I Bike: Mare Sullivan

Mare Sullivan, a self-described suburban matron from Kirkland, never had a bicycle as a child.  Her parents offered to buy each of their children a bike for their 10th birthday, but Mare bargained for a guitar of equal value instead.  She finally purchased a Sears Free Spirit 10 speed before heading off to college and rode it a lot during her undergrad and graduate years.

After marriage, Mare embarked on a career that required her to drive all over Western Washington so her biking time was reduced to recreational rides with her eldest daughter.  Her bike eventually was relegated to the garage when her second daughter could/would not learn to ride.

Fast forward a couple of decades to February 2008.  Mare was teaching an Environmental Science course and challenged her students to commit to one lifestyle change that would make a positive impact on the environment.  She joined them in the challenge by taking up bike/bus commuting.

"The first day was terrifying," Mare recalled.  "The bus driver was kind enough to show me how to put my bike on the bus and I was scared riding in downtown Bellevue.  With intermittent walking breaks, I rode my bike home that afternoon."

Surprisingly to Mare, her family and friends, by May 2008 she was a fulltime bike commuter and had entered the Group Health Commute Challenge.  She finished in the top 31% of all riders; top 15% of all female riders; top 13% of new bike commuters; and top 6% of all new female commuters!  By the end of the year, she had logged over 2600 miles on her bike.

"I like the pace of biking--stopping to visit or ponder or observe along the way," explained Mare.  "I like having more energy, being stronger, and 30 pounds lighter than I was three years ago.  I never envisioned myself--an overweight, 50-something matron from the 'burbs--ending up biking more miles than I drive each year.  Crazy.  And fun!"

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Tell us your story!  I Bike is a project of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to put a personal face on bicycling when we talk to elected officials and the public.  Contact Louise McGrody if you'd like to share your I Bike story with us.

I Bike: Hannah and Sophia Carpenter

Sisters Hannah (14, freshman in High School) and Sophie (12, 6th grade) Carpenter are independent travelers encouraged by their parents to bike wherever they need to go. They aren’t reliant on an adult to drive them around town.

When Sophie sold her handmade jewelry at the Farmer's Market last summer, she pedaled her supplies to the market on her own, and even combined bike and bus to participate in the Wednesday Fairhaven Market. Their mother couldn’t be prouder, remarking that the girls’ bikes gave them freedom and a much more fun-filled summer than they would have had sans bikes.

“Since I work full time I’m not home to drive them to the library, a friend’s house or to the market. Having them ride is the perfect solution. We sat down and figured out a safe route to get downtown and they’ve been biking it regularly. They are confident cyclists and really enjoy the independence the bike gives them,” stated proud Mom.

Both sisters started biking on their own in 3rd grade and now they bike everywhere – downtown, to the library, friends’ houses, to school, to volunteer or to babysit.

Hannah likes that she doesn’t need to rely on an adult for a ride, but at the same time dislikes that she’s expected to bike everywhere. Sophie said she likes going fast and riding by herself, however tackling big hills like Barkley Boulevard rank low on her list of likes. (For those of you that know the area, Barkley is a BIG hill -- way to go Sophie! I haven’t even attempted that one!)

Sophie’s earliest memory of biking involves playing Sophia LaWow and the Green Ball of Terror. “My mom and sister bounced a green ball back and forth and I rode across between them. My mom would talk like a circus announcer like I was doing a big trick,” explained Sophie. Hannah remembers “going down the sidewalk by the elementary school and having to wait forever for my Mom and little sister to catch up. They were so slow!!!”

Both girls are quick to offer advice to other kids who want to bike more. Hannah encourages kids to “convince your parents the world is not a scary place and it’s OK to bike.”  Sophie advised to “ know where you are going and wear warm clothing”.

I love meeting kids like Hannah and Sophie, I know that their experience biking as kids is going to positively impact their adult lives. Even if they do grow up and make most of their trips by car, at least they have the experience of biking, which will make them better drivers. Plus, they will be more likely to allow their own kids to bike around town. The cycle will continue with each generation.

Tell us your story!  I Bike is a project of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to put a personal face on bicycling when we talk to elected officials and the public.  Contact Louise McGrody if you'd like to share your I Bike story.

I Bike: Izabelle Anderson

Izabelle proudly poses with her bike.

Although Izabelle Anderson of Bellingham is only 8 years old,  she has been riding her bike for "a hundred years."  She proudly bikes to school on her pink bicycle decorated with flowers and equipped with a basket.

Biking is Izabelle's favorite way to get to school.  She likes to bike because she gets exercise, has a lot of fun, and she likes to play on her bike.  Sometimes she even rides in the rain.

When asked what her first memories of biking are, Izabelle responded, "I remember that I got to look around when I was on the back of my Mom's bike. I also remember crashing my bike when I had training wheels and I went too fast down a hill."  The coolest thing she has seen from a bike seat is a raccoon.

Does she have any advice for folks thinking about taking up biking?  You bet.

"Always wear your helmet and be safe all the time. Wear hand gloves. Ride in a straight line, don't go back and forth, back and forth because you might crash," stated Izabelle.  " I love to bike!" she adds.

Tell us your story!  I Bike is a project of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to put a personal face on bicycling when we talk to elected officials and the public.  Contact Louise McGrody if you'd like to share your I Bike story with us.

I Bike: Suzanne Skinner

Suzanne astride "the Precious" with thanks to Bill Davidson.

Suzanne Skinner of Mercer Island began biking to work several years ago when her then employer, the City of Seattle, provided showers and a locker room that made transitioning from bike garb to professional wear a breeze.

She loved her bike commute because it felt long enough to be a work out and provided her with the training she needed to enjoy longer weekend recreational rides.  Her 50 minute commute helped Suzanne focus on the coming day in the morning and de-stress and regroup for whatever the family had in store for her in the evening.  What Suzanne didn't expect was all the great people she met enroute.  Biking opened her eyes to the delightful neighbors she had overlooked when she drove or bussed to work.

"One morning I met an armed camp of elderly and incredibly fit Cantonese wielding drawn sabres while practicing tai chi along the bike path on the Mercer Island lid," she recalled.  After responding with a startled "jo san" (good morning) to them, the group proudly demonstrated some of their best maneuvers for her.

On another early morning bike commute, Suzanne encountered "two lovely women madly hula hooping along the side of West Mercer Way."  She stopped and received an impromptu hula hooping lesson that morning.

"One never gets to hula hoop on the way to work when one relies on a motor vehicle," said Suzanne.  "Biking opens up new worlds and makes you laugh a bit more!"

Tell us your story!  I Bike is a project of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to put a personal face on bicycling when we talk to elected officials and the public.  Contact Louise McGrody if you'd like to share your I Bike story with us.

I Bike: Jon Snyder

Jon Snyder of Spokane is the founder and owner of the publication Out There Monthly, a family man, and he rides his bike for everyday transportation.  He also happens to be a member of Spokane City Council.

Photo by Ben Tobin.

Working two jobs and raising two young kids does not give Jon much time for recreational pursuits, which is why he likes to use his bike for transportation.  He believes Spokane is a great city for cycling and he rides his bike year round in all sorts of weather.

"Biking keeps me alive and it's a funny thing to say since I do almost all of my cycling in traffic on urban streets that many folks think are dangerous," Jon commented.  "But as a city councilman and small business owner, the more dangerous choice is not being healthy and not being in touch with my surroundings."

Jon helped champion the passage of the City's Complete Streets resolution earlier this year.  He's a member of the Bicycle Alliance and proudly sports Share the Road license plate number 230 on his vehicle.

I Bike: Tom Radley

I met Tom Radley of Redmond in the mid 1990s when he stepped forward as an early supporter of the East Lake Sammamish Trail.  He lived on the lake at that time and, according to Tom, he dearly wanted to see the trail built.  Today, Tom is retired and rides this gem of a trail often.

Tom has enjoyed bicycling since childhood and fondly recalls earning the Cycling Merit Badge as a Boy Scout.  He rode his first STP in 1980 and became hooked on long distance riding and touring.  Although retired from full time work, Tom leads rides for Adventure Cycling Association.  He gets "tremendous satisfaction from helping others enjoy and be motivated to do human powered travel."

Tom bikes for many reasons--health, recreation, exercise and transportation.  Most of his vacations the past 30 years have been by bicycle.

"You see much more on a bike and the experience is so much richer. You use all your senses at once to fully soak in the environment," said Tom.  "And when you see other cyclists on the road, they are always smiling!" he added.

Tell us your story!  I Bike is a project of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to put a personal face on bicycling when we talk to elected officials and the public.  Contact Louise McGrody if you'd like to share your I Bike story.

I Bike: Tell Us Your Story!

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington wants to put a personal face on bicycling when we talk to elected officials, corporate supporters and the general public.  We've dubbed this effort the I Bike project.

Would you like to tell us your story so we can share it in support of our mission?  We may tell your story on our website and other forms of electronic media, in our print publications, or at presentations and outreach events.  Email me at LouiseMc@bicyclealliance.org with the following information:  your name, city, occupation/what you do, your bike story (why you bike, where you bike, why biking is important to you, etc.), and a photo of yourself.

Today I'd like you to meet Denise Jones.

I Bike: Denise Jones

Denise Jones lives in downtown Bellevue and works at the Microsoft office in Seattle's Pioneer Square.  She bikes to work 2-5 days per week.  While her job can be very stressful, Denise has her commute to mellow her out.

"I cycle because it's the greatest freaking sport on earth.  What other sport can combine your workout and your commute at the same time?" points out Denise.  "I love my bike.  I pledge allegiance to my bike," she adds.


Another bonus of biking has been weight loss.  Denise dropped 30 pounds and now wears a size 6.  Her husband thinks that's pretty cool. Denise is also an international traveler and sent us this photo of her biking in Vietnam.