Bike to Work Day, May 14, 2009
East Bay Stories

Tucked just off busy Bollinger Canyon Road on the Iron Horse Trail in San Ramon, the energizer station sponsored by Bishop Ranch Transportation Center catered to every need of the hundreds of riders who cycled by. Canopied tables were loaded with swag, from bright red backpacks with a zippered outer pocket to emergency shoelaces and a Storus Smart Pocket wallet made to compactly carry a driver’s license, credit card, money and key. Refreshment tables were loaded with bananas, an assortment of muffins, energy bars, and chilled juice boxes and water bottles.

Marci McGuire, program manager at Bishop Ranch, said they began setting up for Bike to Work Day at midnight and were fully set up by 3 a.m. She said they have every kind of bike commuter imaginable, from novice riders to seasoned cyclists pulling toddlers. Riders on recumbent bikes and expert cyclists in full competition gear also took to the trail. Children riding their bikes to school stopped at the station, delighted to partake in the freebies and snacks.

“Our repeat crowd is really strong,” she said. “We have the best time. Some of them stay for an hour or more.”

A table and chairs were available trailside for anyone who wanted to take a breather to enjoy their snack or get their swag stowed away for the next leg of the ride. Information tables with take-one brochures and maps were staffed by representatives from Bishop Ranch, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and East Bay Regional Park District. A park district ranger, Terry Dep, was busy assisting riders in installing the free bicycle lights given away with each bag of goodies.

During both the morning and afternoon, Ultramotor was offering free demonstration rides on an electric bicycle that goes about 20 miles on a single charge. It retails for $2,700, and one lucky visitor who registered at the Bishop Ranch energizer station will win this prize (drawing takes place on May 15). Also being given away by Ultramotor during the drawing are five Timbuktu bags and five Giro helmets.

During the afternoon/evening portion of Bike to Work Day, hot burritos courtesy of Chipotle will be distributed at the Bishop Ranch energizer station to help sustain riders on their journeys home.

Sponsored by Hacienda Business Park, the energizer station at the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station was located under the 580 freeway just before the ticket turnstiles. Bicyclists and BART riders frequently arrived in clusters, occasionally overwhelming the well-staffed tables, as trains arrived and departed and buses roared past.

“We were moving at 6:30, although we weren’t supposed to open till 7,” said Vickie Salinas, co-coordinator of the energizer station along with James Paxson. During the peaks, 20-30 riders surrounded the tables, scoring sturdy canvas Bike to Work Day bags filled with items such as a Scharffenberger chocolate bar, cyclist ankle bands, instant durable towels, a water bottle, reflecting lights, energy bar and various coupons and literature. The yellow Bike to Work Day t-shirts were also a popular giveaway.

Plenty of people were on hand to help out at the station, including Don Biddle, a newly elected Dublin city councilman, Tim Sbranti, Dublin’s mayor, and staff from the City of Pleasanton and City of Dublin. A display by Dublin Cyclery featured a dandy Bike Friday, a folding bicycle made in Eugene, Oregon, that can be taken on trains at any hour, as well as “commuter kits” with everything a cyclist would need to fix a flat tire, decorative socks that wick away perspiration and the latest technology in lights for bikes.

About 400 cyclists had passed by and/or stopped at the station by the time it closed somewhat after its scheduled time of 9 a.m.

—Georgia Lambert
All photos by Karl Nielsen

See photos from Bike to Work Day 2009

See photos from Bike to Work Day 2008

See photos from Bike to Work Day 2007

See photos from Bike to Work Day 2006

See photos from Bike to Work Day 2005

See photos from Bike to Work Day 2004

Visit the official
Bike to Work Day
site

Quick Comments
Bishop Ranch, San Ramon:

Best part of the ride:
“Just getting up and getting some fresh air while it’s not cold.”
– Scott Brown, San Ramon
Wearing casual business attire, he said it was his first time cycling to work this year and he was inspired to ride because it was Bike to Work Day. He lives only three miles from his job at Interforum in Bishop Ranch.

Best part of the day:
“The weather and I’ve never seen this many people out here – it’s really great. This is the best energizer station.”
– Peter Rudnick, Moraga resident, who owns over a dozen bicycles and has been riding since he was “knee-high to a grasshopper.” He usually carpools from Moraga to Pleasanton, then cycles home in a trip that takes close to two hours, three times a week (year-round, except during inclement weather).

Quirkiest part of his ride:
“Sometimes a squirrel will run out in front of you and you have to dodge it. It’s nice to see them on the trail, though.”
– Greg Zmurk, Linden
About three times a week, Greg cycles from home to the ACE train station in Stockton, disembarks at Pleasanton and rides the Iron Horse Trail to Bishop Ranch.

How she usually gets to work:
“I ride my bicycle to work three to five times a week.”
– Debbie Griffin, San Ramon
She lives near her job with a law firm in Bishop Ranch and wears business attire while cycling.

Why he rides to work:
“It’s a good thing to do – everybody should ride to work.”
– John Korzick, Danville, a teacher of robotics at California High School in San Ramon. He said it takes him about half an hour each way.

Best part of the day:
“I usually whiz past on my commute, but today I was riding with a friend for Bike to Work Day and she pointed out that there are bears on the trail – carved wooden ones somewhere around southern Walnut Creek or northern Alamo.”
– Jim Kirkpatrick, Walnut Creek, pictured with Eva Zee
His commute is 16 or 17 miles daily.

Quick Comments
Dublin/Pleasanton BART:

Most impressed by:
“The number of people who do bike – going both ways. Dublin has a good network of bike trails.”
– Don Biddle, Dublin city councilman
He arrived before 7 to help with distributing goody bags to cyclists.

Why he rode today:
“I just got inspired to do it for Bike to Work Day – it’s the first time I’ve ever ridden to work.”
– Miklos Kovacs, Newark
He rode from downtown Newark to the Union City BART, caught the train, and was on his way to Safeway in the Stoneridge Plaza area. He calculated that the bike-riding part of his day would be about 45 minutes each way.

Best part of the day:
“I like to talk to the people who bike a lot. Usually no one stops to chat, but today there’s time to stop.”
– Heidi Fraser, San Ramon
Although it was her day off, she wanted to join in Bike to Work Day and had ridden from San Ramon to Dublin just for the fun. She normally rides her bike to work and enjoys seeing lots of kids out on their mountain bikes as they ride to school.