MCBC - Commuting Stories, Bike to Work Day 2009

Marin Bicycle Commuting Stories
Let us Hear Yours

Many MCBC members are regular bike commuters, and have great experiences to share. For Bike to Work Day 2009, we asked our members if they would share their stories and any tips for those new to bike commuting. Their stories are inspiring and heartfelt. If you’d like to share your story about why you started bike commuting, how you feel about it, and tips you have for new commuters, send them to Jo Ann Richards.

Boog Bookey, Fairfax

My bike commute is one of my favorite parts of my life. I live in Fairfax, and three days a week I work in Pt Reyes Station, riding my bike 18 miles to get there. My hour and 1/2 ride is my meditation, exercise and inspiration. I go through world-class scenery in one State and two National Parks. I ride through a campsite as people are getting up and tell myself they come from all over to be here and I am merely on my way to work. I get to work happy and energized and ready to go because I have already had a great adventure in nature.

I have always biked for transportation; it was my independence as a kid. I started this particular commute when I made a pedal-powered blender and a film about it as a way to examine how we use resources and ways to use less. I was showing it at the red barn in Pt Reyes National Seashore and felt I should ride my bike there as I had ridden that far.

I made it and decided to start riding to work out there. It was just after they built the bridge across the Inkwells so I could ride six miles on the bike path through the Samuel P Taylor Park. I only had a mountain bike so rode that for a year or so, then switched to a hybrid, and recently started riding a road bike after 20 years of not having one.

I have encouraged many other people to bike to work using the official May Bike to Work Day as a goal to get coworkers and friends motivated. I also help people figure out ways to bike so that they only have to go one way or can make it more workable in their schedule. I take the West Marin Stage home most days.

Inspired by my bike commute, I signed up to do the 545-mile AIDS fundraising ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles this Spring. I still have never ridden more than 40 miles. A quote from my fundraising website regarding my beloved bike commute, "I am committing to use this positive energy to help others while balancing my full life and challenge myself".

I am now a graduate student, work, and am an artist. The bike ride makes it all work and keeps me healthy, energetic and grounded. I also ride my bike to San Francisco for school (22 miles) and am alert when I get there. I am very sad when I cannot ride, have been getting pretty wet lately and cannot imagine changing jobs and losing my commute. Based on IRS figures, I save over $3,000/year over driving and save 5,000 pounds of CO2.

Martin Sinai Rayman, D.D.S., Kentfield

Reprinted from Fall 2004 MCBC Pedal Press:

Dr. Martin Rayman has wanted to be a bike commuter since he was ten years old. That’s when he read an article in Life magazine about Davis, California, and its bicycle culture.

In 1973, Dr. Rayman realized his dream and started bike commuting. Since then he’s bike commuted in New York City (Queens), in San Francisco (from Noe Valley to Pacific Heights), and, since 1981, from his home in Kentfield to his office in downtown San Rafael.

His commute takes about 25 minutes, depending on his mood and traffic lights, and “just touches on aerobics and gets the blood flowing…. Every day I think, ‘I can’t believe I can do this,’ and I can do it every day of the year. I like the winter best, because there’s no wind: I don’t mind the dark.”

As a pediatric dentist, Dr. Rayman promotes bicycling to his young patients and their parents by decorating his office with posters of the Tour de France, Greg LeMond, and bicycling at the Olympics. He also posts instructions on how to wear a helmet—a very helpful touch. He enjoys providing a positive cycling role model to the next generation of riders.

His advice to prospective bike commuters is “just do it. Think about it; look for a safe route. Don’t worry about the clothing.” Rather than wearing bike shorts and jerseys, Dr. Rayman opts to use clips on his trousers. He has removable toe clips on his custom-made Rivendell bike to accommodate his footwear. Safety equipment is more important: he wears a lime-green jacket for visibility, a helmet, goggles, and a mirror. He has lights and reflector tape for night riding.

Also, he says, “having a safe place for your bike at work is important.” In fact, when negotiating his current office lease, he insisted on the provision of bike parking. And when he purchased his home, Dr. Rayman also made bike accessibility a requirement: his house is not up a hill or in a windy corridor. Besides aiding his commute, that choice made it possible for his sons (now 19 and 22) to bike everywhere, including to school. Now the next generation of riders can share Dr. Rayman’s dream.

Marty’s comment in February 2009: The only thing that I would add to the interview is that one should pick out a bicycle shop or two and be a loyal customer. Somewhere along the way you will have a mechanical problem that will need immediate attention. If you have a good working relationship with a bike shop, the problem will be taken care of and you won't miss a day of commuting! Now to hop on my bike and go home. Yay!

Matt Slepin, San Rafael

I bike to work about once a week on average throughout the year from San Rafael to the financial district in downtown San Francisco. About half the time I ride from my house, which is about 28 miles, and about half the time I drive my bike to the Larkspur Ferry and ride in from there, which is about 18 miles. I always catch a ride or take the ferry home, so I rarely do a round trip. I guess the point of all that detail is that you don’t need to ride in every day and you don’t even need to plan a round trip to make it worthwhile.

Of course, I love the days I ride in. It gets my exercise done and my commute at the same time. I arrive at work having been on the same ride people do on vacation – over the Golden Gate Bridge. I totally love it. I love all my rides, but the commute always blows me away. When I get to my desk around 8:30 or so, I have had an adventure and a gorgeous time and also have done something for the environment. It is a blessing.

Happy to talk to anyone about bike commuting.

Mo Bernales, Novato

My name is Mo Bernales, and I've been an avid commuter for the past ten years. I try to ride two or three times a week from Larkspur to San Francisco, with routes ranging from 17 to 43 miles on my way in. If I'm lucky enough to ride back home, I'll log between 34 and 72 miles in a single work day, simply by commuting. Yes, I have a full-time job, pick up my kids, and cook dinners as well. It's not all about me. My wife Jenn is very supportive of my endeavors. If it wasn't for her I may not be riding today. Back in 1999 for our one-year anniversary, she gave me a gift certificate to get my mountain bike. That's when I started riding to work from Corte Madera to Novato.

These days my rides usually start from Corte Madera where my friends and I ride to work via all the local favorite routes (e.g., Tib Loop, Mt. Tam's East Peak, Headlands, Alpine Dam, etc). Although I love my mountain bike, I have since taken to the road bike for my commuting.

So why do I commute to work? It's the question that's so tough to answer. It's one of those ‘seeing is believing’ kind of things. For me, I was working 45-hour weeks in a stressful job in the city. I found myself at 5'10 weighing in close to two bills (200 lbs). Right then and there, on the scale that night I said that's it. No more three mochas a day. I started riding to work whenever I could. In 2007 I turned 40 and decided to train for the AidsLifecycle ride, a 545-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the fight against AIDS. I logged 1,600+ training miles in five months. 75% of those miles were achieved by commuting. I did the ride successfully, and got my weight down to 168 lbs.

These days I'm a respectable 172 lbs, and training again for this year's AidsLifecycle. In addition, I have a whole social network of friends I ride with. I have 22 colleagues from my work alone that join me on my various rides into San Francisco in the morning. Not including the 8 or so other friends that ride with us as well.

That's enough for now. I can write forever...so I'll stop here. But I wanted to share, especially since MCBC asked for it. In summary I guess I can say cycling to work has improved my health, expanded my network of friends, and has given me the opportunity to give back. If you'd like to learn more, feel free to ask. You can always read my blog as well at http://www.mocycling.com, or if you prefer you can connect with me via facebook. My blog is imported into my notes. Yes, I'm super connected...but, that's what happens when you have an IT guy for a father, who wants to stay in touch with family and friends.

Wayne Baker, San Rafael

My story is pretty typical.

I moved from San Francisco to Marin in 1989. My commute has always been to the Union Square area of San Francisco. I did quite a bit of recreational road bike riding when I was in my late teens and in college, but hadn’t done much for the 25 years since. I am 47 years old.

2 or 3 years ago I started to get on the bike again once in while for short rides around Marin. I had always entertained the idea of a to ride to work just once, but a variety of excuses got in the way: schedule, sweat, clothes, getting home, timing, etc… Last year (2008) I made the commitment to try it once (on Bike to Work Day!) and joined a friend and his group who had been bike commuting regularly. Despite the effort it took me that day I really enjoyed it and the sense of accomplishment. On the way home I bought a 20-ticket ferry discount book; that was my way of committing to bike commuting at least another 19 times.

It has been less than a year since that Bike to Work Day in 2008, and I have biked to work over 65 times and still going! I’m still the last one up the hills but have gotten past the barriers to riding. Some days I ride alone but usually meet up along the way with other veteran morning bike commuters. (There are meeting times and spots.)

The specifics: I live in Marinwood. On days that I ride I drive to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal with my bike and ride into the city from there. Then take the ferry home in the evening. I leave the Ferry Plaza about 5:30 a.m. and reach my office around 7 a.m., give or take. It is 20 miles on the nose to my office.