Why I Bike: Jesse

When did you learn to ride your bike? Who taught you?

I learned to ride my bike back in elementary school. I was taught by my parents and can remember starting out with training wheels.

In what city and state do you live?

I live in Portland, Oregon.

What is the biking culture like there?

Bike is King in Portland. Bike commuters are as common as any other type of commuter, bike specific roads and lanes are abundant and one could actually bike to most locations in the state on bike lanes. There are even bars/breweries here that cater specifically to cyclists.

What kind of bike do you have?

I recently bought a 2012 model Jamis  Satellite Sport Road Bike.

How often do you ride your bike?

I ride my bike several times per week.

I wish drivers... 

drivers in Portland are pretty respectful of cyclists.

I would ride my bike even more if... 

it did not rain so much.

My favorite piece of bike gear is my padded bike shorts!

Do you ride your bike in all weather? 

I don't have rain gear yet, but living in Oregon this will be inevitable.

Do you own a car?

I do own a car.

I mostly ride my bike for: 

exercise/cross training for running (my first hobby).

Do you think of biking as legitimate transportation?

Absolutely.

My favorite thing about riding my bike.... 

the efficiency of getting around town combined with exercise combined with environmentally friendly means of transport!

The coolest trip I’ve done on my bike….

On travels to Kenya, a friend and I rented bikes and rode to a game park (there were no predators in the park). It was amazing to ride up close to animals and they were not threatened by us on our bikes. We soon became exhausted and after converting the elevation from meters to feet, realized we were over 8,000 feet above sea level!

The bike trip I’m dying to do… 

to cycle the Oregon coast with my boyfriend and any friends who want to join.

Craziest thing I did on my bike: 

I once went on a bike tour of five vineyards near Vienna, Austria. It was beautiful, maybe not so crazy, but good fun.

Reader Poll: Why do you bike?