<p>Okay, so I’m transferring from a CC that I’ve been driving 12 miles (one way) to for the last year and a half, but one of my transfer possibilities is a campus 2.2 miles from where I live. I’d love to save on gas and car maintenance and bike to campus, but I have no idea if that is considered “close enough” to bike to daily. I imagine 5 miles/day would keep me in some shape, but I don’t want to be tired once I actually get to class. It’s a fairly straight shot to campus too - get out on the street in front of where I live and only have to make one left turn before reaching the campus.</p>
<p>So for those who bike to campus, how far do you ride and about how long does it take you? Have you found it to be reliable? Something inside of me wants to keep the convenience of being able to get to campus in an ~8-10 minute drive (including stoplights), but I would be saving money by riding a bike.</p>
<p>Oddly enough, I used to ride my bike to grade school, but that couldn’t have been more than a mile and I was like 11 or 12.</p>
<p>There’s plenty of cyclists who barely raise a sweat after a 20 mile ride to work here in the UK (albeit with a shower at the other end). </p>
<p>You are not going to be tired out after 5 miles unless you’re really unfit. You might also find a bike club on campus to share tips and go on longer rides. </p>
<p>Just make sure your bike is in good condition with working breaks. Wear lighter coloured clothes to be seen, possibly with a flurescent vest or belt. And when the weather gets dull or dark make sure you have lights. Take a defensive approach to riding and assume that drivers can’t see you properly. </p>
<p>2ish miles each way is not bad. Biking was my primary transportation in high school, and it was a very steep 2 miles up to school with asthma. It’s definitely doable. If it’s flat, it should be like a walk (er, ride) in the park. I also don’t expect it would take you a hugely long time, maybe 15 minutes based on my experience. And if there’s bad weather, you still have your car and could opt to drive if necessary. I say go for it!</p>
<p>This summer I lived two miles from campus and biked to and from class every day. I loved it, partly because the commute was easy (I live in a flat college town where drivers respect cyclists), and partly because it was just a relaxing way to start off the day. However, I’d imagine that if you live in say, Minnesota, the ride will be much less enjoyable than if you live in Texas.</p>
<p>That’s about how far it is to campus for me, and I can bike it just fine despite asthma and other issues. It takes me about 10-15 minutes to get to campus depending on my speed, then add in a few minutes to get to wherever I need to go from there. It’s probably a good idea to do a few test runs where you time yourself to figure out your own time though.</p>
<p>I live in the CA Bay Area (metropolitan area), so the terrain and weather is on the “relaxing” side. Good tips on protective gear. If I decide to attend that campus nearest me, then I’ll definitely try riding there. The hardest part will be getting the bike in and out of my apartment each day - I live on the second floor!</p>
<p>That’s not that long of a ride. Make sure you gauge out how long the trip will take you though. You don’t want to end up late to classes the first day because you underestimated the length of time.</p>
<p>Just give it a shot for a while and see how you like it. I don’t have a car personally. I ride a bike basically everywhere I go. I don’t really go anywhere farther than a mile or so from home on a day to day basis though.</p>