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

Damon is an attorney living in New Rochelle and working in the Financial District. He likes to ride a bike at home on weekends, but has not done much cycling in Manhattan. He came into town to take a Citi Bike for a spin for the first time.

“I take the train down to Grand Central, then take the 4/5 the rest of the way. It just gets pretty crowded in the morning, and it’s stop-and-go on the way back in the evening. I think tomorrow I will try grabbing a bike at Grand Central and riding down to Wall Street. Maybe – we’ll see what the weather is like. I like that you can walk out and change your mind.”

Damon says his excitement for bike-share surprised him a little. “I’m never a first adopter of anything. I don’t even own a smart phone. Though I might have to get one now for the Citi Bike app.”