A First-Time Bike to Work Rider's Experience + Resources

Notes
Written By Shiloh Ballard

A new SVBC employee and bike rider; Stevens Creek Trail; a King along Monterey Road (photo credit: Lost San Jose)Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and National Bike Month have transformed me from a reluctant, nervous rider of bikes in urban streets to a bike lover, rider, and advocate.I am proud to have recently joined the staff here at SVBC, and ironically, am also eager to learn more about bicycling. Yes, I owned a bike for years, a nice vintage Schwinn cruiser, but I only used it in rare occasions. I was afraid of riding out on the streets and getting hit, that I’d get a flat tire and not know what to do, or was nervous I wouldn’t know the rules of the road and get laughed at by other bicyclists. Would I sweat in my work clothes and smell all day? I wasn’t the only one; many people feel the same way. Only 7% of the population rides their bike more than once a month.In just four weeks, I have had a total transformation. The first day going to work, yeesh was it both terrifying and thrilling! Riding along a buffered bike lane along Monterey Road in San Jose, I still felt like I’d get clipped from a car’s side window, but with every quarter-mile I rode the less I worried about it. Riding along Third Street, a street that is without a bike lane for what seemed like miles, was tough the first day, and still is. I can see how many potential riders get discouraged the minute they encounter a street without bike lanes. I was a relieved dude when I got to another bike lane on Reed and Third Street, and felt so proud to hang my bike on the SVBC’s office bike racks.The ride home was just as much a new experience, as I had to deal with the wind going against me. I couldn’t believe how tough it was to ride like that, a humbling reminder of the power of Mother Nature. But she also gave me gifts, as the Valley of the Heart’s Delight glowed under the bathing light of the setting sun. I discovered the old, decaying yet classic and unique neon signs that run along the street, juxtaposed with new development projects taking their place. A symbol of the change in this region now called Silicon Valley.It’s been about three weeks since that first ride and no, I don’t ride my bike every day to work. I am still trying to adjust to packing my work clothes and changing when I arrive, my butt is sore from the seat, and a deodorant stick is a necessary item in my office drawer. But I know it’s a process, which is why I have attended some of the SVBC’s urban bicycling workshops to learn the basics about bike safety – riding with traffic, not against it; avoiding riding on the sidewalk; planning a calm, safe route that takes advantage of the region’s growing bicycling lanes. It’s done wonders for my confidence, which is growing every time I ride, and I now look forward to riding my bike to work. The other weekend I rode the gorgeous Stevens Creek Trail, and the experience cemented my love for the bike.I like how biking is like active meditation – by focusing on the task at hand, all the thoughts running through my head all day disappear, and I become present in the moment.I am elated to have discovered the joy of riding a bike here in Silicon Valley, and will do my best along with my teammates at SVBC to help others shed their reservations and experience it too. This month is a great opportunity to do so, and I would love to hear from you, whether you choose a bike May 14 or any day.New to biking? Want to ride on Bike to Work Day/National Bike Month? Here are some resources:

Shiloh Ballard
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