Bicycle Commuter of the Year 2018: Say Hello to Molly Clancy!

Every year, we sort through nominations to choose a Bike Commuter of the Year, and every year it gets harder. We received over 65 nominations this year, and with each nomination came an incredible story.We read about people who inspired others to try commuting by bike, people who are champions for cycling in their community and people who just plain love to ride. Each and every one was important, and we can’t thank you enough for your submissions!Without further ado, we’d like to introduce Molly Clancy, our Bike Commuter of the Year! Molly is a 28-year-old analytic manager at Google who has ridden to work every day for nearly 10 years. Molly describes herself as competitive and athletic, but her sweet personality shines through as she always does her best to get friends and colleagues to give bicycle commuting a try.In addition to bragging rights, Molly has won a cycling trip to Portugal, generously donated by Exodus Travels, and a year-long SVBC membership. Molly and our honorable mentions will be celebrated at our Bike Away from Work Bash following Bike To Work Day 2018.Read on to see what Molly has to say about what it means to her to commute by bike!

1. How long have you been riding your bicycle as a regular means of transportation? What prompted you to get on that bike seat?

As long as I can remember, I've always loved biking (and hated cars). I recently found a home video of my 2nd birthday and the entire thing is me biking around on my tricycle. I have fond memories of my dad teaching me to ride a 2-wheeler at a Rillito Park in Tucson, Arizona, where I grew up. I remember falling so many times, then being so happy when I finally mastered it. When I moved to California for college, I didn't have a car so I bought an old blue Schwinn mountain bike off Craigslist for $20. I've been riding it around ever since. When I got my first internship during college, it was only 9 miles away, so I adopted a "no excuses" attitude and biked there. I continued biking through grad school and my first few real jobs (still in LA). When I moved to the Bay Area 4 years ago I continued riding my trusty blue bike. I've even competed in a few triathlons on it as well.

2. What kind of activities and trips do you use your bicycle for?

Pretty much everything! Work, groceries, errands, you name it. I even bike to concerts because Shoreline Amphitheater is amazing and has bike parking. There is nothing better than leaving a concert on bike and skipping all the traffic while getting some fresh air and exercise!

3. What inspires you to embrace the bike as your primary mode of travel?

I live in California so that I can spend time outside, not inside (this includes inside cars). I love the freedom a bicycle gives me; I can go wherever I want whenever I want, and I can be outside while doing it. It's also better for the environment, I save time and money, and it feels pretty awesome being self-powered.

4. How have you tried to encourage more bicycling in your workplace and the community?

I see myself as the type that gets other people to think, "Well if she can do it, I can too." I encourage my coworkers to bike and help them find safe routes into work. I volunteer as a Trail Ambassador with the City of Mountain View and model safe biking etiquette as well as get additional cyclists to sign up. I've learned more about fixing bikes through Bike Exchange and have used my knowledge to help my neighbors fix up their old bikes. I also put some pretty awesome rainbow lights on my bike (side-facing) and have had tons of people tell me how seeing a cyclist so visible makes them think biking at night is actually feasible and safe.

5. How does using a bike make your day different than if you drove everywhere?

There's no traffic in the bike lanes! Traffic makes me mad, so I am happier by not having to deal with that. Biking is usually the fastest mode of transportation so I am very efficient wherever I go. But mostly it is a great low-impact workout that also happens to be a ton of fun.

6. What is the best part about being a bike commuter?

Every morning I get up, hop on my bike, and ride into work while admiring a beautiful sunrise. It is the best start to my day every single day.

7. What do you think needs to be done to encourage more people to ride a bike?

SVBC does a great job encouraging people to bike more, as well as making that a safe experience. I think a lot more people would start biking regularly if they just committed to it for 1 week - because after that you're hooked!