Groundskeeper Mike Griffith is among the one-quarter of Davis campus employees who bicycle to work. But Griffith takes it a step farther. Actually, he keeps on pedaling — after switching from his commute bike to his work bike.

Not just any old bike, but a professional-grade three-wheeler with heavy suspension, 21 gears and hydraulically operated rear disk brakes — and a custom-made cargo bed to haul his work gear, or loads of dirt and mulch.

“This is UC Davis-friendly,” said Griffith, whose 20-year career with Buildings and Grounds puts him smack-dab in the middle of a sea of bicycles every day as he rakes and prunes and sprays.

In switching to the work bike, Griffith voluntarily gave up his gas-powered cart — the ultimate in environmentally friendly gestures.

“This is in line with the campus philosophy,” Griffith said. In fact, the campus sustainability committee awarded a $2,145 grant to help buy what Griffith calls a “human powered utility vehicle.”

Buildings and Grounds, Transportation and Parking Services, and Fleet Services also contributed to the purchase price. The total cost (not counting lock, brake lights and a bell, courtesy of the Bike Barn): $3,432, compared with $5,000 to $7,000 for a new power cart.

It was all Griffith’s idea. The UC Davis graduate — he earned a bachelor’s degree in managerial economics while going to school part-time and holding down his grounds keeping job — co-wrote the grant application, researched and test-drove the various work bikes on the market, and made the purchase.

“Mike is incredibly motivated about this,” said Cary Avery, grounds superintendent with Buildings and Grounds. “We are very proud of him.”

The bike arrived on March 4, and, so far, so good, Griffith said. “This bike will do all of the work that the other carts will do,” he said. The bike fits around all the bollards and gates that keep cars and trucks off various paths around campus, and the cargo bed can carry 600 pounds.

The bed is built on the same chassis that the Broomfield, Colo., manufacturer uses for its pedicabs. For the UC Davis bike, Main Street Pedicabs painted the bike and bed in Aggie blue, and affixed the Buildings and Grounds logo on both sides of the bed.

At Griffith’s request, the manufacturer cut down the sides of the bed to 16 inches, providing easier access. The bed also features a drop-down gate.

Griffith spoke with Dateline one afternoon last week while transferring a load of mulch from the cargo bed to a planter outside the west entry garage.

His duties also include trash pickup in the six-story garage — and that means pedaling up the ramps. “It’s a little more effort, but it’s not that bad,” he said. “This keeps me in shape for basketball.”

The work bike is also easy on his ears. “That’s the first thing I noticed — no noise,” he said.

“Also notable is the reduction in air pollution and natural resource consumption,” he wrote in a follow-up letter to the sustainability committee. “Additionally, the purchase cost was less than our gas-run work vehicles, the maintenance cost will be reduced considerably, and fuel cost will be zero.”

Griffith recalled that when he started with the grounds division in 1988, he used a handcart to haul his work gear, and some of his colleagues used wheelbarrows. The gas-powered and electric carts came later.

“Some people might think this is a step back,” he said. “But once you get on this, it’s not that hard.”

Griffith said he is getting a lot of positive comments from his co-workers — “a lot of thumbs-up” — and he hopes other departments take notice and consider acquiring work bikes if appropriate.

“It’s absolutely a step forward,” he said. “It’s not just about what it’s doing for the environment, but what it’s doing for my department’s budget.”

And maybe for the campus budget as a whole. Indeed, Griffith said, as he made progress on turning his work bike idea into reality, what began as an individual effort turned into a campus community project, “because of the number of people who freely offered their expertise and support to make this happen.”

“They deserve credit as well. I truly appreciate their help.”

On the Net

UC Davis Sustainability: sustainability.ucdavis.edu

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