By SLCgreen Staff Judith Westwood
Public Lands Planner, Kira Johnson, rides her bike five miles to and from work daily. She started bike commuting out of necessity but quickly fell in love with it. She explains, “I didn’t have a car in college, but I had a bike. Thankfully, I had a friend in the same situation, and we got into bike commuting at the same time. We found a lot of childlike thrill doing it.” Several years later, when Kira got her first car, she found she still preferred to bike.
Bike commuting has a lot of great benefits. You stay more active, you interact with your community differently, and you can save a lot of money. Bike commuting is also a great way to reduce your emissions and air pollution impact, and to participate in this month’s Clear the Air Challenge.
If you’re curious about bike commuting but are looking for more guidance, check out these tips from Kira, who has been bike commuting for over a decade now:
1) Finding Comfortable Routes to Ride
Safety concerns are a significant barrier for new bike commuters. For Kira, finding a comfortable route is sometimes a process of trial and error. “If I’m on a road that feels really uncomfortable, I’ll pull over and see if there’s a parallel road [that] isn’t as busy as the one I’m on.” Over time you’ll figure out routes you love. You can also reference Salt Lake City’s 2019 Bikeways map to see which roads have been rated higher comfort for bicycle traffic.
If your commute is too long to ride, keep in mind that bike commuting interfaces well with public transit in Salt Lake. You can bring your bike aboard on Trax and Frontrunner trains, and all city buses have a bike rack on the front.
2) Letting the Bike Carry the Load
Bike commuting is more comfortable and enjoyable if you have ways to carry your belongings on the bike. Consider getting a rear rack and bike bags or installing a front basket. Riding with a backpack can work in a pinch, but as Kira says, “The bike is an incredible steed that deserves to carry all the weight.”
3) Steering Clear of Flats
Kira knocks on wood when she says, “I haven’t gotten any flats in a long time.” She attributes her good luck to riding on roads rather than on sidewalks. Across the Southwest, an invasive weed called ‘goat’s head’ proliferates in the gaps in sidewalks, just waiting to puncture unsuspecting bike tires. We’re hoping Kira can ride many more flat-free miles, but she always carries a patch kit, tire levers, and a hand pump on her bike, just in case.
Parting Advice? Just Try It
“You learn a lot as you go. It can feel like a lot to think about, but just getting on a bike and trying it one day will go a long way because you’ll probably have a fun experience.”
If you’re looking for more resources about bike commuting, check out BikeUtah or visit the Bicycle Collective. There is also an active chapter of RAR in Salt Lake, which specifically supports increasing gender inclusivity and racial equity in cycling.