Welcome to 1×10, where we ask 1 inspiring human 10 questions about how they are using cycling as a force for good. Read on to learn about Sam Polcer, photographer and creator of Preferred Mode and New York Bike Style. He’s also the former Comms director at Bike New York, the country’s largest bike education program (and the organizer of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, the country’s largest bike ride.) Read more about Sam’s (website) most memorable ride, how photography encourages more people to give bikes a chance, and more in his 1×10 interview.

1. How / why did you fall in love with cycling?

I fell in love with biking as a commuter. After the end of a long relationship, I had a lot of time on my hands and zero desire to sit around by myself, so I rode from friends’ places to concerts to clubs to galleries to wherever, and discovered how convenient and fun it was to get around NYC by bike.

“I rode from friends’ places to concerts to clubs to galleries to wherever, and discovered how convenient and fun it was to get around NYC by bike.”

2. Favorite Bike (that you own or covet)?

The All-City Macho Man Disc is the nicest bike I’ve ever owned and it’s treated me well, so I don’t feel right naming anything else for this.

3. What’s the most memorable ride you’ve done, and what happened?

I suppose the most memorable one was a long distance ride where I bit off a bit more than I could chew and all kinds of regrettable hilarity ensued. It was 147 miles in one day, up and down the graveled hills of Chianti, Italy, for a magazine article. That was before I knew anything. It the most beautiful place to be tortured for a day. 

“It the most beautiful place to be tortured for a day.”

4. Who do you admire in the cycling world?

There are so many advocates and educators I admire, many of them former colleagues, so I won’t choose one. The gang at Bike New York (including Recycle-A-Bicycle), Transportation Alternatives, and Families for Safe Streets. Also a special shout out to all the journalists and editors out there bringing special attention to advocacy issues. 

5. Top tip for a new rider, or a cyclist about to take on a new challenge?

Ride with confidence, but also assume every driver is texting. 

6. Favorite trend or innovation in cycling?

Nothing beats the simplicity of a bicycle, so I hesitate to name something else… but I think there’s a lot of potential for e-bikes to make cycling an option for longer trips. My old office used to be an hour away from home, and if I had an e-bike then, I probably would have ridden even more than I did.

7. What are you doing to use cycling as a force for good?

Riding itself is using cycling as a force for good, though I’d say that through my photography, by showing people how good cycling can look, I’m encouraging more people to give it a go. When I was Communications Director at Bike New York, the country’s largest bike education program (and the organizer of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, the country’s largest bike ride), I’d like to think I at least  helped meet the challenge of getting more people on bikes.

“…I’d say that through my photography, by showing people how good cycling can look, I’m encouraging more people to give it a go.”

8. Thinking about the work you’re doing, what do you see as the potential change for people or the planet? If you are successful, what impact will you have?

This is almost too obvious to say, but the more people who ride, the better off everyone is, whether or not they’re riding. Cycling is good for the environment, economies, cities, communities, and individuals’ health—a simple solution to complex problems.   

“This is almost too obvious to say, but the more people who ride, the better off everyone is, whether or not they’re riding.”

9. What’s your biggest challenge/obstacle to success?

Infrastructure and enforcement that prioritizes automobiles, to the detriment of just about everyone, including people in cars. 

10. How can people help?

Ride more, drive less. 

Sam Polcer is a photographer and creator of Preferred Mode and New York Bike Style. When not out shooting photographs you can probably find him tooling around NYC by bike (or likely he’s doing both at the same time!).

Edited by John Kim. When he’s not out for a ride, John uses his expertise in Corporate Social Responsibility to help companies do well by doing good. Find him at virtcyc@gmail.com or VirtCyc on twitter or instagram.