I bike to work five days a week, and every once in a while, I like to reflect on how fortunate I am to be able to do that. It’s a wonderful situation that I find myself in. I live close enough to my office that biking to work isn’t a particularly difficult thing for me to do. And, by biking to work, I get to avoid all of the costs of car ownership, while at the same time collecting all of the cost and health benefits that come with biking. It’s a great choice that I’ve made – one that will make me wealthier over the course of my life.
That first paragraph tells you the story that I’ve told myself – that biking to work is my choice, an active decision I made. As I’ve always thought about it, it’s up to the individual to make the decisions that make biking possible – things like living close to where you work, staying in shape so that biking is a possibility, and just having the sheer willpower to bike instead of drive, even on crappy days. Anyone who doesn’t do that is just being lazy (or so I say). The hustlers bike, while the lazy drive.
In some ways, that could be true. But in other ways, that’s not really true at all. Sure, biking to work is partly a choice that I made. I’m able to bike to work because I made certain decisions that make biking possible. At the same time, there’s much more to it than that, factors that came into play long before I ever started biking.
And that’s probably why I choose to bike to work more than anything. I’ve been blessed with a lot of advantages in life, and the fact that biking to work is so easy for me is a product of those advantages.
I have the privilege to be able to bike to work. To me, it’s a shame to waste it.
What Biking To Work Says About Me
The mere fact that I’m able to bike to work tells you a lot about who I am and the advantages I had and still have today. Some of those advantages are and were my own doing – I made my own choices to put myself in the position I’m in today. Others, I had no choice in the matter and was just lucky enough to be born with those advantages.
For example, the fact that I can ride my bike to work says at least the following about me:
I Know How To Ride A Bike. Learning to bike is a skill – albeit one that you can learn as a kid. I can’t remember when I learned how to ride a bike, but it must have been sometime when I was in the first or second grade. This is a big deal. It meant my mom (who was the person that taught me how to ride a bike) was not only able to afford to buy me a bike but could also take the time to teach me how to ride it.
Perhaps most importantly, it means my mom had the foresight to know that this was a skill worth having. I didn’t choose to ride a bike, just as a lot of us don’t choose the skills we were given that still benefit us today. It was a skill that was given to me, solely because I was born in the right place.
I’m Wealthy Enough That I Can Afford To Live Near Where I Work. The most important factor on whether you’ll bike to work is, without a doubt, how far away you live from your office. As you start moving farther away from work, the speed difference between a car versus a bike gets bigger and bigger, which makes using your car more and more advantageous. Thus, quite obviously the farther away you live, the less likely you’ll bike to work.
In some ways, where you live is a choice. It’s why I opt to live in dense, urban, college neighborhood, instead of in a large house in a subdivision surrounded by highways. By choosing to live here, I’m able to forego using a car and make the easy bike ride to my office every day.
But at the same time, I’m able to live where I live because of my income. Housing will always cost more as you get closer to the city center. And it’s city centers where our jobs are located. Paradoxically, it’s the people that are already making a good income that are in the best position to use the cheapest and most efficient form of transit.
I’m In Good Enough Shape Where I Can Physically Bike To Work. It goes without saying, but riding a bike requires some level of physical fitness. I’m lucky enough that I have no major physical barriers or disabilities stopping me from riding my bike. I can ride to work in the morning without even breaking a sweat.
For some people, biking isn’t an option, whether that’s due to lack of fitness, or due to physical barriers that are out of their control. I have a friend of mine who suffers from a lung issue, which makes biking difficult for him. He’s forced to drive places, not because he doesn’t want to bike, but because he literally can’t.
I Have Access To A Bike. Access to bikes is something that a lot of us overlook. Bikes don’t have to be expensive, but that doesn’t mean they’re cheap either. A lot of people just aren’t in the position to drop a few hundred bucks to buy a bike.
One positive development is that access to bikes is getting much easier with the rise of bikeshare systems. I’m an avid bikeshare user myself, using exclusively bikeshare bikes from April through October (since it snows in Minneapolis, they close up the bikeshare system during the winter). At just $72 per year for my membership, it costs me just $10 per month, or about 25 cents each time I ride to work. That’s a price that most people can afford.
At the same time, my ability to access bikeshare is a product of my income and ability to live in wealthier and denser neighborhoods that can support bikeshare systems. Those living in poorer neighborhoods or in less dense neighborhoods farther away from the city center won’t have the same access to bikes as I do.
If You’re Privileged Enough To Bike To Work, Don’t Waste It
One of the reasons that I bike to work – even on the hottest and coldest days – is that, in a way, I feel like I have a duty to do so. I was born into a privileged position, one that gave me a leg up on others in a ton of areas.
When you think about it, biking is a great example of the rich getting richer. By biking to work, I get to stay healthier (which saves me money and makes me wealthier), and I don’t have to use a car to commute to work (which also saves me money, makes me healthier, and again, makes me wealthier). For people without the same advantages as me, a car might be the only mode of transportation they can use. And that mode of transportation will cost them.
The fact that I can bike to work so easily is a product of my choices, but it’s also a product of external factors that I had no control over. It’s never seemed right to me to waste this privilege, especially when biking not only benefits me, but also benefits the world (less pollution, less cars on the road, etc). To me, the biggest shame is seeing someone who can bike to work choose not to do so.
So, if you’re in the position to bike to work, take a second to recognize what a privilege you’ve been given. It’ll really put the whole biking to work thing into perspective.
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – 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 Ebike – 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.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R 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 ($100) – 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 $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares 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 shares using Webull.
- Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- Upgrade ($150) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $150 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $150 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- SoFi Money ($275) – 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 $250 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.
- 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.
- US Bank Business ($800) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- Fifth Third Bank ($350) – 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.
- GO2Bank ($75) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $75 referral bonus.
- 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.
- Netspend ($40 + 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 $40 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 $40 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($20) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
- 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.
- Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 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.
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 $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.25% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- 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 $100 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.
Good!
The post reminded me of my youth (in NYC) where I would walk to work. Whats a joy! No transit hassles. And in those days it was much more affordable, and with a high enough turnover it was not difficult to find a new apartment every time I got a new job!
That of course all changed once I paired up with a woman, we wanted more space for a family, etc. Years later (now in California) I have a house in a not expensive area (believe me there are such things). No bike, but I live where I was able to drive to work for 20+ years by taking local roads–no highways! Another joy!
If you can walk to work, you’re in a really awesome position. Very few are in that position I find! California has always seemed like a tough biking state – maybe not San Fran, but LA for sure just seems like its built to make it as hard as possible for people to bike.
Love this! I’ve been biking to work this summer and found that it saves me about $6 per day– super helpful since I’m paying off about $650k in student loan debt. I’ve never really thought of it as a privilege, but that’s exactly what it is for the reasons you described!
Glad you’re taking advantage of biking! And awesome savings! Just think about what it says about you that you can do that – you’re healthy, you live close to where you work, and you know how to ride a bike. That’s privilege, and something that we shouldn’t waste, if given that opportunity.
“A lot of people just aren’t in the position to drop a few hundred bucks to buy a bike.”
Neither was I. But neither was I in a position to spend 60€ on a monthly bus pass, or even think of buying a car.
But I had access to the internet – to local sites where I was able to buy a used bike for 50€.
That’s great! Hows the bikeshare system where you are? I’ve done some calculations and honestly, it seems like bikeshare can be cheaper even then owning a bike, when you consider the yearly maintenance and other costs that go into owning a bike.
Great post. Ive been trying to shift my mindset in the past months to actively practice gratitude, which includes acknowledging privilege. As it’s been more of a buzzword, I have learned all the more that I am truly privileged. I’m an RN in Seattle and I’ve been walking to work for years. My fiancé and I live in a studio so it costs less but we can take advantage of the location. I’m roughly a mile from the farthest hospital that I work at, so biking actually seems cumbersome! On occasion, if I’m too lazy to pack a lunch, I walk quickly and grab something at home. I’m in a good union, have great coworkers, and almost always get a solid 45 minute, uninterrupted break. Privilege on privilege. Though I never fancied myself a “city person,” this ends up being a MUCH less stressful life for me. My intent is for all this to add up so I can be more generous with money, time, even smiles. As you’re saying, this does require me to keep checking myself and to appreciate all that I have, and all that’s lead up to what I have.
Cheers FP!
Last night my boss caught me as I was unlocking my bike to ride home. “Oh you bike to work!” she exclaimed. I’ve been biking to work on and off since 1995 (and I haven’t driven to work since 1995) so biking to work doesn’t feel like a huge privilege, it feels like a way to save $5/day on train fare. But your points are valid. Had I read your post the day before that encounter, my reaction would have been much more positive and much less nonchalant.
I’ll keep my many transportation privileges in mind during my commute. Another is that I haven’t driven to work since the 90s because I’ve lived in towns who believe in putting money into good public transportation, so when I don’t want to ride, I have an affordable way to get to work.
Great perspective. I don’t waste my opportunity as I have cycle commuted year-round in the twin cities for the past 19 years. I’ve received all the benefits you outlined along with the pure joy of riding in the fresh air every day. However, you have opened my eyes to the fact that I have taken too much credit for my excellent choices. I now see that I owe a great deal of debt to those built in advantages I’ve had due in no part to my choices. I am privileged to have learned to ride a bike early and to have always had a bike and safe neighborhood to cycle through. I am privileged to be healthy and able to ride a bike and to be able to afford to live close to my work. All of which, as you outline, has improved my health and wealth. Amazing. I haven’t done all this myself….I’ve got to go call my parents now to thank them (again).
Glad to see a fellow Minnesotan bike commuter! It’s definitely something for us all to keep in mind – and why I think if you can bike commute, you need to do it. Biking is seen by a lot of people as just a smart choice we’ve made (which, of course, is true in part), especially in the FI world, but I think it’s also important for us to see that its a product of our environment, education, and all of that stuff we take for granted. That’s why it’s just so important for us to take advantage of it when we can – the biggest waste is getting privilege, something that not only benefit you, but also benefit others, and not take advantage of it.
Interesting, I never thought about biking as a privilege, but it makes sense. Having the leisure time to research bikes, think about and afford where you want to live, make healthy lifestyle choices, etc. The other side of the spectrum is where people are forced to bike because there is no other alternative or they can’t afford a car. I don’t think I feel strongly obligated to bike every day (most days I do, but sometimes I’m lazy!), but definitely will appreciate it more from now on.
The amazing thing is that I think there are very few people who are “forced” to bike. When you think about it, it’s probably easier to buy a car then it is to buy a bike. Think about all those scummy car places that say we finance everyone. People will go into crippling debt to get the car. I bet its harder to find 200 bucks to buy a bike then it is to finance a few grand for a car.
Great post! Super important perspective to keep in our minds. Thanks for writing this!
Thanks K!