When the black BREEZER, a descendant of the legendary 1974 bike builder Joe Breezer, came rolling in the double, store-front doors of a local cafe I was visiting I thought, "someone is now bike-delivering bakery goods here on Center Street." Sporting a black, collapsible, plastic crate mounted over the existing, rear wheel rack the sleek bike coasted right up to the order counter fronting the kitchen. I wasn’t quite right, as I found out later the owner of the BREEZER ‘Downtown EX’ had just stopped by to chat with her husband. Dacey Barnes does transport goods, though, produce from the local farmer’s market, groceries, her yoga mat, a picnic blanket, and just about anything else she needs in traveling between work, play, and home.
Dacey began her biking experience early in life and has been riding ever since—here in Provo since 2003. “I was twenty-three before getting my driver’s license because I liked bikes [so much],” she affirms with a brief smile. Living only a mile away from work, Dacey finds riding in the mornings quieter and cooler now that summer has arrived, “it just makes more sense to ride to work, being so close… and I see more things on a bike than in a car.” Exercise is another good reason! Dacey once lived near Rock Canyon Park, she often enjoyed biking the steep surrounding hills and down along the Provo River Trail, but today it’s more the quaint streets of Downtown Provo. She bought the BREEZER two years ago not knowing anything about the bike or its builder, other than that it looked like a good ride. The black crate she added later after coming up with the idea and the combination made her travels even easier.
I asked Dacey if biking in Provo feels any safer or more comfortable today, “Depends [on] if there is a lot of traffic,” she says, “especially biking on Center Street.” “Sharrows would help.” She has noticed the new bike lanes around town in the last two years and really likes that there is more of a bicycle presence here in Provo. “We’re here too,” she adds in defense of bicyclists, “[but it] still seems like we're on the fringes of society.” She would like to see more events like Bike to Work Day, flyers promoting bike groups and activities at her work, and she’s also “a big advocate of [bike] safety.” As for advantages, Dacey tells me that parking is much easier with a bike than with a car, and she doesn’t have to worry about parking tickets or moving her car every two hours. Today she uses active transportation 60-70% of the time.
