The most empowered I’ve ever felt in terms of transportation is riding a bike.

As a kid it provided an unprecedented freedom to travel to see friends while also serving as another form of play. As an adult, it freed me from the stresses of traffic and made my commute actually enjoyable while also providing exercise. Where my routes and progress are very restrained with a car, bikes are free to take more paths, more shortcuts, and usually don’t require stops unless you are riding along with traffic…which is the worst type of biking.

As a teenager, all I wanted was the ability to drive, after 20 years of driving, all I want now is to not have to drive. Having no other choice but to drive makes me feel like a slave to my car, very much like having to spend the majority of my life working towards things I don’t care about for people I’d rather not work for.

If you don’t enjoy biking, may I suggest a different type of bike? Hybrid bikes (most “normal” bikes) are the worst experience in all circumstances. If you are commuting, try an upright bike/cruiser style with an internal gear hub. There are lots of cheap/free old steel-frame bikes that work well with just a little fixing up and minimal maintenance. If you want to ride on trails, get a purpose-built mountain bike. Seriously, just try something else if you don’t enjoy riding. Chances are, there is something out there that will fit you.

I rode my bike to my urban campus for three years and then to a couple of jobs outside in the nearby area for two more. I miss those days so much.

Even though while I was there, I always felt like it was a pain in the butt and a compromise. I was kind of a sweaty guy, so it’s much easier if I have a shower to go to in the building that I arrive in, but many buildings around me did, so that wasn’t a problem. I’ve also learned some people just ride slower and don’t need to shower haha.

The weather in my area can be cold but not super cold and very rarely snow. But I would always obsessively look at the weather and make sure that I was prepping properly.

When I finally moved away and got a better car and started driving more, I thought I was living more privileged. But for whatever reason I always missed biking and I didn’t understand why.

Once I learned about the no car movement I realized that when biking in an urban environment, everything else about my life besides my commute was so much easier, and my commute was only a little bit harder than driving. There are ways I could have made it even easier so honestly that wasn’t even that bad.

It’s one of those things that you have to experience it to understand but once you do you realize that micro mobility is way more convenient for getting around. Then, without massive parking lots, massive 6 lane straods, massive department stores, massive front yards, things aren’t too far away from each other.

With the exception of the front yards, all of those things just exist to facilitate the car. Like, without the car, you don’t need those things, and then every other form of travel becomes easier. But with those things, only cars become viable. It’s kind of crazy.