<p>i agree floppy, the marguerite is kind of like all buses in general-slow and usually off-schedule</p>
<p>Bikes are a MUST. There is no way to get across campus without one.</p>
<p>For campus: only a simple "fat tire" one speed bike is needed.</p>
<p>For fun (riding to the beach, etc): a ten speed road bike.</p>
<p>Theft due to kids from Palo Alto and Menlo Park.</p>
<p>ps If you are good, rollar blades are acceptable to bikes.</p>
<p>this may seem weird, but i'm really scared about bike accidents!! i saw at least two collisions/other accidents while i was at stanford for admit weekend...and i heard that a friend recently got thrown from a bike and landed a few feet from where he was (and he didn't get severely hurt cuz he knew how to land from gymnastics, which basically saved his life).</p>
<p>so...i'm pretty concerned. i plan to see if i can walk to my classes before resorting to getting a bike...and i heard the classes are usually pretty close to each other, so that should help.</p>
<p>bikes are not cars, I haven't ever heard of someone dying from bike-bike crash. The "saving his life" thing is probably a rumor gone too far. As long you're on campus, even a complete amateur biker will do fine. The ones who crashes are usually those who actually more advanced bikers.</p>
<p>My D always had a bike but never rode it at home. We got her one through the on campus bike store before she left as a freshman. She didn't want to pick it up the first day, but by the second day she needed it to keep up with her friends during orientation week. Now she completely depends on it and enjoys riding it. So you should probably get one, but you could wait and just buy it on campus if you think you need it after you get there. Its probably more expensive but the bikes are good and its very convienient.</p>
<p>googoo
as a trauma surgeon, I have taken care of MANY kids on bikes (after bike vs bike or bike vs person or bike vs whatever) without helmets that have severe head injuries (including becoming organ donors). In fact, after motor vehicle accidents, it is the second most common cause of death in kids.</p>
<p>helmets are like the wheelie backpack...healthy for you, but really only used by the severely unsocial.</p>
<p>mercruz--i think i'll risk being "severely unsocial". i actually want to physically survive college.</p>
<p>BTW, running a STOP sign on your bike will cost you over $200. (And the fact that "everybody does it" is not going to make it any cheaper... ;)) - just a heads up...</p>
<p>haha i almost got killed by bikes like 5 times at aw. its kinda scary in the busy hours of the day. on the other hand people have all sorts of cool bikes that i found very amusing.</p>
<p>just get the bike. everyone has them</p>
<p>just to say it: I was not in any way advocating not wearing a helmet, just that it looks lame...</p>
<p>Princess'Dad
yes - kids - who like to ride over ramps and down hills. Biking on campus is nowhere like kids playing with dirt bikes. Accidents happens but always ends with a scraped knee or so.</p>
<p>Just a thought, you'll be a lot safer on campus as a biker than as a pedestrian. Since we mosly share the same roads, a biker at least more momentum (m*v) than a pedestrian and won't be affected by a collision. An unpredictable pedestrian chatting a on a cellphone and crossing the street is a lot more likely to get hit than another biker.</p>
<p>One of my friends at Stanford said that they'll randomly stop people who are wearing helmets every now and then and give then 50$ gift certificates to local restaurants and stuff.</p>
<p>Googol,
Unfortunately you are wrong. I have seen as many head injuries from "safe areas" as from hills, ramps, etc. </p>
<p>Fall of your bike going 10 mph and land on the side of your head and you have a hugh chance of getting an epidural.</p>
<p>Scraped knee is more likely, but do wear your helmet.</p>