The University of Connecticut’s Storrs campus is a behemoth in size, roughly 4,000 acres to be exact. Although most students manage to do everything they need to in an area smaller than 4,000 acres, what if you don’t live close to the Recreation Center or if you want to visit downtown Storrs, but you’re located a mile away? While one mile seems manageable on the surface, backpacks can get heavy and schedules can be tight, meaning optimal transportation is a necessity for those who don’t want to spend their days staring at the same trees en route to class. There’s an easy solution though; that’s right, I’m a bicycle guy.
If you’ve ever used Apple or Google Maps to determine how far your walk will be to another building on campus, you may be surprised when you observe how much quicker it is to bike somewhere. In fact, with the high amounts of traffic going into downtown Storrs multiple times of the day, it is almost always faster to bike around than to drive.
Think of this two-wheeled mode of traversing as a good middle-ground between walking and driving which is also a great way to build leg muscle. I have the advantage of sporting my first and only Schwinn bicycle from a decade ago that is in dire need of grease and general maintenance. If the whole thing doesn’t come apart (again), it’s harder to pedal and therefore promotes more strenuous exercise. I also learned how to ride with that bike (late considering I’m 21), so that could explain my fixation on still using them; nonetheless, I get around faster than most people here.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I apologize to the one person I “hit” by the School of Business Building last semester. It was a jarring yet light bump, and they didn’t fall over, but seriously, biking around campus requires you to be responsible and attentive. I tend to swerve into the grass to ensure I don’t make another severe lapse in my judgement and run into someone again. However, bicycle wheels are delicate to an extent, and AAA won’t rescue your popped tire (it’s arduous enough to have them replace your car’s tire), so don’t run over pointy objects. And wear your helmet, please.
An alternative to biking raises a good question, what about the bus system? Despite all my dissing towards walking, I personally would prefer anything over taking the bus. For one, I had enough of that during grade school, though my bus was top-tier back in the day. The thing is, grade school students are all going to the same destination, albeit starting in different locations, but buses here have the added issue of bringing people to different areas of campus. Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful they exist at UConn—namely during the winter months—but if you’re a fellow travel optimizer, the bus is not it.
I cannot attest to the quality of bicycle you will receive by opting for the Rec’s Cycle Share program, but $70 for an entire semester of biking is a steal; I bought my bicycle for double that! Additionally, it negates the need to strap one to your car and potentially lug it across the country, or even worse, have to bring it on a plane. Coincidentally, reservations for the program opened on Aug. 28, so check out the Rec’s website to learn more and get ahead on the action!