Cyclists nationwide will mark Bike to Work Day tomorrow, celebrating a mode of commuting that is easy on the environment and the pocketbook, among its other benefits.
Penn is feting its bike commuters for the occasion, providing an “Energizer Station” at the Penn Museum from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. to encourage and support those who pedal to campus. The station will include snacks, freebies, a raffle, free access to showers at Hutchinson Gymnasium, and more.
Year-round, the University offers bike commuters a variety of benefits, including reimbursement for bike-commuting expenses, bike-repair stations on campus, bike registration through the Division of Public Safety, and a growing number of bike racks, including some with cover from the elements.
Penn Today spoke with five members of the community who rely on their bikes to get to work on a regular basis. They share the nitty gritty of their commutes, their gear, and why they love to ride.
• Cindy Kwan, IT operations manager, Perelman School of Medicine
Bike commuter since:
As long as I can remember. When I started working at Penn in 2001, I didn’t live too far, so I started biking in. I also bike a lot outside my commute. I run some bike outings for a Scout group and both of my children have done Neighborhood Bike Works Summer Camp. Our whole family is into bicycling. My daughter bikes to her school. My husband owns a gym off South Street, and he bikes to work at all times of day.
The commute:
I live in West Philly, it’s about 2 miles.
The bike:
I have had a road bike for a fair amount of time, but before that I had a mountain bike.
Key gear:
I’ve switched to clip-ons lately and I like those. I also have a great waterproof canvas bike commuter backpack that I love.
Bad-weather contingency:
I’m usually out there, except for in heavy amounts of snow. If the roads are clear and I can get a grip with my road tires, I’m out in it. When it’s really cold I look like I’m going skiing: I have snow pants, I have a ski helmet, I have goggles, I have these big mittens.
Favorite aspect:
That I can beat all the cars to get here. Whether you’re driving or you’re taking public transit, I find that I can get here faster. Also, I like that I’m exercising as I’m commuting.
In general, I encourage people to bike. I think it’s easier to get around; it’s cheaper obviously. It makes me feel good about the environment, and when I get to ride with my family that feels really good, too.
Strangest or most remarkable sight:
Two days ago, I saw this woman who had a leather fanny pack with a shoulder strap that I thought looked cool, so I asked her about it. There’s sort of that camaraderie among cyclists.
• Patrick Walsh, professor of chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences
Bike commuter since:
Since I started working at Penn 20 year ago. I used to live in West Philadelphia, then we moved to Bala Cynwyd. Then two years ago we moved to Fort Washington. I’ve biked from each location.
The commute:
It’s 19 or 20 miles one way from Fort Washington. I try to do it one way every day and take the train the other direction. From my house it’s about a mile to Fort Washington State Park. From there it’s almost all trails. I can ride through that park, along Wissahickon Creek; then it’s about a mile on the roads until I can pick up Forbidden Drive and take that all the way to the bus stop in Manayunk. Then I’m on the Schuylkill River Trail all the way to South Street.
The bike(s):
I have two, because sometimes it rains in the morning and I can’t ride in in the morning so then if I have a bike in my office I can ride home and vice versa. One is a mountain bike. It’s like the SUV of bicycles; it’s the heaviest thing in the world. More recently I got a Specialized gravel bike. It’s like a racing bike with an inch-wide tire, really light.
Key gear:
I’ll sometimes work late and have to ride Forbidden Drive late at night, so my lights are very important.
Bad weather contingency:
In really bad weather I can walk to 30th Street Station, take the train, and then walk home.
Favorite aspect:
I just really like riding in in the morning. It’s a great way to start the day; it’s a beautiful ride. In general one of the things that’s great about Philadelphia is it’s pretty easy to ride in from different directions. We have at least four pretty serious bike commuters in the department.
Strangest or most remarkable sight:
I saw some kind of big cat in the Wissahickon one night, just sitting by the creek. It might have been a bobcat. I also saw a big turtle one time, it was probably two and a half feet long.
• Megan Ryerson, UPS Foundation Chair of Transportation, associate dean for research in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and associate professor in regional planning (Design) and electrical and systems engineering (School of Engineering and Applied Science)
Bike commuter since:
I have been a bike commuter the whole six years that I’ve been here at Penn. I live in South Philly and when I started working here I thought, This is a nice flat city, there are bike lanes connecting my house to Penn, and I love to be outside and exercise, so this would be a fun way to get some exercise and experience the city and get to and from work.
As I started doing it more and more, I realized it’s the most predictable commuting mode that I have. When I started here as an assistant professor, I had 2-year-old twins; getting home at a predictable time was really critical, so I started relying on my bike more and more. When my children were about 3, we got a cargo bike with two seats on the back and I used to bike them from our house to their preschool. I did that until they were 6.
The commute:
I can do it in 15 minutes. Getting to Penn is probably more like 20. From South Philly it’s a little more uphill to get to campus, and usually I’m racing more to get home.
The bike:
Right now I have a Specialized-brand commuter bike. I also have a racing bike that I use for bike races, but I don’t commute with. When I commuted with the children, I used a special bike with an extended frame and a low back wheel with a platform where the children could sit. The low back wheel gave the bike a lower center of gravity. I’m only 5’2” so the weight distribution is really important when you’re ferrying more weight around.
Key gear:
I love my helmet. It’s this neon-yellow helmet cover with googly eyes on it. I hate that, as cyclists, we have to make such an effort to be visible, but at the same time I want to be as safe as possible in our current system, so that’s one piece of gear that is really important.
Bad-weather contingency:
I will not bike when there is ice on the ground or snow on the ground, and I won’t bike in moderate or heavy rain. One of the reasons is I feel like drivers lose their visibility and their patience in the rain; staying safe is just too important. And I don’t bike in the dark, so in the winter I don’t bike as much.
Favorite aspect:
I like that I am showing my children that we can live an urban life that is not dependent on an automobile. I love that they can experience the city not being strapped in to a car seat but actually being a part of the city.
Commuting on my own strength rather than from the seat of a car is, to me, really the way to live a full urban life.
Strangest or most remarkable sight:
This isn’t particularly remarkable, but when I’m on my bike I see students, I see my colleagues who live on my route home, my old friends. I’ll be on my bike waiting at a light and I’ll see someone I know from the neighborhood. Even simple things, like I’ll pass a construction site or see trees down on my ride, and I can come home at night and tell my family, “This is what is happening in the city.”
• Elisabeth Reinkordt, senior media producer, Graduate School of Education
Bike commuter since:
I dipped a toe into it in 2005. I was in a one-car household, and I had the shorter commute. I was living in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the time. By about six months into it I was doing it every day. So since around 2006 I’ve been a year-round bike commuter.
The commute:
It’s three miles each way. I live in South Philly, and it takes me about 15 to 20 minutes, a little bit faster going home than coming here.
The bike:
In addition to commuting, I also race bikes competitively, so I have a fleet. But my regular commuting bike is a Surly Long Haul Trucker. It’s a steel bike made for touring. You could load it up with a full range of camping gear if you wanted. Mine is set up for commuting; it’s currently a single speed, which makes it easier to clean.
Bad weather contingency:
I bike every day all winter, all summer.
Key gear:
Probably my fenders. On a rainy day, they keep your butt and back dry and clean. Even if it’s not fully raining, if you’re going through a puddle, they direct any spray away from your body.
If you need to carry stuff back and forth to work, it’s nice to have something to keep it off your back, whether it’s a rack and panniers or a basket on the front. If you have to carry that stuff on your back it automatically makes your back all sweaty. I leave a stash of clothes and shoes in my desk so I don’t have to carry that every day.
I think having good gloves is another key thing. I have a whole drawerful of gloves for different temperatures. Keeping your hands warm and dry is one of the things that keeps me going when it gets really cold.
Favorite aspect:
The ability to have human interactions. I have a favorite school crossing guard who I see on my morning commute and we always say, “Good morning,” and, “Have a good day.’ He tells me to be safe; I tell him the same. You don’t get those interactions when you’re in the car.
And beyond the human interactions I appreciate the flexibility. I go over the South Street bridge on my commute and, depending on the time of year, the sun is setting during my ride and there’s a beautiful view of the city. It’s easy for me to decide to pull over and take a picture or just look at the view. You just can’t do that in a car.
Strangest or most remarkable sight:
There’s a guy I’ve seen around a lot who has a basket on the front of his bike with two little dogs that wear glasses and special outfits. The dogs, they might be Chihuahuas, have different seasonal outfits, so like when the Eagles were going to the Super Bowl they were decked out in Eagles gear. I see him every two or three months on my commute and every time I do it’s just delightful.
• Karen Wisnia, business administrator for human resources, Physiology Department, Perelman School of Medicine
Bike commuter since:
I actually got my bike at Penn for free during an event that Bike Works was doing. That was probably around 15 years ago, and I’ve been commuting since. I just turned 60 and I think it’s neat that I’m still commuting at my age.
The commute:
It’s about 12 minutes biking or a 30-minute walk. I alternate walking and riding in. It gives me the opportunity to do different kinds of exercise.
The bike:
It’s a really old bike, the same one I got at the Bike Works event. It’s a Fuji Kyoto. It recently got banged up, and I got new tires and fenders. Otherwise, except putting on a new bike seat and maybe new brakes, I haven’t done much to it. It’s a pretty beat up old bike, but for me, it’s perfect.
Key gear:
When it rains I put on rain pants, I wear a rain coat, and I make sure I have a waterproof bag because I carry my work shoes in and I want them to stay dry.
Bad-weather contingency:
I don’t ride in the ice, and I don’t ride in the snow, but I ride in the rain pretty much no matter what.
Favorite aspect of bike commuting:
It’s just so easy to do. When you’re commuting by bike you really feel like you’re being productive. And it’s faster than walking.
Even when the weather is kind of hot it’s nice because I’m sitting, gliding along, getting sunshine on my face. It’s practical, and it’s fun.
