Nathan Brown, principal engineer at Westinghouse’s Chattanooga, Tenn., facility, has been pumping and pedaling his way to work for about four years. Now the avid bicyclist is part of a growing group of Westinghouse employees who participate in a monthly bike safety call-in group.

“The purpose of the group is to discuss issues that may arise. It’s a way to get people into biking, and to get those who don’t do maintenance on their bike, to start,” Brown says.

The call-in group formed in January amid efforts by wellness experts at Westinghouse’s Cranberry, Pa., facility to be a more bike-friendly worksite. Cyclist David Town, a principal engineer and Wellness Committee member at the site, was one of the original members of a Bike Safety Committee for a number of cyclists who began biking during lunch.

Meanwhile, Brown was forming his own network of cyclists at the southern site, who bike during lunch on a trail along the Tennessee River, about a quarter mile from their office. Brown was interested in the call-in group, and the two groups intersected.

With Motorists in Mind

Each month, the calls offer a way for bikers to discuss safety concerns and tips, and share two-wheeled camaraderie.

“Being part of the group helps me keep tabs on what the rest of the company is doing. I am the only bike commuter here,” Brown says.

The conference calls often focus on the fundamentals of riding, such as using hand signals and following the same road rules as vehicles. They also offer tips for group riding, including:

“We ride no more than two wide, but try to go single file so a car has the capability to pass, as a courtesy,” Town says.

One frequent focus of discussion involves how to inform motorists about the laws of cycling, and proper etiquette for interacting with cyclists. Town says the lack of knowledge and tolerance from motorists toward cyclists can be a challenge.

“A lot of people think we are incorrect by riding on the road, and honk as they pass, which is usually the most incorrect moment,” Town says.

However, Brown says he thinks motorists seem to be getting more accepting of cyclists—despite the fact that one unfriendly driver did throw a fast food bag at him while passing.

“I’m constantly surprised that I am fairly well respected by vehicular traffic,” says Brown.

Sharing a Biker’s Mentality

Because Town has little time to ride after work or on busy weekends, he carved out some biking time during lunch. Before long, he had others pedaling up beside him, and the group of Cranberry bikers started rolling.

“I started riding at lunch. Soon, some of the colleagues who originally inspired me (to take up cycling) joined in, and we had a small group that rode sporadically,” Town says.

Now, he sends emails to a distribution list of about 30 riders, to schedule the short lunchtime excursions. Using the Map My Road app, he and others plot a route, mostly on back roads behind the Cranberry campus.

While the bike group continues rolling, Westinghouse has brought in Bike Pittsburgh, a biking advocacy group, to conduct a campus assessment. The group made recommendations, and the company is now working to bring in more signage, especially in the roundabouts, to alert motorists to be cautious and share the road.

Over in Chattanooga, riders are lucky to be in a place that Bicycling.com ranked at No. 27 in their America’s Top 50 Bike Friendly Cities in 2012.

“We’re very fortunate to be near a city river trail (along the Tennessee River),” Brown says.

Barring extremely inclement weather or work commitments, Roy May, another Chattanooga engineer, has been hitting the river trail for a 15-mile ride every day for the last six years.

“I do it to stay healthy. The goal is to get my heart rate up—I get pretty sweaty,” May says. “A lot of people say I’m crazy for going in the heat, but at 15 mph, it’s like a fan in your face,” he says.

That’s something great about the call-in group. They understand what drives May, and all the fellow bikers out on the road.

“The core members of the group have bonded because of cycling. We now meet for after-work rides and discuss all things biking, either personally or over the group email,” Town says.