Walking the Talk: 5 Questions with Kelti Baird
You may know Kelti as the co-owner of Theoretically Brewing, but she is also an avid bicycle commuter. We asked her to share her experiences as a regular cyclist.
1. Tell me how biking/active transportation fits into your life? I have been a bike commuter for just over 4 years now. Cycling is my primary method of transportation in Lethbridge, followed by transit and then personal vehicle as a last resort. By swapping to cycling I feel way more connected to my community and I’ve had so many wonderful neighbourly experiences while on the bike.
2. How and why did you get started? I got started because we did the math on a 2 vehicle household over a 1 vehicle household and it made sense for our family to make the switch to me cycle commuting. It doesn’t add any additional time to my commute and my household saves approximately $7000 annually by not operating a second vehicle. By selling our 2nd vehicle and purchasing an e-bike for my commute, I am also able to include my daily exercise in my commute which allows us to also save on gym memberships.
3. What has been your biggest challenge? Educating others (particularly drivers) on cyclists riding in traffic. Due to a lack of cycle infrastructure in my area I am forced to ride in traffic lanes with cars and trucks, and that’s extremely intimidating especially when drivers get upset that I’m in the traffic lanes despite that being the only legal and safe place for me to ride. I’ve had several close calls with vehicle drivers becoming aggressive behind the wheel, which is kinda scary given they could run me over, but most folks are really great about me riding in traffic.
4. What’s your best tip for someone who is new to biking as a form of transportation? E-bikes are worth the investment once you can afford one. I’ve been riding the same e-bike now for 4 years, it’s really fun, and a great way to tackle hills. I can arrive at my destination invigorated but not sweaty. Do learn to ride in the traffic lanes, riding sidewalks is unpleasant for multiple reasons, but also cyclists get hit the most at intersections when drivers are not expecting them to emerge from a sidewalk.
5. What’s one wish you have for Lethbridge when it comes to active transportation? More investment in the active transportation infrastructure and education. I believe that we can achieve a great cultural shift in Lethbridge to more active forms of transportation since it’s a delightful city to get around, outside of a car. There’s a pervasive idea here that we’re a “winter city” and 90% of trips are done by car, rather than any other mode of transportation. There were only 4 days last winter where it was impractical for me to ride, so I took the bus, which was still operating. We can ride here the vast majority of the year with adequate infrastructure.