I saw Willie pedaling through the courtyard of his apartment complex in the Bronx. We chatted a bit and he was game to be in a bicycle portrait. It was when he dismounted that I realized that walking is not easy for him. He’s lived in the Bronx for over 30 years and goes everywhere on his bike, no matter the season or the weather. As you can see, his bike’s got some nice flourishes, complete with an FM radio on the handlebars.
Why a bike? He told me: “They wanted to give me a wheelchair. And I didn’t want no damn wheelchair. A wheelchair will make you fat and lazy. I want to ride my bike.”
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Bike Portraits NYC: Willie | Culture Cycles - […] Dmitry Gudkov, via Bike NYC Tweet This entry was posted in photos and tagged Bike NYC, Bike Portraits. Bookmark the […]
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