Riding in Queens on Vernon Blvd I spotted Johnny standing next to his bike in Queensbridge Park. He looked like someone who bikes everywhere. He was waiting for someone, so we ended up chatting for quite awhile.
Where does he live? “Downtown Brooklyn.”
How long has he been riding in New York city? -“[Laughing] You don’t want to know! You ever hear of the Five Borough Bike Tour? I rode in the first one.” [1977]
His first bike: “When I was a kid, I found a bike in a dumpster, so I took it and put it in the basement. A few days later, I found another bike, and put that one in the basement too. The next Saturday me and my brother went down in the basement and took apart the bikes and built up a working bike, one piece at a time – it was like that Johnny Cash song! Later on I met a girl who wanted a ride on the bicycle so I had to set it up to give her a ride on the bike. We ended up getting married. We had six kids together.”
His current bike: “I’ve had it for about… eight years? I keep it inside, never leave it outside. Every day when I come home, I oil it, and I wipe it down.”
Favorite place to ride: “Prospect Park. I like to watch the racers. But I don’t race.”
Final word on his bike: “It gets me where I need to go.”
Good meeting you, Johnny. Ride safe.
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