The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition welcomes Eliana Marcus-Tyler as our new program coordinator! Eliana will be managing our bicycle education program.

Tell us about your role at the SF Bicycle Coalition.

Here at the Bicycle Coalition we have a whole range of free bike education classes. We offer courses on everything from learning how to ride a bike for the first time to how to be a safe and respectful multimodal commuter. I’ll be coordinating these classes. So whether you want to finally make good on that New Year’s resolution to learn to bike or are a seasoned rider who wants to refine their city biking skills, we’ve got a class for you.

Do you have a favorite bike trip memory?

This past fall, my dad and I biked from Vancouver, Canada to the U.S.-Mexico Border. It was amazing to get to spend all day, every day, biking. The route varied between rural roads, coastal highways and urban bike paths, and it was powerful to get to see different parts of the country.

You’ll be working a lot on our Adult Education programs. What excites you most about SF Bicycle Coalition’s classes? Why are they important, do you think?

Biking means so much to me — in many ways, it represents freedom and independence, and I want to give others the opportunity to integrate biking into their own lives. I love that our education programs serve people of all ability levels and ages; there is truly something for everyone! I believe that biking has the ability to change lives and change the world by increasing joy, reducing carbon emissions and building community. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to get more people biking and hopefully inspire those changes.

You’ve worked at a farm camp, and now you’re living in San Francisco. What do you like best about the city?

I really love how the outdoors is so integrated into the city — in less than an hour I can ride my bike from home into the Marin Headlands. For me, it offers the best of both worlds! Also, having grown up on the East Coast, I feel energized being in a new city that is quite different from those back East.

When you’re not working or biking, what fills your time?

I love anything that involves being outside, especially running and hiking. After a six-year hiatus I have started playing basketball again, so I’ve been trying to bust the rust off of my jumpshot. I also enjoy cooking and sharing conversations with friends.

Get learning! There’s still space available in Smart City Cycling 1 on 4/17 and 5/7, and in Family Learn to Ride on 4/20!