Meet Tyrone Polastri
President, Team Tahoe, a local nonprofit promoting bicycling in the Lake Tahoe region through its BikeTahoe.org.
The vision that led me to Tahoe
Tahoe has been in my life since infancy. Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, my family had a second home here where I learned about respecting the environment, the joys of skiing, and later, mountain biking. Tahoe shaped the man I’ve become with an education in ecology, and a career in sport marketing and coaching.
I ride my bike often because
I’ve been riding a bicycle to school, college, work, and recreationally since childhood. I love the feeling of biking. I feel the aliveness of my body functioning, the clarity and focus of my mind, and the freedom of my spirit to express itself with connection and appreciation for the natural beauty of the outdoors.
My top three favorite Tahoe trails and/or road rides
The Tahoe Marlette Flume ride is one of my annual ‘go to’ rides every year. Another ride I enjoy is Mt Rose to Spooner Lake. When road riding, I enjoy the Diamond Valley Loop, and Blue Lakes Road.
The accomplishments I’m most stoked about
In 2005, I returned to Tahoe full time with a vision of the region becoming a world-class bicycle destination. I started the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, along with others, to spearhead a regional campaign to get two states, five counties and one city to understand the value of and take actions for becoming a Bicycle Friendly Community. Today, we see more people riding their bikes on increasing miles of bike paths, lanes and trails.
I encourage others to ride a bike because
When riding a bicycle, we slow down and become more intimately connected to our body and surroundings. We see more and feel more helping us gain a deeper appreciation of our environment, communities and each other. Bicycling is the ultimate “green machine.”