Bikes, Winter and Campus 2

 Having a bike on MSU's campus is a big draw for many students because of the Large Size of the campus and how long it can take to get to class on the buses and walking. 

The bikes aren't a problem when there is no snow or ice on the ground but they can begin to create more hassle once the ice and rain starts to come down.

According to Tim Potter of the Transportation Office the winter months are not only hard on riders but on bikes themselves, "The winter months are quite hard on bikes mainly from the road salts getting all over the bikes and corroding them, so it's important to keep your bike well lubricated, especially the drivetrain. We recommend oiling your chain with proper chain lube every week or two in order to keep it working well and from rusting badly,” said Potter in an email.

“The other very important thing is to be very visible wherever you choose to ride to prevent getting hit by motor vehicles in the winter months, especially since the visibility for both the bicyclists and the drivers is often worse than warmer months of the year,” Potter said.

Sophomore Jenna Virant can agree with that statement, "I got hit by a car and it wasn't fun. Bikes are dangerous and I think I’ve witnessed more bike accidents than I have car accidents.”

Sophomore Alex Cook feels the same way as Virant, “I have actually been in a bike accident and I was lucky that I didn’t get hurt. I think people are more prone to getting into bike accidents when its snowing out there or icy.”

“On the MSU Campus our shared-use paths, sidewalks and roads are kept clear of snow and ice as quickly if not better than most cities so students/ faculty/ staff generally find it quite safe to ride through the winter months,” Although Potter says that the sidewalks aren’t usually that bad; Virant, Cook and sophomore Erika Lingle all have different ways of getting around campus during the winter months.

“I think a good alternative to biking in the winter is walking. As soon as it gets snowy and icy, I start to walk everywhere and I find it really relaxing and I think it is a lot safer than riding a bike,” said Lingle.

“I will probably ride my bike places the bus doesn’t easily go. I think the bus is a good alternative but I hate waiting for the bus and riding the bus when it is always crowded and so, I will probably ride my bike still,” Cook said.

Virant prefers to take the buses, “They are crowded with people, but are accident free and get you safely at your destination.”

Cook sums up the biking in the winter in a great way, “I think about riding my bike on the sidewalk like driving a car, if you don’t look behind you to change lanes you could just be running into people and it is really dangerous if you are not paying attention.”