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
Why A $2,000 Foldable Phone Sparks A Bigger Debate
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
A $2,000 foldable iPhone sounds ridiculous until you realize people gladly finance tech for years without blinking and then do the same math on cars, watches, and everything else. We kick things off with that exact dilemma: do you buy the newest Apple foldable phone, or do you put your money toward something that actually changes how you live and ride? The debate gets personal fast, because the real topic is value and the stories we tell ourselves when we upgrade.
Then we swing into cycling temptation with Specialized’s Built For Legends Limited Collection, where scarcity is the point and craftsmanship is the pitch. Limited production runs, hand-applied details, and frames designed to look different in changing light are undeniably cool, but we ask the uncomfortable question: what are you really paying for, and what do you gain beyond performance? If you’ve ever stared at a five-figure bike in a shop and wondered who buys that, you’ll feel seen.
We also dig into cycling trends that hit everyday riders right now. Gravel keeps getting bigger and more competitive, and we talk about whether that growth has made it less fun for people who just want a relaxed ride. E-bikes get a real-world safety check too, especially kids riding fast without helmets, charging etiquette at events, and the bigger issues coming down the road as electric bikes become normal transportation. We close with bike industry chatter, listener spotlight fun, and a fresh set of clues for the next community.
Subscribe so you don’t miss the next ride, share this with a friend who loves gear debates, and leave a review with your take: what upgrade has actually improved your life?
Support
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.
and Remember,
It's a Great Day for a Bike Ride!
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Legend Or Foldable Phone Tease
SPEAKER_04Listeners, Adam has a huge dilemma, and maybe you can help him out. Does he become a legend or does he buy a foldable phone?
SPEAKER_00There's a kind of adventure you only 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.
Michigan Game Talk And Clock Drama
SPEAKER_01Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome to Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. My name is Adam. I am joined with my good friend all the way from Central Time, Mr. Michael Sharp. But if you don't mind, just like Michigan, we're going to need one extra second.
SPEAKER_04Well, thank you very much, Adam. Happy to be here with you once again. And uh, I guess whether I like it or not, I have to give Michigan another another second.
SPEAKER_01That's right. Give them the extra second. We're now two and oh. We're gonna get into that. Just got back from the game, but uh I mean that's oh you know what? Even the guys from Oklahoma were there, you know, the Sooners and Boomers. Uh, we were going back and forth a little bit, and and uh they were like, Sooners, boomers, and I'm like, oh my gosh, get out of here. And then uh there was some inappropriate things said about uh things happening sooner so they wouldn't have entered the earth. But um it was quite interesting. One of the guys says, Hey, you guys went up 2-0, and the guy next to him says, I'll give him 1.9, but I'm not giving them two point two and oh. So, yes, um I I went today. Uh boy, what a different team. You and I usually talk about sports a little bit, not a lot, but a little bit here and there. Last week, I I was just blown away, drove home, and thought to myself, this is absolutely insane. Uh, this is a little little littler team in Michigan, and um we completely thought we actually left early. Um, I told you that, but we left early because we we thought this is atrocious. I cannot believe this is, you know, James Earl Jones. We are the University of Michigan, and we felt like we should get back in the car and be like, we are uh not the University of Michigan. So uh, but this week, I mean there was lots of penalties, and I know they got a new coach, and that can be taught and that can be learned, but hey, this was a true win.
SPEAKER_04No, it wasn't. Where is that? No, it wasn't. What was it? Two and a half two and a half minutes left in the game. Oklahoma handed you guys the ball on like what the 20 yard, your 20-yard line, it was not really a game. And you guys only won by seven. So I wouldn't call that a game. Because if if they hadn't had that turnover with two some two minutes and something left, you guys probably wouldn't have pulled it out unless somebody decided to put extra point or put extra time on the clock like they did last week, which I don't know, seems a bit fishy. Neither play before that. No, they didn't call the uh the face masking penalty on the guy there. Um, but boy, let me tell you, we're adding three, it was three seconds left. We're adding three seconds more to the clock to give you six seconds. And then all of a sudden the officials are like, put three more seconds on there, nine seconds, so you get guys who could play twice, have two plays, and then any other game would have just ended, and then somebody's like starting to look. It's like, well, his foot left the thing with one sec it. You're not gonna tell me someone was not really working hard to give them every opportunity to win.
SPEAKER_01Well, you gotta take them when you can get them. That's what I say. I mean, Michigan's never been involved in any cheating. Oh, wait. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Maybe I should just stop talking.
SPEAKER_04So I just there was just too many things that were like, what, you didn't call that, and you're adding time there, and now you're adding this time. It's like I would have just loved this scene and found out what happened in that play. If that the last play, if the cut if the guy hadn't caught the ball in the end zone, if a flag would have got thrown and there would have been some call.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that would have been going back, you know, they would have been like they would have been, whoa, flag, that is, you know. We gotta redo that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Gas interference or something. And yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, I I don't think anyone I talked to, because I tailgated for both games. I don't think anyone I talked to today was like, oh yeah. I mean, nobody was walking around with like with like their their belt buckle and their thumbs and their belt buckle going, oh yeah, we won that game. Everyone's like, yeah, we kind of squeaked that one out.
SPEAKER_04So someone uh upstairs, and I'm not talking the up upstairs, I'm talking the upstairs of the big house uh on the officiating side was uh pro-Michigan. That's all I'm gonna say. That's my opinion.
SPEAKER_01Listen, all I'm gonna say to you is I mean, you have to really enjoy a good football game. Uh anyway, so uh it's not playing very well. Oh well, that's the James Earl Jones hype video. Uh we
Stadium Hype Videos And Phone Lights
SPEAKER_01are the University of Michigan. We have played more games than your father. Same guy, same guy, same guy.
SPEAKER_04Well, you guys gotta have have you guys have James Earl Jones doing your you know yay, Michigan. We have Johnny Carson doing the exact same type thing for the University of Nebraska.
SPEAKER_01Well, I've seen Nebraska's and I'm not gonna lie. Uh it's pretty it's very heartfelt.
SPEAKER_04It's about coming home and and it's Nebraska. It it's good. It is really good.
SPEAKER_01I'm not gonna lie. It's uh I've I've seen that uh and it is good. I'm not I'm not gonna take anything away. But yeah, our two big things are uh from Michigan is uh of course the beginning of of James Rail Jones and then and then uh Mr. Brightside in between the third and fourth quarter. Um what they do, if you've never seen this before, I highly recommend going to YouTube, looking up Mr. Brightside, University of Michigan, and what they do is they play um, you know, come on out of my well, I'm not gonna sing here because people will crash their cars. I won't do that. But anyway, so um you can imagine Mr. Brightside, it's only five million years old, so um, but then they play with the music, and then like right before they're getting ready to start the fourth quarter, with like 30 seconds left, they drop the music, and then the student section, mostly, of course, the whole crowd, but then continues the song without the music. And there are different times where it's more powerful than than than like in night games. Now they're using LED lights and you know, blue and yellow, and and and um they have a thing where you scan a QR code on the big on the big billboard, and it says, you know, you have to you have to sign your rights away. And it says, Do you promise you use your you know you're gonna use your phone, you hold your phone up. And somehow they're controlling your phone with the QR code that you scan, and so all the cell phone lights flash in a rhythm together, like with the song. So it's pretty cool. So if you're gonna go to YouTube and see it, look, look for a night game. So today was a maze out. Although I don't want to lie, there was a lot of red in that stadium.
SPEAKER_04You're dealing with the Sooners. What do you expect? Uh they travel, they travel well. First time by the way, when you uh download that QR code, uh China is downloading all of the information off of your phone.
SPEAKER_01So, yes, it so we had a we had a good time.
SPEAKER_04So, but um my team plays in uh oh about 25 minutes.
SPEAKER_01So let's hurry up and get this done so you can watch the Okay, show's over the cornhuskers TV. Uh
Trips, Training, And Recording Ahead
SPEAKER_01besides that, um as I mentioned last time, just getting ready for my my trip across the across the pond. And so that's what we've been working on over here. And I like torture, so I'm having my windows put in on Monday. And uh so that's that's great, right? So I mean uh why not why not add extra stress? But uh hopefully that'll be nice when we get back. But how's the uh how's the J O B? How's the job?
SPEAKER_04You know, I'm still doing training. Uh I look at things and I'm like, I have no idea what the heck you guys are doing. And the guy's like, Yeah, I wouldn't expect you to. And I was like, well, that's comforting. That's good. So uh sounds good, you know. I guess they they basically have said, you know architecture, we will teach you the rest. Like, meaning the way they do things. So we'll see. I'm sure the paycheck, that's all that matters right now.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I guess as far as I'm concerned, I'm happy for that. I mean, um, I'm sure you're probably still scanning and searching while doing the training. So I'm but at least uh hey, at least you're not lining up in the line for the government cheese, buddy.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's probably a good thing. I don't think they give out government cheese anymore, but uh that was let me tell you, my grandmother used to get it, and I was in college, and she would give me some of hers because she didn't really need it. But she's you know, she's eligible to get it, so she got it. Well, that was pretty good cheese back in the day.
SPEAKER_01All kidding aside, wasn't it in a cardboard box with like aluminum foil wrapped around it?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it kind of looked like the Velveeta, but it tasted, I mean, it was like a hard cheese instead of like the gooey Velveeta cheese. But it looked came in a box very similar to Velveeta, but it was like a hard block cheese, so it was good.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'm glad that you uh are able to go to the price chopper there in your area. Price chopper. So um we for the first time, um first time in a long time, um, I'm thinking it's because it was Labor Day weekend, and I know you and I are recording a little bit earlier because we are recording this a bit a bit earlier than we normally would.
SPEAKER_04But here's the deal if anybody does send in guesses, right or wrong, uh, we will certainly acknowledge it on the next show. We are trying to get in a couple of extra shows just so you guys understand what we're doing. Uh, because he is going away off across the ocean for a while, um, we are trying to get a couple of episodes recorded earlier than normal so that we can keep up with the cadence. So if you guys send in and you don't hear, it's like, hey, I sent something, I didn't hear it. We will acknowledge it. It's just because we had already recorded the other episode. So bear with us for the next couple episodes. Because let me tell you, we are getting to the end of the year and it's gonna get crazy because I think we've got like seven episodes left for the remainder of the year. Um, we're gonna be doing a Halloween special like we normally do. We got some good stuff there. In fact, I think we'll probably have it a two-part Halloween thing, which we've never done before, but we've got some really interesting, fun Halloween stuff. Um, the end of the year also brings uh the big uh Christmas wish list, the uh Leisure Community Christmas wish list. And we're thinking about doing something slightly different there. We're still gonna have the wish list, but we might add some special feature onto that. So these last seven episodes of the year are gonna be jam-packed, and we've got lots of good stuff.
SPEAKER_01And don't forget, we've got a couple things coming up. We have the golf outing in Florida in January. So we've got a few people reached out, which is really cool. We're gonna go to Podfest and we're gonna fest all things about pods. We're going to Podfest. Dude, we're going to Podfest. Um, Podfest. Um, we love it. Uh, we love going. And but we also, just being honest, you know, we're very truthful, very honest, and open on this show. Some of it's a little, these guys really, I think they just lie to their wives to get out of their house. They're like, we're going to Podfest, and our podcast is going to be so much better for all these classes we're going to take. And then Michael and I go, Oh boy, they saw you coming.
SPEAKER_04So that's part of the. I mean, it's good. You can get a lot of good information. But I, and you and I have talked about this before. You re I really think, and you agree, that there's a lot of people that go to this podfest that have just started their podcast, and they really think, man, when I come back from Podfest, I'm gonna have all the answers. I'm gonna be making millions of dollars. It's gonna be awesome. And I don't know if a lot of people come back from Podfest. I think people come back and say, yeah, I got a lot of information. I met some other podcasters, things like that. But um I don't really, yeah. I'm I I think maybe, you know, maybe a couple guys are just like, hey, we need to go to Florida to go podcast to Podfest, and then they go golfing. Maybe.
SPEAKER_01Uh so, anyways, my name is Adam, and I'm joining with Michael.
SPEAKER_04Maybe I don't know any of these guys, but maybe.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, uh, truth be told, for anyone out there who doesn't know, we actually the first time we did our Florida trip, we uh we've done this what five years in a row now?
SPEAKER_04Quite a few.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I quite I don't know how many if I can put it quantity. And and we never were considering going to a convention about podcasting. And um we had already booked the trip, which if you don't know, using a timeshare at Disney, you it you know they're they're filling up crazy. They're uh there was a money up flowing right now in this country. Uh it's not from Canada, I'm just kidding. But um, just kidding. Sorry, sorry, sorry. But um there's money flowing in this in this country because every time I try to book my timeshare, it says it's booked. So you and I booked early, um, I don't know, like February for the following January, and said, okay, if it works out, we'll go. And then our provider, uh Buzz Sprout, said, Hey, um, if you're gonna be in the area, uh, Podfest is happening at the SeaWorld um hotel there or whatever. Or whatever it is. Yeah, I forget. I can't remember right now. Um, and I was like, uh Renaissance. Oh, I don't know why I thought about that, but Renaissance. And we're like, dude, it works out. And then uh it kind of didn't work out. You looked at a ticket wrong, and we're gonna bring that up.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that one time I got the times wrong and didn't make it to the airport on time. And I made it to Podfest. It was just a day late.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's right. That's right. And they were gone. I mean, just kidding.
SPEAKER_04I I got there on the day I was supposed to get there. It was very late on the day that I was supposed to get there, but I got there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you did. I'm just kidding. Anyways, so yes, anyways, if you're Florida golf, get there. Uh uh, you know, if anyone's interested, you know, as we get closer, I understand. We know that that our good friend Armando just lives down the road, but he's also a retired traveling man with lots of grandchildren and lots of children all over the United States who pull them all over. But if he's listening and he's gonna be home in January, we know you've golfed there before. We're helping out your retirement.
SPEAKER_04We have evidence that you've golfed there.
SPEAKER_01That's right. We have we have friends who have been there, but anyway, so um, all right. Well, good. Well, we'll uh we'll move this can down the road. Um so as we were saying, listener spotlight, we currently do not have a guest right now, but uh that
Listener Spotlight Answer Silver Spring
SPEAKER_01doesn't matter. I'm still gonna give you the tune. You ready? Do it.
SPEAKER_02You ride along with us every spin. It's your moment. Listeners.
SPEAKER_04All right, let's take a look at last episode's uh hints. The town was first settled in the mid-1800s. The city is living on the edge. The name is in part inspired by silicate mineral, by asilicate mineral. The city was determined that window shopping was overrated, and Adam appreciates moving people. He would love this com this community's claim to fame.
SPEAKER_01And I just want to take this opportunity while people may be doing a last minute thinking about it. Is did you know on cyclingmenofleisure.com we have a spotlight page where they could have seen those clues ahead of time?
SPEAKER_04I did know that. It's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01Well, there we go. Just wanted to make sure I mentioned that. So um, we did have um last episode, Matt, you call him Mark. Um uh he he gave a guess of Grand Rapids, Michigan for the previous set of clues. Uh, but then he uh he wrote us and he said, Can't win them all. Still super fun to leave a fan mail. And you you told him, certainly appreciate your participation using the fan mail option. I said, Don't worry, Matt, I know your name. And he said, Oh, I know, and I have no intention of dropping Mark anytime soon. He said, I actually that's how other cycling metabolisure people find me and how I introduce myself. So look at that.
SPEAKER_04We gave him a nickname of that's right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's right. I love it. So uh we uh we definitely thank him and and you know uh listen. I mean, maybe that could help him out. He could be like, hey, I'm uh actually, my name's actually Mark. Like, no, your driver's license says Matt. And he says, No, no, trust me. I have I have I have proof in a podcast that people call me Mark. So um all right, buddy, give us the answer. What is this week's listener spotlight?
SPEAKER_04And I thought this was a pretty easy one based upon the uh like the third clue. But this episode's listener spotlight is Silver Springs, Maryland.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yes, why wouldn't I have got that about the transport?
SPEAKER_04The transportation, yeah. Let me explain that. Uh the town was settled in the mid-1800s. The city is living on the edge. Uh, it is considered an edge city of Washington, D.C. The name was in part inspired by a silicate mineral. Obviously, uh Silver Springs, the name um for a spring flowing with chips of mica in it. So when they came to the area, there was a spring that was flowing, and apparently chips of mica was coming up with the water, which would sparkle. So there's your uh the mica is your silicate mineral. The city determined that window shopping was overrated. Uh they actually were one of the nation's first retail spaces with a street front parking in front of their mall. You know, nowadays you come to the mall and you got like, you know, a mile of parking lot all the way around. The concept used to be that that was you you had to have your storefronts next to the streets so people could see your products. Well, their mall was one of the first that went against that idea that you don't need to have big windows with your stuff, your merchandise right next to the streets. Adam, you'd appreciate uh the moving people concept, and this is why. Wheaton Station in Silver Springs, Maryland, is the home to the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere. Oh moving people, 230 feet long. It takes three minutes to ride. Uh the Wheaton Station is a part of Washington's Metro. So it's it's impressive. I mean, it's it's long, it's very impressive. And then um the final one That's interesting. I think I had one extra one on there that I didn't uh that didn't come up on our list. Yeah, and then my final guess, which did not come up on on the uh the webpage, we'll have to work on that. Um was a historical assassin's tool adds to the lure of this community.
SPEAKER_01Did you mention that in the prior show? I did. But it didn't come up on here.
SPEAKER_04So that's yeah. I was cheating and was going off that instead of my sheet. But yeah, we'll have to see why that didn't. But I'm quite sure I did put that. Um, because it is the home to the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Among its collections is the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln. Wow. And it also contains the tumor uh that killed Ulysses S. Grant, which I think is a little odd.
SPEAKER_01Who's in the tomb of Grant?
SPEAKER_04Uh it's Grant minus the tumor that killed him in Maryland. So not all of Grant is buried in Grant's tomb.
SPEAKER_01That's right. That's right.
SPEAKER_04New York State, if I remember correctly. So there we go.
SPEAKER_01Boy.
SPEAKER_04Silver Springs, Maryland.
SPEAKER_01Thank you to the community, but this time, especially thank you to Silver Springs, Maryland. We appreciate all of the community, and we thank you for your continued support. So uh speaking of support on the webpage, have I mentioned the webpage, cyclingmen of leisure.com, there's a where we roll page. Did you know that we just topped 100,000 US downloads now? We are rolling. We have 132 or 3,000 downloads, but now in the United States of America, we just crescent 100,000. So that's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_04That is pretty cool, and I didn't realize that. And what is also interesting is, you know, we used to be about 89% American listenership or viewership. That's actually dropped down to about 79% of our viewers and listeners are in America. So that's we're we're about 20, 21% um out of the United States viewership. So that's pretty cool too.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you, sir. Um, I'm gonna move to a different subject, you know. Uh one of us on the show, and this is no insult
Apple Foldable Sticker Shock Debate
SPEAKER_01by any means. I'd love to razz you and tease you, but this is not. One of us on the show is an extreme techie and a nerd, and the guy needs to get out more and get out of his network and his all of his AI house and smart house. And one of us lives in Kansas. So you figure it out. Yeah. I thought we could talk about Apple. Did you see Apple's uh whatever development thing on September 9th, Apple's big reveal of all their all their junk?
SPEAKER_04All their new tech announcement. I did, and I was happy because I've always wondered why Apple hasn't had a uh a foldable phone.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, for $2,000. Starting starting at $2,000.
SPEAKER_04Well, that's part of the hook. Are you spending the two thousand dollars or you're gonna become a legend? And we'll talk about that in a minute.
SPEAKER_01I love it. I love it.
SPEAKER_04Well, so you haven't ordered it yet?
SPEAKER_01No, nope, haven't ordered a two thousand dollar iPhone by the end of next week.
SPEAKER_04He'll have ordered it. He's going, oh no, no, I'm really not gonna, I'm not gonna order it.
SPEAKER_01And then he'll Sensor button, sensor button, sensor button.
SPEAKER_04And then all of a sudden, three weeks later, I'll talk with him and he goes, Oh yeah, uh, did you see my new phone? And he'll just ignore the fact that he told me like six times he was not getting it. Well, it's happened before.
SPEAKER_01Uh all I'm gonna say is this is true. Uh this is not this is not a lie. I remember when we the Apple Watch Ultra came out, which by the way, I'm charging mine right now. You can see on my if you're if you're watching us on video right now, I look like I have something bare. It's because my watch is not my ultra watch that I told Michael that I wasn't gonna buy, and then ended up buying. So um it was an impulse buy, but uh, I do like the ultra, I won't lie, but um it yeah, I I just gotta say, I mean, I understand that it's two phones and one, three screens, two batteries. Um, and and what they do, you know, Apple's normal thing where they let Samsung put out one, like Franklin's. We saw Franklin's in Georgia, and I kept asking him, does a screen crack? Does a screen break? Does a screen crack? And and he said, Well, I've had to replace one, but you know, for the most part. And I've seen a couple others in the field that look bad. And of course, Apple waits and waits and waits, and then they're like, Hey, guess what? We've tested yours, and now we have a new revolutionary product. And then then, of course, Apple does what Apple does, and they charge a mother lobe. But I thought it was funny. Um that I'm sitting in my office, and um I I get a text message from you, sir, and you said there's a new iPhone for $2,000. You said, Imagine the amount of people transportation you could have if you if you purchased this phone. And I was wondering, did you think that double the screen would would double the capacity on my buses? Or where where was the mindset on this?
SPEAKER_04My mindset was double the screen means you could do more work. And hence you doing more work and managing people more effectively on two screens would in fact cause more people to get transportation.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Well, I was just wondering. Um the mindset was there. But yeah, I thought it was definitely funny. You're teasing me about transportation over a $2,000 iPhone.
SPEAKER_04So uh I I figure just drop a conference and you can get a new uh new iPhone.
SPEAKER_01Oh god.
SPEAKER_04Um, just trying to get you the latest technology and support you in your nerdiness to ensure that you get the latest technology.
SPEAKER_01Well, it's good enough. But it all kidding aside, don't you think two grand is a lot for a phone? But it's not two grand.
SPEAKER_04I mean, it is two grand, but Apple will let you pay for it over time, so it's only twenty-seven dollars a month for the next five years. So see, you're not really paying the two thousand dollars right off the bat. Well, that's how they lure and sucker you in. That's why when you go get a car, they don't tell you you're paying forty-two thousand dollars for the car, they tell you your monthly payment is only four hundred and twelve dollars.
SPEAKER_01Well, I I just thought I know, I know they let you pay over like what, 20 years? I mean something.
SPEAKER_04And then they let you roll, you know, three years from now, they'll let you uh roll what you owe on your old phone over to the purchase of the new phone and add to that. Yeah. So then basically you're just becoming indebted to Apple forever.
SPEAKER_01That's right. That's right. Well, anyways, I just thought maybe he would give me an opinion. I mean, it is pretty neat when I watched the whole video. I um I was uh I thought, like, if you did have grandchildren or or grandma or whatever, and then you know it unfolds with all the extra cameras and everything.
SPEAKER_04What's it really going to do that your phone currently can't do? A little bit bigger screen. Oh, I can watch movies better, or I can see grandma or the kids a little bit better, but ultimately, is that really gonna like shake up your life, make your life that much better? I mean, maybe to some people it does. I don't see it.
SPEAKER_01I'd be curious um once it comes out and it hits the streets for a while, reviews like does the screen crack? I mean, like I said, I know they probably have done extensive research based upon Samsung's and and um I mean that's normal, Apple's normal thing, so they they figure it out. But I'll be curious, um, uh what's it gonna do? I guess a larger screen. Like the one the the one video part was really neat is if you were, you know, there's times where you're comparing two items that would be pretty cool. Like if you're like, oh well, I want to buy this or this, this hotel offers this, or this hotel offers this, um, or one big screen. But um, yeah, I guess I'd like to see it. I'd like to see someone have it. Um, and and what is it really added value? But then the other part that I just thought was absolutely crazy is if you could do a comparison, like so Lauren and I both have the 15 Pro Max, and every in the old days, about every three years, um we would say, Okay, we're gonna upgrade, and then we you know we'd put the money away because we're we're the kind of people that um I don't know if they like or don't like, but we pay them off right away. Um, and so I don't I don't want to have that bill. And and I'm like, okay, well, I'll see what the 18 Pro Max has. And then if you do a comparison, I mean they added a couple camera features and uh um oh wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
SPEAKER_04Macro photography, which we were already doing on the existing phone, but that's okay.
SPEAKER_01Exactly, exactly. So um yes, I uh I I thought that was uh I I tell you what, how about the first episode in December?
SPEAKER_04You give us a review, because by that time you'll have it, and you can just give us a review of what you think about it.
SPEAKER_01The sensor button, sensor button.
SPEAKER_04So he's gonna do it, folks. Yep.
SPEAKER_01Well, all right. Anyway, so I just figured we'd talk about that. I before I move on, don't want to bogart. I've got I've got some stuff for us to talk about. Don't look. I know that with 4K cameras you can see. I don't want you to look real quick, so um got a few things here before I yammer on. Do you got anything?
SPEAKER_04Well, I uh I'm a little upset at this point in time.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_04Because we talked earlier, and uh you did you you told me you weren't gonna buy the phone. Okay. And then you also have the opportunity to become a legend. And you kind of like didn't like that idea either. I was a little disappointed that you don't want to be a legend.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I mean, don't you think that's a little pompous for me to sit on here and think that I could be a legend.
SPEAKER_04We appreciate your pompousness. It's okay.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I'm the best I ever was, let's be honest.
SPEAKER_04I mean you certainly are. See, it's important that we're honest with ourselves. So I appreciate that. No, but I you know, I thought you might be interested in spending fifteen thousand dollars
Specialized Built For Legends Bikes
SPEAKER_04or fifteen thousand five hundred dollars on a new bike. No, um well, you have the opportunity um because specialized has come out in 2026 with a new line of bikes, and it's called the Specialized Built for Legends Limited Collection. And this is an ultra-exclusive premium series of the SWorks uh race machine, and it's been released to celebrate the brand's sweeping competitive cycling victories across multiple disciplines. Um, you know, their bicycles have won uh the Tour de France, uh the women's Tour de France, and several other things. So and tw uh this year they're coming out with basically four flagship legendary bike models, and they're matching that with high performance uh you know gearing and that type of thing. But what I thought was interesting is is they're making a very limited run. So even if you had the $15,500, I'm getting it would be, I think, probably hard to even find one. But what they've got, they've got a new SWORKS uh road bike um coming out with 199 units, and that's all they're producing. Um they've got a cross-country bike that they're coming out, they're only producing 119 units there. They've got a new gravel bike, they're only producing 55 units, and they've got a new downhill bike, which they're only producing 50 units of that. But it's it's crazy. Um, they're coming out with um, it's this really cool red color, which has historically represented specialized racing uh division. Um they're layering a kind of a rich red uh glaze over fine, over kind of like a really fine silver metallic dust. And basically that's causing the frame to dramatically shift from a deep uh kind of moody crimson to a uh a uh in low light to a fiery metallic uh explosion in direct sunlight. So it's one of those, like depending upon the light, it'll shift colors. What is incre what's also crazy um is they are doing hand applied details uh over top of that, um which is all hand applied, and they're doing most of these frames and that kind of stuff by hand. So their kind of claim to fame is that no two bicycle frames are gonna be the same. So even if you were looking at two of the road bikes, they're not gonna be exactly the same because they do this special black inkwash uh brushed over each frame. It's kind of like watercolors, um, which is gonna give it, it's not gonna change the color, but it's gonna kind of change the the pattern of the red. So every bike is gonna be unique. So I just I thought you were a high roller. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought you were a high roller and you might be interested in in uh blow. I mean, there's some of them. I think um, you know, some of them aren't quite the 15,500, but the top top ones are fifteen thousand five hundred. I think the cheapest one in that series you can get is like 11,000.
SPEAKER_01So I mean that's like what six weeks of golfing for you or something. Oh my god, you you are making me sound like a pompous butt.
SPEAKER_04I mean, uh like a no, you are just a man of leisure, and uh, you know, you've got no children, and you spend a lot of time on a golf course. I would I would take that as a compliment, my friend.
SPEAKER_01I I definitely enjoy my time on the golf course. I'm not gonna lie about that.
SPEAKER_04And you can tell you've been spending a lot of time because you were saying you charge your watch, you've got that big white streak right there where the watch has been.
SPEAKER_01That's right.
SPEAKER_04So uh you've been out in the sun. Yeah, chasing the uh chasing the white ball.
SPEAKER_01I have definitely been chasing the white ball. Uh Labor Day weekend, I I played three times. Um and then uh but uh yes, definitely um been hitting the ball really well, probably better than I have, um, shooting in the 80s consistently and um yeah, but this is Michigan, and pretty soon it'll be cold. I'll put the gloves away and then and then I'll have to start all over. But uh no, I definitely definitely um definitely enjoy it. But um you told me about this bike. You had an errand to run. I I did a little research on this bike. I'd like to share a story. When I bought my trek, the one that you see going down the road with Cycling Man of Leisure, um The Noble Steed. If you don't know what that is, look it up. We have a show called The Noble Steed. Um, this is a bike that's fallen over in almost every state.
SPEAKER_04What do you mean, almost every state?
SPEAKER_01Uh well, uh Iowa, Georgia, anywhere we've ridden it, unfortunately, it's fallen over.
SPEAKER_04So you're the only man I know, the only cyclist I know who can lean it against a hundred-year-old oak tree that's as big around as me and you put together, and when you know, it'll just fall over.
SPEAKER_01I know. I don't know.
SPEAKER_04But it just falls over.
SPEAKER_01We've gone to dinner, uh and and I'm thinking to myself, there's no way that it's gonna, I'm I'm leaning it even more, like even like maybe like a 30-degree angle. I'm like, it won't fall. I'll come back. It's falling, it's gone the other way.
SPEAKER_04Um yeah, exactly. It always falls like against gravity, it's always weird.
SPEAKER_01I know, I know. I think you're just messing with me, but that's okay.
SPEAKER_04I'm with you. You we leave your bike, we're at dinner, we come back together. I yeah, I'm paying some guy to knock this bike over. Here's five bucks.
SPEAKER_01But when I bought that bike, um, I believe it was, I don't know, two grand or something like that. I mean, it was basic model, and since then, of course, I've put new tires and rims and you know, whatever. You you you get the point. Um and at that time in the bike store, off in the corner, off in the distance, sat this red Project One trek bike. And I will never forget the price at $14,999. And at the time, I thought I was insane buying a bicycle for two, I think $2,300. I think, I think that's what I gave. And at that time, I remember going, I can't believe I'm about to spend $2,300. Now, please understand, I want you to pretend like you're listening to this in 2013. Because now it'd be like $99, $9,900.
SPEAKER_04But let me also say this. You had not been cycling very long, is that correct?
SPEAKER_01That's correct, yeah.
SPEAKER_04And this is before you did any of the state rides or anything like that. So we can also chalk that up to a lot to you being a complete novice in the sport.
SPEAKER_01Correct.
SPEAKER_04So you just, I mean, we're all there. We don't understand it until we, you know, get into it. So that that's part of it too.
SPEAKER_01Well, for sure. I mean, it was definitely a new thing. And then, you know, I remember my my first like hybrid bike was four or five hundred bucks, and then um, and then when I said 2300, it's got like this road bike. Um, I really like the feeling of road, and I still do. I mean, which is what we're gonna get into here in a minute with all my my information here, but um, yeah, and that the in the corner was 14,999. I remember saying um the gentleman who owned the bike store is going to Europe with me, and I remember saying to him, um, is that bike really $15,000? $15,000? I mean, what do you get for $15,000? And he told me about the project one, the custom paint, how you could make it how you want, supposedly, you know, isocouplers in the front and the back, so it's a more comfortable ride, and and the electronic shifting and and the wires through the bike, and and you know, the slickin' sleekin' and the tube, you know, I'm not at the time I remember thinking how crazy that was. And then when you ran your errand, I was looking at these prices. I mean, 15 grand for that X Works tarmac that you talked about, SWorks Crux 15k, 15.5 for the Epic, 11.5 for the for the S-Works demo. If I'm buying something for $11,500, I do not want it to say demo.
SPEAKER_04Do not, yeah.
SPEAKER_01No, demo is not what I want to see.
SPEAKER_04Demo is what you get after it's been ridden at the shop and the store for like a year, and then they knock you know $2,000 off the price is the demo.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Whoever just just 50 individual number bikes worldwide, the downhill machine uses a fast 11 mil carbon carbon frame, 200 millimeter front and rear travel, uh, some sort of suspension that I can't even pronounce the name, uh, spelled O O Lens and a SRAM XXDH uh drivetrain. But it's called the S Works Demo 11 L T D. No, no, I'm not I'm taking the word demo off.
SPEAKER_04Well, they they couldn't call it you become a rocket downhill and will probably die by it. So they had to call it something else.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so uh um well, anyways, I I appreciate you bringing this. This is amazing. I mean, the collection combines several current trends at once. Um, yeah, I mean it's it sounds really, really cool. You know, I used to tease Lauren all the time. Um I would say, hey, I'm gonna go out and buy a new bicycle. And and I know like on you know social media and everyone who follows us, I mean, I saw a bunch of people, uh, new bike day, new bike, new bike day. But you know, honestly, I mean, I understand the the need and desire for a new bicycle, but man, I just I like my ride. I mean, it uh it's comfortable, I know what it's like. Um I keep asking people for safety because I know it's a carbon. frame of like, do I need to worry? You know, is there so many, only so many years that the carbon is good for? And I've done research and it says without cracking and breaking and as long as you're inspecting it, it's you know it's okay. I mean, tell that the uh the the guys who did the Titan sub, I'm sure they don't they probably didn't like carbon anymore, but they don't have to worry about that.
SPEAKER_04Don't let them inspect your bike.
SPEAKER_01Yeah exactly. So but all kidding aside, I'm obviously adding a little humor there, but um which by the way those guys were just nuts. But okay anyways um you know you know so for me I'm I know how to climb a hill with it now. I know I know what to expect when we've done 40 50 miles an hour on it. And so there's really no reason at this time to go out and just buy a new bicycle just to buy a new bicycle so uh my opinion I mean take it for what it's worth so I have I have the I mean the my bike that I've had I've had my current bike for I don't know what four or five years now.
SPEAKER_04I got no desire to buy a new one it's kind of like a horse. Once you ride a horse for so long you just get comfortable with it and you don't really want to ride a different horse because you know it you know how it's going to react to different situations. You feel comfortable so I'm right there with you.
SPEAKER_01Well that's good. But I appreciate you bringing it up I actually have uh a couple things to talk about um
Gravel Growth And E-Bike Safety
SPEAKER_01I was looking at some cycling trends and I don't feel like just reading these things but I thought we could just kind of just chew them up a little bit about them.
SPEAKER_04All right gravel keeps getting bigger and bigger and more serious uh gravel has matured from the grassroots alternative to road racing into major competitive category continued growth of the elite gravel uh yeah yeah yeah um has gravel gotten too serious what's your what's your what's your feeling I mean um I do have a gravel bike as you know um and I do like riding it once in a while um but at the same time my my my true pleasure is on the road bike and just nice and smooth and I mean we we invented asphalt for a reason right I mean I am thoroughly convin I'm not a big gravel guy I ride gravel around here have a mountain bike um because we don't have a ton of like paved streets once you get out past the city limits um I'm thoroughly convinced that the people like gravel who really get into the gravel and love gravel are people who never grew up in small towns or in the country because when I was a kid I mean I didn't town I grew up in was not big there was a lot of gravel roads you spent a lot of time uh if you lived out in a farm you spent all your time on gravel roads so I think these are just people who never got to experience that as a child and it's just like because you spend your childhood riding a bike and a big chunk of it is on gravel roads you really don't want to be doing that when you get older as far as I'm concerned.
SPEAKER_01Yeah they got like Michigan gravel grinders here and they you know there's those guys they only do taco Tuesdays and they all do the gravel gravel gravel gravel and I'm like guys we got 75 miles worth of trails that I can drive my car into the park if you want to really be cheap which the guys who do this I just by the way you and I know one hint hint but he'll go park at JCPenney and bypass paying the $11 a year sticker I don't want to break his heart but the $11 a year helps patch the holes helps pay for the lawn guy blah blah blah blah blah blah blah but um uh but yeah I I mean my point is is I can I can within 10 minutes from my house let's be honest it's gonna take me 30 minutes to find everything and then 10 minutes from my house to to the park um I can be on my bicycle and you know 45 minutes after I find everything. And I have 70 something miles of trails without having to worry about getting smacked by a car.
SPEAKER_04I mean nowadays the distractions the iPhone has three screens now I mean uh all seriousness I mean people are getting hit left and right and so I I I don't know I just for me I just was curious so but uh did it as a kid don't need to do it as an adult I mean I don't I think it's great if people want to do that and I can appreciate their love for that and and wanting to be out there but I've got no desire.
SPEAKER_01All right let me move the show along e-bikes e-bikes are becoming everyday transportation. PeopleForbikes com says that conventional retail data uh estimates that about 450,000 direct to consumer e-bikes worth about eight hundred million dollars in 2024 um were sold. And that's 2024. They don't have 25 data uh uh collaborated yet um what I see about e-bikes is there are some who are very serious about it. Helmets, you know, uh helps people who have longevity uh to be able to cycle but I'm also seeing a trend in my own neighborhood and by my own neighborhood I just mean being very honest with you right out that big plate glass in my living room looking out into the street I do live in a subdivision I'm seeing a lot of e-bikes go around really fast and I don't see any helmets. And my concern is it's like a moped and I just think I think we're gonna have you and I are going to be doing this in five years, right? And we're gonna be talking about the injuries from the e-bikes and that's kind of my my concern.
SPEAKER_04So I just wanted to see how you felt some no I um even in my little burg here uh we've seen a significant increase in the number of people riding e-bikes huge amount of increase in children riding e-bikes um you you and I used to be completely anti-ebike and if I'm incorrect here certainly correct no no no no you're you're right and and but I'll I will let you speak for me if I feel like a little bit different I'll add that in but go ahead please do um you know we used to think it was just this is just crazy and these people are just ridiculous and lazy and then once we started talking with people when we went on these different rides and actually understanding how e-bikes works and there's different levels of e-bikes things like that then we started to think you know what this is good because you're right people who have mobility problems who still want to get out there and still want to have the biking experience they can cycle a little um but you know they they've got some assistance there. So I think it's really good there. My biggest concern is again a lot of people don't take the safety thing in consideration but I see these young kids out there and most of them don't have helmets and they're out there going 20 miles an hour or whatever. And I see and you've seen news stories all across the country of kids getting involved in accidents who are on e-bikes and there's been a big controversy and a big question of who's ultimately responsible if someone gets hurt other than the child on the e-bike because a child was on an e-bike at age eight or whatever and uh got in an accident you know a lot of legal questions. So I think that the e-bike can be very easily misused or overused I think it get people into a lot of trouble because I don't think they understand that A it's a bicycle there's no production unless you put production on your head or that kind of thing. And you are out there going fast and with me yeah sure I can switch lanes really fast and stuff like that but literally they can switch lanes faster than me or zip in and out faster than me and it just leads to you know bigger accidents and things like that. So I think something will need to be done before it gets completely out of hand um regulations around e-bikes things like that um within different cities and things.
SPEAKER_01For sure also I'm concerned about fires I mean you're seeing all these lithium fires every time I turn on the news all kidding aside you see another airplane that had to land because of a laptop and a lit and I think we're just pumping out lithium batteries so fast.
SPEAKER_04Not in this country of course but um no no we're we're disposing of them or trying to dispose of them in this country. We're not making them in this country.
SPEAKER_01Exactly exactly so I'm I'm you know I'm worried about some of those I mean you and I have been on rides where even though there's these big things they call signs, even though these huge big block black letters that says no bikes inside the building anyone who has an e-bike just completely ignores that, opens the door and be like, well I don't care I've got to charge it. I'm bringing it in I'm not I'm gonna forego your sign. That's where you and I just to speak for myself there, that's where you and I had frustrations because you and I both know what it's like to run events. You know you've done your auctions you've done other events things like that um mine is more in the wedding uh caliber and and things of this nature but um you know one of the things you need people to do is is to conform and listen for the most part I mean you're you can break a record you can break a rule you can you can I mean for every reason there's a rule there's a there's a reason to break it but at the same time there needs to be like like that one gentleman who um had the amputee I give him a pass. I mean he's out there killing it he's out there riding the bike and then you know for him to have any mobility he needs some sort of wheels um but even he took extra precautions and put the tarp down and everything. So my my point is is that's where my distaste of e-bikers were where it's like I have this e-bike and I'm better than you. Also if we're gonna be honest I'll raise my right hand here as a Boy Scout here when I'm killing it up a hill in the lowest gear that I have and this guy with a basket like with a wine bottle and a couple glasses passes me like oh hi how are you doing and I'm over there going and I could kill you right now. I could kill you right now I'm gonna take that wine bottle and smack it and this is going to look like one of those movie bar scenes. Exactly exactly so anyways I just figured I was just curious about it because e-bike sales are not stopping they're not slowing. So I figured this is uh a cycling centric podcast we would talk about it. All right let me move forward here. But the bicycle business is still finding its post boom balance uh industry remains a story of mixed
Bike Industry Balance And Fan Mail
SPEAKER_01signals some 2026 markets are showing recovery the German first half bicycle sales were reported up about 10% and production up about six percent that tells me there's about a 4% profit. No just kidding um with gravel and entry level mountain bikes among uh areas of rising demand at the same time the broader industry is still working through the effects of the pandemic era boom uh inventory problems and can still to this day getting parts for SRA and Shimano which is I I guess I hadn't heard that so um but you know to be honest we haven't had we've been very lucky we haven't had a lot of repairs on our bike so maybe if we were looking for repairs we might and Joe did our friend Joe he did have a problem running into some getting some parts I remember that so um anyways I just figured I would tell you that uh still still trying to find balance uh in the in the bicycle industry so uh buddy I just want to mention that there is fan mail you can uh you can go to our our multiple threads where you can leave a message for us and be like hey you suck or you could say uh hey I have I have a guest for uh listener spotlight or or just want to tell you guys things or whatever uh you can do that uh you can find that at our website cyclingmatefleisure.com I think I've mentioned that a few times today um but it like you said I mean the word hub is perfect you you coin that uh I'll give you full credit um hub is right that that is the centric uh place for all things uh there is one small issue on there I'll just mention it now because I'm working with the vendor our t-shirt and hat store is down but if you're still looking for that sports bra so you can have the the added advantage or uh or a jersey or whatever that store is rocking I'm working on the t-shirt and hat store there's just a couple link changes I'll get that up but uh as soon as I can have somebody on my questioning me about it. Okay. Yes you uh needed a hat I told him I was gonna get a hat hadn't got him a hat and then I sat down the other day it's like I'm gonna order one right now and then I couldn't so please do that because my mother really wants a hat you you mean you mean one of our biggest supporters in Lewisburg Kansas so yes she wants a hat I was gonna do it and it's like oh it's down oh I forgot to tell you today I'm at the game and the guy says we're from Kansas and I said oh my buddy lives in Kansas and he said we're at and I said Lewisburg and he said my brother teaches soccer at Lewisburg High School seriously 100% serious if you go if you go to the Lewisburg high school and you see the soccer coach and say did your brother just go to U of M game I bet you you're gonna blow his mind because he gave his tickets to the K-Strother to go to the game. So you could even say that I understand you went to the K-State game and then he'd be like Did you see me there?
SPEAKER_04No but I know you went so we've got AI agents stalking you that's right that is cool.
SPEAKER_02Well I assume um I assume you have a listener spotlight for us I'll I'll give you
New Listener Spotlight Hints And Wrap
SPEAKER_02the song I'm I'm just waiting for you to to fire the song uplifting and you're dialing you ride along with us every spin it's your listener all right this episode's listener spotlight hints are as follows this community was incorporated in the early eight uh early nineteen hundreds uh a mansion in this city had enough closet space to impress Barbie this city knows something about let me rephrase that this city knows something about stepping up when the call to action when there's a call to action to send in the clouds this city knows something about how to step up when there's a call to action to send in the clouds thanks to this city the swing line stapler reached a cult status and the city will make you rethink the courts in there quartz I just want to make sure I understand yeah like the mineral quartz oh okay okay okay okay um all right so um does any of that fit St.
SPEAKER_04Louis um let me just tell you right now none of this is gonna fit St. Louis there's there's hit number six it is not St.
SPEAKER_01Louis okay uh for the AI bots picking up the APIs for the website don't worry it's not St. Louis so uh well perfect well listen I I've uh I appreciate you going a little early here for for the community appreciate you putting up with me we'd like to stay on track since we have more subscribers now uh we actually probably have a contract actually we don't it's podcasting but by the way did you know that I can legally say in podcasting until they have rules and regulations we are the best cycling men of leisure we have the best cycling podcast you know I can legally say that you can legally say it but I think we've actually won an award that says that we are the best cycling you know what I need to do I need to find the guy where you hired the the Longhorn Steakhouse guy I need to find the I know James Earl Jones has unfortunately passed but I need to get somebody who has his voice we are the best podcast hey hey I I have connections to the uh the voiceover people I can find you a James Earl Jones voiceover guy but we've won awards we have won awards saying we are the best cycling podcast so we're gonna go with that all right fair enough uh all right well listen I I always have a good time here with you buddy so um somewhere somehow and pretty soon I'm gonna get to see maybe from the Europe side since it's been pretty toasty over there uh it'll be a great day for a bike ride thank 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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