Who Else
is Doing It?
Case Studies
Below are two success stories of people who started biking to work in San Francisco. These stories were submitted to
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
and demonstrate many of the benefits of commuting to work by bicycle.
Linda: "OK, you asked for it. I am female (I am woman, hear me...), 53 years old, who started biking to work 2½ years ago. I did it for about 8 months, 5 or 6 years ago, but gave it up, using El Nino and el Nina as my reasons/excuses. Benefits? Don't get me started!
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When I ride, I am in control of my trip to work and home, not at the mercy of a bus.
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Riding to work doesn't cost money.
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I enjoy seeing how our fabulous city changes on a daily basis.
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I get much-needed exercise for which I don't have the time or inclination.
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The ride downtown from where I live is mostly downhill; I arrive winded and awake, but not sweaty.
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My arthritis (both knees) is much improved after I ride; I start off a bit stiff, but soon get moving pretty well.
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I now have a hobby; I have spent vacations the last two years bike touring.
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I am 3/4 the size I was three years ago.
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And last, if you get caught in a protest, you have a far better chance of getting through than if you were in a car or on MUNI!"
Jonas: "I was a college student dragging out my final semesters at SF State in 1988. A roommate who was a bike messenger went on tour with his band asked me to fix his bike up while he was gone (I owed him a favor for some reason). Well, once I fixed up his Motobecane 10 speed, I felt obliged to ride it through Golden Gate Park one Saturday (we lived in the Haight). Seeing how easy it was to ride down to the beach and back, I decided to compare times in riding through the park, down Sunset and up to SF State as opposed to taking a bus and a MUNI! trolley. It was quite competitive, clocking in at about 30 minutes. Plus, I could guarantee that I got to State in 30 minutes whereas I needed to pad my bus wait in case of missed connections, etc. After my roommate returned from the tour, I purchased my first Mongoose used for $200.
Fast forward two years to where I was a contract freelance graphic artist working at an advertising agency near Broadway and Montgomery. One day I arrived late (missed the bus, whatever) and my supervisor asked me to leave earlier if that was the case. I said, well, can I bicycle here and change in the employee bathroom? My supervisor's cold demeanor softened a bit and said, 'Sure why not?' And after a few weeks of bicycling to work and having a tiny under-the-seat bag stolen from being parked outside for eight hours, my supervisor suggested I bring my bicycle up to the fifth floor and park it in a large storage room.
I have always found that my state of mind at work when I arrive is much more relaxed than after a MUNI ride and a cup of caffeine or two that had been my usual routine. And if the day has been particularly stressful, what better way to relieve it than to ride for a few miles? Of course, bicycling in SF traffic can be stressful but not as stressful or as powerless as being behind the wheel of a car or the cramped confines of a bus or train."
As these two stories suggest, once people are motivated to try it for the first time, riding a bicycle to work can be a life-changing experience! Bike to Work Day events can provide the spark necessary to encourage people to give commuting by bike a try, thereby spreading the personal benefits of bicycling to increasing numbers of cyclists as well as creating spillover benefits for their fellow commuters and neighboring communities.
  
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