logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2019
21m 19s

Bicimáquinas (Bicycle Machines)

Duolingo
About this episode

Carlos Marroquín has always been an inventor. But he wasn’t putting that talent to much use in his native Guatemala until he saw a rare sight  on the road that stopped him in his tracks: bicycles. That turning point led Carlos to transform the lives of many farmers and towns through his bicycle-inspired inventions, or as he calls them, bicimáquinas.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/3GdeQeB.

Up next
Feb 2024
Duo’s Film Club - Fresa y chocolate
For today’s episode, Duo’s Film Club has a cult classic from Cuba, Fresa y chocolate, which broke barriers in the world of cinema. It tells the story of two unlikely friends and sends a powerful message of acceptance and diversity, while showcasing Cuba’s amazing culture and the ... Show More
18m 26s
Feb 2024
Duo’s Film Club - Coco
Today Duo’s Film Club is featuring an animated film for the whole family. It’s Coco, a vibrant tale about traditions like el Día de los Muertos, mariachi music, and the importance of family. Join our host Martina Castro and guest Mauricio García as we explore this Oscar-winning t ... Show More
17m 46s
Feb 2024
Duo’s Film Club - Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios
It’s impossible to talk about Spanish-language movies and not talk about the one and only Pedro Almodóvar, the Spanish director and icon of cinema. So, for today’s session of Duo’s Film Club, we’re going to introduce you to Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, a screwball co ... Show More
18m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Pedal power: How bicycles can change lives
This is the story of how one man is trying to transform lives through the power of the humble bicycle. Many rural communities in rural Africa don’t have access to cars or good roads, which can make it hard to take fresh produce to market or get to school. But Wyson Lungu wants to ... Show More
24m 1s
Apr 2019
Bicycle
The bicycle was to prove transformative. Cheaper than a horse, it freed women and young working class people to roam free. And the bike was the testing ground for countless improvements in manufacturing that would later lead to Henry Ford’s production lines. Tim Harford considers ... Show More
8m 59s
Jun 2023
History of the Bicycle
Christy VanArragon and Bruce Gulland tell the history of one of the most important inventions in history - the bicycle! Download our app for Android at http://bit.ly/spotlight-android Download our app for iOS at http://bit.ly/spotlight-apple Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spo ... Show More
14m 11s
Sep 2024
Jonathan Maskit, "Bicycle" (Bloomsbury, 2023)
These days the bicycle often appears as an interloper in a world constructed for cars. An almost miraculous 19th-century contraption, the bicycle promises to transform our lives and the world we live in, yet its time seems always yet-to-come or long-gone-by. In Bicycle (Bloomsbur ... Show More
1h 14m
Sep 2020
Rad Power Bikes: Mike Radenbaugh
Growing up in rural Northern California, Mike Radenbaugh hated biking to high school—it was a 16 mile slog; hilly and tiring. So he scrounged up a battery and a motor, rigged them to an old mountain bike and began cycling to school without breaking a sweat. When Mike's neighbors ... Show More
1h 10m
Jun 2022
BICYCLES: Are They the Future of Transportation?
Jody Rosen is a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine and a bike nut who has just published a rousing (and sometimes arousing) book called “Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle.” Today, he takes us on a rollicking ride through the two-wheeled revol ... Show More
1h 1m
May 2023
Elementary | Cycling
<p>Some cyclists train for years before hitting the track in the Olympics. Other cyclists buy a $30 bicycle and are thrown onto the gritty pavement of a Chinese city to learn from their hard knocks. One such lesson learned being: never pass on the right for risk of being spat on ... Show More
12m 40s
Jun 2023
Like The Wind
When the bicycle was invented it did more than simply change people's lives, leisure and mobility. It ignited a controversy over traditional gender roles. One woman set out to change all that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
25m 57s
Jun 2013
Boys of Summer: The Bike Perfecter
<p>In the third Boys of Summer installment, Cristen and Caroline hat tip JK Starley, the engineer who invented the bicycle as we know it today, and explain how the bicycle was a transportation revolution for women.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https:// ... Show More
20m 23s
Apr 2025
Upper-intermediate | Second-hand Bicycle
<p>&quot;Second-hand&quot; isn&#39;t just one option when buying a bicycle; for many consumers, it&#39;s a whole way of life. In this lesson, we cover a range of topics, from broken-down bikes to second-hand philosophy. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1548</p> 
15m 38s