Here's another great story from our And I Ride campaign! We are seeking to put a face on cycling in support of a legislative campaign that we are working on this year. You can read the rest of these great bicyclist bios here.

We are still accepting entries, so be sure to read below to find out how to send in your story.

Our next story comes from Paola.

Where I Ride: From my home in Brighton to my office in the Fort Point Channel, and around my neighborhood to run errands
How Often I Ride: I’m mostly a fair weather rider

My Story:

I had not been on a bicycle since I was a teen, but something inspired me to start cycling. I remembered enjoying it so much as a kid and commuting by T was becoming a drag, so in August 2009 –at the age of 37- I decided to take a plunge and buy a bike. I wanted something that fit my lifestyle (emphasis on “style”), so I bought a Schwinn cruiser that reminded me of the bicycles of my childhood. At first, I was afraid to ride with traffic, so I only took short trips around the neighborhood. My local bike shop suggested I enroll in the intro to bicycling skills offered by MassBike to help me get over my fears; there, I learned of the Boston Bikes Friday caravans to the city and –encouraged by the safety of traveling with a group- decided to join them. Soon enough, I was riding to and from work on a regular basis on my own. I am amazed by how much I’ve enjoyed this experience!

There are many challenges to urban riding but, overall, the hours I spend on my bike are the best hours of my day. I’m a slow rider and my commute gives me an opportunity to think, decompress and focus. There are no phones, Blackberries, or computers… it’s just me and the road. Boston never looked this beautiful.

Thanks Paola!

We want to hear your story. Tell us about yourself and how bicycling is a part of your life. Just copy and paste the form below into an email, fill it in, and send it to [email protected].

• • Name:

• • Email:

• • Where You Ride:

• • How Often You Ride:

• • Your Profession/Relation/Title (lawyer, nurse, Grandma, son, etc):

• • A picture of you on your bicycle, or you in your daily life (be sure we can see your face):

• • A paragraph or two about your life and your bicycle: