The envelope please... 2016 Bike Commuter of the Year: Bret Winters

Raise your bicycle high in the air and salute the 2016 Marin County Bike Commuter of the Year: Bret Winters.  A constant fixture on the early-morning route in Southern Marin, you might just keep a keen eye out during your travels to meet and congratulate him!

Bret rides his bike from the Sunset in San Francisco to downtown Mill Valley daily.  His bicycle? A steel frame he brazed and built himself.   He travels early mornings and late afternoons/evenings back and forth, rain or shine. Which means during this El Nino year he found himself pedaling through king tides and huge storms.  Talk about dedication!

He is also dedicated to having a small environmental footprint. Brett rides his tires till they are completely bald and does all his own repairs. Bret never gets in a car or bus. Since he rides in all types of conditions, he always travels with high visibility gear, including front and rear lights.

Receiving multiple nominations and ending up a clear winner in the voting process, the praise for Brett was a consistent thread in the comments:

“He is courteous on the road and sets a great example for us all.”

“He’s ever ready to help others in their joy of cycling, however small that may be.”

“He also stops along his route to offer his mechanic skills to those in need. Bret is a well rounded, humble guy who loves to ride his bike!”

“Bret is an awesome cycling role model. He is always happy and willing to help!”

“He is a superb bike mechanic at Studio Velo, loves cycling, loves cyclists and loves cycles.  He commutes with persistence and dedication even through the worst of weather and the highest of king tides risking his equipment in salty Bay water to get work.  He is Superman personified on a bike!!”

MCBC extends our congratulations all the 2016 nominees:

Amie Blanco

Crystal Herron

Jennifer Jackson

Andy Levine

Sean Melchionda