Dmitry Gudkov

Joe Zaro owns Zaro's, a local chain of bakeries with locations in Grand Central and Penn Station, among others. He commutes to Manhattan from White Plains and often makes short trips between store locations and to meetings. He has a road bike that he uses to get around sometimes. He had just picked up a Citi Bike at Grand Central on his way to a meeting near Penn Station.

I met I-Hsing on her morning commute from the South Street Seaport area, where she'd dropped off her kids at school, to her job near Bryant Park. She was riding a Citi Bike to work for the first time. In fact, as a non-bike owner, she was riding any kind of bike to work for the first time. In the past few years, her cycling in New York City has been limited to a few day trips to Governors' Island and the like on rented bikes.

Streetsblog is pleased to run the first in a series of bike-share-themed "Why I Ride" profiles by photographer Dmitry Gudkov...

Here’s the latest installment — and first-ever February edition — of Streetsblog’s Why I Ride series.

Here's the latest installment -- and first-ever January edition -- of Streetsblog’s Why I Ride series.

Enjoy this special Tuesday installment of Streetsblog’s Why I Ride series.

I ran into Mary on her commute down the First Avenue bike lane. She works as an ESL instructor and has been bike commuting in New York since 1995. For the past 10 years she has been at her dream job -- teaching English to delegates and staff at the United Nations English Language Programme. When I found this out, I naturally decided to set the portrait in front of the UN building. As we rode the few blocks north, we talked about her history with biking in the city. "I'm not this huge cycling person. I also take the subway and the bus, but for me the bike is the fastest, easiest way for me to get most places."

Here’s the latest installment (after an extended hiatus) in Streetsblog’s Why I Ride series.

Here's the latest installment in Streetsblog's Why I Ride series.

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