iCommuteSD interactive bicycle map of San Diego County

iCommuteSD's website hosts a great resource of information regarding bicycling and commuting. They also have an interactive map of San Diego County, introduced this spring,  outlining bicycle friendly routes and paths.  The map shows San Diego's 1,340-mile bikeway network, that stretches across of the county, north to San Onofre, south to the Mexican border, and east to Ramona and El Cajon. SANDAG's plan encourages commuters to ride their bikes to work or use public transportation and then pedal that "last mile" from a bus or trolley stop to their job.

There will also be a printed version of the new map available late this summer. From the website -This free publication is produced by SANDAG and includes the latest updates to bikeways in the San Diego region, transit station locations, and bicycle parking facilities.

View the iCommute bike map HERE

below is are screenshots of the interactive map. You can zoom in to see areas in detail.

 

(Del Mar in detail)

Bike Coalition Executive Director Appointed to City's First-Ever Bicycle Advisory Committee

Andy Hanshaw appointed to guide city bicycle initiatives until mid-2016

Today, San Diego City Council appointed Andy Hanshaw to the City’s first-ever Bicycle Advisory Committee with a term ending July 1, 2016. Recommendations from Mayor Faulconer included Hanshaw, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Point Loma resident, and Kyle Heiskala of Hillcrest. 

Hanshaw and Heiskala joined six additional bicycle advocates and residents from around the city to serve on the advisory board, including Coalition Board Member and Advocate of the Year, Randy Van Vleck. Others appointed include: 

• Kathleen Keehan (Rancho Bernardo)
• Michael Brennan (Hillcrest)
• Nicole Burgess (Point Loma)
• Petr Krysl (University City)
• Samantha Ollinger (City Heights)

In March, San Diego City Council unanimously approved its first-ever Bicycle Advisory Committee to provide guidance to the City on local bicycle projects to make a safer, more accessible and bike-able city, including the implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan Update.

“The City has a lot of great bicycling initiatives coming to fruition and copious opportunities to become one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation,” says Hanshaw. “I look forward to working with the committee members and elevating San Diego to be a premiere city for bicycling.”

The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, an organization protecting and advocating for the rights of all people who ride bicycles, celebrates that the City of San Diego joins numerous cities in the county that have formally and informally sanctioned bicycle advisory committees.

For more information on Hanshaw and the Bike Coalition, please visit www.sdcbc.org. 

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San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and protects the rights of all people who ride bicycles. They promote bicycling as a mainstream, safe and enjoyable form of transportation and recreation. For more information, go to www.sdcbc.org.  

San Diego Bike Loop is open for business!

On Tuesday morning, Andy Hanshaw, Bike Coalition Executive Director joined Mayor Kevin Faulconer and City Council President Todd Gloria for the announcement of the new San Diego Bike Loop: a seven-mile network of on-street bike lanes linking downtown, Little Italy, Banker’s Hill and Balboa Park.

The Loop connects riders with many of San Diego’s top destinations, including Balboa Park, the Gaslamp, Petco Park, the Central Library, City College and the new Waterfront Park. It includes buffered bike lanes on some streets and sharrows on shared roadways. The route is marked at the beginning and end of each block with a green way-finding symbol.

“[The Loop] provides a beautiful ride for both cycling enthusiasts and casual riders,” Mayor Faulconer said. “It’s the kind of low-cost project that has a huge impact on our neighborhoods and we’re going to be doing a lot more of them in the future.”


Todd Gloria noted the success of the “road diet” on 4th and 5th Avenues that replaced a car lane with a buffered bike lane. “When I travel from my home to my office downtown, I see how well used these bike lanes are,” he said.

“Our streets are not just for cars,” Gloria went on. “They are for people. With more people choosing biking not only as a form of exercise but as a real transportation option, providing safe bikeways is a smart investment.”

Nikola Modrusan, a junior at High Tech High, was pleased with the new route. “It would be nice to have more things like this,” he said.
In his remarks, the Mayor suggested that Modrusan may not have to wait long: “We have the opportunity to do more projects like this in other neighborhoods around the city. This is just the beginning.”

Long after the news crews departed and the street returned to normal, a steady trickle of bicyclists could be seen making their way up 5th Avenue in the buffered lanes.

Bicycle Commuting Assistance

We understand that not everyone will be devout bicycle commuters, but we hope these excuses listed below are not holding you. . . your friends. . .or your loved ones back.

Bike Month Kick Off!

 

Pictured from left to right - Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, District 2 Councilman Ed Harris, Council President Todd Gloria, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and Andy Hanshaw, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition Executive Director.

 

Our Bike Month Kick Off was a great success! It started with a meet up in Hillcrest and gradually picked up more riders along our route to the SANDAG Building, in downtown San Diego. By the time Mayor Kevin Faulconer spoke, there was a considerable crowd of bicyclist of all types- commuters, racers, cruisers, spandex, business suits, and flip-flops. It was a demographic of San Diego County bicyclists.

Look on our website for lots of bicycle activities for National Bike Month.

We are still updating it with new and exciting events like the Bike Fiesta! and Member Mixer Picnic to just name a few.

Below are pictures from this morning's bicycle ride-

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition Wins 2014 Diamond Award for Program Excellence

SANDAG honors Bike Coalition for leadership, dedication and commitment to alternative transportation programs in San Diego

SANDAG recently announced the winners of its 2014 Diamond Awards, naming the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition in the category of Program Excellence. The Bike Coalition received the award based on programs and actions taken to encourage commuter choices, effectiveness of said programs and outreach tactics in the San Diego region.

Highlights of the Bicycle Coalition application include: 

• Hosting San Diego’s first-ever open streets celebration, CicloSDias, in August, 2013
• Hosting the sixth annual Bike the Bay, the only opportunity to ride bicycles across the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge
• Coordinating Tour de Fat and raising thousands of dollars for local bicycling nonprofits
• Offering bicycle parking at more than twenty community events in 2013
• Hosting free public workshops to give safety tips to anyone in San Diego bicycling on the road
• Creating the Regional Bike Walk Alliance, a group supporting livable communities and streets in San Diego County
• Partnering for a record-setting Bike to Work Day in 2013
• Participated in City of San Diego Bike Share Review Panel
• Visiting San Diego businesses to present bicycle commuting benefits and resources

“It’s an honor to be recognized amongst some of the best individuals and organizations in San Diego County promoting alternative transportation methods,” says Executive Director of the Coalition, Andy Hanshaw. “We’re grateful to have the Diamond Awards as a formal recognition of all that these folks do on a daily basis to make San Diego a commuter-friendly city.”

The Bicycle Coalition would also like to congratulate its Board Member, Randy Van Vleck, for his involvement with the City Heights Community Development Corporation to earn the Community Champion Diamond Award, as well as its communications consultant, Mixte Communications, for winning Best New Program. 

California residents biking & walking twice as much

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) just released its comprehensive California Household Travel Survey. Results show that the percentage of California residents walking, bicycling, and using public transportation doubled since 2000. About one quarter of household trips surveyed on an average day were taken by sustainable transportation.  California residents may be choosing transportation options for a variety of reasons including awareness/concern of health and climate change, and the availability of safe solutions. Safe solutions are dedicated bicycle paths, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian walkways. The full 147 page report is available here- http://dot.ca.gov/hq/tsip/otfa/tab/documents/chts_finalreport/FinalReport.pdf

As cyclists and as our numbers increase, we can agree that more bicycle awareness on roads is needed. We continue to advocate for the rights of bicyclists and are looking for new members to help us in the cause- SDC Bicycle Coalition Membership

Why are you riding your bicycle and do you feel the results of the report are representative of you and the people in your lives?

by Joel Flood

Monday: San Diego City Council to Hear $312 Million Bicycle Master Plan Update

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition supports City’s long-term bicycling vision  

WHAT:

San Diego is looking into its bicycling crystal ball – what will the future hold for our growing two-wheeled community? On Monday, City Council will vote to approve or deny the Bicycle Master Plan Update, a citywide policy document to guide the development and maintenance of San Diego’s bicycle network over the next 20 years.

With support from the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, the new plan includes an assessment of the existing infrastructure in San Diego and recommends increased bicycle parking, improved bicycle signage, bicycle safety courses and approximately 878 miles of proposed bike lanes and bike routes throughout San Diego County.

WHY:

Approval of this plan ensures San Diego will see twenty years of bicycle advancements and that bicycle commuting is a trend that is not going away but growing. The projected improvements to the current bicycle infrastructure will ensure that cyclists have better access to local businesses, transit centers, shopping districts, parks, and other local amenities to make San Diego a bicycle-friendly destination for locals and tourists alike.

WHERE: San Diego City Council chambers: 202 C Street, San Diego, 92101

WHO:

·    San Diego City Councilmembers

·    San Diego County Bicycle Coalition

·    All people who ride bicycles in San Diego

WHEN: Monday, December 9

VICTORY: SANDAG Approves $200 million for Regional Bike Plan Projects

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition calls this an historic moment for the bicycling community

SAN DIEGO, September 27, 2013 – Today San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) approved scenario 1 for the regional bike plan early action program, which allows a $200 million investment in high priority bike projects over the next 10 years. The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC), an organization protecting the rights of all people who ride bicycles, says this is a momentous step toward creating a regional bicycle network of interconnected corridors, support facilities and programs to make bicycling a convenient form of transportation.

“The momentum for bicycling as an active form of transportation in San Diego County is in high gear,” said Andy Hanshaw, Executive Director of SDCBC. “By approving scenario 1 for the regional bike plan, SANDAG has put into motion essential improvements that will enable folks to ride bicycles more safely on more direct and convenient routes that connect more cities throughout the county.”

In 2011, SANDAG’s board of directors made a commitment to active transportation with the adoption of the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan and its Sustainable Communities Strategy, which included integration of Riding to 2050: San Diego Regional Bicycle Plan previously approved in 2010. The board developed the bike plan early action program, and in April 2012, SANDAG’s transportation committee accepted its goals and began initial cost estimates. Following a recommendation by the transportation committee, today’s final action by the board approved scenario 1 for the early action program prioritizing projects included within the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan.

Some high profile projects in the list of early action priorities include the North Park – Mid-City bike corridor, the Uptown bicycle corridor, several Coastal Rail Trail San Diego bikeways, San Diego River Trail bikeways, additional Bayshore Bikeway connections and some downtown to southeast San Diego connections.

According the Hanshaw, these much-needed bicycling improvements in San Diego County complement the greater bicycle momentum occurring throughout all parts of the region. Earlier this week, Governor Brown announced that he signed a bill that will require cars to give three feet of space when passing a bicycle rider on the road. The City of San Diego and its bike share partner, DECOBIKE, are currently searching for input on locations for the new bike share system slated to open in 2014. Also, San Diego’s business improvement districts run the nation’s largest bicycle friendly program of its kind.

“SANDAG’s approval for early action on these high-priority bicycle road and pathway improvements nicely wraps together bicycle-related projects and improvements occurring simultaneously in all parts of the county,” Hanshaw said. 

For more information on the Bicycle Coalition’s strategic initiatives, visit www.sdcbc.org. 

Bike Friendly Business Spotlight- Snooze

We just wanted to share a great example of bike-friendly business:

One of the pit stop locations on Bike to Work Day was at Snooze AM Eatery in Hillcrest. The lucky cyclists who rode by Snooze that Friday were treated with Noosa yogurt parfaits with Snooze's house made granola while picking up their Bike to Work swag. While we love Snooze for continuing to host delicious pit stops, we really love them how their business embraces bicycling.

Employees at all six Snooze locations (one in our County) participated in Bike to Work Day- and even had a friendly competition between stores. They had 3 Snooze vs. Snooze competitions to see which stores could reduce single occupancy driving miles the most. Great news from Robert Butterfield of Hillcrest Snooze- "I'm proud to say that our Hillcrest store had more biking miles, and fewer driving miles, than our VERY bike friendly brethren in the downtown Denver store!! We're winning!"

We are happy to hear it Robert! Friendly competition is a great way to encourage employees to bike more. What if more businesses operated this way? 

Show Snooze some love by stopping by on your bike for breakfast. Park your bike in one of the first bike parking corrals installed in San Diego- located nearby, eat your heart out and ride off the food coma when you're done! 

SDCBC Bike Month Drawing

Congratulations to the winner of our bike month drawing- Johanna Broeren!

Johanna joined the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition on Bike to Work Day. (what better day to join huh?) She rides her bike to work often and this was her second year participating in the Bike to Work Day festivities.

Born and raised in Holland, riding a bike is in her blood. Not only is she a bike commuter but she also rides recreationally with her boyfriend on weekends. She goes along on 30+ rides with him as he trains for the RAGBRAI.

We were happy to hear that Johanna has already taken the new bike out for a spin. Where did she pedal first after she brought it home?

"From home to OB dog beach along the river bike path.  It's a really nice bike! Thank you!" she said.

Thank you, Johanna-we are glad you like it! Thank you to Mike, our friend and donor, who gave us this Specialized bike to use for this purpose. And thank you everyone who participated! We have lots of new members and were able to raise more than $2,000 for bike advocacy and education.

Ride Your Bike to Opening Day!

The East Village is once again hosting the Padres Opening Day Block Party on Tuesday April 9th.

Your San Diego County Bicycle Coalition will be there providing free bike valet service, so ride your bike and avoid the traffic and hassle of parking a car. We will keep your bike safe and secure during the block party and game!

J Street will be closed off from 6th to 10th Avenue for the Block Party where there will be live music, great food from local artisans and a Stone Brewing Beer Garden. Click here for more info about the block party. 

We will be set up from 11 AM to 6 PM (the game starts at 3:30). Just look for the SDCBC tent and racks! 

Bicycle Detection at Traffic Signals

Sometimes an on-demand/traffic-actuated traffic signal does not change to green for people on bikes. This is more than annoying. It can be dangerous to proceed through a red traffic light, right? To increase your chances for triggering the light to change it is important to be correctly positioned at the intersection so that the traffic signal senor system can "see"/detect you. This is important both for the camera and for the in-pavement sensor systems; placement matters. 

Many traffic signal lights only operate on-demand, either by pushing a pedestrian crossing button or by the presence of a vehicle or bicycle at a very specific location at the intersection. For the systems that use devices in the pavement, it can sometimes be difficult on a bicycle to find the "sweet spot" that will trigger detection. Some cities place a "bicycle sweet spot" pavement marking to help with this. Without a sweet spot marker to help with detection we can look for the pavement cut marks to help find the best spots to stop over.

Below is a graphic depiction of how a person can best position themselves on their bicycle to cause various types of in-pavement on-demand traffic signal detectors to actuate/change a traffic signal; proper positioning matters. Proper placement for an in-pavement sensor will also work for camera detection systems. 

  

The illustration creator, Dan Gutierrez, provides this through the California Association of Bicycling Organizations (CABO).

There's lots more that could be said about this subject; one being that when you find a location where an on-demand traffic signal will not trigger for you, report it to the responsible city, county, or State agency. "Squeaky wheels get the grease."

Click here for more information about vehicle detectors. 

- Jim Baross, SDCBC Spokesperson and Advocacy Committee Chair

City of Coronado Public Meeting to Discuss Bayshore Bikeway Improvements

The City of Coronado recently held a public meeting to discuss changes to the intersection of the Bayshore Bikeway with the entrance to the to the Coronado Cays development, and the Coalition was there to make sure cyclists needs were addressed.

The meeting kicked off with a presentation on the intersection. The project consultants gave some background on the large number of bikes and pedestrians crossing the entrances only a daily basis and a few accidents that have occurred. Attendees were then invited to place sticky notes of Ariel shots of the project noting problems or potential solutions.

The meeting was dominated by Cays homeowners, and many had stories of near misses with cyclists. While some homeowners wanted to force cyclists to stop and dismount before crossing the road, most realized that the main problem was visibility. With high walls leading up to the entrance from both sides and a guard booth right in the middle of the car drivers, they have trouble seeing cyclists coming from either direction along the Bayshore Bikeway.  The Coalition supports making improvements to the intersection while maintaining the flow of bicycles and pedestrians in one of the region’s busiest active transportation corridors.

Click here to view the intersection.

Many homeowners ride the Bayshore Bikeway themselves and saw that improvements could make for a safer ride and help beautify the entrance with new landscaping.  At the next meeting, scheduled for April 2nd, the project consultants will present some potential design options based on the feedback received.

If you ride the Bayshore Bikeway and would like to share your experience, you can email project engineer Darlene Danehy at ddanehy@psomas.com.

Coast Highway 101 Update

If you have not ridden Coastal Highway 101 recently through Encinitas, please do!  You're in for a treat!  Most of it is now marked with sharrows and "Bikes May Use Full Lane" signs.  That means traffic engineers have determined the outside lane is "too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane", per CVC 21202(a)(3), and so bicyclists have the right to control the lane.  Controlling the lane, rather than riding near the right edge, makes it easier for motorists to realize sooner that they need to change lanes to pass safely.   

Further, northbound, just north of Leucadia Blvd, there has been "lane diet", reducing the number of travel lanes from two to one, to make room for an eight foot wide bike lane.  And the pavement is all smooth now - goodbye Vulcan Ave detour!  Check it out!

Serge  Issakov

SDBC/SDCBC liaison


See full release below:

­February 20, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Andy Hanshaw, San Diego Bicycle Coalition, 858-487-6063

New Bike Lane, Sharrows Welcomed by North County Bicyclists

New roadway markings remind cyclists, motorists to share the road

SAN DIEGO, February 20, 2013 – Drivers and bicyclists traveling through Encinitas along Coast Hi­ghway 101 have seen a change to the roadway in recent weeks. In an effort to better accommodate the growing number of bicyclists in the area, the City of Encinitas added a new bike lane to northbound Coast Highway 101 from Leucadia Boulevard to La Costa Avenue. Crews also added a total of 140 sharrows and 28 “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” signage in both directions from K Street to La Costa Avenue to remind motorists that cyclists may ride in the center of the lane for increased safety and visibility.

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, an organization that advocates for and protects the rights of all people who ride bicycles, reminds cyclists and motorists to follow guidelines for the new bike lane and sharrows, which now adorn streets across the county.

“For the thousands of people who ride Coast Highway 101 every week for recreation and transportation, the bike lane and sharrows are a welcome sight,” said Andy Hanshaw, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition. “They’re also markings of a more bike-friendly community, which we’re seeing in mass across San Diego County.” 

Supported by the Bicycle Coalition, sharrows are a newer tool in the bike-friendly community toolbox. Adopted by Caltrans in 2005 as a statewide universal marking for sharing the road, sharrows mark travel lanes that bicyclists and motorists share. When a lane is too narrow for a dedicated bike lane, a sharrow has been proven to be an effective tool in increasing safety and awareness for all road users. These four-foot wide bicycles with two arrows on top are painted on streets in neighborhoods and along thoroughfares in San Diego County that agencies have already designated as bicycle routes. Road users can see sharrowns in Oceanside in North County as well as the communities of Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Normal Heights and downtown San Diego.

Sharrows help bicyclists position themselves away from parked cars, to avoid being struck by suddenly opened car doors, and to alert other road users that bicyclists may occupy travel lanes. To aid the effectiveness of the sharrows, the City of Encinitas also installed several “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” signs to reinforce that cyclists have the right to be in the travel lane.

To celebrate the new bicycle lane and roadway markings, the Encinitas Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, along with Leucadia 101 Main Street Association and Downtown Encinitas Main Street Association have organized a casual ride on the new and improved Coast Highway 101. The “Joyride” will take place on March 23. The organizers encourage all community members to save the date and join them for a cruise up and down the coast with stops at local bike shops and restaurants. Please visit www.bikewalkencinitas.org for more details.

For additional information on sharrows and other bike-friendly infrastructure projects, contact the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition at execdir@sdcbc.org or 858-487-6063.

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San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and protects the rights of all people who ride bicycles. They promote bicycling as a mainstream, safe and enjoyable form of transportation and recreation.  For more information, go to www.sdcbc.org.  

South Bay Becomes More Bike-Friendly

Chula Vista has become the third city in San Diego County to install sharrows!  The City of CV's first sharrows were installed on East J St., a popular bike corridor over the I-805 which connects commuters and residents to schools, adjacent parks, and canyons while connecting "old" and "new Chula Vista."  Congrats to City staff Tom Adler and Frank Rivera and to the Chula Vista Ad-Hoc Bike Committee.  If you're interested in making CV a better place to ride and live, get involved with the new Ad-Hoc Bike Committee which meets monthly.  The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 5 from 6:30pm to 8pm and will meet on historic Third Avenue at D' Volada Cafe (320 Third Ave, 91910).  Please join us.  For more info, contact Tom Adler, tadler@ci.chula-vista.ca.us

-Randy Van Vleck

Member Spotlight: Debbie Chaddock

Reasons I Cycle:

Inexpensive Transportation: 

I live where almost everything I need is within walking and cycling distance (half mile to 3 miles).  

When I don't telecommute, I usually cycle to work (depending on project/assignment, 7-14 miles each way).  

My hybrid is equipped with fenders and I have rain gear, so weather rarely prevents me from riding.  

My spouse and I share one economy car between us, and it usually takes 2-3 weeks to go through a tank of gas.

Healthful, Inexpensive Recreation:  

I usually do a long-ish pleasure ride on the weekend (35-75 miles), on my own or with a group.  

On a good week, I squeeze in a midweek pleasure ride (25-30 miles).

Sport:

I occasionally participate in organized centuries and other rides.

Defiant Age Denial:

I used to run competitively, and cycling is part of my cross-training lifestyle that allows me to maintain the level of fitness I desire as I get older. 

Advocacy in Action – Local Bicycle/Pedestrian Community Groups Making an Impact!

Two recent victories provided bold bike-friendly moves that will provide safer, more accessible bicycling infrastructure in the cities of Coronado and Encinitas. Over the last 12 months,  both of these cities joined the Cities of Oceanside, Chula Vista, Solana Beach, San Diego City Council District 2 and Bike SD in forming volunteer-based advocacy groups that work to make their respective communities better for all people who ride.  

The proof of the effectiveness of these groups was very evident at two recent City Council meetings. The City of Coronado, who is aiming to become a League of American Bicyclists designated "Bicycle Friendly City" recently approved the installation of 8 new, on-street bicycle parking corrals along their business district on Orange Avenue. Much of the heavy lifting that led to the Councils approval of the corrals came from the work of the Coronado Bicycle Advisory Committee. The group meets monthly to develop and implement programs and strategies that will improve bicycle safety and access in Coronado.

Similarly in Encinitas, the less formal (Coronado’s Committee is city appointed) but just as effective, Bike Walk Encinitas Committee has worked for several months to advocate for more bike-friendly infrastructure in the community of Leucadia. The resulting action from the Encinitas City Council was the approval of a lane reduction and addition of a new dedicated bike lane and Sharrows (bicycle road markings) along North Coast Highway 101 that will dramatically improve the safety for all who ride through Leucadia.

The SDCBC congratulates these groups and thanks them for their work on improving the conditions for bicyclists in their cities. The SDCBC, which recently reorganized its board and committee structure, will convene a new “Council of Community Committees” which will connect representatives from each of the groups to meet quarterly to network and share best practices.  The first meeting is expected to take place in early spring of 2013.

Why I Like Bike To Work Day

This Bike to Work Day I’ve been reminiscing. After a decade or so of participating in the event, I’m sometimes worried I’ve become jaded. Sure, sometimes it seems like a silly exercise for those of us who bike to work fairly regularly (or not so regularly...). One day of the year where the non-bike riders try it out, fill up the buses and bike lanes, and get in the way of  “real” bike commuters. 

Then I come to my senses. Bike to Work Day is an opportunity to celebrate something so healthy, so good, so FUN, that I can’t resist sharing it! And to share a conversation and maybe a ride with people who don’t ride regularly. And maybe get a t-shirt and some free snacks. I’m failing to see a downside here.

As the years go by, I’ve come to appreciate the opportunity Bike to Work Day gives us to talk to our friends and co-workers about bicycling. Not just about biking to work, but about biking for fun, about bikes, about family, about joy. Already this year the discussions about Bike to Work Day have spurred some of my co-workers to ride. Maybe they aren’t commuting to work, but they’re starting (or restarting) to ride around their neighborhood – to the park, the store, the library. I’m very excited that so many people at work are talking about biking, about getting their bikes tuned up and getting out to ride.

That’s enough of a reason for me to rejoice in Bike to Work Day in all its craziness. So hopefully, this Friday (and many other Fridays to come) I’ll see you on the road!

Begin Your Bicycle Story During Bike Month

My favorite bicycling outfit.

Like a six-year-old at Christmas, I can't wait for Bike to Work Month in San Diego. It's my favorite holiday and the one time of year that my non-biking friends will give thought to trying a bicycle commute.

During this month, especially leading up to Bike to Work Day on May 18, my friends ask me questions about bicycle commuting and request tips on how to start doing it. While bicycling to work is a routine that I do regularly now, it took me a few years to figure out. And this month provides plenty of opportunities to reflect on that path. When I started, I could barely ride ten miles and now I have bicycle/camped 1,400 miles down the Pacific Coast and rode 600 miles across Turkey.

For better or worse, here are ten milestones from my bicycle commute:

1. In 2004, I cried every day after work for a week at my first job in San Diego. I didn't own a car--a new decision at the time--so I arrived every day in spandex, parked my bike in the back office and tried to hide the grease marks on my leg and hands. It sounds silly now, but at the time I shared office space with girls who wore clothes created by people whose names I can't pronounce. They didn't look at bikes, let alone ride them. I felt different. I felt dirty. I felt lame.
2. One of my first clients was a high-end hotel in downtown San Diego. I would arrive 15 minutes early to each meeting so that I could lock my bike and change into professional attire. I'll never forget the day my client "caught" me in spandex. Our conversations changed from agenda-driven dialogue to conversations about bikes. My commuting was something he wished he could do. And something he admired.
3. In 2005, one of my coworkers asked me to teach her to ride to work. New to biking, she wanted to bicycle commute, but didn't feel comfortable on the road. She also wanted to tips on how to transport her professional clothes as she'd always been impressed with my ability to pull it off.
4. 2006--The year I realized that I wore a size 6. I went from a size 12 in Oregon to a size 6 in San Diego because of my 30-minute ride to work and a downhill 30-minute ride home.
5. In 2007, I got control of my scheduling so that I could incorporate bicycling commuting into my work day, not just my commute to/from work. I felt empowered by my transportation choice and started carrying my helmet like a badge of honor.
6. One hot summer day, I came to understand that baby wipes are freaking phenomenal. A few smell-good disposable wipes can tackle those "problem areas" and help me be fresh as a daisy (or baby powder, depending on the scent you buy) for important meetings.
7. In 2009, on my ride down the Pacific Coast with my husband, I met a guy who fashioned a cane holder onto his mountain bike so he could ride from Washington to Arizona. If a dude who can barely walk can ride his bike that far, I think it's OK for able-bodied humans to ride once a week or maybe even a few times a month. Like Nike says--Just Do It.
8. On that same ride, in Huntington Beach, I saw a family of six riding bikes to the beach with baby trailer in tow, surfboard / boogie board trailer in tow and one child double riding with the other child. I now had evidence that people with kids bicycle commute, too.
9. In 2011, I bought my first pair of black stretchy climbing pants that double as business pants. I learned to dress in fabrics in which I can ride and conduct business.
10. In 2012, I rode my bike across Turkey with a girlfriend from Portland. I had hours each day to contemplate the time when I couldn't ride ten miles to work. And to remember the first time I rode 100 miles. And now Turkey. Who woulda thunk?

My journey started in 2004 with a one-year commitment to riding my bike because I sold my car. One year came and went. I'm still riding that same yellow and blue, slightly bent, kinda rusted Specialized bicycle that I bought for $175 from a guy who owned a surf shop in PB.


How will your bicycle story begin this Bike Month?

Jamie Ortiz volunteers with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. You can learn more about her at www.jocommunications.com.