are going to be together in person and I can't wait for the content.

Speaker 2: 21:38

So I was just curious of how you felt about the two week and we have done special episodes, like the Franklin, like the Brig Bragg. We've done it for other things as well and I think we're looking at, possibly we'll see how this works. So if someone holds me to it, but we're going to try to live stream like a party for the brag I mean, forgive me for the Ragbri release, and so we're going to kind of practice, that when we're together in person soon and do a rough draft of that to a private server, and so we are working on some cool stuff, some new stuff. But I think the two weeks is probably good and, and you know to be honest, yeah, the different times of the year, like in Michigan right now, I could probably do an episode with you every other day.

Speaker 2: 22:17

It's boring and there's not a lot going on and and football is winding down, I mean, you know so, only so many games, and. But sometimes I just don't want it to ever feel like work. I already have a job, you already have a job, you have a family, I have a wife and you know house projects I've been doing. But every now and then you and I both are like, oh, how about tomorrow? Oh how about tomorrow? Or one of us has been sick, or one of us has something going on with a parent, and then all of a sudden it gets to Friday, and then it gets to Saturday and the show comes out at four o'clock and I just start to feel that that anxiety, feeling of, oh my gosh, are we going to make the mark? And then then then that feels like work. I just couldn't imagine doing that more. I just was curious how you, you and I have had no notes for this episode. So None whatsoever.

Speaker 3: 23:07

Just honest conversation is what we're having in this. We always have honest conversation, but we didn't script anything out. We don't have any notes. We're just organically no and full transparency.

Speaker 2: 23:18

I mean you and I usually do a little pre-show where we do a little prep show where we talk about listener spotlights but, to be fair, you do not give me the answers. I want to be clear on that and then. But then we do talk and we have an outline, we we use zoom whiteboards and I mean obviously.

Speaker 3: 23:36

I mean we want we want to be good, we need to hit this and this, and we wanted to have good content for everybody.

Speaker 2: 23:42

So, um, um, what about? I would love to pick your brain about our show is cycling centric podcast I mean, hence the name, road adventures, which is our adventure it was. I'm sorry, go ahead. Oh, go ahead, I'm just jumping the gun. I'll let you finish, all right, the, the idea of road adventures is our adventures, um, of cycling, men of leisure, and then we turned it into a podcast and I mean we, we talk about cycling, all things cycling.

Speaker 2: 24:30

We also mix in our our love of distilleries and, and both of us, I think, truly enjoy going to distilleries and, um, you know, cigar bars, and we went to that Weston, um, missouri, cigar and whiskey thing. I mean, I think there's a genuine, um, you know, enjoyment by both of us. But my fear is, and and I where I'm going down this path is, you know, some of the events we just had a show where we talked about, some of them are going by the wayside. But a lot of the stuff that we do is just leisurely based, whether it could be cycling, whether it be golfing. Uh, I used to fish. I haven't fished in years. I mean, I used to make a joke If you're too drunk to fish, you might be a redneck, but, um, I've been too drunk to do a lot of things sometimes.

Speaker 3: 25:24

So, uh, but um, I, I'm just, I'm curious how you feel about, like, taking the show in a direction of not just cycling but maybe mixing in, and let me, let me give you the floor well, we started this off as road adventures of cycling, men of leisure and and I don't think we necessarily we envisioned it to be cycling centric, but it was more about our adventures when we go do things, when we go do leisurely activities. Um, it is really kind of warped into, um, just kind of heavy on the cycling Right, but when we originally envisioned it, I think we were really thinking about we can talk about anything. You know, we've been up to the, uh, henry Ford museum and and, uh, you know we're doing this and we're doing that and and so to me it was really envisioned to be more centered around leisure, gotcha, you know, the act of spending time away from work and and chores and and other responsibilities, uh, and kind of our adventures there. You know where are we going, the people that we're meeting, that kind of thing. Now we spend a great deal of our time together cycling, so, um, that has really became a center point and we do, you know, cycling men of leisure. We are cycling men of leisure but we do other things.

Speaker 3: 26:44

So, um, yeah, I w I would like to see upcoming year, uh, us to branch out a little bit more, uh, still talk about cycling and that kind of stuff. But maybe bring on some other leisuring type stuff. You know we play golf, uh, every once in a while. We'd love the distilleries you and I have both uh, like the history stuff. You know, visiting historical places. You know, one place that comes to mind, uh, is that mill that we visited, that old water mill Uh, I think it was on Ragbri a few years ago and it was all based on water and we actually got to stand inside with all the belts going and and it was, you know.

Speaker 2: 27:21

I, I, you know, I really, really regret not recording more of that. That was such an amazing experience. I mean just to be there and when they fired it up, and I've thought about that to this every now and then I'll think about, like man, I should have, especially since now we do this, we could have thrown that in, you know, a piece onto the. You just never know that, but I got some video of it, you did.

Speaker 3: 27:42

I did. I'll have to dig it up, but I mean you're just stuff like that.

Speaker 3: 27:45

So, I and I know we've we've talked to Phil Collins. Uh, phil talks whiskey, uh, having him, he's been on a couple of times, we'd like to get him on again, uh. So I would like to expand out uh, keep it heavy uh in cycling, but also talk about our other leisuring type activities that we enjoy doing yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking too, because you know, I mean kind of you and I had a little bit of a conversation.

Speaker 2: 28:11

But then then of course, I go off into my world and, driving to work, I know you got 13 stairs, I got 13 miles, um, I know, I know you're going up and down, I get it, but, um, those stairs, that's, and then there's a turn, I know halfway up, you gotta be careful man.

Speaker 2: 28:31

I know you'll break a hip or something doing that I started thinking about stuff like that, driving to work, like, okay, well, the show's coming up. And then sometimes we've come up with some really good stuff where we're like, hey, why don't we do research on this? Like when you did the the lady's cycling history, I thought that was amazing. I mean, and and if you haven't had a chance to listen to that, maybe we should re-air that. I mean, I, I just saw this thing when they said, well, maybe some of your old shows you should, you know, talk about a little bit and say, hey, we aired this and then re put it out and you know, um and and, and then add a little bit of the content to it.

Speaker 1: 29:02

So I think that's something we can do as well.

Speaker 2: 29:04

Great idea Because you, you, you, did some really deep dive research on ladies cycling and you know, shrink it and pink it and I I have never forgot that since you mentioned it. And um, where they made the frame smaller and turn it pink and didn't even change the um.

Speaker 3: 29:21

Yeah, didn't change anything. It's like let's just take men's cycles, men's gear, shrink it down smaller, and we're going to make it pink and we'll sell that to women, and so yeah, um, that's. That would be a good subject to to revisit as well.

Speaker 2: 29:34

So, so there's some. There's some things there we can definitely do. But then sometimes I'm like, well gosh, what can we talk about cycling for the next two weeks? And and you know we've. That's why we reached out to our audience uh, what we call our leisure community and we've said, hey, what do you want us to talk about? And we have. We have, excuse me, we have had some things behind the scenes where people have mentioned and we've had some great interviews, but I think we could, we could, we could mix it into all things leisure and just kind of. I'm glad to think that you're on the, glad to hear that you're kind of thinking the same thing. I am where you know the compliments that you and I get is the banter back and forth, yep. And, by the way, if you've ever, not ever, met us.

Speaker 3: 30:19

this is what we do in public. I mean, yeah, this is not like acting, this is nothing. This is just the way Adam and I uh, his relationship is. We're constantly bantering each other and and uh yeah, it works for us.

Speaker 2: 30:31

So it does work for us and I think sometimes it's. You know, I'm always a kind of a person when we're in public where you know if you and I are having a conversation and I know that someone is intently trying to listen, I'm going to you're you wanting a show? I'm going to give you a show, and, and that's the. That's the kind of person I am. So if they're like, like, those two are heathens, I'm like, you know, I'm going to give you a heathen comment, or, or, or something. I mean, um, not, not mean spirited, mean-spirited.

Speaker 2: 30:57

I'm not a mean-spirited guy, but I'm a. I'm more of a comedic guy.

Speaker 3: 31:00

So if you're ever feeding the story or feeding their ideas oh, yeah, yeah, I'm not afraid to do that.

Speaker 2: 31:06

So, um, and, and that's just who I am, and sometimes I make you know different comments, or sometimes when we're editing the show. By the way, I do this thing where I always go to sacrament of leisure and michael always says I can't wait for you to do that on the air yeah you got it.

Speaker 1: 31:20

Yeah, you just got it buddy right there.

Speaker 2: 31:21

So, um, but um, I just wanted to. I'm glad we could just have this, this conversation, and have it open to our audience and and to kind of kind of get an idea where, um, where you know, now it's 2025, we're on on season four technically Not just technically, but I mean we did not do a full, what you would call a full season in 2020, 21. But the way that podcasting works, you have a choice. How seasons work on podcasts, they can work a couple different ways. If you listen to something like Dateline, major, major, obviously, production, they have their regular season that, in lines with the school season, which is, you know, come out in the fall, stop in the summer, a lot of repeats, and that could be a season.

Speaker 2: 32:27

Or you could do a continuous calendar year where it starts in january and ends in december, and so the way we started, we started, I think, around october, november of our first year, and then november, november, uh, and so that became season one and even though it was only a month later than season two started. So we're starting season four and, um, excited about it, um, we're gonna maintain the youtube. We think that's value add. We're gonna add to the show we've got. We're always trying different new things. Um, I'm just happy where we are. I'm still enjoying it and I was just curious where you, where you possibly saw us going in 2025 or anything that you can pinpoint or yeah, um, you know, I think when we started this adventure, um, I think I really saw us as we're.

Speaker 3: 33:20

We're pretty determined individuals and I think in my mind I had it that you know we're going to do this thing called podcasting and we don't really know anything about it, but we'll figure it out and you know what? It probably won't have a lot of people listen to us, but, um, I think you and I will have fun for it and we'll give it. And I, honestly, deep down inside, I think, if I look back, I I think I'd have probably said you know what, we would give it a year. And then, at the end of the year, I didn't really think that we were going to have, you know, a community. I didn't think we were going to have that many listeners. I thought we would just do it, it'd be fun for us and after a while, it's like you know, hey, the seven people are not going to miss us if we decide not to do this anymore. So this is really advanced. I certainly did not see a YouTube channel coming in there and I didn't see us being on, you know, any other of the other platforms that we're on either. So, in looking at the fact that we've been here, we're going to start our fourth season, is just mind-blowing to me, because I honestly didn't think we'd ever be here.

Speaker 3: 34:28

But what I would like to see really coming up in this new year is expand out our platform a little bit more with kind of the leisuring attitude. Still, we're going to talk about cycling, we're going to talk about rides, we're certainly going to do rides, but maybe branch out and do a few more uh segments on other things. Uh, within the leisure community and, I think, moving forward, I would like to see us do uh more like little, um quick, you know, youtube segments that we just throw on, like our, our Facebook and things like that. Um, a lot more. Like when we ride it's like, hey, it's more. This morning we did some of it when we were in Michigan.

Speaker 3: 35:12

Yeah, um, I'd like to do a lot more of those. I would love to, you know, do like some simulcast stuff of like the, the route announcements, like in in Iowa. I think that would be a lot of fun. Uh, and just, you know, take the microphones with us more and uh utilize them more, talk to more people and and that type of stuff to kind of expand out our, our story. So that's where I would like to see us next year and, honestly, next year at this time, I'd love to see us both studying here and still going. You know what we really like to do this and still having a big base of supporters that say, yes, continue doing it.

Speaker 2: 35:51

That's great. I mean, we now have professional travel microphones here in this case, so they are battery operated and clipped to your shirt. We can record anywhere they even have. You don't know this yet, but I've even attached the windscreens to and I'm sure I look like an idiot or more than normal anyway, and I basically was just pretending like you and I were podcasting. I was in the middle of the woods, so most people probably 99% don't even saw me or heard me, but if there was that one or one or two persons out there who saw me, they're like that guy is talking to himself.

Speaker 3: 36:40

Crazy guy walking through the woods talking to himself.

Speaker 2: 36:42

And I was impressed. I mean, I hiked six miles, uh, it was windy and I purposely listened to it here with my headphones on and I'm excited to be able to take. I think this is going to open up a lot of doors for you and I. So I think, like when we do things like uh, go for an old, an old fashioned, and we just have a general conversation, maybe we only take 30 seconds from the, from the five minute conversation, but something we could share on the show. So I'm excited about that.

Speaker 3: 37:13

And I do want to say one thing yeah.

Speaker 3: 37:16

I'm not a technical guy, but you are big into technology, so you are really our tech guru. I mean, that's like your biggest, strongest suit that you bring to our team is your technical knowledge, and when you don't know about tech, you will jump in with both feet and do the research and figure out how to do it. So, uh, I just wanted to say thank you, because you are a big reason why we sound and we look good is because you're that really tech orientated person. So I appreciate that.

Speaker 2: 37:45

Yeah, no, some uh definitely enjoy it, and I I do. You know I'm it's like taking apart an engine and figuring out why it works and why it doesn't work and how something is supposed to work. That's why that time when our friend trip said, hey man, you got this weird sound like, for me it was like that was like the tickle, like they call it, tickling the wire. You know, for when they're trying to get people, when they bug their phones, they want them to talk about something. That was Tripp tickling my wire. Buddy, he's like you got this noise and that was it.

Speaker 2: 38:18

I was on a mission, I was going to find it and turned out it was only on apple podcast, there, everything else I don't think it came up on and I hope, anyways, it's gone and and um, let's make it that way. But yeah, I appreciate you saying that, um, I've enjoyed it so much. I've I really have got prosumer. I'll use prosumer, uh word, uh gear now and and um, boards and video switchers where, if you're watching on youtube, I can do this and move a camera here and move a camera here. Um, we've got graphics and inlays and so it's a lot of fun. I appreciate you saying that um, but you bring a lot to the show too, my friend.

Speaker 2: 39:01

I mean, uh, listener, spotlight you, you go, mean you even get some people who complain that you're not making the guesses as easy as that's the whole point.

Speaker 3: 39:12

I don't want you just to be able to look it up.

Speaker 2: 39:15

I could use chat GBT on my phone and use your you know. So I actually people have asked me like, do you do deep dive research? After he gives the hints, I said, god, this is going to sound horrible. But to be honest, after he gives the hints, I'm worrying about editing the show. I couldn't tell you what he said unless I went back and you know, listen to it myself, which I do.

Speaker 2: 39:35

I listen to the show as a listener. I enjoy recording it so much with you that I actually hope it doesn't sound narcissistic. But, um, then I get to enjoy the show and I usually do it for for two reasons. I do it for research, to make sure, like if there's some issue, problem concern, but I also want to enjoy what you and I are talking about. So I kind of do it both ways. So I look forward to, um, the books.

Speaker 2: 40:06

We have a lot of in-person um gatherings, uh, together with whether it's golfing, um coming down for your conference and coming to your place for my conference. Uh, we'll have big brag. We've got a bourbon burn, I mean. So there's so much stuff for 2024. That's why I'm super excited that uh, taking've got Bourbon Burn, I mean. So there's so much stuff for 2024. That's why I'm super excited that taking the show on the road and I think with the equipment that we have, we're going to be able to I remember the first time we were at Bourbon Burn and we were outside and this just shows you this just shows you, you know, an experience and learning.

Speaker 2: 40:37

We sat on a picnic bench and at the Kentucky Horse Park campground and we had these microphones and, even though we had the windscreens on them, we later listened to the studio. Both of us had like this like oh my yeah, exactly Like, oh my gosh, this is horrible. But then what we did is, in full transparency, we re-recorded the show in the studio and tried to make the best of it with a little bit of sound effects and everything, but that just shows you the experience. But now, with the equipment that I think we have, we could actually pull it off. So, um, you learn, and and that's that's kind of the fun for me is learning how to how to pull the media together.

Speaker 2: 41:18

And and I was fully transparent with you we made a mistake on the, the. I'm not going to say what it is, but we made a mistake on the release with Franklin, with Big Bragg 2025. You fixed it. So, um, long story short, I'm, I'm, I'm excited to say where we are with road adventures of cycling, mental pleasure, and I look forward to to what 2025 brings us. And, and I just want to wish you a happy new year, sir.

Speaker 3: 41:55

Well, thank you, and uh, like I said, if the technology was up to me, we would have one of those big 1980 camcorders setting up and, uh, you know some, some mic systems and maybe some reel to reel that type of thing. So, um, nobody wants that.

Speaker 3: 42:11

Nobody wants that Absolutely. So, uh, no, I, I, uh appreciate it. I look forward to our already, I think, five events. Uh, five times we're going to be getting together this next year and we're still looking for another ride, so there may be six, maybe seven, who knows. So that'll be awesome, Um, but I enjoy doing this with you, Um and uh, hopefully we can continue doing this for a lot longer.

Speaker 2: 42:36

Well, that sounds great. Uh, until I, uh, after this, believe it or not, I'm going to edit this up and then I'm putting all this stuff in boxes and we are taking cycling men of leisure on the road. So I will see you in person for our next episode, sir, I look forward to recording in person with you.

Speaker 3: 42:54

Orlando here we come.

Speaker 2: 42:55

Orlando. You know what? It is a great day for a bike ride. It is indeed, sir.

Speaker 1: 43:03

Thank you for coming along with Adam and Michael on road Adventures with Cycling Men of Leisure. If you have enjoyed this, please subscribe to the show on the podcast app of your choice.