CLEVELAND — National Bike to Work Week wrapped up Friday with Bike to Work Day, an annual event that promotes heading into the office on two wheels instead of four. 

What You Need To Know

  • Leah Sharkey said she has been cycling for most of her life
  • National Bike to Work Week wrapped up today with Bike to Work Day
  • Sharkey agreed that safety is always top of mind during her twice-weekly rides to work

Leah Sharkey said she has been cycling for most of her life.

She said she’s been cycling to work for the past 14 years. She’s participated in charity rides to keep herself healthy and took part in long-distance cycling events.

“My fiancé bought me a rack and panniers for my bike, so I decided to try riding to work,” she said.

She said she was pleasantly surprised by the experience.

“I was a little bit nervous riding downtown at rush hour, but honestly, I found it to be very smooth, and people would let me cut over to make the left-hand turn at Ontario, and it was fine. I never had a problem riding downtown,” she said.

According to Bike Cleveland, a group that advocates for safe cycling in northeast Ohio, in 2023, 550 people were hit by cars while walking or biking in the city. 

Sharkey agreed that safety is always top of mind during her twice-weekly rides to work.

“There is always room for improvement. Cleveland has gotten exponentially better since I’ve started this,” she said.

And she said she hopes that as conditions on the road improve, more people will join her.

“If any of my co-workers said they wanted to ride to work but they are afraid, I would ride to their house and ride with them to work,” she said. 

For Sharkey, cycling is a form of therapy. 

“[A] 45-minute ride each way. It kind of perks me up. In the morning, it wakes me up. I get to work kind of energized. And after a long, stressful day of work, I can just unwind. It actually works out well,” she said.