Going the extra mile

Last week I got my first taste of a part of SVBC that makes it what it is; pure passion for the bicycle. For the past twelve years, the majority of new members have received their membership packets by bicycle delivery. This effort has been spearheaded by one woman: Anne Ng. Bicycle delivery has been one of her favorite contributions to the organization. She has been a member of our organization for over thirty years and being able to make deliveries with her was an honor.Our journey started at the 22nd Street stop of Caltrain. Little did I know I was going to have to haul my bike up three sets of stairs when I was putting on my cleated shoes that morning. It was a little more excitement than I was looking for, carrying a 30 lb. bike and panniers up slippery steel steps.When we got to the first stop, I noticed the manila envelope that Anne pulled out of her bag. It had postage! However, this postage was a little different than the mallard duck or lady liberty I am familiar with. It said "Forever" in a different way: bicycle delivery. It was beautiful, clean, and simple, just like the machine itself.Later that day, Anne pulled out the map and was summarizing the rest of the deliveries. "We are going down here to Chavez, then we'll head north on Valencia and then we'll take the Wiggle and end up in the Presidio.""Wait wait wait, the what!?""The wiggle, have you never heard of the wiggle?"I had never heard of the wiggle and for those readers who can relate, the wiggle is a specific bicycle route in San Francisco. It takes you from Market to the panhandle of Golden Gate Park, climbing over 100 ft of elevation without even breaking a sweat. I felt as if I was at the Panama Canal getting in the boat elevator for bicycles.That day was an experience that I will never forget and will forever serve as a reminder of who we are and what we do as an organization.