Grecian Shelter (Croquet Shelter) in Prospect Park
Jess first contacted me about doing a bike portrait back in December. I love this: she was alerted to my site by her sister, who lives in Sweden. Hej! Since then, we’ve exchanged many emails trying to set something up, but travel schedules and weather conspired to keep us apart – until yesterday. It was a brilliant chilly Sunday; we met at Grand Army Plaza near where Jess lives and rode into Prospect Park.
Jess has been riding her Linus Mixte 3-speed for about a year, and it marks an evolution in her thinking about biking in the city. She loved her fixed gear but as a dedicated year-round commuter, she came around to the notion that maybe it’s OK to get a 40lb bike with a rack and brakes and even *gasp* gears. Like every other Linus owner I’ve met, Jess loves this bike. After shopping around for a wood crate for the rear rack and getting some prohibitive price quotes from bike dealers, Jess said screw it and just built the thing herself. Looks nice, no? She also has a solid road bike for weekend rides. You can’t have too many bikes.
About the location: When I ride around the city I’m always filing away potential shoot locations in my brain; I’ve had my eye on the elegant Grecian Shelter in Prospect Park for awhile. I’m glad I finally got to use it for a portrait.
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Interested in a bike portrait? Know a New York cyclist who should be in the series? Drop me a line.