May 13 is the San Francisco Bay Area’s 16th Annual Bike to Work Day. Join your colleagues and neighbors and ride to work this Thursday. UCOP will mark the day with free bike tune-ups for those that participate. UCOP’s Bike to Work Day event, organized by the Sustainability Office, is made possible by support from Executive VP Nathan Brostrom.

Link staff caught up with a UCOP team member who’s sure to partake in Bike to Work Day. Associate Director of the Academic Senate Todd Giedt is an avid rider. Todd has a longstanding passion for cycling; he even raced for his college team when he was a student at UC Santa Barbara, averaging about 200 miles per week at that time. “I generally don’t do that kind of mileage anymore, but I can’t speak highly enough of cycling for both its utility and its contribution to an active and healthy lifestyle,” Todd said.

Todd began biking to and from work some eight years ago. The sunrise panorama “jump starts” his day as he crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, on his way to work from his North Bay home. Of the many other benefits of commuting via bike, he particularly appreciates seeing the sun set as he traverses the bridge after work.

Cycling is a good way to stay in shape and keep weight off, Todd noted, and more engaging than going to the gym. “Cycling to work provides exercise with less impact on my time and cuts down on my commuting costs,” he said. As part of his multi-modal commute, Todd completes the 12-mile journey from the Embarcadero BART station to his North Bay home in 45-50 minutes.

UCOP Cyclists
Learning and Development Coordinator Tacy Trowbridge also commutes by bike. “I just started biking in October after 30 years without a bike. I love getting exercise regularly, having a green commute, and biking by Lake Merritt twice a day,” Tacy said.

Tacy and Todd are in fine company. Some of the other UCOP team members who regularly bike in to work include:

• Steve Cavalli, manager of the Data Center, IRC-Application Technology Services
• Rosemary Chengson, content manager, IR
• Andy Coghlan, sustainability specialist, Budget and Capital Resources
• Vanessa Correa, creative director, External Relations–Communications
• Becky Farmer, programmer/analyst III, IRC-Information & Communication Services
• John Fox, director, HR Policies, HR–UCOP Human Resources
• Erik Freitag, network engineer II – supervisor, IRC-Communications Services
• Paul Ingram, analyst, Vendor Managment – UCOP Human Resources
• Jesus Loo, analyst, Vendor Management – UCOP Human Resources
• Michael Reese, associate VP-Business Operations, Business Operations Immediate Office
• Matthew Valenzuela, principal DP production coordinator, IRC-Application Technology Services

UCOP Offers Free Bike Tune-Ups on Bike to Work Day
Free bike tune-ups will be available for all UCOP employees who ride in on Bike to Work Day. Bike mechanics will be at the Franklin Building bike cage—just inside the UCOP parking garage—from 7:00-9:30 a.m. Additionally, replacement parts will be available for purchase.

Contact Andy Coghlan for more information on UCOP’s Bike to Work Day activities.

Tips for New Bike Commuters
Todd recommends that novice bike commuters keep it simple when starting out. For shorter commutes, the old bike you have in your garage is probably fine, he said. For longer commutes, many people go multi-modal, which sometimes entails bringing the bike on the bus, light rail or ferry for part of the commute. If the bike leg does not end at the office, it is often possible to lock the bike in either a bike locker or a bike station. BikeLink maintains a number of bike lockers throughout the Bay Area; there are three bike stations located at the Berkeley, Embarcadero and Fruitvale BART stations.

UCOP Resources for Cyclists
UCOP offers secure bike parking in the Franklin Street employee garage and in the Kaiser Building. For access, contact the Work Management Center and request that bike-parking authorization be added to your UCOP employee ID card. Request processing may take a few hours, so please be sure to contact the Work Management Center before biking to work.

There are showers and changing facilities located immediately opposite the elevators on the 9th floor of the Franklin Building. Soap is provided, but employees must bring their own shampoo and towels.

As part of its ongoing support for bike commuting, UCOP will also purchase a bicycle pump and tire-changing tools. This equipment will be housed in the Franklin Building and be available to cyclists who get a flat tire on their way to work.

Visit the UCOP Safety Meeting Topics page and click on “Bicycle Safety – May (pptx)” for a safety training presentation on bike safety.

Background on San Francisco Bay Area’s Annual Bike to Work Day
All nine Bay Area counties participate in Bike to Work Day, one of many events taking place in May as part of National Bike Month.

Visit your nearest Energizer Station on Bike to Work Day to enjoy free coffee and snacks, and get a free canvas tote bag.

Don’t forget to enter the free Bike to Work Day Raffle for the chance to win:

• Grand prize – San Rafael Bicycle from Marin Bikes
• Second prize – Eco 3 Folding Bike from Dahon
• Third prize – X-Treme XB-310Li Folding Electric Bicycle
• Fourth prize – The Vandal: Expandable Cargo Backpack from Mission Workshop
• Fifth prize – Junction 4: 50-liter hydration pack from The North Face

Community Resources for Riders

• 511 SF Bay Area: Bicycling Resource Guide
• 511 SF Bay Area: Safe Riding
• Commuting by Bicycle
• BikeLink
• East Bay Bicycle Coalition
• San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
• League of American Bicyclists
• Bikes on BART
• California Vehicle Code (VC): Section 21200-21212

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