A new year and a new beginners series! On the 150th edition of the Pedalshift Project, we kick off the Bicycle Touring Beginners Series by meeting this year's cyclist and road map some of the topics we'll cover as we check in over the next several months. Plus, updates on meetups and the Pedalshift Project is number one... where? Housekeeping XFL Tour: I'll be rolling my own route across central Florida from Tampa on the gulf coast to Cocoa Beach on the east. Preview episode drops in two weeks! Podcast sponsor slots are available starting in the new year... check out pedalshift.net/sponsor for more info. Meetups & Live Shows Miles of Portraits touring the US - join us at the DC REI on 1/24, 6:30-8:30pm, followed immediately by a meetup at Wunder Garten. XFL Orlando meetup Saturday 2/9, time TBA - pedalshift.net/orlando. Pedalshift LIVE Friday February 22 at 9pm ET! It will be the wrap up show for the XFL tour... takeways and a whole lot more. We'll do another AMA session too, so send me your bike touring or non-bike touring questions to pedalshift@pedalshift.net or come and ask in the chat box the night of. Five Stars I've just not realized that my five-star review reads have been limited to US Apple Podcasts because that's what I can see... until now! Canada, Australia and the UK, I can see you! Newest five star shouts: Dale Maclaren A fantastic podcast that motivates me to get in the saddle and turn the crank FAB_5000 via Apple Podcasts ·Canada ·01/02/2019 From someone with no business considering touring An enjoyable and informative blog. I’m not fit for any bike tour that extends past my local ice cream shop, but this is inspiring me to go farther. fatguygetsskinny via Apple Podcasts ·United States of America ·01/02/2019 International five stars that deserve belated shouts: Great new podcast I really like this new touring podcast. It seems to tick all the boxes: some cool interviews, information about gear and life in the road. Can't wait to see how it progresses. Andyfromorange via Apple Podcasts ·Australia ·11/02/2014 Such a great podcast! I really am enjoying these podcasts. So much information and very well executed. JasonBikeboy via Apple Podcasts ·Canada ·06/14/2018 Top Touring Talk The Pedalshift Project is a refreshing change from a lot of the bicycle touring podcast's i've listened to, and Tim Mooney obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into creating a show that is both informative and entertaining, his enthusiasm for bicycle touring is infectious and will make you want to load up your bike and head off on tour ... very inspirational Devon Wilfy via Apple Podcasts ·Great Britain ·01/23/2016 Pedalshift: Huge in Slovenia Also, I'm learning the Pedalshift Project may not be the most highly ranked outdoors podcast in the States (we're in the rearview of a lot of hunting and fishing pods!) BUT just this month the show hit #1 in Slovenia and #2 in Jamaica! If you are from one of those countries and found this show, man I want to hear about bike touring there! ;) Bicycle Touring Beginners Series Meet Steve Martin, the beginning bicycle tourist for our 2019 bicycle touring beginners series! In Steve's own words... IN SEPTEMBER 2017 I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH YOUNG ONSET PARKINSON'S DISEASE AT AGE 41. It changed my life. I don’t know why I have Parkinson’s. It’s a total mystery. I have no family history of it, I’ve not been exposed to the chemicals known to cause it, and have no other risk factors. No clue. But I’m not going to let this be a meaningless disease. I’m going to use this to make a difference. Learn more about Steve. Steve, your backstory is an important element to this 2019 tour and it starts with your plans for a cross-Colorado bike tour in 2017. What were your plans and what intervened? What have been some of the challenges you're overcoming with Parkinson's and the treatments you're...