Column: Biking for the greater good

After over 15 minutes of waiting for an available, non-overflowing bus to arrive, I had a thought: There has got to be a better way to get to, and around, campus. Sitting (impatiently, mind you) in the new bus stop near the Student Activities Center, I noticed a couple of my fellow students peddling their bicycles happily towards their destinations. It didn’t take long for my over-taxed mind to come to the realization that these students had discovered that better way of traveling.
There are many good reasons to start biking to campus (in addition to not having to wait most of the semester to get on the campus shuttle). If you’re lucky, I may even tell you how you can score a free bike, courtesy of U of L.

1.) Biking saves you time.
I know, I already mentioned not having to wait for the shuttle. But think about it. Not only are you not waiting for the shuttle, you’re also not hunting for a parking spot or walking around campus. You bike directly to where you want to go.

2.) Biking saves you money.
Sure, the initial investment is somewhere between $100 to $500, depending on the make/model of the bike you choose. But you’re not spending money on gas or a parking permit anymore. If you’re anything like me, I spend about $80 on gas a month, and over $90 a year on parking. That’s over $1000 a year I’m spending, just driving my crappy little truck to school.
Before you remind me that I mentioned a free bike, let me finish my points.

3.) Biking saves the Earth.
So you’re not a charter member of Greenpeace. Big deal. You can still do your part in making sure that the Earth you so love stays here, and stays pretty, for a few hundred more years. According to UofL Today, car commuting generates 9 percent of U of L’s greenhouse gas pollution. But that statistic wasn’t good enough for me. Like my first girlfriend, I wanted something less abstract and more intimate. I went to carbonfootprint.com to calculate my carbon footprint from driving to and from school. I entered my estimated roundtrip mileage (about 10 miles), and got back a whopping 1.07 metric tons of carbon dioxide. I can completely eliminate that by biking.
 
4.) Biking saves your body.
Okay, so “saves” may be a bit strong, but work with me – I’ve got a theme going. Being the curious creature that I am, I asked my “Lose It!” application on my iPhone how many calories I’d lose biking at 10 mph for an hour a day. It informed me I’d lose 314 calories. I feel it’s low-balling, but hey, anything’s better than nothing. Adultbicycling.com says that, in addition to burning calories, biking increases your strength, stamina, muscle tone, cardio-fitness, blah, blah, blah … I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

You’ve read the column. You patiently tolerated my witty banter. And now you want to know how to get a free bike. Check out louisville.edu/uofltoday/campus-news/green-tip-riders-wanted for more information. Now get thee biking!
 

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