(Pictured above: Brendon’s 3yo son Lee likes to help his Dad with checkout)

Name: Brendon Shank @bshank 

Occupation/Interest: Associate Vice President, Communications
Society of Hospital Medicine

Neighborhood: Graduate Hospital

Favorite thing about Philly: The people. But also the food.

Why do you ride Indego?

Indego has taught me two things:

I love riding bikes.

I hate owning a bike.

I ride Indego because it’s the fastest, cheapest and most fun way for me to get to and from work.

I can commute to work – door to door – in 20 minutes, without the hassle of looking for parking, hailing a cab or waiting on the bus. Public transportation is awesome, but on a perfect day – when the bus and the SEPTA train show up right when I get there – it’s still 30 minutes; and those perfect days are rare.

For my commute, Indego is about four times less expensive than public transportation. And SIXTEEN times cheaper than driving. But the best part is that Indego gives me the flexibility to still do any or all of the others without extra cost.

Most importantly, it’s just fun. I TOTALLY forgot how much I loved riding a bike until I hopped on an Indego. It keeps reminding me of when I was in elementary school and riding my bike around the neighborhood – it’s hard to beat the wind in your face and the sense of freedom of being on a bike.

It’s also fun to be part of something new. Lots of people have asked me about Indego when I’m getting a bike, returning it or out on one of the bikes; and everyone is impressed with how easy and inexpensive it is. So, basically, riding an Indego in 2016 is exactly like driving a Tesla in 2013.

And, it’s becoming my preferred mode of transport for getting around town, too. My new question for any destination (restaurant, beer garden, store, etc.) is “is there an Indego station nearby?”

Do you ride Indego to work? If so, how’s it going? (Details!)

I do ride Indego to work – and back home again. And I love it.

It’s now one of the reasons I love going to work. It’s a fun way to get pumped up for work and dropping off the bike in the morning gives me the flexibility to take another form of transportation home, if I need to.

But the best part is when I get off the bike. I simply dock it in the station and I don’t have to worry about it. Meanwhile, the ride has me all kinds of fired up – mentally and physically – when I get into the office. It’s pretty much the opposite of the zombie-like feeling I’d sometimes have getting off the train and coming up subway stairs.

It doesn’t hurt that the ride home is mostly downhill, either.

What views do you see on your commute?

My bike route from home to work is a cross-section of a lot of the things I love about in Philly.

It starts off at Graduate Hospital, where I almost always see friends and neighbors; it’s a little like riding through Sesame Street.

Then I go north and eventually cross the Ben Franklin Parkway, so I have the Art Museum on my left and the rest of the city on the right. The architecture and the landscape of the Rodin Museum are a really artful way to start the day, too.

Any tips for new Indego riders?

First, give it a test run before you start commuting. The bikes are built sturdy, so they take a little getting used to if you’re more familiar with a roadbike or a mountain bike.

If you haven’t already, find the bike lanes near you. They certainly make bike commuting easier.

Here’s my pre-ride checklist:

Check the app or online map for bikes before you get to the station. There are lots of stations, so just check for the nearest bike before walking to a specific station.

At the station, get situated before you check out the bike. Get your helmet on, adjust the seat, give the brakes a squeeze before hitting the button and pulling the bike out. The dock helps keep the bike upright while it’s locked, but once it’s out, it’s tougher to do those things.

Enjoy!

Will you bike to work Friday, May 15th in honor of National Bike To Work Day?

Sadly, no. I’ll be in Cleveland for work. But I’ve already checked to see what Cleveland’s bike share situation is. I’m hooked.