Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure
Adam Baranski’s and Michael Sharp's friendship is built on a shared love of cycling. From tough trails to leisurely rides, their adventures are filled with stories, banter, and authentic connection. Their podcast blends entertaining anecdotes, heartfelt conversations, and cycling excitement—welcoming you into their community and the joy of the open road.
Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure
A Padded Sports Bra Sparks A Cheating Debate
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Somebody texted us a question we never expected to hear during Tour de France season: “What’s up with this cheating women and their bras?” That launches a surprisingly real conversation about cycling aerodynamics, the Tour de France Femmes, and allegations that padded sports bras might reduce aerodynamic drag through what researchers call chest fairing. We break down the science in plain language, talk about what the UCI rules actually ban, and ask the uncomfortable follow-ups: how much time could this save in a time trial, what counts as equipment optimization versus cheating, and how would anyone even enforce it fairly?
Before we get there, we take a hard left into pure Midwest joy: Adam’s weekend at a Frankenmuth, Michigan frontline transit conference that included a full-on bus rodeo. Think obstacle courses, radar guns, wheelchair securement tests, and one “Diminishing Clearance” run that sent barrels flying. It’s funny, but it also connects to something serious: training for precision driving reduces accidents, especially in the low-speed moves that cause the most damage.
We also keep building the community side of the show with voice fan mail, our Listener Spotlight game (answer revealed), and a quick tour of the new cyclingmenofleisure.com features like the “Where We Roll” downloads map. Then we look ahead to Podfest Expo in Orlando and float a listener-friendly golf outing idea that’s all leisure and no pressure.
Subscribe for more cycling culture, Tour de France talk, and road stories, then share this with a friend and leave a review. Where do you draw the line between marginal gains and cheating?
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Adam and Michael’s friendship has grown through years of shared miles, challenges, and laughter on the bike. Their passion for cycling has carried them through life’s twists and turns, creating a bond full of stories, jokes, and unforgettable rides. In their podcast, they bring that same spirit to the mic—sharing adventures, trading banter, and welcoming listeners into their cycling community. Whether tackling steep climbs or cruising open roads, their conversations capture the fun, friendship, and freedom that cycling brings. Tune in for stories that celebrate the ride and the camaraderie that makes it unforgettable.
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Hey Adam. Yeah. You know, we we sell uh for the for the ladies of our of our audience, uh we sell a woman's padded sports bra on our on our uh um Jersey site. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What if I told you that could help performance?
SPEAKER_01There's a kind of adventure you
Cold Open And Show Welcome
SPEAKER_01only find when you're not in a hurry. This is Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. Stories from the open road where routes are questionable, the stops are intentional, and leisure isn't a reward, it's the plan. If you're looking for speed, well, you're lost. But if you're looking for laid-back adventure, good stories, and even better company, welcome home.
SPEAKER_04Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome to Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. My name is Adam, and as usual, I'm joined with my good friend all the way from Central Time, Mr. Michael Sharp.
SPEAKER_03Thank you very much, Adam. Happy to be here as always. How you been, man? I haven't I haven't seen you for a few days since we've uh since the Tour de France stopped.
SPEAKER_04I know. Both of us were going through withdrawal, so I got something for you.
SPEAKER_05Welcome to the show!
SPEAKER_04Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Great. You know, having that right at my fingertips is just so easy. So if you want to have that at your fingertips, send me an email. I'll I'll be glad to send you the send you the song. Um been pretty good. Been pretty good. Yes. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_03Guess where I was last weekend. Everybody knows where you're at because every weekend you're out at a travel or a commuter or something conference. I don't know what the heck you people talk about. It's a bus, it's a train, it's a light rail, it's a streetcar. I I mean, I don't understand what all there is to talk about. Put the people on the bus, move the bus, wheels on the bus go round and round, but I'm gonna guess you're at a conference.
SPEAKER_05You, sir, you get behind the yellow line.
SPEAKER_04Yes, sir. I was uh listen, listen, I gotta tell you about this. Not only was
Frankenmuth Conference And Bus Rodeo
SPEAKER_04I at a conference, it's called frontline conference, I was at the bus rodeo. Now, this is not like a 10-gallon hat, like not rodeo like buck and bra, you know, uh rodeo, but R O A D EO, like a like clever testing the driver's skills. They had to back up, they had to take a test, they had to um do a pre-trip, uh, they had to do securement with a wheelchair, they had to do a skills test. Uh 54 drivers competed in this year's rodeo, which by the way, that's that's up. I brought a team as well. Um, we did bring home a trophy. We got a trophy for um for for some stuff. Um government, everybody gets a trophy participation. Not everybody, although some of those trophies were the size of like Maya. I mean, they were huge trophies. Ours was only like a foot and a half tall, but but we got some brought home some hardware, so that's pretty good. Um, and you know, it's always a good thing for the drivers, they enjoy it. But watching these some of these drivers, man, whip them buses through these S curves. I um volunteered um and I ran what is called Diminishing Clearance. Now to set this up for anyone who's never been to a bus rodeo, which I would have no one is no one listening has been to a bus rodeo. Where's that sensor button? Tell Max I just used the sensor button. No. Um now listen, there were some people, some spectators who were at the hotel. We were at the oh yeah. We were at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmouth. Uh you've uh you've you've heard about Frankenmouth before. The world famous fried chicken, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Uh and boy, let me tell you. Uh uh one one other thing. Isn't that like the Christmas tree store thing?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, okay. Bronner's uh yeah, we'll get back to the Bavarian Inn Lodge, the world's famous chicken. But yes, Bronner's is open 364 days uh a year. They're closed on Christmas. But but what do they sell? Christmas ornaments, Christmas decor, Christmas uh it's like someone threw up Christmas. Uh it is it is not just a little store of ornaments, it is like a mega store of ornaments. And I mean, they sell ornaments of all I bet you you could find a Cornhusker college collegiate uh.
SPEAKER_03Well, I'm gonna tell you, my wife has spent some of my good hard-earned money there. Because not only do you, you know, we live in the day and age where you don't have to go to Frankenmooth, they have a huge online store. So I can buy that Nebraska Cornhusker ornament.
SPEAKER_04There you go. There you go. Um, but yes, they have all kinds of good stuff. Um, even for the um, even for um non-denominational, I mean, um, I mean, there's lots of different themes of Christmas. What I'm trying to say is is um old old time Christmas Santa's. Um, they also sell like Hallmark um uh villages and things of this nature, but um pretty cool. I mean, it's I mean they have a restaurant in the place because you can't get through it all without having lunch.
SPEAKER_03So um, but well, later on we're gonna discuss the non-denominational off thing. I want to understand the non-denominational Christmas, but we're not gonna take up valuable time for that right now.
SPEAKER_04Sure, sure, sure, sure. You know, it's like a holiday party. You're not allowed to say that, but we'll keep going. Um, so we were at the Bavarian Inn Lodge. Uh they have, according to the sign, which I have no proof of this, zero proof. They have the largest water park in Michigan. It is pretty big, I won't lie. But um, you know, in Michigan, it gets really cold in the winter, right? And so a lot of these water parks have popped up um all throughout the the state where you know, like Great Wolf Lodge. We're not sponsored by them, although if they'd want to, we have lots of downloads now. But um uh but then there's of course there's uh Boyne Mountain has one which is huge. I think I think he told me Ernie may have gone to Boyne Mountain once. I think you said that maybe he went there skiing or you went there skiing or something. So um, but then we have uh Traverse City has I mean there's there's one where we started that ride, the uh O Drime ride.
SPEAKER_03There's one at that resort or lodge or whatever.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, huge. I mean, what Michigan and and indoor water parks, it's like, hey, it's cold as outside. Why don't we go to a hotel where we can run around where it's 80 degrees and we can pretend that we're somewhere nice, and you know, so um so it was that, and then of course the conference was on Friday and Saturday, which is kind of weird to have a conference on a Saturday. I'm not used to that. Usually Friday I'm traveling home from wherever I've been. But um, we actually had some um intensive dispatcher classes, so it was kind of nice because you know, normally management goes to these things, but this was uh more for more for the frontline, hence the fact it's called a frontline conference. But um, but the rodeo was really cool. I ran a speed gun. I felt like Officer Obi. Um I uh setting setting up the obstacle course that I was volunteering at. It's called Diminishing Clearance. Imagine putting um a row of barrel, two rows of barrels that the bus has to go through, but the first first two are are wider, and then the next two that go down are a little bit closer, and the next two a little bit closer, and the next two a little bit closer, and then the last ones are like almost touching the bus. And so they have to get up to 20 miles an hour, which is basically flooring it, and then getting through there without hitting any barrels. I would say everybody but two people did not hit the barrels, but rarely, I bet you only 15%, maybe 18% got up to the speed. So they they would come around and they were because they had to do it in seven minutes or less, by the way. You have to do the skills skills test in seven minutes or less. And then it's a whole big course. Um, and remind me, I'll send you a picture. I have the drone shots, but um, but uh we can post one online as well. We on our on our website, we can put one on the gallery page there. So um, but um it's a big course, and so most people are coming through, but I gotta tell you about this one woman. I felt really bad for her because remember, this is like a training basically, and this is fun, and they practice, and when I tell you they practice, they practice for months to be able to, you know, just get that bus down. And it's it's good for, of course, me, for my drivers to practice getting in there because then I have less accidents. Because backing, if you do not know this about transportation, but backing is the number one accident, and so uh the more they can back without having an accident, it's a good day. But I got to tell you about this one lady, one woman. I felt bad for her. She was I they call them Timmy's when you run over the cones, they call them Timmy, like, oh don't kill Timmy, you know. So um she was killing lots of Timmy's because I could see it, and then she came in our area, and the guy to be fair, there's someone with a speed gun on both sides of the bus, and then you kind of compare, like, hey, what'd you get? What'd you get? It's got a big old uh digital number on the back of it. And uh he's like, Watch out, man. He's like, I'm just I know this woman's hitting barrels. I'm gonna back away from the microphone for the the betterment of our community, but this is what it sounded like. But she hit all five barrels, and barrels went flying. And I was like, I all of a sudden I watched one here. I am standing like a with a like a almost like a pistol stance, you know, with a radar gun. And one barrel was in front of me and went, shoo, shoo, shoo, shoot. And then behind me, I could just hear like the my peripheral barrels were flying behind me. He's like, I told you, I told you to get back. So unfortunately, when I checked the drone footage, I did not have that on recording. I was like, no, I wanted it, but I I had flown the drone in the other side of the parking lot and had it come back, but it was too far away. But um, but yeah, that's where I've been. I've been at a conference in Frankenmouth, Michigan. Uh, I'll tell you what, it was very, very nice. Uh, weather was nice. Uh, got to go downtown. Uh, they had the Frankenmouth brewery. If you're looking for a good place to travel and you're coming to Michigan and you're like, where do we go? If you want to feel like you're Hansel and Gretel in Germantown, you get yourself to Frankenmouth, Michigan.
SPEAKER_03And ladies and gentlemen, this is what we do for fun in Michigan because it's so boring. We go eat chicken at some little town that sells a lot of Christmas ornaments. Hmm. That's not very good for the for the state's uh chicken. Oh, well, we can go right down here to Pittsburgh, Kansas, and there is two places, Chicken Annie and Chicken Marys, right across the street from each other, which both say they are the world's famous chicken.
SPEAKER_04So when we did the Gorilla Century in your area, there was Chicken Annie's, Chicken Marys, Chicken Lucy's, Chicken Sarah.
SPEAKER_03Everybody's chicken something. I don't know what the obsession is down in southeastern Kansas with fried chicken, but oh well. Well, I'm glad you had a good time at your rodeo. Um, you know. I'm sorry I don't go to a real rodeo, but that's okay.
SPEAKER_04I've been to a real rodeo. I've been to a real rodeo in Grand Tower, Illinois. You know where that's at? No idea. Most people wouldn't. It's a small little town in Illinois on the Mississippi River. It floods a lot, and people keep living there even after it floods. It's right near Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Uh let me tell you something that's at those people who go and do rodeos have my true respect. They do some stuff there that, man, I'm chicken and I would never do it. But um uh I could be the clown.
SPEAKER_03And you often are. So, and you got the hat for it. So, hey, we'll get your job.
SPEAKER_04Are you calling my brag hats right here? Oh, you mean my de brim. That's what you're doing your de brim. Oh, now you realize you just insulted Keith and Melanie, who went to Ragbri and celebrated. We're talking about we're talking about Adam and his I am going to transition. Here we go. Ready? Transition. Transition. Tell us about your new job. How are things going? Do you feel like you're contributing to society? Will you be going to any conferences anytime soon?
SPEAKER_03No, I don't go to conferences. Uh I'm a contractor, so I don't do that kind of thing. Uh I'm a business architect. I mean, everybody knows what that is, and what I that's what I do. I've just been spending the first couple weeks here training, and uh I'm gonna make uh make systems, uh user interfaces, things like that efficient.
SPEAKER_04Okay, well, good. And it's going well, it's going as expected. I'm just setting through training videos. Okay, well, you're training. Do
Michael’s New Job And Training
SPEAKER_04not hit your head on the microphone. Training number one. What is your first name? Michael. My name is Michael. Has anyone called you Mike yet?
SPEAKER_03No, actually, uh uh people have asked if I go by Mike or Michael's, which I appreciate that, that they don't just make the assumption.
SPEAKER_04That's cool. That's cool. I uh I've I have many a times across this great nation of ours, I've been with you, and people are like, Hey Mike, hey Mike, hey Mike. And you'll be like, It's Michael, and then 10 minutes later, hey Mike, Mike, Mike.
SPEAKER_03We've cycled for many days with people who consistently call me Mike. And I'm like, after a while, I'm just like, I'm gonna stop telling you.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, listen, I mean, uh, I think all of the community is is happy that you are bringing some bread to the table. Have you broke the bread with the family yet?
SPEAKER_03Uh not yet, but you know, that first check is coming just in a couple weeks, so everything will be good. No, we we did not go to the body. Oh, right, good. The family's all been fed, everybody's good. So fortunately, my wife, you know, has a good job and filled in where I was slacking for the last six weeks or six months. It's all good.
SPEAKER_04Let's talk about something important.
SPEAKER_03Like, why don't we?
SPEAKER_04I'm just kidding. I was gonna make I was gonna make a joke about like your score on some sort of video game or something, but um, let me tell you, I have improved immensely on Call of Duty 7.
SPEAKER_03I am really actually pretty good now. Well, see, there we go.
SPEAKER_04I had some free time, so yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, listen, we uh I'm happy to tell you, you already know this, but I'm happy to tell everybody else, we received a voice fan mail spotlight guest, and I'll be happy to play that in a second. Now, let me ask you something. You've got some clues, thanks thanks to a community member. We have a new song as opposed to my but I have uh I have a nice song. Would you like the song first? Would you like the clues, then the song, and then the fan mail? Tell me how you like it, baby. All right, here it comes.
SPEAKER_06You ride along with us every spin. It's your moment now.
Fan Mail And Listener Spotlight Game
SPEAKER_06Listener, it's my light.
SPEAKER_03Oh, all right. Uh listener spotlight, the clues that I gave you on our last episode are as follows. Uh, this community was settled in the 1880s. It was originally named for a mine. It was once a booming mining town. If you're looking for a home, you might want to look to the trees. And the government likes this community's trout streams.
SPEAKER_04Now, I would be failing the community if I didn't tell you before I played the fan mail from someone who we highly respect, Mr. Alex Bell, our friend from Georgia, that you could have gone to the brand new cyclingmenofleisure.com website. At the top of the page, there is a spotlight tab. You could have viewed the clues if you'd even get a chance to listen to the episode. So I just want to make sure uh the episode, the most expensive banana in cycling history, is where you gave the clues. But if you weren't able to listen, you could always go to the website if you want to play along.
SPEAKER_03But that being said, or you could go to the website and read every single one of the community's clues that I've ever given on this show.
SPEAKER_04That's all there. That's right. Then which would then eliminate because you're not going to say listener spotlight from St. Louis and then St. Louis. As a matter of fact, you've never said St. Louis. But um uh except is this one St. Louis? Oh no, no, there's no trees in St. Louis. Not anymore.
SPEAKER_03Because they built all the houses.
SPEAKER_04Let me uh I'm gonna bring on Alex Bell. Sorry.
SPEAKER_03Please do.
SPEAKER_04All right, here we go.
SPEAKER_00Adam and Michael, this is Alex from Georgia. Just got through listening to the latest episode. Looking forward to seeing the new website up and running and using all the new features. Also, congratulations on getting that 50 at the state. That was a great achievement. I think the next challenge should be to try to get a listener from all seven continents. Some people say there are eight, but let's say there's seven. Franklin probably has trips planned for most of those continents, and maybe we can encourage him to add all trips to all seven continents. My guess for this episode's listener spotlight is Black Diamond Washington State. Well, thanks again for the great entertainment. Looking forward to the next one.
SPEAKER_03I almost cut Alex Bell off. Let me interject before we go any further. Alex, we have got received downloads and listeners from seven of the eight continents. We're gonna count Oceana. Yeah, it's you know debatable. But um, the only continent that we are missing is Antarctica. So, uh Franklin, let's go ride bikes in Antarctica and download the thing.
SPEAKER_04So okay. Here's a justification for his guest. Now he couldn't leave this in the listener's spotlight. For those of you who don't know, if you want to leave a fan mail, it gives you 60 seconds. As you can see, you can sound like a distinguished, retired, awesome gentleman. All you have to do is hit record. There you go. Uh, but he did email on the back end and he said, here's his justification for his guests. It was settled between 1880 and 1885. It was originally named for the Black Diamond Mining Company. My answer may or may not fit the third clue as well as it does the other four clues. Uh, 10 Trails is a major master plan residential community in Black Diamond, offering homes, admiss trail admin trails, parks, and green spaces. Trees uh play a uh big role in the for the landscape of the development with houses constructed among the forested areas. The Washington State Department of Transportation, uh-huh, fish passage project will be installing the five new fish uh passage structures to carry uh Rock Creek, Grinder Creek, and unnamed uh tributaries beneath the state roads. 169 in Black Diamond, giving the various spaces of trout, 4.6 miles of habitat. Estimated cost 48.8 million with an M dollars. The project starts this August. Black Diamond was the largest producer of the high quality to you. The next thing says a personal message to you guys. I guess I won't read that because that's a personal message to us.
SPEAKER_03Um, all right. How did he do? So he said Black Diamond Washington. Is that correct? That is correct. Black Diamond Washington. Well, it it's not correct on this end. So sorry, Alex. Thank you as always for participating. Uh, but in fact, this episode's answer to Listener Spotlight is Iron River, Michigan.
SPEAKER_04Oh man, Iron River, Michigan, right here in my own little Yes.
SPEAKER_03Um it was originally named uh Nanamo. Nanamo, which is means Iron Mountain. Um it was once a booming mining town. If you are looking for a home, you might want to look to the trees. I'm surprised you didn't know this. Iron River, Michigan is the log cabin capital of Michigan. And the government likes this community's trout streams. Iron River, um, or at least 17 miles of Iron River and the part that runs through the city, uh, has been designated a Blue River Trout Stream by the federal government. So thank you to our listeners in Iron River, Michigan. Adam apparently has never been there.
SPEAKER_04I don't know if I I don't know if I have actually. Um, but listen, what do I always say? Thank you, all community members, but this time Iron River, Michigan. I am gonna look on a map and find out where Iron River is. Uh let's see here. Just received a text from a community member. It says, What's up with the so-called cheating? Uh leads later into your your teaser, by the way. Just got a text just now about something. So uh let's look at Iron River, Michigan. Iron River. I'm gonna see it on a map, buddy.
SPEAKER_03Oh, I don't think I've ever been there, buddy. Spending too much time in Crystal Mountain and uh Frankenmouth.
SPEAKER_04Wow, that's way up in the UP. That's like Wisconsin borderline, buddy. Wow, yeah, I've never been there. Uh but yeah, uh Frankenmouth is a good place for some chicken. So, well, listen, um Spotlight website way to check it out. Uh, you can leave us some fan mail, you can make a guess. Uh, but yes, all of the cities that we've ever had and correct answers with little bitty trophies and uh all kinds of good stuff. So if you want to check that out. Um all right. Well, let us let us let oh god, stay away from lettuce. Man, I'm every news story like yeah, an iceberg. You don't want any iceberg lettuce, and but uh stay away. So uh let us move right along. Um Matt Robinson, you call him Mark, I call him Matt. Spotted in the wild, he says, a de brim. Random riding, going down the road, sees a guy with a de brim. So I appreciate him letting us know about that. So um you've got a scandal coming up, so we'll talk about that. Um, hey, let's talk about um Podfest. We decided that uh since we're gonna try to have some normalcy, now that you've maken some bread, uh, and you're you're gonna be able to not feel guilty about going on a trip about taking the bread off of my family's table. Yeah, yeah. I'm looking for the dates here for the Podfest Expo. Let's see here. All right, January 14th and 17th. Okay, so normally we like to go on the 14th. That's always the fun day to go. So maybe like 15, 16, 17th. We were thinking, you and I, that not competitive, not for money collecting. I know a lot of golf outings are money collecting or fundraisers.
Podfest Plans And Community Golf Idea
SPEAKER_04That's not our goal. Our goal is would there be any interest from the community to have like a fun foursome, eight sum, twelve sum best ball, um, you know, outing couple. We could find a we don't have to, we normally stay at Disney because that's where our timeshare is. But I mean, we could go to a course nearby to save some money. This is nothing to try to go crazy, but we were thinking about maybe getting, you know, two, three, four tea times in a row at a course. Would there be interest in people in the area of coming to what we would call the first annual cycling men of leisure golf outing? Uh, we could have some fun by doing closest to the pin. Again, it's for women too. It's for women too, absolutely. Um, are you kidding? I played a golfer uh Wednesday with some vendors. Got smoked, got completely smoked. I mean, so um, and I actually played well. So, I mean, and she's like, Oh, you're doing you're doing a nice job. And I thought, well, that's kind of weird. And then all of a sudden I watched her hit and I go, Well, I know why she said that, because she's almost a scratch golfer.
SPEAKER_03So that's part of her job.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, it's true. Going from town to town to town. I thought you were supposed to let the people win who are gonna buy stuff from me. I'm just kidding. So um, but yes, if there would be any interest, we do stay in the Orlando area, um and and so um we could find a course nearby or whatever. So if there's any interest, uh go to the go to the cyclingmenofleisure.com. We have a contact and support page, click on that, send us a message, uh, or use social media or whatever you like to do. But uh um just curious if there'd be any any uh interest in that. So and then you know, if the golf worked out and we could maybe find some place for dinner and just kind of hang as the group.
SPEAKER_03So I'm a horrible golfer, so you don't have to be good because I'm not good. I play like once a year, and that's when I go to Florida with Adam in January.
SPEAKER_04So But you know what's the nice thing about an outing? You don't really have to be good. I mean, as long as you know someone can drive the ball, someone can hit the ball, I mean someone can putt, I mean someone can chip. That's true, everybody has a true chair. So, I mean, that's that's a great thing about an outing. So there's no pressure, you don't have to feel like, oh my gosh, I don't have clubs, all these places have rentals if you really want to. And um, yeah, but just we were just curious in January. So to be clear, somewhere around 15, 16, 17, somewhere in there, very flexible. Um, if anyone would be in town and not on vacation and maybe want to join us, so just wanted to throw that out there. So um uh let's see here. What next? We have something on the on the new website. Um, not sure if this interests to anybody, but uh it's there if you'd like to see it. And if you do look at it, I guess I'd be curious if you wouldn't mind to send us some feedback if you think it's something neat or not. We put a tab on the new web page called Where We Roll. Now, this is not where we've ridden bicycles because you could go to Strava for that, of course. This is downloads by states international, um, everything else. Um, you know, we have all the continents, as you just mentioned, to Mr. Alex Bell, but we also have a very interactive map where you can click on, like, let me click on the state of Kansas 958.
Website Map And Download Stats
SPEAKER_04As of the time of this recording, we've had downloads in Kansas.
SPEAKER_03Um, 800 of those were Barbara Sharp. So thank you, Barbara.
SPEAKER_04Thank you, Barbara Sharp. We love you, we love you so. Um, but in Missouri, the state next to you is 1,353. Um, but it's very interactive. You can click on each state, you can kind of see what's going on. Uh, we were blown away. California. There are so they rank it by state, too. Number one state, I'll give it away, then you can look at the rest of it by yourself. California, 9724 at the time of this recording, which is just crazy. I had no idea until we started doing some deep dives for this. So um, if you think it's cool, great. If you think, eh, what do I care? Like Dateline, you don't listen to Dateline, you'd be like, and there he was, and he killed his wife because she was infidel or whatever. And you're like, I wonder how many people are listening to this. But but if you if you like it because you know you're part of the community and you know us, uh, I'd be curious to see what you guys say. So um, but lots of cool stats at the time of this recording. I cannot believe it. 122,292 downloads, my friend. Is that just insane?
SPEAKER_03Is that video too?
SPEAKER_04That includes video, yes, sir.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_04So that is insane. But uh people would want to download us, so well, you know, that's what I always tell my wife. Well, you may have not listened to me today, but 183 people did.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna start using that. That's beautiful.
SPEAKER_04That's right. You can go right to your phone and say, you know what? You may have listened to me.
SPEAKER_03And you know what she's gonna say? She goes, No, they were listening to Adam.
SPEAKER_04It's like it's like that uh joke I saw on social media. There's a woman standing with a priest and she's at a funeral home, and uh and and the room is huge and nobody is there, and she goes, I don't understand. He had like 500 Facebook friends. So that's what I think my wife tells me. Oh, well, tell your friends to listen to you then. So, anyways, um I believe uh that is I'm going through my notes here. I believe that is what we have.
SPEAKER_03So um well, I've got something. I've got something good. Okay, I turned the page. Okay. Cycling's newest performance enhancer is not a syringe, has nothing to do with a drug, all right, blood doping, or anything else. It's the sports bra. Have you heard this?
SPEAKER_04Well, this is the text that I just received from a community member. Uh, and what's really interesting is this message I cannot read 100%. Well, I guess I can. It says, dude, what's up with this cheating women and their bras and the ladies of Tour de France?
SPEAKER_03You literally got that just a few minutes ago, didn't you? That is crazy. That is insane.
SPEAKER_04That's literally what came in
Padded Sports Bra Cheating Allegations
SPEAKER_04at 9 29 p.m. Eastern time, of course. Uh yes.
SPEAKER_03But uh let me tell you about this, because clearly now we've got listeners who are like, well, what's going on with this? There have been accusations, because the Tour de France, Le Femme, is going on, it goes on uh following the men's Tour de France. There have been accusations uh levied, and they haven't said from who, from what teams, or what riders or anything, but there has been accusations that uh women are being accused of wearing padded bras, and the reason for that is it supposedly increases their aerodynamics. Can you believe that?
SPEAKER_04Well, yeah. I mean, I used to have the man's ear, and when I would go down, I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_03Okay, okay, moving right along. Um, there have been several a Dutch news outlet reported there have been several complaints that have come from the women's world teams. Uh apparently they feel that the young ladies were looking a little bit larger than they had the day before, uh, because this occurred during the time trials, and that they are wearing padded bras. Now, when you go, wait a minute, what does that have to do with anything? There's science behind this, so let's go science crazy for just a few minutes. Bert Blocken, he is a professor of aerodynamics at the Herett Watt University in Scotland. He conducted a study that showed that a rounder chest has an advantage as it helps to reduce aerodynamic drag through what's called chest fairing. And chest fairing is basically uh when you put an object inside of the jersey or the skin suit to reduce aerodynamic drag and smooth the airflow around uh the body, which obviously that's going to help you gain speed. So, in this case, supposedly the young ladies are using padded bras to in fact create that uh aerodynamic uh effect. Like I said, this is going to alter the airflow around the body, and um as a result, the rider is going to experience less air resistance. Now, apparently, this is like a real deal. I mean, we've got a professor telling us this, but the UCI, the International Cycling Union, does in fact have rules on the books that do ban padded bra use. Um so the question then comes in how much can this really mean as far as uh helping you? And it really, um, from all the research, it's not going to benefit you um tens of seconds within a time trial. But they do say that riding 20 to 30 kilometers or more, it could yield seconds, which those seconds could be decisive, you know, based upon on the race. So um, so there we go. We've uh got a brand new type of cheating. It's the padded bra and uh shameless plug. If you want to cheat, you can buy the cycling women's of leisures padded bra uh from our store uh and participate in the activity if you choose to. But uh who would have known that this of all things would have become the big deal? My thing, and they don't address it in any of the articles that I've read, is people were saying, well, they looked a little larger than they did the day before. Okay, well, they're doing time trials. Time trials, the materials that they wear in time trials is different typically than what they wear on a regular day of ride. They're typically wearing the really aerodynamic skin suits as it is. So I'm like, is it is it really uh padded bra, or is it the fact that they are wearing different materials and it's skin suit and it's cut differently, and it just gives them, you know, just makes it look like that. So it'll be interesting to see uh what comes out of this. There have been some people that says that they need to have female commissaires, commissars, uh, check at the end of these rides to make sure they're not wearing. So it's kind of just I don't know. I don't know if this is like a real complaint or people are just trying to make a lot out of nothing because um none of these articles have identified individuals or teams who are wagering uh these complaints and and who the complaints are against. So I don't know. Maybe it's just uh a clever marketing ploy by the uh by the Tour de France La Femme to get people to uh pay attention. I don't know.
SPEAKER_04So there you go. All right, I got I got some questions. Yes. Being serious, is there possibly um weight versus shape uh offsetting? Like um if if a if a young lady put a padded bra in to get the aerodynamics, could they possibly add weight to I mean there's gotta be like a point of no return, right?
SPEAKER_03I don't I don't I don't think weights at weights weight would be an issue, honestly. I mean, because they're looking, they've got all the latest technology and all the latest fabrics and stuff like that. So I really don't see uh that weight as being anything, and it doesn't also make any sense on the time trials because even the professor himself is saying that there's really no benefit uh really in a short distance of like the time trials. So but I don't think weight would be an issue.
SPEAKER_04Well, you know, first it was no the motors and the bikes, then it was the doping, and then now it's the the padded brasier.
SPEAKER_03Um so which is it's funny because it'll be interesting to see where this goes because you brought up the motors and the bikes. And now, and we never mentioned this on our Tour de France uh special mini podcast, but uh there is actually a motorcycle with a commissar who goes along and they have this little instrument as they go by the bicycles that can read any electrical output on the bicycles to determine whether somebody has put some type of motorized thing in the seat post or the frame of the bike. So they actually monitor that now due to cheating scandals. And obviously, we know the doping, they have the we talked about the 2 a.m. drug tests and that kind of stuff. So it'll be interesting to see if now they have some kind of you know checking out the the equipment at the end of the ride to ensure that it's not uh creating chest fairing.
SPEAKER_04So you know, I it just it's always it's always something to get the the better advantage. I mean, um truthfully it was like when the smartwatch came out, you know, we had a policy at work where you couldn't text and drive. Well, of course, that's a federal policy, but um and then the drivers would have their watch, and and they just I kept looking at videos and they kept going like, huh, what time is it? What time is it? What time is it? And I finally then of course it's always trying to get the upper hand advantage and everything. So very interesting that that they would do that, but um yeah, I mean, like you said, we sell one, so if you want that advantage, go on over to our uh but then I was thinking to myself, maybe I should look into something like that for when I go downhills. I mean, maybe could I like could I put something like a like an inflate like a airbag, you know, like oh I'm about to go down here, ts, t, and then make myself look like one of those aerodynamic guys with the helmets with the chrome dome. And then when I go up, like, oh but I deflates, deflight, deflight, deflates, deflight, deflight.
SPEAKER_03So um I guess if you're really worried about a few seconds uh going downhill, um I I might use something inflatable when I, you know, ride around hoses or something to protect my uh my clavicle.
SPEAKER_04But ladies and gentlemen, mumbo number five. That would be a good idea, buddy. That would be a good idea. So well, that is interesting. I appreciate you bringing that. Um if you have an update on our next episode, give us an update to see what happened.
SPEAKER_03I mean I'll keep an eye out and see see what becomes of this. If anything, like I said, they're just allegations have been made by by somebody about somebody, and they haven't really given any any facts uh about what's going on. So we'll see if if this is really a thing, and if it is what uh what they decide to do about it.
SPEAKER_04You know, without being like um creepy or anything, I mean it I guess, you know, different um breast shape and size. I mean, uh is the UCI, I mean, are the rules, regulations of what um is it like a standard uh sports brawl that is allowed? I mean, I guess you know that with part of your research is like was there like a fixed brand?
SPEAKER_03There's not a fixed brand because all of their clothing, outerwear, inner wear, everything is is generally you know through some sponsor and that kind of thing. So there's not a fixed brand. It just cannot have any padding.
SPEAKER_04Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. Okay. Well, that's interesting. I mean, it's the whether there's a will, there's a way. Somebody will somebody will cheat.
SPEAKER_03So allegedly, allegedly. Let's keep it that. We haven't we we don't know the uh you know if this is really a thing or not yet. So we'll see. We need more facts.
SPEAKER_04Okay. And you're just the guy, and I'm just kidding, that sounds really horrible. And you're just the guy to study it.
SPEAKER_03Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't get me into trouble or anything.
SPEAKER_04No, no, no. Uh, we really do hope that people enjoyed the mini mini podcast series of George Franz. I we would like to know if if there are some people who don't mind to suspend just a couple of seconds of your life. If if you're thinking, what can I do with the next 10 seconds of my life? And you listen to the show, give us some feedback. Did you like it? Would you like to see it next year? Um, did you more care about the song and less about the results? Uh be honest with us. We we would, you know, this is we're asking you're the members, you you listen, you pay attention, you we know. You listen because then you write us about stuff about certain things. Like I made the joke about voting early and often, and we received a text yesterday from one of our members that said, I hope you're voting early and often today. So, I mean, um
Tour Series Feedback And Next Clues
SPEAKER_04listen, if I could pull it off nowadays, man, they're like, Give us your blood type to vote, give us your ID to vote, give us your give us your firstborn. And but um yes, all kidding aside, uh love when the members reach out. So please tell us what you think. If you don't mind, um we'd really like to hear that.
SPEAKER_03So and yes, we can give uh we can take some French classes so that we can better pronounce uh words.
SPEAKER_04You know, AI is gonna be so advanced by that when I say the word like, um, oh my gosh, look at that. He was climbing up that commissar, or he was there, and the guy was in the back. And Domestique, uh, I mean, it's gonna it's gonna it's gonna fill in the words for me, you know.
SPEAKER_03So you know what? I think that's the first time you got Domestique correct.
SPEAKER_04That's right. Well, I'm a slow learner. I can be had, but I'm a slow learner. Um, I uh my favorite thing during all that, I was getting messages behind the scenes like, I know we appreciate what you're doing, but man, just take a couple of seconds and do some. I'm like, you know what, people, we've got families to live. I'm just kidding. All right, besides a listener spotlight, I can hit you with the song one more time. Um, do you have anything else for this episode? I do not.
SPEAKER_03All right, we got some good clues.
SPEAKER_04I love it. I love it. Now, if you're listening to this, check out the website. The clues will automatically populate. And I want to give credit to Trip Barker. Thank you, Trip. Appreciate all of your help getting me where I am today on the website. So here we go.
SPEAKER_06It's your moment now. Listeners my life take up.
SPEAKER_03All right. This episode's clues are as follows. Uh, this town started out as an agricultural community, uh, and it was incorporated in the mid-1800s. The city knows something about cars, it was named for a predominant building. The city was a lifeline for what it brought in and what it sent out. In the mid-1800s, its neighbors decided the city needed to lighten up, and running became a major occupation in the early 20th century.
SPEAKER_04Wow. Its neighbors said you should lighten up.
SPEAKER_03Decided the city needed to lighten up.
SPEAKER_04I feel as though, and don't answer, but I feel as though that's like you need to add some light. You need to add some physically light, like like uh maybe street lights.
SPEAKER_03Get on the grid, man. Come on.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, street lights, maybe river lights? Could it be river lights?
SPEAKER_03I know you're trying to make it fit into St. Louis. I know what you're doing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03But I don't know if it's not the city of cars, though.
SPEAKER_04That doesn't fit.
SPEAKER_03I didn't say city of cars. I said the city knows something about cars.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I that just doesn't Bush Stadium. I don't think so.
SPEAKER_03Well, work that out at your next conference. How about that? I'm going to another conference. Oh, I don't doubt it. Man, transportation should be just incredible with all these conferences you transportation people go to.
SPEAKER_04Hey, we had a record-breaking year last year.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_04It was two more than the year before. No, actually.
SPEAKER_03I'm still waiting to have a wonderful bus experience here in the big city of Kansas City. And I don't take the buses very often, and there's reasons for that.
SPEAKER_04So hold on a second. I am gonna stop you right there because I have friends in Kansas City, Missouri who listen to our little show, and they run some phenomenal transportation. So I have to stop you right there. They use the same software I do. I've seen them at multiple conferences, told them about us and Lewisburg. Oh, yeah, it's right down the road. I'm like, yeah, I know. I've been there. So uh, but maybe you haven't had a good experience. You got to get out of the berg and into the city.
SPEAKER_03Well, we don't have bus service here in the berg, and I have been in the city, and um, yeah, I it's transportation. You've got that from point A to point B. Now, I'm holding my wallet most of the time and uh you know, ready to duck and cover at any given time, but we'll see. I'm sure everybody has different experiences.
SPEAKER_04Nobody move, nobody get. Well, listen, I mean You know, we have questionable transportation here.
SPEAKER_03In my opinion, it's just my opinion, and what do I know? But you know what we do have the last couple of weeks here. Great days for a bike ride.
SPEAKER_02Thank you for riding along with Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. However, you travel, find the leisure your way. See you next time.
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