Bike Commuter of the Year!

The 2010 Bike Commuter of the Year winners:

San Mateo County

Margaret Pye

Margaret Pye is a role model in bicycle commuting. She and her husband own a home in San Carlos, but not a car. She bikes everyday to work in Menlo Park, rain or shine. Margaret says, “Even when we owned a car, my husband used to walk to work about 4 miles each way, and I did a bike/Caltrain commute to my job in San Francisco. The car would just sit in the driveway unused for days and days.” Since acquiring her new bicycle and digital odometer in November of 2007, Margaret has traveled over 7,000 miles and lost 30 pounds. Margaret truly exemplifies what it means to be a bike commuter; she incorporates the bicycle in her life for transportation, health, and recreation, demonstrating to her community the value of a bicycle for the everyday use.

Santa Clara County

Manfred Kopisch

Manfred Kopisch has been commuting by bicycle all his life. He started as a schoolboy in Germany. “In Germany, kids start out walking to school,” he says “everyone wants to advance to biking to school.” Even after graduating college and starting work, he has always looked for a home within biking distance to work. When he moved to Palo Alto in 1996 for his job at SAP, he found a home only 6 miles away. Manfred is now passing along his bicycle commuting passion to his six kids. The children, who range from 6 to 15 years of age, all ride their bikes to school. Every day, Manfred starts riding with the three younger kids 2.5 miles to school, and then rides 8 more miles to work. He states, “It gives them a sense of freedom. If they want to go to a friend’s house, they don’t have to wait for mom or dad to drive them there. They can ride their bikes.” On the weekends, his family will run errands by bike: going to the library, bookstore, market, etc. Anything closer than 5 miles typically is done on a bicycle – even in the rain.