Maria Sipin Wants You To Be More Mindful

What is something that you've done that you're proud of?
I'm really proud of being a bicycle safety instructor. I started doing it in 2012, and since then I've taught hundreds of children and adults how to ride bicycles and how to better ride bicycles in traffic. I got a scholarship to become a bike safety instructor –– I wasn't really that into cycling or being an instructor of any kind, but that really enabled me to be confident in my own skills as someone who rides a bike and to intensify my activism around cycling, mostly to spread the word about why bikes are really important to the community. People depend on them as transportation, and they're good for the environment.

What do you think is the best advice regarding biking safety?
There's a piece of advice that I think most instructors give cyclists, and that is to be more visible. But I'd rather give advice to the people who are driving around cyclists to be a little more mindful, to be attentive, and to watch what's going on in front of them because the vehicles they operate can potentially hurt or kill another person.

In what ways have you seen people be creative about bike safety?
People are organizing bike rides that suit them and their group of friends, and I think it's awesome. I want to give a shout out to a bike group in Los Angeles called the Ovarian Psycos — they help strengthen relationships among women and people who are gender-nonconforming.  They're encouraged to find their own power within themselves by riding bikes. And back to the advice that I mentioned earlier, wear what you feel comfortable in, don't let anyone dictate what you wear when you ride a bike, express yourself. It's not a race — it's about having fun.

What's your favorite pick-me-up jam?
I really love Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall." I think that's suitable any time of day, but especially if you're about to leave for work! [laughs] It always puts you in a better mindset and it's just a classic.

If you could pick anyone (alive or not alive), who would you choose to be your mentor?
I would choose my grandmother — I didn't really know her very well, but I recently found out that she was a transportation guru in her own right, and I think the only female bus operator where she was back in the '80s. I really admire her accomplishments, and as I seek a career in transportation, I'd really love to hear her perspective and how she persevered despite all the challenges and barriers that existed at that time for being a successful entrepreneur and someone who worked in that field.

Tell me about your style today!
I was just inspired by the weather today. I know San Francisco can throw out all types of weather in one day, and as a Californian who is mostly raised in LA and is currently living in a drought-ridden area, it's always hot. I love wearing shorts and skirts, but I really had to throw on the flannel because it just seemed appropriate for the temperatures today. I just wanted to mix and match. It was pretty much what I threw in my suitcase before I left LA. I just have to have sneakers. Sneakers are my staple. I don't think any outfit can look poorly with sneakers.