by BTA corrspondent John McLaren
Debbie, who recently became a BTA member, admits she was out of shape when she took up bicycling at age 53. Now, 10 months later, she’s a true convert enjoying plenty of benefits and who asks only safe streets to ride on.
She bikes nine miles nearly every day to her job at OHSU. The ride takes about an hour (“for a beginning rider,� she notes), perhaps 15 minutes longer than driving under ideal circumstances. She often uses a bus to cover part of the trip home.
In an interview, she said, “I love being in a city where we can do a 20-30 mile trip utilizing a combination of mass transit and pedal power. It allows us to get where we want to go, but at the same time, ease our way into the long bike rides.�
She is frequently joined by her daughter, Amber, 10. They rode some six miles together from their home in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood in East Portland to be interviewed for this article.
With her concern about traffic, Sharp began her journey into bicycling cautiously, taking short rides around her neighborhood. Problem was, “I was having fun but wasn’t going anywhere.�
Then she began putting the bike on her car and driving to places like the Springwater Corridor or the I-205 Bike Path to ride. While reasonably safe, those ways also limit where she can go, she found. Then Sharp and Amber started leaving the car at home and doing errands of their bikes. They discovered the low-traffic streets known as Bike Boulevards that are optimized for bicycling. For her ride to work, Sharp uses back streets to get to the I-205 Bike Path, stays on the path for a mile, pedals 12 blocks in a bike lane on Division Street, and finally segues into the portion of the ride she likes best: easy riding on the Woodward and Clinton Bike Boulevards.
“Cycling is fun, effective exercise,� says Sharp. “It’s almost as quick as driving in traffic, much less stressful, and it burns fat, not oil.� But, she adds, people are not likely to ride unless they feel safe. Before she took up cycling, she said, “ I wanted to bike to work, the problem was how do I get there safely.�
Having found an answer, she is a confirmed bicyclist. Since taking up cycling, she’s lost 30 pounds, lowered her stress levels and blood pressure, and just “feels better.�
Debbie says, “If safe bike boulevards can turn an old unfit woman with no free time and who hates exercise in any form into someone commuting by bike, then you can rest assured that more bike boulevards will make tremendous changes in the quality of life in Portland.� We couldn’t agree more!
Go Debbie and Amber! The part of town she’s coming from can be tricky to navigate by bike. Kudos for meeting the challenge head on.
give credit where credit is due, but please find a safe place to ride, and equip your bike with the proper reflectors and lights front and back, clearly and plainly so that everyone can see them, I came off of Hospital Hill last night and two riders were without reflectors and correct lighting I almost hit them as they were in and out of the bikeway path traveling at 30mph down the hill, So have fun but please be mindful of those around you.
Big dawg, are you implying that you have reason to think that Debbie is an irresponsible rider? From the profile, it sounds to me that she’s likely to be a model cyclist that we all can learn from. No need to lecture if she’s doing it right the first time!
Thanks for sticking up for me Jessica.
I have a headlight on my helmet which is usually set to flash, and one on my handlebars which can be either flashing or steady depending on my need for light. I have a flashing red light on the back of my helmet, a red reflector on the rear fender and a white one on the front. I wear a light colored reflective jacket, , and have reflective strips on my saddle bags, and shoes. And I still feel like I should add more. I will most likely add the tire valve lights like I have on my daughter’s bike.
In addition, I do not work on Pill Hill and would never think to ride down Sam Jackson. It is too narrow, steep, and scary for me to even think of trying. If I ever do come down off pill hill it would be on Terwilliger and abolutely WITHIN the bike lane. I don’t even like bike lanes as I think they are too close to traffic. I have chosen my route carefully so that I have only a few blocks in a pretty safe bike lane.
You will never find me sharing a lane except where impossible to avoid. You will always find me taking every possible procaution and all too aware of the cars and the dangers they can impose.