New York Bike Style

Together, these striking images create the ultimate style guide for anyone who pedals their way through the Big Apple. America may be a nation obsessed with automobiles, but today the bicycle is giving the car a run for its money. And while New York is just one of many cities that is implementing new bike friendly policies, the local cyclist population stands out as one of the most diverse, inventive, and stylish in the world. New York Bike Style celebrates this with full-page photographs of riders and their bikes. Photographer Sam Polcer has combed New York’s five boroughs looking for subjects who reflect the myriad styles and demographics of the city’s cyclists—from Puerto Rican Schwinn aficionados with vintage bikes to fixed gear freaks; from BMX kids honing their bar-spins at skateparks to fashionistas floating down leaf-strewn streets in dresses. Each page is captioned with the subject’s name, what kind of bike they ride, where the photo was taken, and where they’re headed. The book also features close-up shots of gear as well as a startlingly stylish array of bike fashion. Whether they’re pedaling to work or play, racing with a club, or out for a lazy ride, New York Bike Style pays photographic tribute to a city in love with biking in all its forms.

SAM POLCER is a Brooklyn-based street and travel photographer. He recently left his post as the photography editor for Hemispheres, the in-flight magazine of United Airlines, to become the Communications Manager for Bike New York. His images have also appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Brooklyn Magazine, and Mixer, among many other publications. Some of his work can be seen at www.sampolcer.com and preferredmode.com.