Penticton - Commuters Content to Let It Ride (Penticton Western News)
No, Richard Batke isn’t joining the circus, he didn’t lose a wheel and couldn’t get his bike at half price.
He just chooses to get to work on one wheel instead of the traditional two or the gas-guzzling four.
“I have pretty much heard it all,” said Batke, who is participating in Bike to Work Week that started on Monday by riding his unicycle to his office. “I had two elderly ladies asking if I was running away to the circus and people have a lot of one-liners as I ride through the bike lane. I get things like nice wheel and other comments, everyone turns out to be a comedian.”
Batke said Bike to Work Week is a great opportunity for him to show off his unique way of getting around while getting some exercise.
“Besides being fun, this is just one of the small things we can do to make an impact on our environmental footprint … the way gas prices have been this is a better way to go by riding your bike to work.” said Batke, adding that he feels a lot more mentally sharp getting fresh air and exercise on the way to work.
He isn’t the only one at his office who has taken on the challenge. In fact some of the staff at Invis Wilkins and Associates Mortgage Brokers have tried to one-up Batke. Jillian Dupont hooks up a baby cart to her mountain bike to bring along her pomeranian, Harlow, to the office. Workmate Trevor Aubie cruises in on an E-Bike on days when he doesn’t have to travel too far.
“We always laugh about our modes of transportation to work but it is a natural fit for us, especially if we don’t have meetings scheduled outside the office,” said Dupont, explaining that is when they typically ride to work. “It’s eco-friendly and it’s good for your health.”
Organizers are calling the first-ever Bike to Work Week in Penticton a success with about 65 teams signed up. Considering this is the first year for the event in Penticton, organizers are happy with the turnout but expect more next year. Cities that have been organizing Bike to Work like Victoria, which has been doing it for about 15 years and have a population of about 350,000, had 450 teams sign up this year. Bergen said even though they don’t have those kinds of numbers the information they will gather will be invaluable.
“By signing up we are able to keep records on numbers of cyclists and this information can help garner support for bike racks, new bike lanes and other important infrastructure for cyclists in Penticton,” said Bergen, who is the climate action co-ordinator for the B.C. Ministry of Environment — Youth Climate Leadership Alliance and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.
Cyclists who signed up are also given the chance to win prizes including a mountain bike from Freedom Bike Shop, a road bike from The Bike Barn, Apex Mountain Resort lift tickets, City Centre Fitness passes, a Nature’s Fare food basket, helmets from the Brain Injury Society and more. Teams that are signed up will record when they ride to work over the week along with the names of those who participated. This information is then sent back to the organizers by noon on Friday to be entered to win draw prizes at the wrap-up barbecue at the Barking Parrot that evening from 5 to 7 p.m.
The week kicked off with a pancake breakfast from 7-9 a.m. on Monday at Gyro Park and celebration stations were set up throughout the city each morning. Stations that will be handing out free coffee, snacks and draw prizes will be set up from 7-9 a.m. at The Bike Barn on Wednesday, 1000 Main Street (Dr. Perrin’s office) on Thursday and Nanaimo Square on Friday.
