Bike to Work Day is just around the corner on Thursday, May 10! Bay Area Bike to Work Day (BTWD) organizers named the winners of the 2018 Bike Commuter of the Year awards. Given to individuals for inspiring bicycling in their communities, the Bike Commuter of the Year award recognizes a winner from each of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties for their commitment to bicycling as their primary mode of transport. In many cases, their dedication to pedaling has inspired others to get on bicycles and ride -- to work, to school, even just for fun.
Alameda County: Jeffrey BuellHave you ever spotted a guy biking around Berkeley with two adorable on a dark green triple tandem bike? That would be Jeffrey Buell. Most days, he drops his kids off at school and then pedals on to work as a mental health clinical supervisor with the City of Berkeley. Jeff’s father introduced him to during middle school. He started bike commuting in 1989 and has relied almost exclusively on it as his mode of transportation for the past 13 years. Jeff says that ever since his family chose the biking lifestyle, they have fully embraced a more sustainable way of living and become much healthier in the process. He believes it is important to teach his kids about playing an important role in saving the environment. While safety became a bigger issue when cycling with his children, Jeff didn’t let that stop them from cycling together. He discovered the Bike Friday triple tandem bicycle as the perfect family-friendly bike. Every year, they all participate in Bike to Work Day and in the Alameda County Wheels for Meals fundraising ride.For beginner cyclists, Jeff suggests starting slow, maybe taking transit or driving part of the way until you get comfortable. For instance, when Jeff worked in San Francisco, he took BART into the city and then cycled from the station to his workplace. “Once you find the right distance and amount of cycling, you’ll get the hang of it,” he says. And if you’re like Jeff, you’ll make riding a bike an important part of your life.
Alameda County: Jeffrey Buell
Have you ever spotted a guy biking around Berkeley with two adorable kids on a dark green triple tandem bike? That would be Jeffrey Buell. Most days, he drops his kids off at school and then pedals on to work as a mental health clinical supervisor with the City of Berkeley.
Jeff’s father introduced him to during middle school. He started bike commuting in 1989 and has relied almost exclusively on it as his mode of transportation for the past 13 years. He says that ever since his family chose the biking lifestyle, they have fully embraced a more sustainable way of living and become much healthier in the process.
He believes it is important to teach his kids about playing an important role in saving the environment. While safety became a bigger issue when cycling with his children, Jeff didn’t let that stop them from cycling together. He discovered the Bike Friday triple tandem bicycle as the perfect family-friendly bike. Every year, they all participate in Bike to Work Day and in the Alameda County Wheels for Meals fundraising ride.
For beginner cyclists, Jeff suggests starting slow, maybe taking transit or driving part of the way until you get comfortable.For instance, when Jeff worked in San Francisco, he took BART into the city and then cycled from the station to his workplace.
“Once you find the right distance and amount of cycling, you’ll get the hang of it,” he says. And if you’re like Jeff, you’ll make riding a bike an important part of your life.
To learn more about Bike to Work Day, visit the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition website here.
Bike to Work Day is just around the corner on Thursday, May 10! Bay Area Bike to Work Day (BTWD) organizers named the winners of the 2018 Bike Commuter of the Year awards. Given to individuals for inspiring bicycling in their communities, the Bike Commuter of the Year award recognizes a winner from each of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties for their commitment to bicycling as their primary mode of transport. In many cases, their dedication to pedaling has inspired others to get on bicycles and ride -- to work, to school, even just for fun.
Contra Costa County: Laura Davis
Laura Davis is a nurse practitioner in Walnut Creek who rides 10 miles round-trip to and from work at an orthopedic clinic. She takes advantage of biking trails, including the Contra Costa, Iron Horse, and Canal trails, to ride comfortably across town. But during a summer back home near Mount Diablo, she began cycling as cross training for swimming. Laura found that she could combine her passions for health, exercise, and the environment all within her mode of getting around town – and fell in love bicycling as a result.
Laura’s dedication to maintaining a healthy lifestyle continues at work. A strong advocate for preventing injuries before they occur, Laura’s passion for being healthy and active inspires her patients and others around her. Between administering ultrasound-guided injections and assisting in surgery, Laura educates her patients about how to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. She has even been known to jump into the onsite gym with patients to motivate and exercise alongside them.
Laura’s advice for people interested in biking to work? “Just do it! Exercise always makes you feel better. You’ll never regret it and you’re not polluting the environment we all live in.”
To learn more about Bike to Work Day, visit the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
here.
