Tri-Stater trades car keys for a bike and a helmet

In April, Carolyn Tucker, internal communications specialist, decided to join Tri-State’s National Bike Challenge team. Having had successful knee replacement surgery a few years ago, Carolyn was looking forward to getting some exercise while strengthening both her knees.

“I was inspired by the Tri-State team participating in the challenge and I decided to try it,” explains Carolyn. “One Sunday, my husband and I mapped out the course, I planned my commute and dropped off two days of clothes at work. And I couldn’t do it without the shower facilities at headquarters – thank you very much for that!”

Amy Finders, SCADA/metering specialist, coordinates Tri-State’s team and cheers on the 17 Tri-State participants. Carolyn exclaims, “the Tri-State team is fun and Amy is so encouraging. She puts out information, sends encouraging emails to the bike team and lets us know about opportunities.”

One opportunity that presented itself was a drawing sponsored by Way-to-Go, a program providing commuting routes to help ease the transition from car to other options such as bus, train or bike. Way-to-Go wanted to know what riders appreciated about biking and Carolyn jumped on the chance to share her experience. As a result, she won the drawing and was presented with a backpack full of gear including front and rear bike lights, a lock and bike socks. Bike to Work representatives, including Catherine Sanders, program manager at Smart Commute Metro North and two Way-to-Go superheroes, visited Tri-State headquarters to present Carolyn with her prize. “I normally don’t win anything, so I was thrilled!”

Now that the summer is well under way, Carolyn has made biking a regular part of her routine. Distances are logged online with Strava, and she has racked up 387 miles to date. What’s her goal before the challenge ends in September? “I don’t have one. I’m just enjoying riding to work. And I really enjoy not sitting in traffic.”

The National Bike Challenge is open to new and experienced riders and invites people to join any time throughout the summer.