This is a bit of a different post compared to what I usually write, but I think there’s a subset of readers that might find this post interesting. Financial independence has always been about getting back more control of our lives. And when you think about it, bikes might be one of the first things we get that give us some semblance of control, allowing us to get from place to place without relying on someone else. When you think of it like that, it makes sense then that bikes have become such an important part of my life.
When I look at my own biking activity, I’m comfortable saying that I probably bike more than 99.9% of the US population. Biking is the main way I get around. And indeed, since our family is a one-car household, it’s often the only way I can get around.
My story of how I got into bike commuting and using bikes as my primary mode of transportation started almost a decade ago. I wasn’t a life-long bike commuter. For most of my life, I got around by taking mass transit or walking. It wasn’t until I signed up for my first bikeshare membership that I realized how useful bikes were for getting around. I went from never biking to biking every day.
What makes me different from many hardcore cyclists is that I’m not a bike expert. I can barely change a flat tire (I’ve done it a handful of times and hated it). When I do need to do something with my bike, I bring it to a bike shop. In many ways, I’m the model of what a bike commuter should be – someone who uses bikes to get around but isn’t invested in the hardcore cycling world that seems to gatekeep many out of biking. It’s like how most of us drive cars, but don’t know how cars work. That’s how I am with bikes for the most part.
The way I’ve biked and thought about biking has changed as I’ve moved into different stages of my life and discovered new ways of biking. Perhaps most noticeable is what biking means to me. For most of my life, biking was about getting myself from one place to another. But now that I have a kid and need to get him around from place to place, biking means something very different.
In this post, I want to share my biking story over the years, from when I first started bike commuting to what my biking style is like today. My hope is that this story shows you that anyone can bike. You can do it even if you have kids too.
Here’s my story and the evolution of my biking journey to where I am now.
My Biking Story Began With Bikeshare
Up until 2015 or so, I commuted almost entirely by bus or train. I didn’t own a car, so I purposefully lived in neighborhoods where I could get around without one.
Things changed big time when I discovered my city’s bikeshare system. These systems are ubiquitous now in most large cities, but back in 2015, they were still fairly new.
In Minneapolis, we had a bikeshare system called Nice Ride that gave you unlimited 60-minute rides for $60 (it has since evolved, but still has the same yearly membership and unlimited rides). I signed up for a membership and suddenly had access to thousands of bikes throughout the city. Instead of taking the bus to work, I started biking every day. There was a docking station right outside my apartment. And my office had a docking station right outside of it, making it an easy commute to work – about a 15-minute bike ride.
And that’s how I got around for the most part. To me, bikeshare was an even better, more affordable form of mass transit (it was about 26 cents per ride if I only counted my commute to and from work each day). My wife had her own bike, but I preferred using the Nice Ride bikes since I didn’t have to worry about locking them up or having my bike stolen. And with the Nice Ride system, I had the entire city open to me.
Incorporating Multi-Modal Transit Into My Biking
In 2016, I ended up getting a new job in downtown St. Paul. I lived in Minneapolis and was previously commuting to downtown Minneapolis, so commuting to a different downtown meant my bike commute had to change.
It was during this stretch that I started taking advantage of multi-modal transit. This is when you combine multiple forms of commuting, In this case, to get to work, I would grab a Nice Ride bike and bike to the light rail station near me (about a 10-minute bike ride), then hop on the light rail to downtown St. Paul. From there, it was an easy walk to my office.
To get home, I would usually grab a Nice Ride and bike back the entire way – an 8-mile ride that took me about 40-45 minutes. I did this because I didn’t have to worry about getting home sweaty (in contrast to going to work, where I wanted to avoid sweating).
Nice Ride shuts down during the winter, so I got a cheap bike that I used in the winter to get to the train station. To get a sense of how crappy this bike was, I once left it on the train by accident and no one stole it. The bike wasn’t fancy, but it got me to where I needed to go.
Converting To Ebikes And Electric Scooters
In 2018, two things dramatically changed the way I viewed bikes as a commuting tool. First, I discovered electric scooters thanks to shared scooter companies like Bird and Lime. I had never used any form of electric micromobility before and I was stunned when I first tried these vehicles. I couldn’t believe how well I could around with an electric scooter. And they were unbelievably fun to use. I became an electric micromobility convert right there and was convinced that this was the way people needed to get around.
The second thing that changed me was when I visited Dallas for a work trip and tried out an ebike for the first time. Like with the electric scooters, riding an ebike was a life-changing experience. My wife and I rode 10+ miles the first time we used an ebike and didn’t break a sweat. As soon as I got back to Minneapolis, I immediately bought an ebike for myself (the first ebike I got was a RadCity, which has over 6,000 miles on it and is still going strong). I still think it’s the best thing I’ve ever bought.
Most people seem to have two objections when it comes to using a bike as a primary mode of transportation. One of them has to do with poor infrastructure. I think that there are ways around this and there are very few places where it’s simply impossible to bike, but I get it. I’m fortunate to live in a city that’s done a pretty good job of prioritizing pedestrian and bike-friendly infrastructure.
The second objection has to do with not wanting to sweat. I’ve always thought this was more of an excuse than a real objection, but the beauty of ebikes and scooters is that they completely remove this objection. You aren’t going to sweat on an ebike or scooter – at least not any more than you would from walking or standing outside.
These days, I almost exclusively use ebikes to get around. It’s opened up so much of the world to me. And I love how I can get around without breaking a sweat. The ebikes I use go around 20 mph, which is fast enough to get me to most places in the city within 30 minutes or so.
In addition to commuting with ebikes, ebikes have also turned into an investment for me in a way. That’s because I use my ebikes to do food deliveries with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub (in addition to all of the other gig economy side hustles I do). It’s not difficult to cover the cost of an ebike by using it to do deliveries. It can even be a business expense.
Beyond ebikes, I also use electric scooters to get around. I think scooters are probably more fun to ride than bikes and I find that in the summer, I’ll often opt to use the scooter to get around. Ebikes have more utility though, mainly because these days, I have to get around with two people now (more on that in the next section).
The Future – Biking With Kids
For most of my biking life, I only had to think about myself. Biking was generally a solo activity – a way to get myself from one place to another. But once my son was born, the way I thought about biking had to change. It wasn’t just about moving myself around anymore. I also had to move my son too. It’s a big shift in thinking when you have to start thinking about bikes as vehicles to move multiple people around.
Ebikes make getting my son around so easy. Pedaling with kids can be difficult, but with an ebike, I really do feel like I have a full-fledged car replacement.
To get my son around, I use a bike seat that goes on the rear rack of one of my ebikes. It’s rated to fit children up to 6 years old and 40 pounds, so I should be able to use the bike seat for a long time.
During the winter or when it’s raining, I use a bike trailer. This comes with the advantage of allowing my son to be in an enclosed space, shielded from the elements.
My son and I bike 4-5 miles each day to get to daycare. Most people, even hardcore cyclists, might have given up at this point and gone with a car. But I’m committed to sticking it out with a bike. Even in the winter, we still bike every day. I simply bundle my son up and place him in the trailer. He stays nice and warm in the trailer (I’m really the one that has to brave the elements).
As our family gets bigger and my son gets older, I’ll probably convert to an electric cargo bike, which is essentially like the SUV of the bike world. I’d love to get a cargo bike like the Urban Arrow, which can carry 4 passengers, but it does come with a steep price tag. More likely, I’ll end up getting a cargo bike like the RadWagon.
Anyway, that’s my biking story. I’ve gone from regular bikes to ebikes and scooters to using ebikes to transport my son. It’ll be interesting to see how my biking story changes over the next 10 years.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:
- GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
- Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($10) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on October 31, 2022. As long as you get your account opened before October 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- SoFi Money ($350) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $300 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Fifth Third Bank ($250) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- OnJuno ($100) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $250 or more. The account has no fees or minimum balance requirements. Even better, the bonus posts immediately after you meet the requirements. If you can meet the direct deposit requirements, OnJuno is an easy bank bonus that’s worth snagging. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
- Varo ($50) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $50 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
- Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Spiral ($50) – Spiral is a fintech bank that's currently offering new customers a $50 signup bonus after opening a free checking account with them. The Spiral referral bonus is especially good because it's a free checking account and doesn't require a direct deposit to earn the bonus. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Spiral Bank bonus.
- One Finance ($50) – One Finance is a fintech bank that’s currently offering a $50 signup bonus if you open an account using a One Finance referral link and have a direct deposit of $250 or more. This is a completely free bank account with no minimum balance requirement, so if you can meet the requirements, it’s worth doing. Check out my One Finance referral bonus guide here.
- Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
- Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- Upgrade Bank. Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Note that it’s now scheduled to end on October 31, 2022.
- Novo Bank. Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $10 for opening an account.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
I envy you. Moved in with my (now) husband and live in the suburbs. Even to get to public transit I have to drive, it takes longer actually just to get to the train than just to drive to the city. It’s infuriating since it’s only 10 flat miles to work from our house (15-20 minutes by car), but it would involve biking on busy roads/highways (this avoids interstates which is most direct route) through the former murder capital of the US during dark on the way home and getting off the bike to walk it over an interstate bridge (biking is not allowed). Starting prices in houses in the city at a minimum are 3-6 times (depends on neighborhood) what my husband paid for his place, and his place has a yard and such. I miss living in my tiny apartment in the city pre-marriage sometimes but what can you do? Love is cool…
That’s a bummer. You can do 10 miles on an ebike really easily. It’s a shame when places make it so you can only use cars to get around. I’m not against cars, but I am against design that takes away choices and elevates the car above everything else.
I think with growing family you’ll need an electric vehicle next 😉
Yeah, that Tesla is calling me. The thing is, while I like electric cars, there is an inherent inefficiency with them. All the battery power is being spent to move the car, not the person. That’s very different than an electric bike or scooter, where the battery power is spent primarily moving the person.