Meet San Mateo County's Bike Champion Of The Year

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — San Mateo County's Bike Champion of the Year is Sonia Elkes of San Carlos.

The award is given to individuals who inspire bicycling in their Bay Area communities by Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days, which receives support from a number of local organizations like MTC and 511.

Elkes, who will serve as a co-leader of the San Carlos chapter of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Colation in May, is known as "the voice of bicyclists in San Carlos," according to a news release. Elkes has worked to improve the state of biking in San Carlos.

“Biking is one of the few activities that checks all the boxes at once — it’s active, practical, social, sustainable, stress-relieving, fun, and is a great family activity,” Elkes said. “Biking has the unique ability to elevate the mundane — it turns errands into adventures. More people on bikes keeps our streets safer, our air cleaner and our communities better connected.”

Elkes is a parent volunteer with the Safe Routes to School program at the local school district. She is active in organizing bike rides and moderates a Nextdoor group about transportation in San Carlos.

Elkes commutes via bike and train between her youngest child's school in South San Francisco and her part-time job at Chain Reaction Bicycles in Redwood City.

May is the Bay Area’s “Bike to Wherever Days,” and May 21 is National Bike to Wherever Day. MTC Chairman and Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza said in a news release that the pandemic has not stopped people from biking.

“The slow streets movement has encouraged people to get on bicycles and explore their neighborhoods, get exercise and run errands,” Pedroza said. “The May events put a focus on bicycling and highlights all its benefits. Biking has never been stronger in the Bay Area and we want everyone to participate.”