Everything Elisa Munoz brings to work must fit in a small backpack. "Makeup, notebook, Ipod, wallet...it's very heavy actually," said Munoz.
She is one of a few local commuters who brave rush hour traffic on two wheels with no motor and no roof.
"You know I just chance it in case it rains. Hopefully it won't!" said Munoz.
Her seven mile bicycle commute from Birmingham to Irondale begins in a car because the first stretch is so dangerous.
"I have to come up over the mountain and there are no shoulders and there's no sidewalks which are illegal to ride on anyway," said Munoz.
She parks about a mile away from her home and pedals the rest of the 20 minute trip.
Munoz says she's been chased by dogs and even run off the road, but mostly she just runs into attitude.
"I get a lot of looks. I get honks. I get occasional yells to get on the sidewalk even when there is no sidewalk and to get off the road a lot," said Elisa Munoz.
Overall, despite the dogs and the possibility of rain she says it's a healthy alternative to driving which saves on not just gasoline, but a gym membership.
Sean Saffle with CommuteSmart Birmingham says there are only a few bike lanes in Birmingham.
"Sometimes people park in them. It's tough when you're on a bike and someone can just open a door so you really got to pay attention on both sides," said Sean Saffle.
To promote cooperation between bicycle commuters and drivers theBirmingham Regional Planning Commission is organizing a bike to workday in May.
"It's an awareness raising thing where we have a route that runs through some of the bike lanes downtown and ends here at the Regional Planning Commission. It's a way to get cyclists to see that just because they are biking doesn't mean that they own the road. And you know the cars get used to seeing people because as Elisa said, cars aren't used to seeing people on bikes. If they are aware that there maybe a bike around the corner maybe they will drive a little moresafely," said Sean Saffle.
Elisa Munoz says bike paths would be amazing, but at this point she would settle for just an awareness that there are cyclists out there.
"So could ride without being yelled at," said Munoz. "There's just nothing like the feeling of riding your bike. I love it.
