Biking to work good for environment, health and, apparently, mood

For being up early – maybe not farmer early, but early by my clock – bicyclists, walkers and even motorists were in good spirits Thursday, which was Bike to Work Day in Modesto.

I rode the roughly 4.5-mile route from my home to the BTW gathering at Tenth Street Plaza, arriving about 7 a.m. The ride included all of the open Virginia Corridor path, where cheery “good mornings” were exchanged with several cyclists and walkers (mostly with dogs) coming the other way. The lone motorist I recall encountering at an intersection along the path noticed the GoPro video camera strapped to the front of my bike helmet and called out, “Take my picture!” So I turned my head and did.

About 130 riders attended the Bike to Work Day event held until 8:30 a.m. downtown, said Megan Distaso, rideshare coordinator for Modesto.

When she and fellow organizers arrived at about 6 a.m. to set up tables for information, freebies and food, a small crowd of cyclists was waiting. By 6:30, when the event opened, the courtyard was bustling, they said.

Of course, not everyone who commutes to work – even to downtown jobs – stopped by for fruits, juices and water, pastries, pens, T-shirts and other giveaways.

On the Virginia Corridor, I trailed for a while Dan Yoder, who was on his way to AT&T, where he’s a project manager. Though he learned just the other day it was Bike to Work Day, he went straight to the office.

Dan, 57, has been biking to work for about 14 years, on and off. “There’s never been a year I didn’t ride at all,” he said. “I try to do it as much as possible, but last week, I think I rode just one day. I ride more when the weather turns nice; it’s been a little cold in the mornings.”

His roundtrip is about 10 miles. In the morning, he rides a mild speed, carries a change of clothing and cleans up at work. “I push it on the way home,” he said, to get in a workout.

Exercising in a gym isn’t his thing, so he stays in shape primarily through biking and playing senior softball. “Biking really is one of the best ways to get exercise,” Dan said, noting that it’s relatively easy on the joints.

As he and I parted ways, Jehangir Jasavala was among other riders entering downtown. Jehangir, who works in sales and operations planning for E.&J. Gallo Winery, rides a route that includes Coffee Road and the Dry Creek bike path.

He began riding to work about four or five years ago, he said, and just learned about Bike to Work Day. So while Tenth Street Plaza hardly was on his way to work, he swung by to check it out.

Jehangir’s ride is about five miles, and he does it to improve his health, and “I get my time savings by commuting and exercising at the same time.” The 65-year-old said he rides year-round, except when it rains.

Jack Styer, who works at the state Bureau of Forensic Services’ Central Valley Laboratory, was way off his normal route when he attended the BTW event. “I usually ride from my home over by Beyer High School to work in Ripon” – about a 22-mile roundtrip. He enjoys various routes including Pelandale Avenue, Claribel Road and “racing down” East River Road.

Jack said he’s been pleased to see an increase in the number of fellow bicyclists since he began riding with regularity about three years ago. He also likes the improvements local government has made to make streets more bike-friendly, and the generally courteous behavior of motorists. “A lot of them wave me through intersections,” he said.

He swears by bike commuting as an invigorating way to start the day and a great way to decompress at the end of the day.

Plus, “Right now, I’m training for a marathon,” said the 63-year-old, who’s a past president of the ShadowChase Running Club, “and this is good cross-training.”

This story was originally published May 14, 2015 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Biking to work good for environment, health and, apparently, mood."