Ep 84: Spoke Safety

Maximum Enthusiasm

In this episode, I sit down with Jarrett Wendt, CEO of Spoke Safety (https://www.spokesafety.com/) and founder of the nonprofit Coalition for Cyclist Safety (https://www.coalitionforcyclistsafety.org) —two organizations committed to a simple but powerful mission: prevent collisions, save lives, and make cycling safer for everyone. We know that when cycling becomes safer—and feels safer—more people ride. More kids bike to school. More families go for joyrides. More adults leave their cars at home and choose the bike for commuting and exercise. It’s a ripple effect that benefits everyone. But the benefits don’t stop there. A safer cycling environment means a stronger bike industry, as we saw during COVID when empty roads made riding feel immensely safer, bringing new (and hopefully lifelong) riders into the fold. And beyond that? The impact on human health and the planet is undeniable. We’re happier, healthier, and more connected when we ride. And Mother Earth? She wins big when we swap car trips for bike rides. The truth is simple: 🚴 The world is better when people ride bikes. 🚴 People are better when they ride bikes. Cycling strengthens communities, improves health, builds resilience, and deepens our connection to nature. This is what I call “preaching the bike gospel”, and I’ve been doing it since I graduated law school. If you've followed me for a while, you know that for the past 15 years, I’ve been a cycling lawyer and advocate, working tirelessly to educate and protect cyclists. I’ve delivered hundreds of talks to cyclists, drivers, law enforcement, driver’s ed instructors, district attorneys—anyone involved in the shared road experience. I’ve helped push for new laws, fought to give police and prosecutors more legal power, and worked to hold dangerous drivers accountable. Yet despite all these efforts—both in the U.S. and globally—the numbers are still trending in the wrong direction. More cyclists are hit. More cyclists are killed. So what’s next? Alongside better laws, better infrastructure, better enforcement, and better education, we need to add another layer of protection: technology. This is an AND, not OR proposition. By layering solution upon solution, we can keep making cycling safer and safer. Enter Spoke Safety. Imagine a world where bikes can communicate with cars—and cars can "see" cyclists, even when drivers don’t. Spoke’s groundbreaking technology makes this possible. It enables vehicles to detect cyclists and provide audio, visual, and haptic feedback, even automatic interventions to prevent crashes. The goal? A future where collisions involving cyclists and other vulnerable road users (VRUs) are eliminated entirely. We are going to make “I didn’t see you” a thing of the past. In this conversation, Jarrett shares his journey before Spoke, and we explore how this game-changing tech is set to transform road safety. While some details are still under wraps (thanks to NDAs and moratoriums), trust me—big things are coming, and soon. Tune in to learn how innovation is paving the way for safer roads for cyclists everywhere!