Are you the type of person who prefers pedaling from point A to B? Thanks to the gig economy, you can now get paid for doing what you love. In this post, I cover the best ways to get paid to ride your bike.
From delivery apps to bike taxis to being a bike cop — if there’s a way to make money bicycling, you’re going to learn about it below.
Top Ways to Make Money With Your Bike
- Deliver Food on Your Bike
- Work as a Bike Messenger
- Rent Out Your Bike
- Operate a Pedicab
- Start a YouTube Channel for Biking
- Launch a Bike Blog
- Advertise with Ridevert
- Host Bike Tours
- Become a Bike Patrol Officer
- Repair Bikes
- Flip Bikes
- Teach a Spin Class
- Work in a Bike Shop
1. Deliver Food with DoorDash or Uber Eats
Delivering food on your bike is tough work. But if you can swing it, you can save money on your transportation expenses because you won’t have to fill up your gas tank like most delivery drivers.
In many cities, it’s faster to get around on a bike versus a car. Add it all up, and it means more profits. It also keeps you in good shape.
If you’re interested in delivering food on your bike, check out the following apps.
DoorDash
DoorDash is a popular restaurant delivery app that’s available in all fifty states. The site aggregates menus from local restaurants and lets customers purchase items from a single online dashboard.
DoorDash allows you to deliver via bike in most major urban markets. You’ll use the DoorDash Driver app, but make sure to activate Bicycle mode. According to Glassdoor, you can make $38 per hour delivering DoorDash on a bike. And you’ll essentially be paid to exercise.
Uber Eats
Uber Eats is one of DoorDash’s top competitors. Like DoorDash, Uber Eats allows bike delivery in many cities. The company also allows scooter deliveries in some areas.
Uber Eats bike couriers use the Uber Driver app. Check it out in the Google Play Store or App Store if you’re ready to roll. Uber Eats drivers earn around $37 per hour, according to Glassdoor.
2. Work as a Bike Messenger with BikeMessenger 24
BikeMessenger 24 is an app that connects people and local businesses with bike couriers.
The service is available in several major U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington.
A top feature of BikeMessenger 24 is that it doesn’t take any commissions. That’s because the app is a portal rather than an agency. It merely connects you with customers and enables you to negotiate rates.
While it might take a bit more backend work to find jobs on BikeMessenger 24, the lack of fees is a huge upside.
3. Rent Your Bike through Spinlister
Spinlister is a bike-sharing service that lets you earn passive income by renting your bike to others. Additionally, you can rent surfboards and snowboards.
The process is pretty straightforward. Sign up for Spinlister, include photos and a description of the item you want to rent, and set an hourly rate.
The site recommends $7/hr, $20/day, or $100/week. But you can choose whatever price point you’re comfortable with.
Technically, you’re earning money when other people ride your bike. However, if you’re riding your bike to and from the drop-off point, you’re still getting paid to ride.
4. Operate a Pedicab
A pedicab is the same thing as a bike taxi. You can find them in most major cities with crowded tourist areas — and you’re not alone if you’ve taken one of these homes after a long night out.
Being a pedicab driver is one of the most lucrative gigs on this list because you can negotiate your own rates and you usually get paid in cash.
For example, if you pedal two tired people back to their apartment at 2 a.m., they’re likely to tip you well — even if the ride took only a few minutes. That said, it’s not uncommon for strong-willed pedicab drivers to pull home a few hundred per night.
If you happen to live in the Big Apple, I recommend checking out New York Pedicab Services. For other cities, do a quick Google search for “pedicab license (insert city),” and you should be able to find the information you need to get started.
5. Start a YouTube Channel for Biking
YouTube is an excellent resource for cycling enthusiasts. If you’ve got a creative mindset, why not set up a channel, hit the open road, and film your adventures? You can then post the footage on YouTube and potentially make money from subscribers and advertisers.
Once you start to attract subscribers, you may be able to partner with brands and become an influencer — showcasing items like water bottles, helmets, and shoes. This is a great way to get free stuff and maybe some cash at the same time.
In addition, you could make money by offering bike repair tips. Check out Seth’s Bike Hacks for inspiration.
Learn More:
6. Launch a Bike Blog
If you’re camera-shy or simply don’t want to go through the hassle of putting together videos, consider posting biking content on your own blog.
For example, you might go on trips and offer trail reviews and demos on cycling gear. You can then link to bicycle products through Amazon Associates and earn a commission every time someone makes a purchase through your links.
Another way to make money is by becoming a Competitive Cyclist affiliate. You can receive a commission of 5 to 12 percent on sales and access to official banners, text links, and product data.
In case you’re unfamiliar, Competitive Cyclist is a leading supplier of bikes and accessories. It’s also a great place to load up on affordable gear.
Learn More:
7. Advertise with Ridevert
Ridevert isn’t fully live yet, but when it launches, it will pay you to place ads on your bike for leading advertising retailers and brands.
How much you can earn depends on how much you ride. The app tracks your progress through GPS and gives you cash for each mile that you rack up. You can earn up to $280 per month just to attach a lightweight banner to your bicycle and ride around town.
This could be an easy way to bring in some extra dough if you regularly use your bike for commuting.
Next Steps:
8. Host Bike Tours
Want to travel and get paid to bike at the same time? Consider becoming a bike tour guide.
Trek Travel hires experienced cycling enthusiasts to work as travel tour guides all over the world. You’ll be responsible for coordinating logistics, biking with your tour group from city to city, and entertaining them.
To be clear, you have to be in top physical condition to qualify as a Trek guide. On some excursions, like its Andalucia trip, you’ll be covering over 50 miles per day in steep terrain.
If you have what it takes, you’ll make an hourly wage in addition to tips and benefits. Feeling super adventurous? Consider linking up with Alaska Bike Adventures.
You could always host your own tours, too. Here’s how.
Familiarize yourself with local mountain bike and road trails, put together some routes, and market your tours on travel platforms like Airbnb Experiences and Viator. Before you know it, you could be running your very own tour company.
9. Become a Bike Patrol Officer
Universities and office complexes often hire bike patrol officers to perform security sweeps and check on suspicious activity.
Obviously, this job isn’t for everybody. But if you have an interest in public safety and love to bike, it might just be the perfect fit. The average pay for a bike patrol officer is $33,046.
10. Fix Bikes
Most bike owners don’t know how to fix their own bikes or don’t have the time. If you’re handy with bikes, consider turning your garage into a bike repair shop.
To find gigs, advertise your services on Craigslist, Facebook, and Nextdoor. And make sure to do a solid test ride on each bike that you fix so that the gig still qualifies as getting paid to ride.
Let’s be honest. You aren’t going to make a lot of money fixing bikes, but you might be able to earn a couple of hundred bucks per month once you find a handful of steady customers.
11. Flip Bikes
Bike flipping is another way to support your biking hobby. This involves finding bikes for free (or cheap), fixing them up, and selling them for a profit.
Sounds easy enough, right?
To find the best bike deals, check your local recycling center to see if anyone has left their bike behind. Sadly, this is where most old bikes wind up.
In most cases, all it takes are some new tires, cables, and some elbow grease to get them back on the road again. But make sure to keep your repair costs down because these will eat directly into your profits.
When your fixer-upper is ready to sell, I recommend listing it on both Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
12. Teach a Spin Class
Spin classes are all the rage right now. As an instructor, you can earn money by leading spinning classes in your area. Look for gigs at your local fitness centers and gyms.
This is another bike gig that requires you to be in top physical shape. You also need to engage with your fitness students so that they have a great time and want to come back.
The average hourly rate for a spin class instructor is $27. Peloton also hires virtual spinning instructors, but the vetting process is highly competitive.
13. Work in a Bike Shop
Looking for an easier way to work with bikes? Consider applying for part-time work at your local bike shop.
Every customer repair will need to be road-tested, so that’s where the paid riding comes in. This is also a way to get your foot in the door with the biking industry.
The hourly rate for a bike store employee is $18.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most frequently asked questions about getting paid to ride your bike.
Is biking a good side hustle?
If you love biking then of course it’s a good side hustle. Just keep in mind that there are some risks, especially if you’re riding around a big city making deliveries. If you hurt yourself, not only will you have to deal with medical bills, but you also won’t be able to work. Make sure your helmet fits properly before you start riding and you should be just fine.
Can you ride a bike with Amazon Flex?
According to Amazon, you need to use a four-door, mid-size sedan to make deliveries with Amazon Flex. Unfortunately, motorcycles, motorized scooters, and motorized bicycles don’t qualify for Flex.
What is Strava?
Strava is a GPS-enabled fitness tracker for cyclists and runners. It’s not a steady way to get paid for taking bike rides, but you can potentially win some extra money through its partner-sponsored challenges. For example, App Human recently hosted a Strava challenge that paid over $5,000 in cash prizes.
You might also be interested in these ways to get paid to workout.
Can you bike as an Instacart grocery shopper?
You can, but I don’t recommend it. Unless the idea of biking across town with gallons of milk is appealing to you, my advice is to stick with a car for Instacart deliveries.
The Bottom Line
A lot of people love to ride bikes, but few have the determination to turn biking into a legit side hustle.
At the end of the day, when you’re doing what you love, it never feels like work. If you’re an avid biker and want to log some serious miles on two wheels, the above jobs can help turn your passion into extra income.
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