​On Saturday, December 2, 2017, BikeSGV will host its annual party - 'Noche de las Luminarias' - to celebrate the progress towards a more pedestrian-, bicycle-, and transit-friendly SGV. This profile is one of a series of posts highlighting some of the people at the forefront of this movement. 

Otto Sayes works in El Monte, lives in Ontario, and loves to ride his bike. A mail sorter by night and photographer by day (and night), Otto started riding with BikeSGV as it was convenient. Most BikeSGV rides started within minutes of his workplace, providing an easy opportunity to finish a shift with a casual ride. An experienced rider, Otto became a fixture at BikeSGV’s monthly community rides in 2016, often showing up early with a jug of orange juice to donate to participants. He also became a certified BikeSGV ride marshall in 2017, helping make community rides as safe and enjoyable as possible for riders of all ages and abilities.

In 2017, Otto helped guide almost every #SGVBikeChallenge ride - BikeSGV’s first attempt at hosting community rides, touching every SGV community in one calendar year. His marshall attendance record even bested many staff members for the monthly BikeSGV ride series. More comfortable on a bike than on foot - a fact that belies a background as a hit-and-run survivor who nearly lost his life in a crosswalk in Montebello - Otto helped guide over 1,000 community ride participants in 2016-17.

Otto was also one of only a few official event photographers to shoot the massive ‘626 Golden Streets’ ciclovia on Sunday, March 5, 2017, which connected the communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, East Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, and Azusa via 18.5 miles of open streets. Many of the most memorable pictures captured that day were shot by Otto, an invaluable service to the small BikeSGV team that spent the better part of 2 years organizing the historic event.

​When recently asked why he volunteers for BikeSGV, Otto replied: “It’s family! And family help each other.”