Here’s another portrait from my shoot with George Hahn. The fates conspired to mostly clear the background of pedestrians for a couple of seconds. It’s a real busy intersection is what I’m saying. There has been an interesting and lively discussion on the merits and logistics of cycling in a suit over on the Facebook page.
Look at these hipsters on their fixies… but seriously. Ken and Roberta Avidor are artists living in Minneapolis. Among other things, Roberta does a lot of illustrated maps and Ken sidelines as a court sketch artist. They’re traveling around the country with their recently acquired Brompton folding bikes, illustrating their adventures, and blogging about it. They lived in New York until the 80s and rode bikes for transportation even in those wild days. While they come back and visit family here regularly, this is the first time they’ve come back with bikes. A lot has changed in terms of bike infrastructure; Ken was impressed with the protected bike lanes on 8th/9th Avenues and shocked by the crowds on the Brooklyn Bridge.
They came on the train; Amtrak was easy with the Bromptons – no extra bike fees, no hassle.
Ken showed me this ode to his Brompton:
And even sketched a quick portrait of me while we chatted:
First time for everything. Happy travels.
When I took the bike portrait of Josephine and her two kids, she introduced me to Larry, who regularly takes his daughter Emilia to school (East Village Community School) by bike. They were kind enough to withdraw from the controlled chaos of parents dropping their kids off in the morning to pose for a quick portrait. I found out later that Larry is a pro photographer with really strong work! I’m kind of glad I didn’t know this while I was taking their portrait; would have upped the pressure a bit. The rear-mounted banana seat seems to be a bit of a trend at this school – check out this bike portrait of Henriette and her daughter from October 2011.
Stefi moved here from Berlin a few months ago. She was used to riding everywhere so she got a cheap but practical bike and started getting around the city on two wheels. (It turns out there is no law that says that if you are wearing a skirt/heels, you must ride a Dutch granny bike.)
New York has a ways to go to rival Berlin’s bike infrastructure, so as the winter came and rider numbers dropped off, Stefi didn’t ride as much. “I felt less safe as a single rider sharing the road with the taxi drivers. But once the weather got nice again, there were so many more bikes on the streets. I could usually ride in a group, which feels much safer.”
Stefi says she loves riding a bike but is a little befuddled by the athletic/recreational mentality many people here have about bikes. “I like riding but I don’t really do it for fun. I just use my bike to go everywhere, so by the end of some days I’ve already been riding for a couple of hours. No need to go for another bike ride.”
George Hahn with his Brooklyn Cruiser at the pedestrian plaza across from the Flatiron Building. George runs georgehahn.com (“The Journal for men who aren’t millionaires, but who like to look good and live well.”). He’s also been riding a bike for transportation in New York City since moving here in 1994. Back then, he was very much in a racing mode – road bike, spandex, laps around Central Park. For years, he still saw cycling primarily as a sport, just one that was also useful for getting around the city. As he writes in his Contributor-at-Large feature for Brooklyn Cruiser:
Throughout all those years, I was drunk on the influences of racing, hunched over an aluminum frame with nine gears (three of which I actually used), sporting a helmet that made me look like I had an alien brain, toe clips, and even a pair of scuba shorts fitted with ass pads, a.k.a. bike shorts. I looked like a tool. I acted like one, too. With earbuds mainlining a thumping soundtrack to my Iron Man fantasy, I tore through Central Park, city streets and bike paths with reckless and speedy abandon. I had that intense biker face with clenched teeth, like the angry grill of a Cadillac Escalade. American Psycho on a bike.
All of this meant that cycling required a special uniform and a special mindset, and was not well integrated into the rest of George’s city life. He recalls a moment on the street when he saw a Dutch-style city bike, its upright, relaxed rider wearing casual clothes. It hit him: “This! This is what I want!” The upright Dutch bike was the natural next step in his New York cycling evolution. Quoting George again:
My enjoyment of riding a bike no longer requires a sacrifice of my own personal style. The city bike has become a significant part of my life here in New York, and I suspect it would be a big part of my life no matter where I lived. Aside from the pure enjoyment it offers me, it’s my chief mode of transportation. Only in inclement weather do I take the subway, the bus or a taxi. I honestly cannot remember the last time I refilled my MetroCard.
George doesn’t always ride in a suit, of course. But if he happens to be wearing a suit, he doesn’t hesitate to reach for the bike. He simply rides.
Also, don’t try to steal George’s saddle.
More coming soon from this shoot.
Aaron Poisson - Great shot, love the depth of field. And of course Mr. Hahn has a wicked suit on!