<p>We are bringing a van down for move-in. We have plenty of room to bring my DS’s bike. Do many students find a bike helpful on campus?</p>
<p>Yes, a bike is very helpful for commuting around campus. Remember to invest in a good lock.</p>
<p>at bama bound the police guy said lots of students bring bikes and lots dont use them at all. then they have a big bike auction of hardly used bikes.</p>
<p>he said wait and see about getting a bike.</p>
<p>my DD doesn’t want one.</p>
<p>We’re sending a bike. </p>
<p>D decided she would prefer not to take a car. Her 16 year old little sister is thrilled.</p>
<p>Mike, I remember they talked about the bike auction at Bama Bound. If I recall correctly they set a record this year for bikes removed from bike stands at the end of the Spring semester; for some reason 175+ is rattling around in my brain.</p>
<p>D was going to bring hers, but I shared that stat with her and she decided she’d wait. We can always bring hers down during Parent’s Weekend if she feels she needs it. But it is a bike friendly campus; pretty flat.</p>
<p>you see, IMO, the alabama campus is fairly small and walkable.</p>
<p>i went to a school much larger and more spread out, so i rode a bike. i parked in a satellite lot, and rode my bike to class. we have looked at DD’s schedule and all of her classes so far are pretty close to each other.</p>
<p>getting over to the sorority houses might be a trek, though!</p>
<p>My son has a car AND a bike. He used his bike on a daily basis. The first year he bought a cheap bike from Wal-Mart. He had to exchange it three times before he paid to upgrade the bike quality. (Still only paid less than $150.) </p>
<p>At the end of his first year, he left a tag on his bike (unlocked-of course) for donation. Upon returning last fall, son planned on investing in a high quality bike from a Tuscaloosa bike shop. Since he is also a Varsity runner, he knew he would use the new bike in his training plan. He did not lock his bike in the rack overnight. He brought it to his suite each night. </p>
<p>*Son lived in Riverside both years. He rode his bike to morning practice at the south end of campus. He rode it to classes as well.</p>
<p>My son has not owned a bike in forever. We live in the country, and there really is no place to ride (you could run into a deer, bear or llama). But Alabama’s campus is walkable. My son did it as a freshman. He never gained a pound.</p>
<p>maybe the walking is a good way to keep the freshman 15 away!</p>
<p>Mike: My son loves to walk. In fact, he rarely takes the Crimson Ride anywhere, even to the Strip. He even walks to the rec center, and that’s a haul from his dorm.</p>
<p>I wonder if more boys ride bikes than girls.</p>
<p>My D is planning on taking her bike, not primarily for transportation, but mainly because she enjoys riding it. (Of course she also loves running…)</p>
<p>It sounds like your D and mine are cut from the same cloth, CCforlife. When she’s not out for a run, D is on her bike.</p>
<p>You’re probably right, Timeflew. D was very pleased to hear there’s an honor’s group that trains for a half-marathon in the Spring. She prefers to be outside, but with all the classes at the athletic center I know she’ll be quite content to try out something new when the weather turns cooler. I can just see her on that rock climbing wall!</p>
<h2>Mike said: you see, IMO, the alabama campus is fairly small and walkable.</h2>
<p>Maybe you didn’t see the entire campus, Mike! The rec center is REALLY far from sorority row…about as far as you can get…and it’s not close to the dorms on the north side.
I finally brought my bike to campus and it was a godsend, especially the last semester when all my classes were on opposite sides of campus. But that was 35 years ago, and the campus was much smaller. I weighed the least my freshman year, when I walked from Martha Parham dorm to downtown and back 3 or 4 times!</p>
<p>But I think you’re right to wait. The girls do not seem to ride as much as the boys.</p>
<p>My D has used her bike every day since she arrived. As Southlander said, it comes in very handy for getting to the rec center.
I guess it depends on the person. If they are in the habit of riding a bike, they’ll use it.</p>