Name: David Smith

Job: Academic advisor in the University of Colorado's Computer Sciences Department

Age: 46

Home: Boulder

Distinction: Each workday for more than 20 years, Smith has ridden his bicycle to and from work at the university. He estimates he puts about 1,300 miles per year on the bike commuting. He won an honorable mention award from the CU Environmental Center last month for his commitment to non-polluting transportation.

Do you bike to work for environmental concerns, or for other reasons? "Well initially, when I first started working here (in 1980), I found driving to work was a hassle. First there was the traffic and then the university charges faculty and staff for parking."

It's now a situation in which I don't like seeing those brown cloud days," Smith said. "They seem only to be getting worse as the Front Range gets more and more crowded."

Do you live close to the University? "Oh, I've usually been close, about two miles away, but there was a period of time in which I lived out in Gunbarrel. Then, I took the bus in but kept a bike on campus to run errands."

What do you do when the weather is bad? Smith still bikes. "I have a whole variety of apparel," he said. "The most difficult times are when we have those really cold days in the dead of winter." Smith wears layers, he said, and good gloves are critical.

"There are quite a few people on the Boulder campus that are as dedicated bicyclers as myself," he said. "They just maybe don't do it through bad weather."

Do you find it difficult at times? "No, it's easy and something I can do, putting just one less car on the road. I'm a pretty active individual," he said. Smith runs trails and walks his dog in open space lands.

"I've got a special fondness and appreciation for nature," he said.

What's your favorite trail in Boulder? "I've always enjoyed the Mesa Trail," Smith said. "You get some really fine vistas."

— Katy Human

May 12, 2002

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