• Exercise for more than exercise’s sake: A bicyclist profile of David Singyke

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 16-20, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the four Anchorage profiles and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, all profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

By Janice Swier

Southcentral Foundation (SCF) Executive and Tribal Services Administrator Dave Singyke has participated in Bike to Work since 2007. Bicycle commuting is more than a one-day event for Singyke; in summer, he bikes the 24-mile round trip to work three or four times a week.

Biking over 90 miles a week is no small feat, but for Singyke it is a preferred form of exercise.

Singyke stated, “It’s more fun to accomplish more than one thing with a workout.”

Singyke likes being able to blend his daily exercise with commuting.

Singyke’s proudest bike ride was from his house to Crooked Lake — an 80-mile ride.

“I love riding my bike,” Singyke said happily.

Singyke is already excited about the upcoming Bike to Work Day, May 20, and thinks that everyone should try biking at least once.

“Biking is a lot easier than most people think…[and] it’s a blast,” said Singyke.

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• Diana Redwood: What it means to Bike to Work

EDITOR’S NOTE: In honor of National Bike To Work Week on May 16-20, we will be running a series of features of bike commuters who work at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Southcentral Foundation and Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka. Thank you to Laura Kotelman of Southcentral Foundation for supplying the four Anchorage profiles and SEARHC for the Sitka profile (note, all profiles appeared previously in newsletters for the various organizations).

By Janice Swier

Southcentral Foundation (SCF) and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) are ramping up to co-manage and co-host another successful series of Anchorage Bike to Work events.

ANTHC Nutrition Research Specialist Diana Redwood has been an Anchorage Bike to Work enthusiast and participant since it began in 2005. Redwood thinks that Bike to Work Day is a great opportunity for people to start thinking about and using their bikes as a real mode of transportation.

During the spring, fall, and summer seasons, Redwood bikes her 30-40 minute commute to work every day, regardless of weather conditions. “Bad weather isn’t really an issue, it’s more about gear management [clothes and equipment] than about the weather,” Redwood explains. Before her office was moved off of the Alaska Native Health Campus, and further from her home, Redwood would make the commute on her bicycle year-round.

Being outside, enjoying the trees and birds, and knowing she is doing something that is good for her body are just a few of the reasons Redwood prefers biking to driving. She says she feels better and more energized on days when she bikes. “Even my coworkers are able to tell when I bike to work because I am more alert,” Redwood states with a smile.

Redwood’s advice to other people, “Don’t be intimidated; biking is easy and addictive – in the good way.” Redwood tells people to take advantage of the community groups who offer support and says she’d be happy to act as a resource for anyone who wants advice or encouragement.

“Bike to Work participants should try to commit to more than just one day,” encourages Redwood. “It is always sad to see the bike rack full on Bike to Work Day and empty the next.”

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• Haines starts bicycle club, hopes to pursue Bicycle Friendly Community status

Haines cyclist Heather Lende approaches the British Columbia-Alaska border just north of Haines during the 2002 Kluane-Chilkat International Bike Relay, a 148-mile relay race from Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, to Haines, Alaska.

According to the Chilkat Valley News weekly newspaper, the community of Haines, Alaska, is starting a bicycle club, and the leaders of the group hope to eventually pursue a Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists (the club plans to use Sitka as a model, since it is a smaller community in Southeast Alaska that was Alaska’s first Bicycle Friendly Community).

Haines, a community of about 1,900 people located on the northern end of Lynn Canal in Southeast Alaska, already is home to the finish line of the Kluane-Chilkat International Bike Relay, an annual event that draws between 1,000 to 1,200 cyclists from Alaska and Canada. The 148-mile Summer Solstice Weekend relay race from Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, to Haines, Alaska, nearly doubles the population of Haines with all the cyclists, race officials and support crews.

Scott Damman of Boulder, Colo., wins the sprint for the finish line in the Fort William A. Seward part of Haines to become the first solo rider to win the Kluane-Chilkat International Bike Relay (in 2003). In the background, Juneau riders Scott Fischer, left, and Dave Bartlett sprinted for second place.

During community meetings, Haines bike club members discussed improvements such as sweeping out the road shoulders of popular cycling routes, holding educational events, lowering the speed limits on some roads, and building a bike port with bike parking near the downtown port area. The club still is deciding on a name (the current leader is “Haines Bikes,” which can be used as both a noun and verb), but it does have a Google group and e-mail listserve where people can stay on top of developments.

One purpose of the club is to advocate for better conditions for bicyclists in Haines, and another is to promote the healthy physical activity benefits from cycling. On the advocacy front, the club already has the backing of mayor Jan Hill, assembly member Daymond Hoffman, borough manager Mark Earnest, medical staff at the SEARHC Haines Health Center and others. On the physical activity front, the club is working with the Haines Well and Fit Committee which hosts other physical activity programs in Haines.

“It’s time for Haines to step up and make the town more bike friendly,” Haines cyclist Norman Hughes told the Chilkat Valley News.

Heather Lende, a longtime road rider, said she was encouraged that the town’s leadership grasps the importance of roads to users besides motorists. “Haines is a world-class destination for road riding. We’ve known that for years. That’s why people come here for the (Kluane to Chilkat International Bike Relay).”

The club is making plans for National Bike Month in May and National Bike to Work Week on May 16-20 (National Bike to Work Day is May 20). The mayor plans to issue a proclamation in support of the bike club, and members are working with the local radio station to record bike safety PSAs. It also plans to look at the Haines Comprehensive Plan to see how it can introduce more bike-friendly language into the document.

On another small-town Alaska note, cycling is growing in another of Alaska’s coastal towns. The Seward City News recently posted an article, “Gas Sucks, Rode A Bike,” that discussed the growing number of cyclists in the Kenai Peninsula community. Many of the new cyclists are buying bikes in response to the high price of gas, but some are riding for health reasons.

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