Recently I have been riding my bicycle to class because my new apartment is a bit further than my place last year and I have to say it's quite nice. I originally had the impression that it would be a hassle locking the bike and finding a place to park but lucky my campus is fairly equipment with many "bike areas" and I wouldn't be surprised if all campuses are like this. Here's what I have learned after a month of riding....
PROS
- You can sleep-in an extra 15 minutes.
- You can bypass any people that would otherwise stop you and ask you to sign their partition against hurting "insert plant/animal/gender/culture" in "insert country".
- You are now part of the elite group of bicycle hipsters, unfortunately this is also a negative.
- Overall you save a good amount of time otherwise spent walking.
CONS
- Every car on the rode is trying to kill you.... Even the people parked on the side of the road... They will intentionally open their doors when you are passing by.
- Everyone will ask you about your bike when you could care less because you bought it on sale at Wal-Mart.
- Rain and water is the enemy. I suggest buying fenders.
- If you buy a mountain bike you will feel it necessary to jump every curb possible, even if it's entirely out of the way, which leads to the overall destruction of the bike (because it was purchased at Wal-Mart)
These are just some simple things I suggest you think about before you bring a bike to campus. I personally enjoy jumping all the curbs so I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons.