As Turlockers celebrate national Bike to Work Week – May 14-18 – some local citizens bike to work every day.

Frank Cardoza, a software engineer at Turlock’s Advantage Route Systems, has biked to work daily for the past two years.

“It’s very rare when I take the car,” Cardoza said.

Cardoza said he doesn’t think of himself as much of a cyclist. He started biking the approximately one-mile from his home to work as a way to get some exercise – and to have a chance to overhaul his 1951 Chevrolet truck.

But now, Cardoza enjoys both the convenience and activity involved in cycling to and from work each day.

“It doesn’t really seem to take much longer to ride my bike than to drive,” Cardoza said

 A growing number of Americans are choosing to bike to work, according to the League of American Bicyclists. From 2000 to 2010, the number of bicycle commuters grew 39 percent, now accounting for nearly 0.5 percent of the nation’s population.

In Modesto, the nearest city tracked by the league, 0.9 percent of commuters bike to work. The city ranks 106th of 244 cities tracked.

Though cycling to work may sound romantic, many workers are afraid to try it. Cardoza said there’s no time like the present to hit the pedals.

“Just do it,” Cardoza said. “A lot of people contemplate doing it, but they never try it.”

For those waiting for an excuse to bike to work, this Friday comes with as good of a reason as any. May 18 marks official National Bike/Walk to Work Day.

Cardoza recommends plotting a good route, putting a light on your bike for safety, and bringing a backpack with a few tools and a spare inner tube. Cardoza said he’s burst a few on Turlock’s potholes, and a spare tube always comes in handy.