PEDAL POWER BIKER COMMUTES 145 MILES - EACH WAY.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - John Williams is doing his part to conserve gas by riding his bicycle to work - 145 miles each way.

Fellow commuters offer encouragement, especially as he pedals up the Grapevine.

``Drivers honk and give the thumbs-up on Interstate 5 in both directions,'' he said. ``Truckers honk. I like them because they push the wind for me.''

While May is National Bike Month and May 18 is Bike to Work Day, Williams hardly need incentives to climb aboard his 15-pound carbon-fiber Kestrel and hit the road.

Compared to the handful of cross-country races and nine 500-mile road races he has entered, the trip to work is a yawn. Still, it has its merits.

``It saves on gas,'' said Williams, who carries a fit 155 pounds on his 5-foot-10 frame. ``And it's a lifestyle I picked up in the late '80s, and I just continued it.''

With the mortgage paid off, the bike mechanic and salesman at Performance Cyclery in Saugus has settled into a schedule that suits him and pays the bills.

He leaves his Lake Isabella home at 2 a.m. Mondays and - depending on winds, weather and rest stops - arrives at work eight to 12 hours later, returning Thursday night or Friday. During the week, he stays with friends in Newhall.

His route threads along Highways 155, 178 and 184 and onto southbound Interstate 5. He has avoided collisions in his three years on the route - where uphill climbs and prevailing winds can lengthen the return leg by up to two hours.

And some California Highway Patrol officers have learned bike riding is is allowed on I-5 between San Francisco and Castaic - where Williams exits at Hughes Lake Road - during calls to superiors after pulling Williams over.

The concept of riding to work takes on greater meaning since gas prices have shot up more than 10 cents in the past week.

The Automobile Club of Southern California reports the cost of a gallon of regular gas in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area averages $3.34; a week ago, it was $3.20. One local station is charging $3.69 a gallon for regular gas.

The recent uptick in gas prices has not yet driven herds of desperate motorists into Williams' shop, but he noticed a 15 percent increase in first-time cyclists since last fall.

Roger Hasper, owner of Newhall Bicycle Co., applauds the plan to outfit all Santa Clarita city buses with bike racks by June, but seeks routes tailored to cyclists' needs.

``I think what happens first is people who are already pedaling are the first ones who start to commute. If prices of gas continue to rise, we'll get people coming in saying, `I need a bike.'

``A temporary rise in fuel will not make them act,'' he said. ``Taking money out of their wallet for a prolonged amount of time will make people think alternatively about commuting on their bike.''

Parents have not been prevailing on their offspring to ditch the drive and ride bikes to school, but Connie Hall, office manager at Mountain View Elementary School in Saugus, has seen more carpooling since the school's 1,068 students have returned from spring break.

Cyclists who partake in May 18 events will be rewarded with pit stops and free rides on mass transit. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is offering free bus and train rides, and in Northern California, the city of Alameda is offering free rides on its two ferries.

judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

For the third year, the city of Santa Clarita is hosting a Bike to Work Day Challenge, where businesses compete to see who can get more employees to ride to work. For more information, call [phone] or visit www.californiabikecommute.com.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color ran in SAC edition) John Williams makes a 290-mile round trip on his bicycle from his home at Lake Isabella to the Performance Bike Shop in Santa Clarita, where he works.

(2 -- ran in SAC edition only) The price of gas at the Alliance station at 17100 Sierra Highway hit $3.89 for premium on Thursday.

David Crane/Staff Photographer

Box:

(ran in SAC edition only) FOR MORE INFORMATION (see text)