It sounds like you might have misunderstood them. To me, it's sounds like they are telling you to just BIKE. I'd suggest a used bike from a reputable manufacturer, in my city that will set ya back about 200, less than you'd pay for JUST insurance. On a simple bike like this any problem you might experience will be easily diagnosable and self fixable or you can go to a shop and pay a little extra. If you live in an area where things are far apart you might want to look into an e bike, those range from about 1k or more. They can go from 20-30mph and should be treated more seriously as you ride as on a regular bike you will probably only achieve 10-15mph averages. That will have the negative tradeoff of being harder to work on, more expensive, and perhaps frowned upon by "sport" cyclists. Check out this resource for more safety information.