BIKE CHAMPIONS OF THE YEAR 2021

HELP US CELEBRATE THIS YEAR’S AWARDEES!

ALAMEDA COUNTY:

Lionel McNeely

Lionel McNeely first taught himself how to ride when he was 7, and his work with bikes hasn’t stopped since. He laughs, “I took my first bike apart when I was 10 years old, and got it back together when I was 12.” In recent years Lionel has logged more than 11,000 miles on Strava, “and that’s in my 50s! I’m 59!” he says. And the list of ways Lionel has worked inspiring people to ride is just about as many miles long.

Lionel is an 11-year volunteer with youth empowerment program Trips for Kids in Marin, leads monthly art rides with Oakland collective Rock Paper Scissors, and has ridden and fundraised with AIDS/LifeCycle three times, among other achievements. Nominator Danielle Day writes, “Lionel rides his bike all over the state. He rides for miles! He helps out at a cycle shop to make sure people have the right bike or fixes bikes for others.” You can find Lionel wrenching on all types of bikes at the Laurel Cyclery in Oakland, where he says “the bikes we get here are just as diverse as the community.”

Lionel especially champions accessibility to safe travel in East Oakland and beyond, whether it’s by bike, walking, or public transit. He has completed a 99-mile trip around the Bay Trail, and loves the accessibility to car-free paths that the trail offers. Running into friends while out for a ride or on public transit is also a favorite, including the time he bumped into his friend Robert Rayburn on BART while traveling to the opening day of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge bike path. Lionel says, “I love the fact that there are public transportation alternatives [in the Bay Area] that can assist you with areas you can’t typically get to by bike, so you don’t feel stranded.”

In addition to Lionel’s many inspiring bike related pursuits, he also volunteers as a master gardener with Alameda County, and enjoys spending time on and off the bike with his wife and son.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY:

Smitty Ardrey

Every Thursday in the summer you can find Smitty Ardrey fixing bikes at Bike Concord’s Bike Tent at the Concord Farmers Market in Todo Santos Plaza. Moving from San Francisco to Concord in 2000, Smitty realized that the city desperately needed safer infrastructure for biking and walking, and started getting involved with bike advocacy by showing up at meetings and volunteering with Bike East Bay. Since then, as nominator Claire Linder puts it, “He has organized bike rodeos, pop up bike repair clinics, and since 2019, a bike education class at Olympic High School in Concord. His drive, foresight and commitment have made biking more accessible in central Contra Costa County, bringing to life [Bike Concord’s] mission of MBOB (More Butts on Bikes)!”

In 2008, Smitty started the first bicycle kitchen in town, hoping to provide a community space that could help promote and provide resources on biking. Ever since, the bicycle kitchen has become a beloved community space where youths and adults can learn bike maintenance and talk about biking. When the City of Concord sought input for its first bicycle and pedestrian master plan, Smitty and a few other volunteers set up a table at the farmers market to gather community feedback. One thing led to another, and people started to call it the “Bike Tent,” expecting it as a regular feature of the farmers market.

“The Bike Kitchen and the Bike Tent provide opportunities to talk about biking in Concord and neighboring communities,” says Smitty. “Anyone is welcome to visit the tent, get minor repairs for free, and share their thoughts on biking in town.” Advocates passionate about cycling in Concord have come together thanks to spaces like the Bike Tent and Bike Kitchen, and are now known as Bike Concord. The organization is an integral part of the bicycle movement in Concord and surrounding areas. Smitty is proud that the group has been hauling 185 lbs. worth of gear on a cargo bike almost every time they’ve been to the farmers’ market. Recently retired, he still enjoys a leisurely stroll around town or goes for longer rides on weekends. Smitty has been a true champion for the bike community in Concord and beyond.

MARIN COUNTY:

Hilary Noll

As a teenager, Hilary Noll put her foot down in defense of the environment: she wouldn’t get a driver’s license like her friends. Instead, she would ride her bike. The environmental benefits of cycling continue to motivate her today, and she has now been a bicycle commuter for over 20 years.

Hilary has commuted by bike in locations all over the United States, and her current route is a 32-mile round-trip from Mill Valley to San Francisco, where she works as an architect specializing in sustainability. She even documents her commute on an Instagram account: @hils_bikes_bridges.

Friends and colleagues point out not only her cycling routine, which encourages them to ride, but the work she has done to support and encourage bike riders, exemplified in her previous role at First Community Housing. Hilary says, “FCH already does a fantastic job building transit-oriented developments and providing residents with free transit passes, but we learned many folks also rely on biking as a primary means of getting around. The vision is to empower residents to feel capable, confident, and comfortable bicycling as a method of dependable transportation, as well as a healthy recreational activity in their daily lives. This was attained by fostering a bike culture and increasing convenience – by designing and building secure parking and on-site repair stations. Once the facilities were in place, I organized bike workshops and clinics for the communities – teaching basic safe riding skills, maintenance fundamentals and giving away helmets, lights and other essentials.”

Hilary has a wonderful vision of bicycling in the future: “People from ages 8 to 80 feeling comfortable biking for everyday needs. More women riding, especially as commuters. More women- and minority-owned bike shops. A cycling culture in which everyone – from elite riders to everyday folks getting started – are welcomed and empowered.”

NAPA COUNTY:

Kate Miller

Kate Miller’s earliest memory of riding a bike is pedaling around her childhood neighborhood in Castro Valley and avoiding her older brother’s attempts to play chicken. She started commuting by bike in the mid-1980s when she lived in Seattle and never stopped. She recalls being mistaken for a bike messenger, because in major cities like Seattle, those were the only people found riding around the city.

Kate has continued biking in Napa County for the last several years, where she works as Executive Director of the Napa Valley Transportation Authority. Even throughout the pandemic, she continues to make a dedicated effort to ride her bike for transportation, like leaving the car behind for shopping trips. You might catch her riding in Carneros – her favorite spot to ride in Napa County.

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY:

Lydia Francis

Lydia Francis moved to San Francisco in 2018 but only took up biking a year ago at the start of the pandemic. Getting a bike transformed her perspective on San Francisco, encouraging her to explore new neighborhoods and master the geography of the city. “I got a bike off Craigslist, only expecting to take it for the occasional Saturday spin,” she said. “But biking has turned into the highlight of my pandemic.”

Lydia found a deep sense of freedom, release, and exploration during what was otherwise a period of lockdown and fear. It became her personal exhale as the world became increasingly uninterpretable.  Practically, biking also helped her meet new people safely (a seemingly impossible feat!), and making connections while exploring the city has been a true delight.

But Lydia has not kept her new-found passion to herself. She credits many experienced people teaching me bike mechanics, ride techniques, new routes, and so much more. Now, she’s become a point-person for friends looking to find a used bike and spend hours scouring the internet for good, reliable rides for people. She also loves to pedal with new riders and coach them through big rides. This spring she started organizing rides with friends around fun themes. For example, she convinced them to ride around SF from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on March 14 to celebrate Daylight Savings Time!

“Overall, biking has given me a deeper sense of belonging here in San Francisco,” said Lydia, “both to the literal geography of this place and the people I meet while exploring on two wheels.”

SAN MATEO COUNTY:

Sonia Elkes and her children

Sonia Elkes, avid bicyclist and founder of the advocacy group San Carlos Bikes, is San Mateo County’s 2021 Bike Champion of the Year. Referred to as “the voice for bicyclists in San Carlos”, she is constantly working to improve the state of biking in San Carlos and increasing the number of people who bicycle for their health and the environment.

As a parent volunteer with the school district’s Safe Routes to School program, Sonia finds creative ways to educate the public on bike safety. When shelter-in-place began in 2020, Sonia and her four children built a LEGO® city with scenes and mini-figures that teach bike & pedestrian safety to youth (available at bikesandbricks.org). In addition, she organizes bike rides, family biking events, and manages bike parking at town fairs and the weekly farmers market. Online, Sonia moderates a Nextdoor group called “Let’s Talk Transportation: San Carlos & Surroundings,” which is a public discussion forum for all things transportation (available at nextdoor.com/g/ldy7tlfot). Beginning in May, she will co-lead the new San Carlos chapter of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.

Combining biking with public transit is one of Sonia’s favorite ways to travel, and she loves sharing the joy of taking bikes, trains and buses with her children. She bike-train commutes between South San Francisco, where her youngest goes to school, and Redwood City, where she works part-time at Chain Reaction Bicycles. Sonia enthusiastically encourages anyone who expresses interest in riding bicycles, so working in a bike shop is a great fit. Her most-recommended bike accessory is a bicycle rear-view mirror because it functions both as a visibility tool and a communication device, helping cyclists and drivers more safely (and gracefully) share the road.

“Biking is one of the few activities that checks all the boxes at once — it’s active, practical, social, sustainable, stress-relieving, fun, and is a great family activity. Biking has the unique ability to elevate the mundane — it turns errands into adventures. More people on bikes keeps our streets safer, our air cleaner and our communities better connected.”

SANTA CLARA COUNTY:

DANIEL WOOD

Daniel and Kayo Wood’s seven-year-old triplets are quite a sight to see on the streets. The Mountain View first graders can ride their own bikes to and from school each day – with Dad in tow, of course. “I didn’t realize at first how fun it would be biking with them,” Daniel admitted. “I think it’s just great to be outdoors and on your own power.” Now biking is a part of the kids’ everyday lives. While Kayo joins the family sometimes for fun rides, it’s Daniel who is in charge of the kids’ daily commute.

It all started when the kids were attending two different preschools – one English-speaking and one Japanese-speaking – and Daniel wanted a way to work in a ride while taking the kids – Hazel, Alden, and Malia — to school. Hauling three kids on a bike is a real balancing act. At first, one toddler would ride in a children’s seat on the handlebar, another in a rear seat, and the third child pulled behind in a trailer. Eventually they graduated to a tandem bike and a double trailer.

Biking became a natural part of their lives – even when they weren’t being biked to school, they were zipping around on balance bikes at home. Daniel thinks the balance bikes were key to helping the kids learn to ride pedal bikes independently. “Definitely have them learn on a balance bike. Absolute must,” Daniel said. “As soon as they were sitting on [pedal bikes] – boom, they were going.” Now, they have developed a love of the great outdoors, aren’t afraid of inclement weather, and know they have the power to transport themselves.

Sharlene Gee, who nominated the Wood family, said she’s proud of how much the kids have come into their own. “I am so proud of them for using their own power to get to school on-time, in good moods and ready to learn. I’ve seen their road skills and awareness rapidly and organically grow. They set a powerful example for everyone at the school,” Sharlene wrote.

While the Woods haven’t convinced the city to add bike lanes to their elementary school just yet, Daniel said he’s seen things slowly starting to change. Sharlene advocated for the city to make the route to school safer for bicyclists, and soon the sidewalks were cleared of shrubbery. And Daniel said he’s seen new people from the school community hop on a bike. “We have proven to be more inspiring than we realized,” Daniel said. “We have run into so many teachers and so many friends and so many folks… and I have seen some of those people take to the streets on their own.”

Hazel, Alden, and Malia were over the moon to learn the Wood family won Bike Champions of the Year. Their parents are proud of the kids for using the confidence they’ve developed from biking – whether it comes to hiking, gymnastics, or soccer they know they can do it and have fun doing it, too. They’re confident in their physical abilities, and Daniel thinks it all started on their bikes. “It’s helped them understand if you’re dedicated to something and you’re doing it every single day, you get better at it, and you start making better decisions,” Daniel said.

Of course, biking with kids takes planning. Daniel’s advice to other parents is to remain unafraid of traffic, but be prepared for different kinds of situations. Set a confident example and make sure your kids know the rules of the road. The Wood family tries to plot out their route in advance and make sure it includes bike lanes or bike boulevards for maximum comfort and safety. “I think with everything it just starts with changing one mind and then that person hopefully changes one other,” Daniel said.

SOLANO COUNTY:

Cande Medrano

Benicia resident Cande Medrano has always loved biking and has been riding for most of his life. When he had to undergo surgery in his 50s to fix his spinal stenosis, he thought that meant an end to riding his bike. With therapy, however, Cande was able to continue to pursue the sport he loves. Now 71, he rides everywhere: from dentist appointments to grocery stores, even all the way to Berkeley for doctor appointments. In 2020 Cande logged more than 14,000 miles!

Not only is Cande a dedicated cyclist, he’s an active volunteer in the Benicia community. He helps people fix and restore bicycles and has also been known to help out at bike rodeos and Bike to Work Day events. Cande’s enthusiasm inspires people in his community to try biking.

“Cande has been helpful in getting me and many others into cycling,” said friend Ed Muscolino. “I am so lucky to be a part of the fast-growing cycling community in Benicia.”

SONOMA COUNTY:

Sherry Adams

Cotati resident Sherry Adams is a Senior Ecologist at the Marin Municipal Water District, a cycling instructor certified by the League of American Bicyclists and a self-taught bike mechanic. While she is a fit and expert cyclist – she once road all the way from Berkeley to Denali National Park in Alaska! – it isn’t the miles she’s covered, but her service to others that has earned her this award.

Diving into the local cycling community when she moved to Sonoma County in 2007, she served four years on the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition’s Board of Directors. She volunteered at local nonprofit Community Bikes, a reuse and repair training program, and worked as a bike mechanic at the ReCyclery Bike Thrift Shop operated by Trips for Kids. Her biggest and most recent achievement has been the creation of Changing Gears, an educational program for inmates at the Sonoma County jail.

Sherry is passionate about social justice and serving those in our community who are unseen, despised, disadvantaged, pushed to the margins. She saw a need: upon release, most inmates lack transportation, a job, possibly even a driver’s license. Many lacked vehicles even before their incarceration. Her vision was a three-tiered program: 1) Teach classes in bicycle safety and basic maintenance & repair; 2) Create a bike shop where inmates could learn bike repair and fix donated bikes, and 3) Give inmates a restored bicycle upon their release.

She spent over a year working with corrections staff, going through the required background checks and training, and soliciting donations of bikes, tool, and parts. She had gotten the bike shop set up and had run a couple of class series when the COVID pandemic started, ending all volunteer programs for the time being. She remains in contact with the staff and continues to prepare for the day when she’s allowed back in again.

With typical humility, Sherry demurred when told of her award, naming other people she thought were more deserving.  That selflessness and dedication to service exemplifies the very definition of Bike Champion.

PRIZES FOR THIS YEAR’S WINNERS

For 2021, each winner will receive a Tailgator Brake Light and water bottle from Mike’s Bikes, a bicycle-only membership for 24/7 roadside assistance from Better World Club, a laminated, boxed set of San Francisco Bay Trail map cards from the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), and a cycling jersey from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).