Bicycle rentals

quaere
Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:50:34 +0000

Students can rent bikes through the [Bike Co-op](Registrant WHOIS contact information verification | Namecheap.com)! They have a bunch of used bikes that have been donated and fixed up by student mechanics, so they are not top-of-the-line or state-of-the-art, but they have a lot of personality and will definitely get you around safely. It costs $15 per semester, plus a $30 security deposit. The fee includes membership in the Bike Co-op, so you can use all their tools and learn to fix things. The only caveat is that they often don’t have rental bikes available until a couple weeks into the semester, so you’ll probably have to wait a bit.

The Bike Co-op also has a build-a-bike program – anyone who works ten hours in the co-op gets free membership, and can build a bike with the parts they have available. For folks who have basic mechanic skills, this is arguably a better deal than renting.

People who don’t bike a lot but want to take an occasional ride can borrow a bike from the Wilder front desk when the weather is nice (i.e., before fall break and after spring break) – they have really nice bikes, you can use them for up to two hours, and it’s free, though they take your ID as collateral.

As for bike storage… there are multiple bike racks outside every building on campus. There are plenty of spaces, but they’re all uncovered, except the ones outside Mudd. Depending on where your daughter lives, she may be able to keep her bike in the basement over the winter. The college has long-term bike storage over the summer – though if you’re renting a bike, you won’t need to worry about it.

Some general advice for anyone who’s going to have a bike on campus: Oberlin is pretty crime-free with the exception of bike theft, and it’s not unusual for unlocked or poorly-locked bikes to disappear. Most of the time they turn up a few days later on the other end of campus, looking a little worse for the wear, but sometimes they disappear entirely. Invest in a good bike lock and lock your bike well (through the frame and the front wheel); and if you’re going home on break, bring your bike up to your room until you get back. Folks who own bikes instead of renting should bring them to Safety & Security to get registered, and make sure they get stored properly over the summer; otherwise they’re likely to get scooped up by the police.