Saving the environment, burning 1.5 million calories and cycling farther than the circumference of the Earth - it's all part of the daily commute for Richmondite Gerry Schenk.
The avid cycler surpassed the 50,000 km mark last week, reaching a milestone that's an accumulation of 12 years of commuting to work on his bicycle.
Schenk, an enterprise architect, was hired in 2000 at a Safeway location in Downtown Vancouver. But never having worked in Vancouver before, he dreaded joining the ranks of drivers or bus riders stuck in the city's rush hour traffic. That's when he decided to give cycling a try.
It only took a few months for Schenk, now 45, to adjust to the 17 km journey to and from work, at just one hour each way.
It was the weather and the road safety that posed the greatest challenges. Though he's never been injured to the point of being hospitalized, he does recall one serious accident in 2003 caused by a driver's reckless actions.
Schenk was riding down Thurlow Street when a car decided to gun it through the intersection to beat him.
"It was like slow motion: I knew I was going to hit him. I ended up slamming into the side of his car, causing $2,500 of damage to it."
And then there are theft issues that occasionally muddle his commute plans. At one point, his bike disappeared from the garage where it's stowed overnight, leaving only a sawed-through lock.
Overall, though, Schenk found that cycling year Round was not as difficult as it seemed. To explain its benefits to friends, he began logging its health and environmental benefits.
"When you see someone else who's active, people are inclined to think there's no reason why they can't do it themselves," he said, adding he also enjoys setting a good example for his three sons. "According to the numbers, I've already gone around the world once so I guess the next goal is to circumnavigate it a second time.
PATH LINKS STEVESON, TERRA NOVA
Richmond is one step closer to bringing its plan of launching a city-wide network of neighbourhood bike paths between major roads to fruition.
The first neighbourhood bike path, named Crabapple Ridge, is nearing completion, City Hall is announcing. The route will run north-south between Steveston and Terra Nova.
The pathway will be an alternative for cyclists looking to avoid high-traffic streets such as Railway Avenue. Pathways and local roads west of No. 1 Road will make up the Crabapple Ridge pathway.
Another neighbourhood path, to run along Ash Street, is expected later this year.
- Sarah Jackson
50,000 KM OF CYCLING MEANS:
- One circumference of the Earth was achieved.
- 1.5 million calories were burned.
- If on a diet, 190 kg would have been lost.
- 6,000 liters of gas wasn't consumed.
- 11,750 kg of carbon dioxide emissions was avoided.
- $8,526 in bus fare was saved.
