Steve Durspek
To get started biking to work Steve recommends trying it out on a weekend so you aren't pressed for time. "Plan your route, maybe even drive it first, and then try it at a leisurely pace.”
Steve Durspek, an engineer at the City of Camas, rides his bicycle from West Hazel Dell to Camas. His bike commute is longer than most at 19.5 miles one-way, but he enjoys the ride and not being in traffic. Steve rides his bicycle 3-4 days per week, less often in winter, sometimes incorporating a C-Tran bus ride into part of his trip to avoid bad weather or winter darkness. The commute across Vancouver takes him 1.5 hours each way, which eats up a lot of his day, but his exercise, is taken care of. He has been bicycle commuting to Camas since he started working for the City in 2005.
He enjoys bicycling for recreation around the Clark County and Portland area with his wife and some of their friends. He's a member of the Vancouver Bicycle Club, and is also a member of the Clark County Bicycle Advisory Committee. Event rides and tours are also a part of Steve's cycling activity. Every summer Steve and his wife participate in a week-long supported bicycle tour somewhere in the northwest. He would like to someday do a self-supported bicycle tour carrying all his own gear. His dream is to ride across the USA someday.
In addition to recommend trying your bike route to work on the weekend when you’re not pressed for time, Steve encourages cyclists to: "Always obey the rules of the road. When on a bicycle you are considered a vehicle by the State of Washington traffic code. That means you have to ride the same direction as traffic, stop at stop signs and traffic signals, and avoid riding on sidewalks. Ride defensively assuming motorists can't see you, because often times they cannot."
