If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m a huge biking buff. My family and I have been really into biking ever since I was 12, and I’ve biked all over my hometown, over all of the massive hills, through the woods, and past the tobacco farms. So naturally, when I went to UConn Storrs, my love of biking followed me there, and I rented a bike from the Rec Center. I was surprised at how convenient it was for me as a college student. Not only was I getting tons of easy exercise, I was getting around campus a lot quicker than I otherwise would be able to and was able to bypass UConn’s unreliable bus system. Given how much renting a bike from the Rec Center improved my quality of life as a UConn student, I would highly recommend it. So sit back, relax, and let me tell you about the benefits of having a bike on campus.
#1: you are able to get around campus faster
The biggest benefit, in my opinion, of having a bike on campus is that you are able to get around campus much faster than you’d otherwise be able to if you didn’t own one. Our campus is huge, and while it does help to have a car, there are some parts of campus where cars can’t go, not to mention how messed up UConn parking is. In addition, it can really suck when you live in a dorm that is far away from everything, like Whitney or Towers, or have class all the way on the other side of campus. You can take the bus, but it’s not always the most reliable.
Having a bike, however, can help with this problem tremendously. Not only can bikes go where cars cannot, but you also don’t have to pay insane amounts of money to park. In addition, you don’t have to wait for the bus, which is not always there when you need it and does not always show up when the bus app says it will. With a bike, you don’t have to wait for anyone, and you can go at whatever time suits you. Not to mention, you can get to your destination much faster on a bike than you would if you walked there or took the bus. Oh, speaking of the bus…
#2: you don’t have to rely on an unreliable bus system
As I briefly mentioned earlier, another benefit of having a bike on campus is that you don’t have to put your faith into an extremely fallible bus system. The bus system at UConn is known for being… not the best, to say the least. For one thing, Passio Go!, the bus app can be pretty frustrating to use. Sometimes the buses will vanish from the map, sometimes the buses come later than the app makes it seem, and sometimes the buses flat-out don’t show up. This can be infuriating, as then you can’t rely on the app to accurately tell you when the bus will be here. In addition, if you live in a far-off dorm like in East Campus or Towers, you only have one bus line coming to your dorm, and it doesn’t come that often, so if you miss it, good luck. Also, the routes the buses take may not always be the most direct, which can suck if you are trying to get somewhere quickly. This is why it’s better to bike, especially if you need to be somewhere fast and direct or you live somewhere like East Campus or Towers. That way, you don’t have to deal with an unreliable app, indirect routes, or long, inconvenient wait times.
#3: it’s an easy form of exercise!
I don’t know about you guys, but with my busy college schedule, it is really hard to find time to squeeze exercise into my daily routine! Between classes, homework, tests, and clubs, it’s hard to figure out exactly where to fit a workout into my day. This is where biking comes in! When you bike as a form of transportation, you are incorporating exercise into your daily routine in a much more natural way.
#4: you can explore around campus!
One of the things I love the most about having a bike on campus is that it enables you to explore parts of campus you most likely wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Because you can get around campus faster and easier with a bike, it helps you explore different parts of campus. I have done this, and I have had a lot of fun! I have biked to and around Horsebarn Hill. It was a great workout and it was so pretty! Plus, I got to pet some cows, and one of them gave me a cow kiss! I also biked with a friend on a trail that led to the Depot Campus! It was fascinating to explore both the trail and the campus, and the Depot Campus was indeed very spooky and mysterious. Finally, I have explored Dog Lane Road, and the roads surrounding that. I loved seeing all the foliage and all the houses, especially in the fall, when the leaves are so pretty! I have so much fun exploring all of this, and I never would have seen this side of campus had I not had a bike with which to explore.
To wrap up, there are a lot of benefits to renting or owning a bike on campus. It helps you get around campus faster, it spares you from relying on an unreliable bus system, it’s an easy form of exercise, and it lets you explore parts of campus you wouldn’t otherwise. Based on this information, as you can see, having a bike on campus has improved my life a lot, and it can improve yours too. I recommend that you get a bike to have on campus. It will improve your college experience a ton!