Boston Bike Story: Barry
When did you start biking, and why do you bike?
I started biking when I was a baby when my mother bought me a bike. I love riding bikes. It gets me around, and it’s free transportation. It keeps my limbs loose and flexible — they used to be so tight. It’s great exercise and my doctor said it’s important for me to have regular exercise.
Where do you typically bike?
Mostly I leave Roxbury as quickly as possible when I ride, and go out to West Roxbury and Arlington and places that are safer and better to bike in than Roxbury.
What would make biking better for you in Boston?
We need more safety. I thought we were going to get our own space on the road, our own bike lanes. What happened to that? You’ll get killed out there without safe bike lanes. Recently someone ran over my back wheel — from behind! How am I supposed to see someone behind me? Now I sometimes ride facing the traffic so I can see what’s coming. I know people get mad about that, but I gotta look out.
—Barry, Roxbury