Riding bikes is great for my mind, body, wallet & soul, and decreases my footprint on the planet. I've simply fallen in love with transporting myself around the city on a bicycle and maintaining it myself. Every year since freshman year of college I've become more and more hands on with my bikes, and at the end of the summer I finished building up a classic steel Specialized Allez from the early 90's. I found the frame at a used bike shop and was able to outfit it with extra parts I've collected over the years. The only new parts on the bike are the brake cables, the derailleur cables, the cable housing and one set of brake pads. Otherwise all the other parts are 100% reused. This bike exemplifies how I try to minimize waste and reduce my carbon footprint with every decision I make. And I share my bike mechanic skills with anybody who's willing to learn - including curious children in lower income areas who come to get free bike tuneups at all day tents set up by Boston Cyclists Union.