It wasn't a joke to Serres, a serious cyclist himself. The bikes make sense for many reasons: cost, $3-per-gallon gasoline, environmental concerns, health concerns, and a lack of parking (for cars) because of the current downtown construction.
"There's been a movement nationally and locally to ride bicycles on shorter trips, and this made sense considering the hospital parking situation," said Serres.
Serres bought two Diamondback sport comfort bikes, each costing close to $250. The seven company cars cost about $20,000, he said.
Compared to coworkers who often travel out of town, the bikes work for Railey and Klein, who are employed by both Bluegrass Biomedical and Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, both which are downtown. They each live within a few miles of downtown, so legging out a commute isn't that big of an ordeal.
Railey says he's warmed up to the idea.
"Now that I'm used to it, I like it," he said. "It's probably the nicest bike I've ever owned."
Klein admits that he doesn't use his company vehicle every day, because of the heat, but he said he likes biking when the weather is more accommodating. "I think it's great, especially with the construction and the limited parking at the hospital right now," said Klein.
Serres said he believes his employees are getting a kick out of being local trendsetters. "I think Mike and Steve are pretty excited that they get to become role models for what they're promoting," he said.
