<p>We took our HC tour during last years Bama Bound, so classes were not in session. Are bikes popular on campus? Is it a good way to get around or are the walkways jammed with students walking? My D would enjoy the option to bike but doesn’t want to do it if it’s a hassle.</p>
<p>Great question for when it’s a large campus like UA (or do people use Crimson Ride a lot instead of bikes?)…Looking forward to hearing from some parents or students. <a href=“http://urec.sa.ua.edu/orbamabikes.cfm”>http://urec.sa.ua.edu/orbamabikes.cfm</a> Looks like bike rental is $10/month. Wonder if you can reserve them in advance?</p>
<p>My D is a fitness fanatic. She would really enjoy biking around the campus. She has a bike, so we would just bring it with us in August if it’s worth having.</p>
<p>yes- many have bikes- many have them stolen- very easy to get around and much quicker than walking</p>
<p>My son rides his bike ALL the time. He rides it to classes from his off campus apartment as well as taking recreational rides along the Riverwalk. It is important to have a good lock, but my son’s never had any trouble. I’m not sure in his two years on campus that he’s ever used the Crimson Ride (if his bike isn’t available, he opts to walk).</p>
<p>I just heard my student say that he has taken Crimson Ride exactly four times in four years, walks and bikes all over campus.</p>
<p>Thanks. I don’t see my D using Crimson Ride much. She prefers to walk or bike. I just wanted to be sure that having a bike is worthwhile before we lugged it to Tuscaloosa.</p>
<p>I will echo that son has used his bike and has been very happy to have one. He also enjoys riding along the river, even into Northport and down the other side. He doesn’t use it for classes as much, probably because his dorm is convenient to classes. He has ridden it downtown and also to the shopping area near the mall. He did say that many bikes look like they’ve never been used, though. So, “know thy student” probably applies here as in most things.</p>
<p>We were there to visit right after spring break and a lot of kids were using their bicycles (I’m sure the great weather didn’t hurt!), but we really enjoyed walking all over the beautiful campus, which is an inexpensive way to stay in shape and get a little color! </p>
<p>I would agree with the “know thy student” sentiment re bicycles. If you don’t think they’ll use it, hold off. They do have a bike rental option, which may be the way to go if you’re not sure your student will use one regularly: <a href=“http://urec.sa.ua.edu/orbamabikes.cfm”>http://urec.sa.ua.edu/orbamabikes.cfm</a></p>
<p>And they do bike tune-ups on campus too! <a href=“http://urec.sa.ua.edu/orbikeshop.cfm”>http://urec.sa.ua.edu/orbikeshop.cfm</a></p>