Name: Brian Cargille
Employer: HP
Job Position: Global Head of Inkjet Operations and Media
Where did you grow up? A small town in Ventura County (about 45 min south of Santa Barbara, in the mountains)
Where do you commute from? Mountain View, near downtown
How many years have you been commuting by bike commute, how often? More than 20 years, come by bike every day (except when on business travel, of course).
Why do you bike? It’s WAY better. Fresh air, outside, no waiting in traffic, exercise, more efficient in general, and sometimes you see friends (or even a jackrabbit) along the way.
How do you do it? Keeping my work clothes at work is what makes it for me; one black and one brown pair of shoes with matching belts, slacks, shirts… and extra towels, etc… you get the idea. II do a replenishment once every few weeks. This and the HP showers/fitness center make it a breeze. I used to do the same from Redwood City… it was 16 miles round trip instead of 10; I like 10 better. ;)
What other kind of cycling (weekend with the kids, century rides, bike club member) do you do? Not much… maybe as part of a Sprint in a small race if heavily recruited, or over to friends/family house on the weekend, or to do errands/go to the library. Once in a great while, a multi-day bike trip with my wife… she’s way tougher than I am – she did a solo bike trip across the Western ½ of Canada(!)
What you wish drivers knew? That when they give us hand signals from inside their car, most of the time we can’t see them let alone what they’re doing. ;)
What would you say to new cyclists/those interested? Awesome! A good bike doesn’t need to cost more than $600; ride a few before you pick one. 29” wheels are way more stable than 27.” Get something you like to ride, get some gear to keep you dry (used is fine, inexpensive is fine), try different things to find out what you like… some people swear by paniers while others don’t like them… there are no “right” answers.
Are you willing to help new cyclists in any way? Sure! I’m happy to plot with anyone who wants to… on how to make riding to work fun and effective.
Any other crazy bikey things you’d like the share? I lived and worked in Singapore for HP… 3 years, same in Grenoble, France. I rode my bike to work in those places too… watch out for ice in Grenoble and monsoon season in SEA! The photo with bicycles and a train is me and my wife about to start a self-guided tour around the top half of NZ’s South Island ~10 years ago. Note the smiles and lack of grease/dirt… clearly this is the beginning of the experience. ;)
