Even though it’s technically spring now, winter has returned this week to kick our collective New York ass. But remember last Friday? When the mercury topped 70 and we all thought, maybe it’ll all be OK? I saw more cyclists out that day than at any point since last fall, and they all seemed pleased and surprised at being able to ride without a coat or gloves. You might even think some of them were riding for pleasure, such was their contented air. That’s when I met and photographed Pete in East River Park. The first thing that caught my eye as he rode by was his piercing eyes, and the fact that you could tell he was genuinely enjoying his time on the bike. Also, his helmet was pretty cool. So I “pulled him over”, in my recently developed bike photographer way.
Pete lives in Ridgewood, Queens, and has been a New York cyclist all his life. While he sometimes uses the Trek Antelope mountain bike for commuting, he mostly just rides for pleasure. It was a great day for it.