In the Fall of 2019 my work commute was 45 minutes, if traffic was good and could be much longer if someone had a fender bender. I listened to a lot of radio, especially talk radio as the political campaigns were ramping up. I found all the negativity, name calling, hyperbole and hypocrisy put me in a bad mood by the time I got to work and/or when I arrived home.
I knew I needed to get some "positive" input for my brain so I decided to try listening to podcasts. I listened to some financial, investment and spiritual podcasts and enjoyed them, Podcasts were new to me but I was getting the hang of it. I tried a couple of different podcast apps. Each one had some features the other one did not have. I experimented with both podcast apps, but ultimately decided I like the Google Podcast app. I really liked the ability to change the replay speed. I could set the replay speed of the broadcast and hear more over less time. At 1.5X normal speed I could get through most shows without having to listen to the "pregnant" pauses or other moments of silence.
I I decided to add motorcycle related podcasts to my listening portfolio. With a simple Internet search I found there were a lot of podcasts from all over the world. I did find when I listened to some of the British podcasts I had to slow down the speed of the broadcast - my Texas-speak ears needed more time for the Brits. :)
To begin I did a simple search through the app for "motorcycles" and subscribed to a few podcasts. I later searched the Internet for "Best Motorcycle Podcasts." I cross referenced some websites and subscribed to the podcasts which appeared on multiple sites. I figured if two or three people liked the podcast it would be good - not necessarily, I learned.
I listen to multiple episodes before eliminating a podcast from my list. Some broadcast just stopped producing new episodes without explanation while at least one announced the end and concluded with a final show. A few appear to be very sporadic with episodes months apart so they may or may not still be going. Some are sponsored by large companies, but most are sponsored by listeners and smaller companies.
I loosely group the various shows into the following five categories:
Racing News & Commentary - Professional racing of all types with race reviews, predictions and interviews of current or former racers
Industry News/Opinion - Manufacturer news about bikes, gear, accessories & interviews of riders or industry experts
Women's - Specifically for women and/or by women - interviews and information specifically designed to educate and motivate female motorcycle riders.
Builders/Garage/Mods - Information about vintage and modern bikes, modifications and DIY information
Reviews/Information - Random reviews of bikes, gear, accessories and at times interviews of riders (professional and nonprofessional)
Check out Tuesday Trivia about motorcycles
Thanks for the reminder of listening to podcasts, I never really applied it to slow times while camping for fairing to read ebooks or listen to audiobooks but now I have another source of entertainment when not on the trail!
ReplyDeleteI have found when I am working on the bike or cleaning up the garage I can listen to a podcast. If I get distracted and miss something it isn't as big of deal as missing something in an audio book. Hope you find one or two podcasts you like.
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