Annalisa fish
1. What is the goal/mission of We Got To Hang Out?
To tell the story of folks who we think are doing rad shit. Some of the best conversations happen while hanging out over a glass of rosè, a bike ride, camping, etc. So we ask friends, acquaintances, community members and even our heroes to hang out and then share the outcome with our listeners. Some are totally ridiculous while others have a bit of a formality to it, but we do our best to reveal the personality of our guest and maintaining our own. It’s been super fun!
2. What is your backstory?
In my sporting life, basketball came first. Once a baller, always a baller. After college and grad school, I tried to really give it a go at taking cycling to the next level. I soon realized I would be a better physical therapist and bike fitter than I ever would be competing in the professional peloton. Now my relationship with bikes is such that I use them to get places, hang out with friends and get the good endorphins flowing.
3. What is your favorite cycling route in the NW and why?
I love the Dalles Mountain 60 route. It was one of the first dirt/gravel rides I did after some long seasons of bike racing. It helped me to fall in love with cycling all over again at a slower pace.
4. What is the go-to bike in your personal lineup and why?
Butters! I have a titanium Lynskey Backroads that I use for bikepacking, touring, commuting and gravel rides. She changes outfits often and dresses for success!
5. What does the next year look like for We Got To Hang Out?
Continuing on the path of meeting/learning about some rad people to inspire ourselves and others!
Abby watson
1. What is the goal/mission of We Got To Hang Out?
I think the goal with We Got To Hang Out is to making something fun both for us and for our listeners. I don't think we're quite organized enough to have a mission, but we do hope to bring a new voice to the cycling storytelling landscape. That said, We Got To Hang Out is not exclusively a podcast about cycling - sometimes it's about art, humor, or food and cycling is has been the common thread that brought us together. It's been amazing to see who says yes to being on the show and we've had a ton of fun hanging out with our guests as well as each other!
2. What is your backstory?
While cycling has been a part of my life in one way or another since my teenage years, I really fell down the worm hole of cycling when I moved to Portland after college. It quickly became more than just my means of transportation; I started racing, got a job in the cycling industry and bikes became the focal point of my social life. In the years that have followed, I’ve found myself both less defined by cycling and less confined to it. I’ve opened myself up to new sports and have found that while I may not be as fast as I once was on the bike, I love cycling just as much and have room to engage with the sport in new ways. We started this podcast, I joined a mountain bike advocacy board and I've dabbled in bike packing.
3. What is your favorite cycling route in the NW and why?
Since I ride road, cyclocross and mountain bikes this is a big question! That said, for me it's hard to beat riding to the coast and back along Nestucca River road. There's something so gratifying about riding to the beach.
4. What is the go-to bike in your personal lineup and why?
Again, tough question! I guess my cyclocross bike because it's so versatile. I ride a Trek Crockett that's a few years old and it's such a solid bike. I can race it, fender it, mess around on trails or go touring all with one bike. It's not the most fancy ride out there, but that's part of why I love it.
5. What does the next year look like for We Got To Hang Out?
We've really enjoyed the few events we've attended and the live recording we did at Rapha in Seattle. So, we'd like to keep an eye out for those kinds of opportunities where we get to hang out with people in person! Aside from that, we're just taking it one interview at a time and saying yes to fun things as they come up.
