How Working at a Bike Shop Changed My Life
After graduating from college with degrees in Communication, Journalism, and Film, I entered the workforce in 2022. With a couple of dollars in my pocket (literally), I was confident a career path would materialize, and my purpose would become clear.
Little did I know that the path ahead was rocky, and it would take some time before bikes would change my life.
My first job was a production assistant on the A24 film, Janet Planet in Amherst, Massachusetts. As a movie guy, the opportunity to work on an A24 film, no matter what I was doing, was electrifying. My main responsibility was transporting cast and crew from base camp to set. This gave me a lot of quality time with some very cool people who had worked with legends like Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. I gave 100% of myself to this film, working 60-80 hours a week with a tight-knit crew. I was certain I could have a future in the film industry.
Janet Planet wrapped that summer, and everyone went home. Shortly after, the writers’ union went on strike, and all film production was shut down indefinitely, leaving me searching for work.
Live video broadcast at Urban Media Arts
I moved to Cambridge, MA, with the couple of dollars I saved from Janet Planet, and applied to a couple of jobs. By a couple of jobs, I mean hundreds of jobs with almost no response until I heard back from a small public access television station called Urban Media Arts in Malden. They were looking for interns but took a chance on me and hired me as a Digital Media Specialist. I was the youngest employee at UMA, by quite a large margin, and was viewed as a consultant for young folk.
During my time at UMA, I got to co-lead a filmmaking program, direct a television show, and work on some very cool passion projects. Unfortunately, the station received the vast majority of its funding from cable revenue, which dried up and forced the station to make some difficult decisions. I was one of those decisions.
Control room at the radio station
I decided to change industries, and to work somewhere that wasn’t going to become obsolete and leave me high and dry again. What industry is future-proof? Something that can’t be replaced?
Sports radio. Radio is the future, right? I started as an associate producer for an afternoon sports talk show, primarily screening callers to make sure old guys like Paulie from Dedham don’t get on the air and say something unsavory . I was good enough at this, they asked me to produce the early (very early) morning show on Sundays before the Patriots games. I am not a sports guy. I like sports, but if you’re producing sports radio, you have to LOVE sports.
The station filed for bankruptcy, and I saw the writing on the wall. I left radio for a new job as a sales associate at REI that I hoped could offer stability. I’ve always been into the outdoors, and REI seemed like the perfect place to be while I figure out next steps. My co-workers were around my age and in similar positions. They were in graduate school and making life changes and I found some incredible friendships. Most days, I’d float into the bike shop and try to get my hands dirty. I convinced some higher-ups to let me do some training in the shop, and I got myself on a path to becoming a bike mechanic.
Then REI announced they were closing the store.
After fighting for a year to grow in my position at REI, it came to an abrupt and unceremonious conclusion. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but this was a challenging period of time.
This is when I found Urban AdvenTours. I had no idea what to expect after yet another job fell through, but I was happy to be somewhere with a focus on something I am passionate about: bikes.
Everything about UA revolves around two wheels and a singular mission to get people on bikes. I began as a member of the tour and rental crew in April 2025 and quickly learned a lot about the business and tourism industry in Boston. Business would ebb and flow with some weekends bringing in tour groups of 40+ with dozens of bike rentals and others being quiet. On the quiet weekends, we had to get creative
Urban AdvenTours / Urban Cycles is a unique business. Tourists are attracted to the tours and rentals and locals flock to its shop and service division. Because of this, I have had the pleasure of meeting people from all over the world as well as some lifelong Bostonian characters. I was pushed into the deep end of the bike industry and what it demands to run a small business in 2026. As my knowledge grew, I became more conscious of the needs and wants of our customers and began to think critically about how I could leave an impact.
I like cycling, but I really love cycling on thoughtful and safe bike infrastructure. I noticed this was not unique to me. Our customers all wanted the same things, to enjoy dedicated bike paths that are safe and as far away from city streets and cars as possible. Thankfully, over the past decade or so, Boston and the surrounding cities have made considerable progress building bikeways, lanes and safe infrastructure that not only serves as an attraction but as effective and sustainable transportation.
The more I discovered some of these fantastic routes, like the Minuteman Bikeway and the Northern Strand Bikeway, the more I wanted to share them with people. I wanted to grab my friends by the shoulders, shaking them and tell them how they’re missing out on the freedoms of biking in the city. Thankfully, I don’t have to slap anyone because I’m in a position to promote and share these routes every day at my job. 
A major breakthrough in introducing these routes to our customers was discovering Strava’s route creation tool. It allowed me to easily map out the best bike trips directly from our shop and put them on our website and on graphics which we’ve posted around the shop. There was a noticeable increase in road bike rental bookings this season, and a lot of usage of the resource page on our website with the routes.
I became a bit obsessed with bike routes in and around the city and projects in development that I could look forward to. Progress is slow, but as projects get completed, there are more and more incredible rides I can ride and recommend. When the Mass Central Rail Trail is complete, I look forward to biking uninterrupted from Boston to Northampton.
After a year at Urban AdvenTours and a promotion to Tour and Rental Manager, I decided to apply to Tufts Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning program. This was a scary decision as it was a massive career pivot. I thought my future was in the film industry and to make this big of a change felt foolish. I built a foundation of professional work in film production, videography, and digital media. Was it crazy to leave it all behind for an industry I have such little experience in?
If there’s one thing I must have, it is to feel good about what I do. If I can work to make the world a better and safer place for bikes, I’ll be content.
Working at a bike shop changed everything for me. I am excited to attend Tufts in the Fall and enter yet another chapter of my life, but not without the support of my friends, family, and incredible girlfriend, Marisa. Thank you to Andrew, Minno, the best tour guides in Boston, and the UA crew who have all been a pleasure to work beside.