<p>I'm planning on getting a bike (too broke for a car), how easy is getting around on a bike? Also, are there a bunch of places you can leave your bike @^2 Rice (I'm talking about those little stands with multiple rows that you can attach bike locks to) without it pulling a Houdini?</p>
<p>Well, I’m not a student (yet hah) but when I visited, there were tons of people on bikes and I saw several bike racks next to buildings. Even if there isn’t a bike rack near a building you’re getting to, you could always chain the wheel of the bike anyway - no one will be able to ride off with it, and carrying it around would be really conspicuous.</p>
<p>Thnks, this answers my questions.</p>
<p>= D</p>
<p>My bike is my commuting weapon. It won’t get me everywhere I need to go in a hurry, but I can always borrow a friend’s car if I need to.</p>
<p>Get a U-Lock, not a cable. My old bike was locked up with a cable lock and got stolen. RUPD sells subsidized Kryptonite U-Locks for $10 at the station.</p>
<p>Yes, DON’T bring a fancy bike! A clunker will do just fine, and has less chance of getting stolen. Bike thefts have been fairly frequent on campus, since the thieves tend to look just like students. (Although I hear the problem is getting better.)</p>
<p>Why are cable locks more susceptible to theft than U-locks?</p>
<p>They can be quickly cut with bolt cutters. Get a clunker bike and a U-lock. Houston is flat, flat, flat and you really only need one speed on your bike. (And they have fast racing bikes to borrow if you need a bike to race for “Beer Bike”! ;))Rice Village (with tons of shops and restaurants and coffee bars and pharmacies etc) is a 4-5 minute bike ride away. There is also a Rice-operated shuttle to the grocery store and Target on the weekends, and the lightrail is right next to campus. You don’t need a car. Both my kids survived/are surviving without one! ;)</p>
<p>I haven’t visited yet… is it easy to walk from one part of the campus to another? I guess I could get a bike, but minimizing cost would be nice…</p>
<p>it’s very easy to walk across campus, but it’s easier/more fun on a bike especially when it’s hot. walking in august and september can work up a sweat, and bikes give you a nice breeze. bikes are also really convenient to get back and forth from west lot and greenbriar lots (the two largest parking lots which are on the opposite end of campus from the colleges) if you end up carpooling somewhere. a bike used to be the best way to get to the village on the weekdays, too, but a bus now runs during the week to the new graduate apartments in the village so you can just hop on that.</p>
<p>bikes are pretty sweet. I have a couple myself. it takes about 10 minutes to walk to class from the south colleges (Wiess, hanszen, Lovett, Baker, Will Rice, Sid Rich). I highly recommend a bike as it makes that commute easy. Moving from one class to another is faster, especially if you have back to back classes.</p>
<p>Disadvantages to a bike is locking it up. As mentioned above, get a U-Lock. It is well worth the extra 20 bucks if you value your bike. I had one of my old road bikes stolen (I left it out for a few days unlocked as the cassette and derailleur were busted) however RUPD (Rice Police) recovered it for me (In better shape. The theives repaired it as they were trying to sell it)</p>
<p>By and large, bike theft is small. A decent lock and your bike is safe.</p>
<p>Also, dont get a target bike. They suck and break real easy. If you are on a budget, buy a used single speed/road bike for like $300 off craigslist. </p>
<p>On a related note, I got a longboard for my birthday a few months ago. Almost as fast and way more fun. And you dont have to lock it. I recommend a skateboard</p>
<p>Check out the bike this Rice student brought to school. Don’t suggest you get one of the same. 
[Rice</a> University | News & Media](<a href=“http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=12224]Rice”>http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=12224)</p>
<p>Thanks everybody, you’ve been really helpful. Hey anxious mom, yeah, I was looking at that earlier this week - anybody recommend any sort of bikes? Where would I leave it at night - anyone know?</p>
<p>Thanks everybody, you’ve been really helpful. Hey anxious mom, yeah, jaja, crazy bike : S I knew someone who could ride a unicycle, a skill I find enviable.anybody recommend any sort of bikes? Where would I leave it at night - anyone know?</p>
<p>as I said above, get a road bike. Further, you can lock it to the many bike racks at the residential colleges when you are not using them</p>
<p>Road bike it is, thanks Antarius</p>
<p>i wouldn’t get a road bike if you will be leaving on campus. it’s all short distance, and mountain bikes are better for hopping curbs and have better control when you are making tighter turns around the colleges, on the way to class, etc. i have a road bike but i live off campus and i sometimes go on longer rides.</p>
<p>Im buying a penny farthing once Im there.</p>
<p>i guess, but you can go way faster on a road bike. also, if you get a single speed, way less maintenance</p>
<p>Would definitely recommend a single speed. DD’s bike is out of commission until she can get someone with a truck to help her take to the bike shop when the gear shift mechanism fell off. She does not do any fancy riding, just to and from campus. A road bike with basket was perfect. But she had never ridden a bike with gear shifts before.</p>
<p>You can put puncture-resistant tires on a road bike, and you should be able to get around campus without much issue. Road bikes are way more resilient than people give them credit for. Haunt your local Craigslist; some of the stuff there is overpriced, but you can also get some really great deals.</p>
<p>And I’m thinking of converting my bike to a single speed. Part of me kind of wants a fixed-gear, but I don’t think I could live with myself if I rode a fixie.</p>