Biking to work fun, healthy, cheap<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
When Ozy Sjahrindra made the decision to bike to his office on
\nJl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta from his home in Bintaro, South
\nJakarta, every Tuesday and Friday, he was thinking about his
\nhealth.<\/p>\n
\"It's exercise. I'm 40 years old now. Cycling helps keep me
\nhealthy. I saw the benefits when I went cycling in the
\nmountainous Puncak, for example,\" Ozy, who is the general manager
\nof AGIT, a subsidiary of Astra International, told The Jakarta
\nPost recently.<\/p>\n
When he doesn't bike to work, the father of one drives to his
\noffice on the 23rd floor of the Standard Chartered building.<\/p>\n
Ozy, who is also an adviser to the group Bike to Work (B2W),
\nused to cycle quite a bit while studying engineering at the
\nUniversity of Colorado in the United States, in the 1990s. He
\nsaid he took up the healthy habit again last year.<\/p>\n
\"I have several bikes but I usually use my Trek 800, which I
\nbought in Colorado,\" said Ozy.<\/p>\n
\"There are seven people who bike to work in this building. I
\ncarry my bike up to my office on the elevator, but the others
\njust park their bikes in the parking lot,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ozy, along with several other B2W members who live in Bintaro,
\nPamulang and Bumi Serpong Damai, meet every Friday at 6:30 a.m.
\nin front of the Bintaro Mosque to cycle to their respective
\noffices, which are mostly in the city's business districts along
\nJl. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Rasuna Said.<\/p>\n
It takes the group less than an hour to bike from Bintaro to
\ntheir offices in Central Jakarta, a trip that takes two hours by
\ncar because of the traffic.<\/p>\n
While Ozy is most concerned about his health, other B2W
\nmembers say cycling to work saves them time and money.<\/p>\n
\"It only takes 15 minutes from my home in Tebet to my office
\non Jl. Gatot Subroto. I also save money because I don't need to
\ntake the bus. I used to spend about 40 minutes getting to my
\noffice by bus,\" B2W secretary Tekad Agiyono told the Post.<\/p>\n
The 43-year-old employee of Indika radio station in the Graha
\nSCTV building rides his bike to work every day since bus fares
\nwent up following the fuel price increases.<\/p>\n
Tekad said B2W, which was set up last year and was officially
\nrecognized last month by Jakarta Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo, has
\nabout 500 members in the capital.<\/p>\n
\"Many cyclists in Samarinda, Bandung and Semarang have
\ncontacted us about setting up a B2W in their towns. We are now
\narranging the organization. We are a nonprofit organization,
\nalthough many companies have expressed a willingness to sponsor
\nus,\" Tekad said.<\/p>\n
B2W has urged the government to provide a special lane for
\ncyclists along Jakarta's streets, and has asked buildings to
\nprovide special parking areas and showers for cyclists.<\/p>\n
\"Usually, we have to take a shower before starting work,\"
\nTekad said.<\/p>\n
Besides being healthy, fun and cheap, biking to work also has
\na positive impact on the environment.<\/p>\n
Swiss-based non governmental organization Swisscontact
\nrecently honored B2W with the Clean Air Award in the lifestyle
\ncategory.<\/p>\n
Riyana Sinaga of Swiss Contact said B2W was honored because of
\nits innovative efforts to protect the environment by urging its
\nmembers to use environmentally friendly modes of transportation.<\/p>\n
So, let's all bike to work.<\/p>\n
Tips for cyclists:<\/p>\n
-- If necessary, bring along toiletries to the office so you can
\nfreshen up after riding your bike.<\/p>\n
- Always use a helmet.<\/p>\n
-- If necessary, carry with you first aid items such as
\nantiseptic, cotton and Band-Aids.<\/p>\n
-- Wear gloves and a mask to help you feel more comfortable.<\/p>\n
-- Always bring a tire pump and repair kit and tools.<\/p>\n
-- Don't race your bike. Always give yourself enough time so you
\ncan make it to the office without having to rush.<\/p>\n
-- Lock up your bike if you park it outside in order to prevent
\nit from being stolen.<\/p>",
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