Under The Helmet

Welcome to the first Under The Helmet profile. In honor of bike-to-work month Bainbridge residents will be showcased throughout the month in order to celebrate the persona that chooses to get around under the helmet and on a bicycle. Who will you see; friend, neighbor, colleague, teacher, relative, etc.?

2011 - Right before I caught the bike to work bug.

Name: Elizabeth Ozimek
Age: 29
Occupation: Receptionist
Bike to work: Most definitely.
Frequency: Almost every day. Now that I work on-island I tend to mooch rides off my husband.
Length of commute: 15 minutes! And, that's because my hill climbing is mediocre.

How long have you been a bike commuter?
I'm terrible with time frames. Lets see, um, I've done two Chilly Hilly's and two Bike for Pie's; I biked to work for my last job. So, two years. Maybe two-and-a-half years.

How did you get started?
Honestly, I was fascinated by and jealous of all the bike commuters I saw every workday. I loved how they effortlessly made it to the ferry with seconds to spare but with all the confidence that they would make their ferry; rain or shine, holiday or no. In stark contrast I would be running, juggling my bags and umbrella, getting really sweaty (thank God the ferry is downhill). This is what made me jealous and wish I was one of them. But, it wasn't until I got frustrated enough with the Seattle buses that I decided to bike-to-work.

Once on the Seattle side, getting to work always felt like Russian roulette. I never knew if I was going to be on time or not. Biking to work gave me a stressful free commute, along with the ability to take the 7:55 a.m ferry instead of the 7:05 a.m., stop paying for a monthly orca bus card, and a 90% chance of making the 5:30 p.m ferry going home. All benefit, no downside.

Do you bike for other purposes; touring, exercise, errands, mtb, etc.?
Just recently I thought it would be wonderful to be a triathlete, so now I bike three times out of the week specifically for triathlons. This of course is in addition to biking to work; Yes, that means that on those days I train (on the bike) just to shower and hop on the bike to get to work.

One day I would like to do all my errands via bike but I would first need a bike trailer for the Cheddar Pancakes. Anyone know where I can get something like this?

Favorite thing about commuting?
It makes me feel special. As vain as that sounds, it's true. I've been privy to some amazing sunrises, sunsets, night skies, and full moons around Eagle Harbor. Then there's all the things I've learned about myself and my body. (I'm not skilled enough to bike for a block down Winslow with coffee in one hand. You don't have to go fast; there are days my body is tired and being on a lower gear is wonderful.)

Also, when else would I get to wear these shorts?  

2013 - Bainbridge's Tour de Coop

Something you'd like to share about biking?
I wish I would have started biking years ago. I would have loved commuting via bike when I lived in Wisconsin or California.

Interested in being featured? Feel free to contact me by leaving a comment. All profiles will have the same questions and at least one picture. To be featured one does not have to bike-to-work. If you bike to the library, farmer's market, or just for fun, it all counts. 

Bike To Work Month: Let's Get Ready

Now that it is April, I would like to tell you about Bike-to-Work Month. The month of May is National Bike Month and what better way to celebrate than by challenging yourself to ride. Even if your challenge is only to ride on Bike-to-Work Day, which this year is Friday, May 16th, that is better than not riding at all.

Whether you are a regular bike commuter or you cannot remember the last time you were on a bike -- keep calm, do not panic -- there are several ways to challenge yourself. We know the time frame; one month to prepare and one month for the challenge. So let us talk about how to get ready.

Equipment
Yes, you will need a bike and a helmet. I would also recommend flashing front and rear lights for safety.

Are there other components to buy in order to commute? Sure there are - Fenders, neon jacket, bike rack and panniers, clip-on bike shoes and their pedals. Should you buy them? Some of them are definitely smart purchases, but you do not necessarily need them.

Commute Route
Most of us are used to getting around in cars so we just go with the fastest or the most direct route, and never really think about anything else. You could do the same with your bike commute but you might want to think about yourself and the type of commuter you are, or would be.

So consider the following to get the utmost enjoyment out of your ride. How much time do you have to get to work? Does your route include hills? Are you fine with going up those hills? How much traffic are you sharing the rode with; Do you feel safe and comfortable? Will you wear your work clothes or change at the office?

Friends
There is hardly a situation when friends are not part of the mix, and for good reason. Friends help each other out and while they cannot physically put you on a bike and push the pedals, they will support you if you ask. Ask a friend that has been bike commuting for a while for tips. Or, is there a coworker that lives near you; Maybe you can ride together for part of the route. A friend might even be able to help get you started with some essential items.

For instance, my husband was the first of us to try bike commuting and bought the equipment (padded gloves, panniers, etc.) but for his own reasons he stopped. So when I started commuting I asked him if I could use his stuff and that saved me from having to buy my own gloves and panniers.

Still Not Sure You Are Ready to Bike to Work?    Here's an example of my set-up.
Equipment:
1) Kona commuter bike.
2) Helmet.
3) Bike rack for panniers on back wheel. - I started out with a Timbuk2 bag but switched to panniers when my commute had me leaving home before 7:00 a.m. and arriving by 7:00 p.m, which meant I was packing clothes, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
4) Rear flashing lights; back of helmet and on bike rack.
5) Front lights; one flashing for being noticed the other is a spot light for seeing in the dark. - The spot light are for those short winter days when it gets dark before I leave from work.
5) Clip-on bike shoes and pedals. - I got these because they make going up hills easier and I do not have worry about my feet slipping off the pedals on really rainy days. 

Jeff & I helping on Bike-to-School day.

6) Neon yellow bike jacket.
7) Bike clothes; jersey, shorts, tights.
8) Bike lock.
9) Mirror attached to helmet. - This I bought when I first got my bike because the bike shop recommended it. I took it off recently for a triathlon and forgot to put it back on on Monday, it was strange and a bit unnerving not being able to see the traffic coming up behind you.

Commute Route:
My commute takes me 15 minutes and while it may be short, I do have two hills on my route. I do not bike in my work clothes because the combination of the hills and always being short on time tend to leave me sweaty. Then there is our Pacific Northwest rainy weather. I would be miserable working in wet clothes if I failed to predict the weather for my morning ride.

While I do not have to deal with city traffic anymore, I did when I first started biking to work as I was employed at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. Not having biked since I was in grade school I was definitely unsure of myself. However, I felt safe enough to try it because I spent a couple of months observing the bike commuters along my route. I noticed that they boarded the ferry via the car ramp, how they moved with and through traffic, and how they communicated with each other, pedestrians, and motor-vehicles. My first time, all I really did was follow other bikers.

Hopefully now, after discussing the equipment you would use, the commute route you might take, and seeking advice from friends, you are ready to bike-to-work. If you would really like celebrate bike-to-work month, Seattle's Cascade Bicycle Club puts on a commute challenge where you can participate as a group through your work or an individual rider. And, if you need someone to test ride your route with, I would be happy to help. Just let me know.

Happy Riding!

If We Could Talk: Passing in Blind Curves on Roads

"If We Could Talk" is a continuing series of posts. It covers topics regarding information, based on encounters, that a cyclist or motor-vehicle driver wish they could share with one another.

Dear Driver,

It was around 5:10 p.m. when I met you the other day. It was a brief encounter, so I understand if you don't remember me. But, I know you saw me. I know you saw me because you actually moved out of your lane and gave me a good amount of space, enough space that I wasn't scared and thought, "wow, that was close", and I thank you for that. However, there's something I wish to tell you.

I appreciate you sharing the road that has no bike lane, or even an inch of pavement, on the side to the right of the lane line. We both could tell there was nowhere else for me to be and that our straight lane would soon be sharply curving to the left. You figured that at our different speeds you could quickly and easily pass me, as other cars did, on that short straight stretch of Eagle Harbor Dr. The thing is, you passed me right at the end of the straight-a-way putting yourself onto the on-coming traffic lane, only landing safely back on our lane in the middle of the curve. Please! Don't ever pass anyone on a blind curve.

Maybe if we were in the midwest or even eastern Washington, where rare is the hill and the view is unobstructed from trees as far as the eye can see would it be alright to pass on a curve. Bainbridge is different though, this curve is different. This curve is a complete blind spot (in the SE direction). Not only is it a sharp left but the curve turns into a short hill. There's just no way you can see what's coming from the opposite direction as you pass entering, during, or leaving the curve.

So I repeat, Please, please, don't pass in blind curves on roads. I'm not worried about myself, I am afraid for you the driver in the car that is going 35 m.p.h. At this time in the evening you are most likely on your way home and the sooner you get there the better. I understand, I really do, but passing when you can't see more than a second or two in front of you is an accident waiting to happen.

I promise that if you drive slowly behind me until we get through the turn, until you have more of a clear view to make passing safe, that I will speed up and pedal my hardest up that hill for you. I am more than happy to do this because you are making a conscious effort in keeping us both safe. I've also been the driver caught in that curve behind a cyclist, and can assure you that it will take less than a minute of your time. If something went wrong, those few seconds would turn into minutes; hours. At the time of our encounter I was on my way home to an Airedale, patiently waiting and ready to play, I can only imagine who was counting on you to get home safely.

A Grateful but Worried Cyclist.

Biking on Bainbridge:

Whether you live on, been to, know of, or never heard of Bainbridge Island, it's where I live. Most people come and go through Bainbridge as it's a major commuter hub with a short 35 minute ferry ride taking one from Eagle Harbor to downtown Seattle. It's also a semi-rural place that has experience sharing the road with cyclist, whether it be the person who occasionally tours, someone biking for fitness, or the everyday commuter to work.

My husband and I, along with our Airedale terrier, Cheddar Pancakes moved to the island 3 years ago. Previously living in Wisconsin, Texas, and California; all states in which I never once thought about letting go of my car, it of course came with us to Washington. Promptly, I found a job with the Pacific Science Center in Seattle and thus I joined the ranks of the daily ferry commuters. After about a year of observing countless of bike commuters in bright colorful outfits zip by me and make the ferry with time to spare as I desperately ran in order to not be left behind on an island, with no choice but to wait and fret on the fact that I was going to be late to work, for the next 50 minutes until the next ferry left; I decided to become one of them.

Ok, so there's not that many bike commuters that take the ferry on a daily basis (maybe if one counted bikers from all the different commuter times, in the summer).

At the age of 27 I timidly started biking. (Growing up biking and I had a hazardous relationship with me becoming light-headed with minimal effort anytime I was biking. Looking back I think it was the combination of poor nutrition and the beating sun of central California and Texas.) Now I can't imagine ever stopping, however that doesn't make me a stuck-up, entitled, rich, biker that likes wearing neon colors and tight pants. I bike because I enjoy it, PERIOD. Biking can give so much to people, and it can also take everything away.

In the 2+ years that I've been biking I have seen and learned a lot, and not just about sharing the roads with motorists in the city, suburbs, rural roads, and small towns, but about our cultural views, societal politics, myself, and who I want to be. The purpose of this blog is to share that knowledge in the hope that we'll eventually create a culture that strives to keep us all happy and safe.

So feel free to share your knowledge by leaving a comment, liking/sharing a post, or, if you're ever on island, I love coffee and chatting with people. : )