Biking to work fun, healthy, cheap

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When Ozy Sjahrindra made the decision to bike to his office on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta from his home in Bintaro, South Jakarta, every Tuesday and Friday, he was thinking about his health.

"It's exercise. I'm 40 years old now. Cycling helps keep me healthy. I saw the benefits when I went cycling in the mountainous Puncak, for example," Ozy, who is the general manager of AGIT, a subsidiary of Astra International, told The Jakarta Post recently.

When he doesn't bike to work, the father of one drives to his office on the 23rd floor of the Standard Chartered building.

Ozy, who is also an adviser to the group Bike to Work (B2W), used to cycle quite a bit while studying engineering at the University of Colorado in the United States, in the 1990s. He said he took up the healthy habit again last year.

"I have several bikes but I usually use my Trek 800, which I bought in Colorado," said Ozy.

"There are seven people who bike to work in this building. I carry my bike up to my office on the elevator, but the others just park their bikes in the parking lot," he said.

Ozy, along with several other B2W members who live in Bintaro, Pamulang and Bumi Serpong Damai, meet every Friday at 6:30 a.m. in front of the Bintaro Mosque to cycle to their respective offices, which are mostly in the city's business districts along Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Rasuna Said.

It takes the group less than an hour to bike from Bintaro to their offices in Central Jakarta, a trip that takes two hours by car because of the traffic.

While Ozy is most concerned about his health, other B2W members say cycling to work saves them time and money.

"It only takes 15 minutes from my home in Tebet to my office on Jl. Gatot Subroto. I also save money because I don't need to take the bus. I used to spend about 40 minutes getting to my office by bus," B2W secretary Tekad Agiyono told the Post.

The 43-year-old employee of Indika radio station in the Graha SCTV building rides his bike to work every day since bus fares went up following the fuel price increases.

Tekad said B2W, which was set up last year and was officially recognized last month by Jakarta Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo, has about 500 members in the capital.

"Many cyclists in Samarinda, Bandung and Semarang have contacted us about setting up a B2W in their towns. We are now arranging the organization. We are a nonprofit organization, although many companies have expressed a willingness to sponsor us," Tekad said.

B2W has urged the government to provide a special lane for cyclists along Jakarta's streets, and has asked buildings to provide special parking areas and showers for cyclists.

"Usually, we have to take a shower before starting work," Tekad said.

Besides being healthy, fun and cheap, biking to work also has a positive impact on the environment.

Swiss-based non governmental organization Swisscontact recently honored B2W with the Clean Air Award in the lifestyle category.

Riyana Sinaga of Swiss Contact said B2W was honored because of its innovative efforts to protect the environment by urging its members to use environmentally friendly modes of transportation.

So, let's all bike to work.

Tips for cyclists:

-- If necessary, bring along toiletries to the office so you can freshen up after riding your bike.

- Always use a helmet.

-- If necessary, carry with you first aid items such as antiseptic, cotton and Band-Aids.

-- Wear gloves and a mask to help you feel more comfortable.

-- Always bring a tire pump and repair kit and tools.

-- Don't race your bike. Always give yourself enough time so you can make it to the office without having to rush.

-- Lock up your bike if you park it outside in order to prevent it from being stolen.