Outdoor Recreation trades 6-hour training sessions for free bicycles
The initiative began last year, when Outdoor Recreation began storing bicycles that were repossessed by USC Parking Services. So far, Parking Services has collected 150 unclaimed or unregistered bikes.
"Parking has been collecting abandoned bikes for years, and since we're a carbon-neutral organization and our bike shop is pretty well-traveled, they figured this would be the perfect time for them to start working with us," said Katie Coley, director of Outdoor Recreation.
After a semester of sorting through and organizing salvageable bikes, Outdoor Recreation opened up applications for students interested in receiving a free ride. Bike shop personnel will also throw in a free repair for students willing to pay for needed new parts, which range anywhere from $10 to $60. Each bike will also be equipped with LED lights, a bell and an Outdoor Recreation logo. There's just one catch: applicants must attend a six-hour session on bike safety and maintenance training before they can claim their new ride.
"Our goal is to try to get these bikes out there and teach riders how to ride safely and how to save money by doing their own repairs," said bike shop manager Clayton Walker, a fourth-year management and marketing student.
Coley added that the purpose of the mandatory seminar is to teach accountability to riders. The next session will take place March 18 at the Strom.
"We want people to care about biking," Coley said. "This is putting people back in the community who are educated about biking and about safety."
Outdoor Recreation isn't the only office on campus getting serious about cycling. They have recently teamed up with Healthy Carolina, Campus Safety, Parking Services and the Green Quad to form a larger cycling initiative on campus. This year, the initiative's advocacy committee will apply on behalf of USC for recognition from the League of American Bicyclists as a bike-friendly campus. Such status relies on five categories, the "Five E's" – engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation and planning.
According to Coley, Columbia already hosts a strong cycling community, as it's the headquarters of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition. However, it will take further education and planning for USC to be named a bike-friendly campus. This week, Campus Recreation will install ten air pumps around campus for student use, and Coley hopes that this extra service, along with bicycle training, will help students stay committed to biking instead of driving.
"There's already a lot going on in helping each other move the university forward with biking," Coley said. "It's much easier on the environment and saves money on parking and gas. It's also just a fun way to see the campus, stay active and be closer to nature."