<p>What's more useful for UCSD, a road bike or a mountain bike? Also, where can I park my bike when I'm not using it? I'm going to be a freshman at John Muir. Would my bike get messed around with if it was a nice Trek bike? And lastly, can I keep my bike inside my dorm?</p>
<p>Get a fixie; the little need for maintenance is a plus; and you’ll get massive street cred with the guys and girls.</p>
<p>Yes there is a risk with bringing a nice trek bike… and it being stolen. You can prevent it being stolen by using more than one kryptonite U lock. There will be *******s who will mess with or steal your bicycle components; I’ve seen it before, I intern at a cyclery. </p>
<p>Yes from what I’m hearing you can store it in your room or the common room in your res hall.</p>
<p>Also remember that with whatever bike you decide to bring, get a quick release removable seatpost clamp as saddles & seatposts are usually the most commonly lifted when parked outdoors.</p>
<p>Don’t splurge. Between the insane drivers, brain-dead pedestrians/runners (seriously, what’s with the trend to run in the bike lanes with your earphones on when there are sidewalks next to the road?), and careless fellow bicyclists, your bike has an excellent chance of being damaged or stolen. My roommate has a good strategy: an actual super-nice bike that he takes on long rides and a cheap, used one he found on Craigslist that he takes to campus everyday. </p>
<p>I’d recommend a road bike simply because it’s less weight, but they may be more expensive than comparable mountain bikes. Either one should get you around campus fine.</p>
<p>But for a muir student, who is probably going to be rooming in doubles, can I store my bike in my room? Are there any rules that prohibit me from doing that?</p>
<p>get the cheap 75 dollar roadmaster climbing bikes from walmart. seriously a street bike would be nicer, but its not worth the hundreds down on it and if its nice it can be a target for stealing/messing with. plus, all the salt in the air from the ocean is going to oxidize your bike anywho, so stuff doesnt last long in great condition for more than two years or so. The only way i would say you should get a road bike is if you are considering joining the cycling team, or you like to take weekend bike trips. other than that its not really worth the money nor the worry</p>
<p>@ blueskypinkcloud</p>
<p>Nah that’s why all bikes come with clearcoat over the actual paint. I’m from SF, just as close to the pacific not to mention also surrounded from 3 sides by salt water and my bike is corrosion free. Rain is a completely different story however.</p>
<p>okay, well im just telling you that my bike, after two years of being on campus, was rusted. I just left it because it wasnt worth lugging around after that</p>
<p>Get a cheapo mountain bike on Craigslist if you’re just planning on riding on-campus. Please don’t get a fixie bike just to ride around campus because riding to class when the paths are filled with people is hard enough in the middle of the day. I’ve seen more idiots hitting the floor during these “passing periods” than I have on the road, and I’m on the cycling team…</p>
<p>If you’re going to bring a really nice bike, you’ll be able to keep it in your room relatively easily. I had a double at Muir my first year and for a month or so I had two nice road bikes in my room. Provided you don’t have a lot of other junk (and don’t have a ******y roommate or HA), there shouldn’t be a problem. That being said, I’ve kept my beater bike (Sora/Tiagra) outside for the past two years and no one’s stolen it. </p>
<p>The most important thing is that you lock the bike up properly. And one more tip, sand the rust off your lock if you notice it starts appearing after any rain or you’ll be dealing with a stuck lock after a while.</p>