Frank Henderson, Golden Helmet Award and Alejandro Pujol, Silver Helmet Award – 2010

For information on Frank Henderson’s Golden Helmet Award and Alejandro Pujol, Silver Helmet Award recipient, scroll down. 

Update, February 12, 2014: See Frank Henderson interviewed in “Bike Lanes For High Volume Traffic Area: Effort to protect Monterey County cyclists,” a 2/12/14 story by reporter Cassandra Arsenault of KION.

Update, May 12, 2013: See Frank Henderson as a “spandex-clad hero,” volunteering at the annual Intergenerational Ride for Monterey County Bike Week.

Update, June 6, 2012:  See Frank Henderson volunteering at the annual Intergenerational Ride for Monterey County Bike Week.

Update, April 30, 2012:  Frank is doing helmet fitting and bike safety instruction at the Diabetes Health Fair in Watsonville May 4.

Update, April 15, 2012:  Frank is teaching bike safety to boys ages 14-17 at the new Bicycle Repair and Safety class at the Monterey County Youth Center, Salinas.

Update, August 31, 2011:  Watch a video of Frank Henderson interviewed on the “Your Town” television show on Cable Channel 24  (MontereyRadio.com). Frank is interviewed by Debbie Hale, executive director of the Transportation Agency of Monterey County.  Frank offers lots of great bike safety tips.  Click here, then slide over to about 41:00 minutes.

Update, May 16, 2011:  Frank Henderson is a bike community leader who is especially helpful to Monterey Bay area youth.  Frank was at the Seaside PAL Bike Fair on May 15.

Frank’s schedule this week included:

• New Republic Elementary School in Salinas  May 13, for a bicycle parade and outdoor assembly
• bicycle safety tabling events at the Diabetes Health Fair in Watsonville’s Downtown Plaza on May 20  from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• bike safety tabling at the Science & Health Day at Hartnell’s Alisal Campus in Salinas on May 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

As you can see, he is happy to get out and help others learn to bike safely!  Contact Frank by phone, 831-755-6738 or email,  fhenders@hartnell.edu.

Some scenes from the PAL Bike Fair….

(Above photo courtesy of Frank Henderson)

The 5/15 course had been set up with cones.  Frank often uses half-tennis balls and/or chalk, to avoid cones toppling over.

Above, Frank Henderson, in his League of American Bicyclists jersey, chats with Robert Cepeda of Sports Center Bicycles in Seaside.

Bike community teammates

Robert Cepeda, service manager at Sports Center Bicycles, Seaside and Frank Henderson were getting acquainted at the Seaside PAL Bike Fair 5/15/11.  They have common goals to help more people bike, and safely.  Rob is planning some Bike Skills classes in Monterey County.

More about Frank Henderson….

Frank Henderson has been a League of American Bicyclists (“Bike League”) League Cycling Instructor (LCI), license #1432, since 2005.  Contact Frank by phone, 831-755-6738 or email,  fhenders@hartnell.edu. He has provided numerous classes and workshops, fitted and given away free helmets, and presented information on safe street cycling. Check out http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/ for more about the League.

This little cyclist has a dad who’s an avid biker himself and can give him good tips.  Not everyone is fortunate to have a bike-savvy person around, and Frank Henderson is ready to lend a hand!

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The information below was previously published by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County. It is reproduced here as a historical archive for the Monterey County bicycling community, as it is no longer available on the TAMC website.

Congratulations, Frank Henderson, Golden Helmet Award winner, and Alejandro Pujol, Silver Helmet Award winner.

Golden Helmet Award

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County recognizes local bicyclists for their dedications for using bicycle for daily trips through the Golden Helmet Award. The award also aims to highlight the benefits of bicycle commuting and inspire others to utilize alternative transportation modes. The evaluation criteria included dedication to the commute(frequency, length, history of commuting, persistence in inclement weather) and bicycling as alternative forms of transportation (adoption of best practices, bicycling advocacy and inspiration to others.) Mr. Frank Hendersonhas been selected as the Golden Helmet Award winner for 2010. Mr. Frank Henderson is a Tutorial Services Coordinator at the Hartnell Community College. He is a local certified League of American Bicyclists Instructor in Monterey County. He commutes 100 miles a week between Salinas and Monterey for his job and volunteer position at the Monterey Aquarium. On one occasion when winds were gusting up to 45 miles per hour, Mr. Henderson still insisted on riding his bike home. He had to keep one foot out of his biking clips in order to catch himself if the wind blew him off the bike. Every year, Mr. Henderson provided cycling instruction and information to hundreds of community members, including the Family Science and Health Day at Hartnell College, Diabetes Health Fair in Watsonville and Monterey County Bike Week. He also facilitated a nine hour course for many participants who are planning to become League of American Bicyclist Instructors. He also volunteers with Bicycle Equestrian Trail Assistance organization on the former Fort Ord, offering trail assistance in the form of maps, minor bicycle repairs and first aid to visitors. Mr. Henderson was awarded with a $100 gift certificate to a local bike shop of choice. Mr. Pujol is the Assistant Vice President at HSBC. He rides his bicycle to work for the past three and half years in Salinas and before that, for two years in Chicago. Mr. Pujol commutes 240 hours per year, and he was instrumental in promoting Monterey County bike week at HSBC and an inspiration for many employees who joined him for Bike to Work Day in 2009.