Renaissance student redefines morning commute

By Bryan McKenzie

Published: May 9, 2008

Dressed as she is, for business, it’s hard to imagine that a few short hours ago Linnea Saby was pushing pedals 25 miles across western Albemarle County to the Renaissance School in downtown Charlottesville.

“It helps to have a shower available,” she laughs, sitting at Java-Java for a little noon joe. “That part does take a little planning. I leave some clothes at my sister’s house in town and I stop by the gym to shower before I go to school. You have to think that part through when you commute by bicycle, but it’s really not that difficult.”

If we all rode bikes ...

Ms. Saby is taking her bike to the road to bring attention to bicycles as commuter vehicles. She’s also promoting them as a form of fitness and trying to raise a cool thousand dollars for Charlottesville’s Community Bikes.

Community Bikes is a small, volunteer, grassroots organization that rebuilds and distributes used bicycles for recreation and transportation.

Ms. Saby began her effort April 23 and will pedal to classes at the Renaissance School as a fundraiser until May 23. She hopes to raise the money by taking pledges for each mile she commutes.

She’s also trying to call attention to Bike Week, sponsored locally by Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation, a local lobby group supporting bike-friendly roads and pedal commuters.

The county and ACCT are sponsoring pit stops for bicycling commuters next week, offering refreshments, helmets, lights and other free goodies. Bicycling advocates recently recognized the city as a bike-friendly community.

Ms. Saby hopes her efforts will encourage others to take their bicycles to work, at least on occasion, as a way to save energy, improve the environment, encourage physical health and, most importantly, have fun.

“It makes you feel good. You’re getting exercise, you’re out in nature, you’re saving money and it’s fun,” she says. “I haven’t had a problem with other drivers getting upset at me or causing problems. It’s been a good experience.”

Although she’s enjoying it now, two-wheeling it into school was not Ms. Saby’s first method of commuting. Until recently, she carpooled into town with her mother, who attended classes at Piedmont Virginia Community College. When her mother’s class ended, she looked to the bicycle as a means and method.

“Before I did it, the thought of riding 25 miles to school was intimidating,” she says. “But, once you do it, you realize it’s not that bad. Then you start feeling better physically and it becomes fun.”

No sweat!

Getting up to leave early was not a problem.

“I’m a runner — I recently competed in a marathon — so I get up early and exercise anyway and this just sort of replaced that,” she said. “Instead of going to the gym, I ride to school. I’d be getting the exercise anyway, whether it was at the gym or bicycling.”

She’s aware that commuting isn’t for everyone. She also knows that bicycling isn’t always practical.

“There are times when you have to take other forms of transportation,” she admits. “I don’t expect half of the population to immediately go out and get bicycles and bike to work. But I hope people will realize that bicyclists aren’t just someone who’s in their way or costing them time. Bikers are helping to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others by choosing to bike.”