NAME: Matt Kelley
LOCATION: Baltimore, MD
OCCUPATION: Marketing, Bike Mechanic

Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Baltimore Maryland, more affectionately known as “Charm City.” Bike riding in Baltimore I would have to say is a lot like canoeing down rapids. My journeys normally start 17 miles north of downtown and in that distance I see a world of change. It starts with SUV’s, occasional tractors, McMansions, fear of hitting deer at night and an overall feeling of “I must be invisible.” Then as you get further south the houses become closer together, the speed limits become lower, and the distribution of what is and isn’t dangerous shifts from soccer moms and landscaping trucks pulling trailers of loosely strapped down death, to traffic density and people literally running out into the middle of the street and trying to punch you off your bike in an attempt at theft.

What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
My favorite city to ride in would have to be DC. I feel like vehicles there are a little more acknowledging of cyclists, the lanes are wider, and there are less hills. Plus riding around DC feels like being behind enemy lines, or in the belly of the beast. I always feel like if some sort of uprising happened there, a bike would be the best thing to either charge into battle or get the fuck out of Dodge.

Why do you love riding in the city?
I love riding in the city because you can actually compete with cars. When you are out on rural roads the speed difference is too great to be able to assert any dominance over the vehicles. But when you are in the city all you have to do is get up to speed and make moves while the four wheeled vehicles get caught at every obstruction.

Poetry anyone?
riding thru these streets
meeting crossroads of hope and some of loss
will I take the right road

Check out www.myspace.com/lustforchange