Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

Here’s the fifth portrait in Streetsblog’s weekly “Why I Ride” series.

Photo copyright Dmitry Gudkov

Maureen is a filmmaker who has used a bike to get around New York in all seasons for the last seven years. She rides to commute and run errands and sometimes goes for a long city ride with no destination in mind, just to clear her head. For a long time she rode a nice folding bike, which made it convenient to ride out somewhere and then bring the bike on the subway for the return trip.

After that bike was sadly stolen, Maureen replaced it with this cheap used bike, hopefully a less attractive target. So, like many New Yorkers, Maureen now carries a heavy chain lock that costs more than the bike it protects. It’s definitely a much heavier ride than what she’s used to and not nearly as easy to bring onto a train. Still, what she has given up in portability she’s made up in utility, thanks to the ever useful milk crate.

Why is cycling her favorite form of transport in New York? "I like to keep moving; I don't ever want to wait, if I can help it. But more than anything I love that the bike lets me be physical in the city." Her favorite time to ride is late at night, with the solitary journeys giving her a sense of the city she wouldn’t have otherwise. "When I'm biking home from my studio at 1 or 2 in the morning along the empty bike path, I feel like this is my park. This piece of the city belongs to me."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Appeals Court Halts Adams’s Impending Bedford Ave. Protected Bike Lane Demolition

The judge's ruling came just as the city was set to begin the bike lane demolition process Tuesday evening.

July 15, 2025

New Yorkers Threaten Legal Action If Eric Adams Makes Bedford Ave. Less Safe for Cyclists

Brooklyn cyclists pledged to sue the city if they are killed or injured on Bedford Avenue after Mayor Adams makes it less safe.

July 15, 2025

E-Bike Fans and Foes Agree: Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit Won’t Make Streets Safer

A public hearing about the mayor's proposed speed limit devolved into a debate about e-bike licensing, naturally.

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Wet Wet Wet Edition

New York City experienced its second rainiest hour in history. Plus more news.

July 15, 2025

Civic Panel Dings Adams For Cutting Bike and Bus Lanes Out of Fifth Av. Redesign

Mayor Adams's scaled down redesign of Fifth Avenue isn't a "real solution" to safety issues on the packed retail corridor, Manhattan Community Board 5 said.

July 14, 2025
See all posts