<p>Hmm. I’m thinking about getting a bike but I think I’ll wait until it’s a few weeks into fall quarter to see if I really want one/will use it.</p>
<p>…You definitely need a bike</p>
<p>I got a cheap bike that I really like. I know it’s not some fancy mountain bike but I don’t want it stolen. After seeing a picture on the daviswiki of a bike stripped of its tires and seat I became determined. I bought 4 Kryptonite U-Locks. I bought a U-bolt for each tire to lock to the frame (either tire would also attach to the fixture depending on which side would be more convenient). I bought a U-lock for the handle bars to lock to the frame (not an easy feat) and a mini lock to permanently lock my seat to the frame. Total time to do this @ 10 minutes (those locks can be a little cumbersome). Is this too extreme? My friend said that all those locks would just prompt a thief to steal it to prove a point when they would usually pass it up if it had one lock. I really dont want to have to buy spare parts if a tire or seat or handle bar got stolen. Or worse yet: buy my stolen parts off of craigslist or ebay.</p>
<p>I agree with your friend. One U lock is enough.</p>
<p>Yeah, all those locks are too much. I have a rope type lock that goes through the U lock to protect the tires, but that’s about as much as you’ll need. I have an old Peugeot that looks cool, but has pretty worthless parts. So, if anyone steals it, it’s their loss, really.</p>
<p>KK, additional question here:</p>
<p>What parts are recommended/required for a bike @ UC Davis?</p>
<p>I remember my OL telling me that helmets aren’t legally enforced, but the police will catch you if you don’t have a backlight or something.</p>
<p>So far, all I know is that I need a U-lock, a bike, and a fender. What else?</p>
<p>^ you’ll want a bike light as well. in addition to the bike light for the front of your bike, you will also want either a red reflector or a red flashing light for the back of your bike.</p>
<p>hope that helps.</p>
<p>@flwrgrl
i had a $450 bike when i came to davis last year, had a U lock and a cable lock. the U lock broke halfway through winter quarter (rusty key broke off in the lock) and i used the cable lock until my bike got stolen about halfway into spring quarter. stealing parts off of bikes isn’t very common since it takes time and looks sketch, so they’d have to do it at night, not while you’re in class or at the arc or whatever. if you’re living in the dorms the places where you park at night should be pretty free of thieves, though I have had my bike light stolen off my bike after leaving it in the cuarto parking lot for an hour or so.</p>
<p>is it possible to not bike and get around classes?? :<</p>
<p>so how about an BMX bike?</p>
<p>@lovesfliesx3
When I went to decision day (for transfers) a girl boasted that she survived without a bike. I think she might have used the unitrans or carpooled (harder to do as a freshmen though). I think it would depend on how far your classes are apart. It is probably walkable, but it might be annoying to walk from one side of the campus to the other, than back, and then home in the heat. Luckily, the heat subsides mid-September. I really don’t like the idea of riding a bike. I always think I am going to fall on the street or something. I am currently in Davis, living on campus even as I type this and I can assure you that walking instead of biking is a bit of a hassle. I have a car which gets me to places fast, but then there is nowhere to park. Many public spaces have time limits (to discourage students from using their parking?) and some come out and check to make sure that cars belong to their patrons (Black Bear Diner on Second and B). Campus parking (if one wanted to drive from one garage to another for classroom proximity) is crazy. You have to be ‘eligible’ to buy a permit. Since you are in dorm housing it probably is doable. But once you live off campus it may be a bit of a hassle without a bike.</p>
<p>Is there a preference or recommendation for a type of bike? I am trying to decide between a cruiser for comfort and a mountain bike to be able to change speeds…</p>
<p>I don’t have a reliable source of transportation when it comes to taking a bike to Davis (no bike rack, can’t borrow an SUV), so can anyone point me to a place where I can buy a reasonably okay bike AT Davis, just to get me around campus? Cheaper is best, but it’s more important that I can at least get it in Davis, either within the campus or 1-2 blocks out.</p>
<p>And please don’t just suggest to bring one anyways - I actually can’t, for the reasons listed above =/</p>
<p>Also: how long does it take to get from Tercero to Wellman within a 10 minute gap? Walking, biking, bus? Thank you!</p>
<p>@Serafina</p>
<p>[Bicycle</a> Shops - Davis Wiki](<a href=“http://daviswiki.org/Bicycle_Shops]Bicycle”>http://daviswiki.org/Bicycle_Shops)</p>
<p>is it normal for uc davis students to ride mountain bikes?</p>
<p>Hey Serafina, </p>
<p>I would suggest checking craigslist for a used bicycle. For a novice rider, it’s the best choice financially. You should be able to save quite a big on buying a older bike and tuning it up at a reputable (=cheap) shop. Don’t get too old a bike though, or all the rubber parts will be hard as rock and may need to be replaced.</p>
<p>Davis is pretty flat, so I’d guess multi-geared or ones with single setup would be fine. I’ve also heard that UCD has a bit of a bicycle theft problem, so you might want to consider getting one that’s not too flashy.</p>
<p>@maylix
if you’re choosing between those two for those reasons i’d pick the cruiser. Davis is flat, you will rarely, if ever, need to change speeds. i personally have a single speed road bike and i think that’s the best choice, but i don’t like cruisers</p>
<p>@Serafina
you should be able to make tercero > wellman within 10 minutes if you’re walking. biking maybe 2-4 minutes depending on how fast you go</p>
<p>@lovefliesx3
yeah i see all kinds of bikes here, the only “normal” thing is that they have two wheels haha, it really doesn’t matter what kind of bike you have but i’d suggest some sort of single speed just because davis is so flat</p>