By Whitney Ericson
“I love talking with people and learning about their relationship with bikes and how this relationship affects their life,” said Adrian Cardenas, a Bicycle Education Outreach Specialist and Valet Bicycle Parking Supervisor for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. If you share these passions with Adrian, you might be a perfect candidate for either or both of these part-time positions with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.
Learn about these positions:
Born in Mexico City and raised in Cancun, Adrian began biking after moving to the Bay Area, where he has lived for eight years. “I bought my first bike as an adult after seeing advertisements everywhere about Bike to Work day back in 2012,” Adrian said. “At first I only used it to commute to work from North Oakland to San Francisco near the ballpark. Later on, I started using it for recreation and to explore Oakland and San Francisco neighborhoods. Biking has been great way to get to know Oakland and San Francisco. I also save a lot of money and time biking instead of using Lyft or public transportation.”
Reflecting on how he initially came to work for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Adrian says, “I love riding my bike and enjoy so many positive benefits from biking. I want people to have this experience by teaching them how to ride safely. I also want to help communities have more bike infrastructure so they feel safe and are more motivated to use a bicycle as a primary mode of transportation. I first became a member of the SF Bicycle Coalition, but I wanted to be more involved with the organization. I applied for a job that led me to opportunities with the Bike Education Program and Valet Bike Parking.”
In his role as Bicycle Education Outreach Specialist, Adrian talks with people about the basics of bicycle safety and encourages Bay Area residents to attend free bike education workshops with the SF Bicycle Coalition. He attends Sunday Streets and other fairs and festivals in San Francisco where he promotes the bicycle education program.
“People love that the classes are free!” Adrian said. “Also, people get excited that the classes are focused on children and youth, but are open to adults. I think people feel less isolated or embarrassed when they see others their age learning a skill that many people take for granted.”
In his other role with the organization, he manages Valet Bicycle Parking, monitored bicycle parking at public and private events. The program encourages more people to bike to local events. It is a service that people really appreciate.
“Valet Bicycle Parking keeps everything organized,” Adrian says, “and it gives people who use bicycles a sense of relief, not having to worry about finding a good bike parking spot or about their bike getting stolen.”
For Adrian, working these part-time jobs he’s passionate about allows him to fulfill his other passions as well. “I wanted to be working with my two main passions: music and bikes,” he said. “As for my other passion, music, I recently started working at a local radio station and love it as well.”
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition could not do the work that we do without people like Adrian Cardenas. Thank you, Adrian, for all that you do!
Want to work with Adrian? Learn more about applying to become a Bicycle Education Outreach Specialist and/or Valet Bicycle Parking Supervisor!
