Rider Magazine Insider

Ep. 24: Eddie Braun, Hollywood stuntman who completed Evel Knievel’s Snake River Canyon jump

Our guest is Eddie Braun, a Hollywood stuntman who has worked on hundreds of TV shows and feature films, including The Avengers, Transformers, and the Rush Hour trilogy. In 2016, Braun successfully flew a steam-powered rocket over Snake River Canyon, completing the ultimate stunt that defeated legendary daredevil Evel Kneivel in 1974. Braun did the stunt in “Evel Spirit,” a rocket rebuilt using engineer Bob Truax’s original design for Kneivel’s SkyCycle, with the only change being a modification to the parachute. Braun’s 10,000-horsepower rocket reached 439 mph in 3 seconds and hit 8 Gs, soaring 3,000 feet across the canyon. Braun’s epic journey was chronicled in “Stuntman,” a documentary executive produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia, featuring a never-before released clip of rock guitarist Slash playing “Rocket Man” in support of Eddie. “Stuntman” is available on Disney+.

Ep. 23: Ryan McFarland, founder and CEO of Strider Bikes and All Kids Bike advocate

Our guest is Ryan McFarland, the founder and CEO of Strider Bikes, a company whose mission is to build lightweight, efficient, all-terrain bikes that develop two-wheeled balance, coordination, and confidence in children. McFarland built the first Strider Bike in his garage for his son, Bode. The company was founded in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 2007, and since then has sold more than 3 million bikes to families around the world. In 2014, the company established the Strider Rider Fund, which commits 1% of gross revenue to benevolence. In 2018, the Strider Education Foundation launched All Kids Bike, a nonprofit whose mission is to teach every child in America how to ride a bike in kindergarten PE class. As we all know, when you learn to ride a bike when you’re young, you’re more likely to graduate to a motorcycle when you get older!

Ep. 22: Americade live interview with rally leaders Bill, Gini, and Christian Dutcher

We conducted our latest podcast interview with a live audience at the Americade rally, held September 20-25, 2021, in Lake George, New York. Rider’s Editor-in-Chief Greg Drevenstedt interviewed the founders Bill and Gini Dutcher, and their son Christian, who is the Director of Americade, the Touratech DirtDaze Adventure Bike Rally, and Rolling Thru America. The first Americade rally, then called Aspencade East, was held in 1983 on the scenic shores of Lake George, nestled in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. The first event was a runaway success, and the event has grown steadily over the years to become the world’s largest touring rally. The Dutcher family talks about what the rally was like in the early days, and why motorcyclists from around the country return to Americade year after year. This is a special episode you don’t want to miss!

Ep. 21: Peter Starr, motorcycle filmmaker, author, and MotoStarr podcast host

Our guest is Peter Starr, who is an international ambassador for motorcycling. He’s an award-winning filmmaker who has made motorcycle documentaries, TV shows, and commercials, and his 1979 film “Take It to the Limit” is a classic documentary about motorcycle racing. Peter has published articles in most major motorcycle magazines, and he’s the author of two books, including “Motorcycle Traveler,” about his experiences riding motorcycles in 12 countries as part of living a purposeful life. Peter also hosts the MotoStarr video podcast series, and he has interviewed legendary motorcycle racers such as Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Kenny Roberts, and many others. Peter has been recognized for his achievements with numerous awards as well as being inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame and Trailblazers Hall of Fame.

Ep. 20: Jon DelVecchio, founder of Street Skills and author of Cornering Confidence

Our guest is Jon DelVecchio, founder of Street Skills and author of “Cornering Confidence: The Formula for 100% Control in Curves.” By applying Jon’s techniques, motorcyclists gain more confidence and enjoyment in the curves. He’s a real-world rider who started riding motorcycles after starting a family and got hooked on sport riding. His need for self-preservation fueled skill development, and he served as an MSF RiderCoach for a decade and studied more advanced riding techniques. Jon shares his experience with fellow riders in his in-person and online Street Skills riding improvement courses and in his book, which is available in paperback and on Kindle. Jon’s Trail Braking Camp solves the mystery of this “secret weapon” technique.