Lisa Walters, 30, an empowered wife and mother of two, wakes up at 4:30 am, kisses her kids and gears up for her full time job as a mechanical insulator. She cycles from her home in New Westminster, BC to places such as Vancouver, Richmond and Coquitlam, an impressive average of 35-44 kilometers each day. The blonde, blue eyed and tattooed tradeswoman cycles distances as far as Saint Paul’s Hospital in downtown Vancouver, which takes her just over an hour. The same trip also takes one hour by bus. “I realize I’m not the fastest rider, and the one thing I feared about cycling was that it might take too long – but it doesn’t,” she said.
Walters, who also works part-time as a mobile emergency health care coordinator, enjoys riding her reliable white 8-speed Dahon folding bike to and from work. “In the beginning, I thought biking would take too long, but now that I cycle, the Lower Mainland seems tiny to me.” Walters is encouraged by her husband Chris, 32, and two children; Dylan, nine, and Samantha, 11. “Everyone gets involved. We help each other to make cycling a normal part of our daily lives,” she said.
Walters began bike commuting at the age of 21. Laura Grant, her manager at the Hyatt Hotel, challenged her to cycle to work. “After explaining that my commute was a nearly impossible eight kilometers uphill, my manager informed me that she was twice my age and cycled from downtown Vancouver to Metrotown (14 kilometers) for fun, so what’s my excuse?” said Walters.
Walters’ current employer is also supportive of her cycling, allowing her half an hour to commute between appointments, as most of the sites are within 10 kilometers of each other. Her job entails applying insulation to pipes, duct ventilation systems and firestopping, so Walters packs 50 pounds of weight with her, which includes all her tools and additional clothes. Though preferring designated bike routes like the Adanac/Union Bikeway, she often travels on larger and busier roads like Lougheed Highway.
Though she rides to as many of her work sites as she can, Walters has her tired days, and occasionally incorporates the SkyTrain. “Though I try not to, sometimes, after a good ride and hard days work, I need to cheat, and hop on the SkyTrain to get home.”
Walters attitude is one of concern and respect for those with whom she shares the roads and paths. “I love riding on routes where I have my own lane, as it helps drivers not feel so nervous around cyclists. I also love saying good morning and afternoon to other cyclists and pedestrians – it’s like boating, where everyone waves and gives each other a friendly nod,” she said.
Not even the snow can keep Walters off her bike. A year-round cyclist, she has noticed more winter riders like her over the years, though she also points out that she’d like to see more improvements to road clean-up and maintenance in the winter.
As a mother, cycling gives Walters personal time that helps her learn and grow. “I feel like my days make a difference. My trade helps our customers save money by saving energy, and that helps the environment. I’d say that makes it a good day for everyone.”
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