Brian Finke's 'Bike Life' Captures NYC Cyclists' Rebellion and Joy

Brian Finke's new photobook 'Bike Life' documents New York City cyclists who ride outside bike lanes, popping wheelies in traffic and taking over streets. The book, shot from 2020 onward during the pandemic, features riders of all ages performing tricks on ostentatious bikes. Finke, a longtime NYC cyclist, found rides on Instagram and used a vintage Italian road bike. The photos show group rides in all five boroughs, from Times Square to the Bronx, often ignoring bike lanes. The book recalls the 1985 midtown bike ban by Mayor Ed Koch, which was overturned after protests. Finke's images evoke a grittier New York, with closed storefronts and spray-painted shops reminiscent of the 1980s. Crashes are also documented, like a rider splayed on the ground near Union Square. The book highlights how cyclists expanded rideable space during the pandemic, when bike ridership surged by nearly two million rides in 2020.