Commuter Profile
Gwendolyn Moore

Age: 54

Occupation: Self-employed public accountant

T.A. member?: No

Commute: I ride back and forth to different places, except when I have to look fancy.

Route: I live on the border between Bushwick and Bed-Stuy. I ride from Brooklyn to Manhattan. I prefer the Manhattan Bridge. The Williamsburg Bridge has too many bumps on it, it’ll tear you up! To the Manhattan Bridge I go down Putnam Avenue to Fulton Street, or sometimes to DeKalb if Fulton is too congested. Getting to the Williamsburg Bridge is easier, just go straight down Broadway. I like taking the Hudson River Greenway in Manhattan. I don’t like biking up the East Side because you have to zip back and forth under the FDR and it doesn’t feel safe to be riding alone there.

Bike: Huffy, 6 speed, royal blue. I call it my “Pee-Wee Herman Bike” because it looks kind of old-school style.

Gear (not gears on bike, but other stuff you use): Helmet, fanny pack, lights (front and back), water bottle, a rack to hold my briefcase and gloves. I believe in safety first; I’m not trying to be a hero.

How long commuting: This is my second year as a bicycle commuter

Why started: I liked bike riding as a kid, and for me it’s quicker than public transportation. And it’s good exercise. I started in the gym on the stationary bikes, and saw I could do 10 miles, and then I thought I’d get a bike. Instead of waiting for a bus or a train for 20 minutes I could just ride.

Attire: I mostly wear gym attire, sweatpants, bike shorts, etc. I don’t wear my nice clothes on the bike.

Weather: I’m a fair weather rider

Response from co-workers: A lot of people join me. At my other job my co-workers went out and bought bikes. I showed folks who were over 50 that we still got something going on! People think I’m cute out there.

Memorable experiences: During the blackout last summer I was riding my bike; I only had trouble when the lights came back on. It got really crazy out there!!
Best commute: My favorite ride is from my house to Coney Island.

Worst experience/commute: Traveling the east side of Manhattan from the Williamsburg Bridge to the 59th Street bridge, trying to follow the bike path along the FDR and facing the traffic without any warning, there are a lot of holes and it is a really a bad route.

Advice: Try it, you’ll like it!

Lock: I’ve had two bikes stolen, I have a U-shaped steel lock, my last two bikes were stolen with chain and cable locks.

Parking: I find a pole that can hold my U-lock and attach my wheel and my frame.

Riding style: I’m a cruiser.

Memorable reactions: I get a lot of men flirting, that’s the most fun part. They keep me in touch. I ignore the negative people. One of the worst things I’ve seen is how the cars treat the bicyclists, almost hitting them.

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