Biker Boy
Encyclopedia
Biker Boy is a fiction
al superhero character created and played by Zach Cone. Biker Boy promotes bicycling
as an alternative to walking and driving, and primarily aims to increase the use of helmets
, among both children and adults. Biker Boy is based in Greater Boston
, Massachusetts
, where he frequents local biking areas to spread awareness for bicycle safety.
. " That's when I made up this character, Biker Boy, whose bike has magical powers that tells him if someone's in trouble. The kids loved it. They thought it was real and that I was Biker Boy, even though I told them I wasn't." Biker Boy has also recorded voice announcement's for Boston's MBTA train and bus services, promoting bicycling as an alternative method of transportation. The recording was apart of a larger initiative by mayor Thomas Menino
to make Boston a more bike-friendly city. Biker Boy has been consistently noted for his red cape.
teacher. He attended Brookline High School
in Brookline, Massachusetts
, where he realized he could sleep longer by biking to school. Cone began teaching pre-school while he was in college, often telling the students superhero stories. He invented Biker Boy originally as an external character, but the students thought he was talking about himself, hence Cone eventually assuming the role of Biker Boy himself. Cone states on the development of his character, "Six months ago I drove cross-country with some friends. We brought our bikes so we could ride as much as possible. That's when I realized Boston has a lot of work to do to be a bike friendly city and I decided to be part of the solution."
When asked, "How are you the solution to Boston's bicycle problem?" Cone, as Biker Boy, immediately responded "I talk to people politely. There's too much anger in the first place. And I encourage them to wear helmets."
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al superhero character created and played by Zach Cone. Biker Boy promotes bicycling
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
as an alternative to walking and driving, and primarily aims to increase the use of helmets
Bicycle helmet
A bicycle helmet is a helmet intended to be worn while riding a bicycle. They are designed to attenuate impacts to the skull of a cyclist in falls while minimizing side effects such as interference with peripheral vision...
, among both children and adults. Biker Boy is based in Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, where he frequents local biking areas to spread awareness for bicycle safety.
Character
Biker Boy is a fictional superhero who protects and serves the bicycling community. He was invented by Zach Cone, who did not initially intend to play the character as well. "I began telling stories to the kids about superheroes", Cone states in an interview with The Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
. " That's when I made up this character, Biker Boy, whose bike has magical powers that tells him if someone's in trouble. The kids loved it. They thought it was real and that I was Biker Boy, even though I told them I wasn't." Biker Boy has also recorded voice announcement's for Boston's MBTA train and bus services, promoting bicycling as an alternative method of transportation. The recording was apart of a larger initiative by mayor Thomas Menino
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
to make Boston a more bike-friendly city. Biker Boy has been consistently noted for his red cape.
Zach Cone
Zach Cone (born July 26, 1983), is a certified pre-kindergartenPre-Kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
teacher. He attended Brookline High School
Brookline High School
Brookline High School is a four-year public high school in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, in the United States.As of the 2007-08 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,826 students and 136 teachers , for a student-teacher ratio of 13.4 to 1 teacher.-Education:Almost every senior in...
in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, where he realized he could sleep longer by biking to school. Cone began teaching pre-school while he was in college, often telling the students superhero stories. He invented Biker Boy originally as an external character, but the students thought he was talking about himself, hence Cone eventually assuming the role of Biker Boy himself. Cone states on the development of his character, "Six months ago I drove cross-country with some friends. We brought our bikes so we could ride as much as possible. That's when I realized Boston has a lot of work to do to be a bike friendly city and I decided to be part of the solution."
When asked, "How are you the solution to Boston's bicycle problem?" Cone, as Biker Boy, immediately responded "I talk to people politely. There's too much anger in the first place. And I encourage them to wear helmets."