Taking the Road Less Traveled : A Building Inspector Finds Cycling 12 Miles to His Job Is Often Faster Than Driving

When Van Nuys resident Ron Skarin begins his daily commute to work in West Los Angeles, he doesn’t worry about gridlock on the Ventura or San Diego freeways.

His principal worries are that his bicycle chain will break or a tire will go flat.

Skarin, 40, is among the less than 1% of Los Angeles County commuters who ride bicycles to work.

His 12-mile commute takes about 40 minutes--often less time than it would if he were to drive the distance during rush hour, he said.

“I feel like I’m beating the system somehow,” said Skarin, a city of Los Angeles building inspector who has commuted by bicycle for about 11 years.

The ride, which takes him over the Sepulveda Pass, usually begins just before 6 a.m.

“The hardest part is getting on the bike,” he said.

Skarin, who raced bicycles for 13 years, decided to turn his hobby into a daily form of transportation when he became frustrated at the amount of time that he was spending sitting in traffic.

“The traffic was just horrendous on the Sepulveda Pass,” he said.

“As I started riding to and from work, I realized I was actually making better time on the average than when I drove.”

He estimates that he has ridden about 2,000 miles on city streets and has so far had only one accident involving a car.

“It can be safe if you know what you are doing,” he said.

When the weather is not suitable or when he is pressed for time, Skarin drives his car.

Coincidentally, as a building inspector, Skarin’s duties will include making sure that developers abide by a recently adopted city law requiring that bicycle racks, showers and lockers be installed in new, large commercial buildings.

Skarin said he would welcome showers and a locker at his workplace, where he is forced to store his riding gear in a closet and take “bird baths” in a restroom sink.