Commuters of the Day: 2009
2009 Commuters of the Day:
- Monday: Martin Ince: Brick Award Winner
- Tuesday: Ann Eagan
- Wednesday: Jeff Hankens
- Thursday: The Twomey Family: Maggie, Will, Claire & Nixon
- Friday: Cindy Perger
- Monday: Student Commuter Zach Morris
Zachariah Morris
Age 14, Grade 8.
Zach attends Flagstaff Middle School– he lives near-by Coconino Estates, about a mile away. Not a long ride, but he rides his Green Kona Blast to school every day of the school year. Of his Kona, Zach is almost poetic… “the most awesome bike and worth every penny”, his favorite thing…the egg beater pedals. He thinks his next bike may be a Bianchi Cyclocross. He has volunteered at AZ Bikes to learn the finer points of bike repair.
He has commuted every day since first moving to Flagstaff three years ago from the Valley, but he has ridden most of his life.
Zach says he bikes for various reasons, but primarily because it is his transportation, but also because it is good for the environment.
His pet peeve is finding trash out in the forest when he’s out there biking.
His advice to other students who might consider bike commuter,,,? Even if you don’t like PE, it’s a great way to get exercise that is fun.
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Name: Cindy Perger: Cindy is a steady bike commuter who knows how to multi-task. We’ve seen Cindy on our Trail Days every summer!
FBO: Where do you work? Flagstaff Police Dept.
FBO: How long have you been riding your bike? Since Cindy: I was big enough to reach the pedals!
FBO: How long have you been commuting?
Cindy: Three years as a daily commuter, a few more years as a seasonal commuter.
FBO: How long is your commute?
Cindy: Round trip is a quick four miles
FBO: What kind of bike do you ride?
Cindy: My commuter is a Specialized Allez
FBO: Do you do other types of riding? Cindy: I am an avid road cyclist but also hit the trails when I can.
FBO: What is the most unusual thing that’s ever happened to you while riding?
Cindy: Bunny hopping a rattlesnake while riding through Saguaro National Park- East in Tucson. That one got my heart going and I learned you really can bunny hop a road bike!
FBO: What is your favorite thing about your bike commute?
Cindy: I really enjoy the quiet in the morning since not many people are up yet, it helps me wind down after work on my home trip and only filling my small truck’s gas tank three times a year.
FBO: Pet peeve?
Cindy: Car exhaust, cars that turn right in front of you even though they know you are there since they just passed you! Cyclists who ride badly causing motorists to hate us!
FBO: Do you have any advice for someone that is trying to commute for the first time?
Cindy: Winter time is all about layering, spend the extra money for a good pair of winter gloves (worth every penny when it is 10 degrees) and always watch the cars. Even if they see you it does not mean they will respect you being on the road; always expect the worst and plan an escape route. Give it some time when you first start. It can take a little bit to figure out what are the best clothes to wear, the best bag/pannier to carry and the best route.
FBO: Anything else you’d like to add?
Cindy: The more bicycling commuters the merrier!
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The Twomey Family are our Commuters of the Day. You might see their little train wheeling from Swiss Manor to West Flagstaff via the Cedar Hill. Awesome haul Maggie & Will!
FBO: Where do you work?
Maggie: City of Flagstaff, Thorpe Park Community & Senior Center; Husband Will works at Kendrick Peak for WL GORE
FBO: How long have you been riding your bike?
Maggie: Most of my life, yet commuting only the last 3-4 years
FBO: How long is your one-way commute?
Maggie: Mine is 5 miles /Will’s is 10 miles– both one way
FBO: What kind of bike do you ride?
Maggie: I have a few to choose from, but my favorite is my Cannondale Scapel Mountain Bike
FBO: Do you do other types of riding?
Maggie: Little bit of mountain biking, not much. Will mountain bikes quite a bit.
FBO: What is the most unusual thing that’s ever happened to you while riding?
Maggie: Unusual Bad: Motorcyclist shoved me while I was riding up San Francisco and said “get out of my way”… Just Unusual: One night while climbing up Forest/Cedar from Turquoise I noticed something in the ditch… when I got right next to it, it started kicking and looked right at me. It was an injured deer, at first I was terrified, but then saddened.
FBO: What is your favorite thing(s) about your bike commute?
Maggie: (1) I love commuting in the winter-because I get to see the sun rise from the top of Buffalo Park Hill in the morning with little or no traffic…it’s very peaceful. (2) I love to hear my kids singing while in tow…they don’t sing in the car??? I hope I’m creating valuable memories for them! (3) Seeing someone’s face who hasn’t seen our long train before…they are in awe. (4) Approaching a manned police car who is parked with their radar gun out…My 4 year old loves me to ask…”How fast are we going?”…we always get a smile and an answer! (top speed has only been 12mph)
FBO: Pet peeve?
Maggie: That there is not a shower at work…this IS my exercise! So I take it easy riding to work and pedal my tail off on the way home!
FBO: Do you have any advice for someone that is trying to commute for the first time?
Maggie: Yes: Take all your “stuff” to work either on the weekend or the day before, so you don’t have much to transport by bike…then when you get hooked….you’ll figure out how to be more efficient….make it as easy as possible the first handful of times. It really is a pleasant way to travel. If you have small children….a burley type trailer is AWESOME…Our son has been biking since he was a few weeks old…infant car seats strap right in there (with the help of bungies) and the trailer allows you to carry all sorts of stuff. They generally aren’t big enough for helmets until about 8 months or so- but the car seat provides a high level of protection for short rides….Our 4 year old LOVES her trail-a-bike! She also loves her dresses….I invested in some leg warmers this winter and that works great on chilly mornings!
FBO: Anything else you’d like to add?
Maggie: My husband and I commuted by bike alternately for a few years and the other would shuttle kids…it wasn’t until last year during Bike to Work Week that we discovered that we could both ride AND take Both kids successfully! It’s taken a bit of juggling but the benefits are amazing! We are no longer “rushing” here and there, we spend less money on gas & car repair and we ALL sleep better from more fresh air! In addition, a trail a bike system offers you a safe way to teach your young rider how to safely navigate traffic, communicate with drivers and other important lessons of commuting!
Jeff Hankens is Wednesday’s Commuter of the Day. He’s the guy you saw all winter driving his bike with a trailer along Interstate 17 from Kachina Village. Not everyone can be like Jeff, but we can bow in awe when we meet one of these diehards that combines great distance AND all season commuting. Hats off to Jeff!
FBO: Where do you work?
Jeff: BikeTrailerShop.com
FBO: How long have you been riding your bike?
Jeff: 22 years
FBO: How long have you been commuting?
Jeff: Since I started in my current job and at my previous job before that, or about five years.
FBO: How long is your commute?
Jeff: 25 miles, round-trip
FBO: What kind of bike do you ride?
Jeff: My commuter is an old Koga-Miyata frame my brother rescued from the basement of the Iowa City Spoke about ten years ago. It was originally just my touring bike, but I’ve rebuilt it several times. Now it’s sporting front and rear racks, studded tires, fenders, a dynamo light, moustache bars, and my favorite Brooks saddle.
FBO: Do you do other types of riding?
Jeff: I started on the road, as a triathlete when I was twelve, then moved into road racing in my teens and twenties. I still do a fair bit of road riding, but I get out on the mountain bike with some regularity, too.
FBO: What is the most unusual thing that’s ever happened to you while riding?
Jeff: I used to work for Bikes at Work, in Ames, Iowa, picking up recycling with their giant commercial trailers. On my first day it was well below zero and there was about a foot of snow on the ground from the previous day, in dirty, frozen ruts. I just assumed that we weren’t going to work that day. I was wrong. Since then, I’ve realized that you can ride a bike in just about any weather, as long as you’re prepared.
FBO: What is your favorite thing about your bike commute?
Jeff: I like getting to work feeling awake, and not having to supplement my morning with caffeine.
FBO: Pet peeve?
Jeff: The debris on I-17. As my fellow Kachina Village commuters know, if you’re riding on untested tires, two or three flats per week isn’t uncommon.
FBO: Do you have any advice for someone that is trying to commute for the first time?
Jeff: You should not only have a good repair kit, you should also know how to use it. Fixing a flat on the side of the road can be a lot less daunting if you’ve practiced at ome a few times at home. Your repair kit can be as simple as a set of self-adhesive patches, tire levers, and a pump, but should also include a small multi-tool, in case of something mechanical.
FBO: Anything else you’d like to add?
Jeff: I really enjoy seeing the regulars out there every day. Being able to nod or say ‘hello’ as you pass by another commuter is something that doesn’t happen when you drive.
Ann Eagan is Tuesday’s Honorary Commuter of the Day. She is currently recovering from illness but aspires to get back in the saddle soon. Join me in wishing her a speedy recovery!
FBO: Where do you work?
Ann: NAU Cline Library
FBO: How long have you riding your bike?
Ann: I bought a trike last year. I got my first bike in 1975.
FBO: How long have you been commuting?
Ann: When I lived in Colorado I commuted irregularly. I was a regular bike commuter in Tucson for about 8 years. Since I moved to Flagstaff in 1999 I have commuted irregularly but have tried to commute at least some of the time during the summers.
FBO: How long is your commute?
Ann: A little less than 3 miles one way.
FBO: What kind of bike do you ride?
Ann: I have a Sun EX-3 USX tricycle.
FBO: What is the most unusual thing that’s ever happened to you while riding?
Ann: I started sliding backward down a small hill on my trike – not enough strength to get up the hill. My husband stopped my slide before I got the trike stopped, then I walked up the hill the rest of the way.
FBO: What is your favorite thing(s) about your bike commute?
Ann: Seeing the flowers along the urban trail, especially the poppies.
FBO: Pet peeve?
Ann: The intersection at McConnell and Beulah. It’s always busy and the drivers are often not paying attention.
FBO: Do you have any advice for someone that is trying to commute for the first time?
Ann: Check out the route on a weekend or another less busy time so it’s not so stressful when you need to actually do it for work.
FBO: Anything else you’d like to add?
Ann: Finding a way to get back into cycling is one more way to get back my life. In February 2007 I was diagnosed with intravascular lymphoma, a very rare and very aggressive cancer. It responded well to the chemotherapy and I have been in remission for two years now. The cancer left me with balance problems so I cannot safely ride a bike but having the trike allows me to do most of what I was able to do before.
I recently spent seven weeks in the hospital battling pneumonia so my commuting this week will be virtual as I pedal on a stationary bike in physical therapy. As soon as I can, though, I’ll be back on the trails!
Monday’s Commuter of the Day: Martin Ince
There can be little doubt that Martin Ince, Flagstaff’s own Multi-modal Planner is deserving of the 2009 FBO Brick Award. Read more about his award HERE.
FBO: Where do you work?
Martin: Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization/City of Flagstaff
FBO: How long have you been riding your bike?
Martin: 25+ years
FBO: How long have you been commuting?
Martin: 12 years
FBO: How long is your commute?
Martin: 8 miles/day
FBO: What kind of bike do you ride?
Martin: Bridgestone XO-2 (summer)/old Cannondale with fenders (winter)/ Bianchi Milano (quick trips, parades, special events, coffee runs)
FBO: Do you do other types of riding?
Martin: Road, mountain, touring, general meandering
FBO: What is the most unusual thing that’s ever happened to you while riding?
Martin: Ran over a weasel. Well not technically, it managed to slip between the wheels. Also 2 near-misses with cattle.
FBO: What is your favorite thing(s) about your bike commute?
Martin: Tailwinds, decompressing, chatting with other cyclists
FBO: Pet peeve?
Martin: Oblivious motorists; bicyclists performing unsafe/illegal maneuvers
FBO: Do you have any advice for someone that is trying to commute for the first time?
Martin: 1. Learn basic traffic skills and rules of the road
2. Start simply