Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and former university physician Beth Alexander started biking the most she ever has in her 60s.
Alexander is now 69 years old and bikes whenever she has the opportunity.
“I started to take the issue of what’s happening to the environment very seriously five years ago and made a commitment to myself and grandchildren to not use fossil fuels unless I really need to,” Alexander said.
She said she did not know that staff and faculty had access to the MSU Bikes service center for quite some time, but now uses the center for all of her biking needs.
Alexander said she rides her bike all around campus, when she visits her patients off campus and to run errands. MSU Bikes sustainable transportation manager Tim Potter even installed a bag on her bike so that she is able to carry things easily without breaking spokes on her bike wheels.
“Tim and his crew do a wonderful job on campus and I think the bike shop is a hidden treasure,” Alexander said. “They are very customer-friendly, their rates are so reasonable and they serve everybody.”
While staff and faculty may not know they are able to bring their bikes to the service center, many people also do not know that the center rents bikes.
“We have a fleet of about 300 bikes,” Potter said. “That number has grown over the years since 2003 when we started to fix up old, abandoned bikes and paint them green.”
The rental bikes have evolved over time from abandoned bikes to new bikes. The service center, established by the university in 2006, is a dealer for four different brands of bikes. MSU Bikes also has a full range of repairs.
“Most any problem with your bike, we can repair,” Potter said. “We also replace and sell parts, accessories and things of that sort.”
Potter said that 75 percent of MSU’s core campus roads have bike lanes. The university has about 8,000 bike loops and many older style bike racks at some of the residential areas on campus.
“We have a bike parking capacity for a lot of bikes, and after bike surveys and parking analysis, we figured out that we’re north of 20,000 bikes on campus,” Potter said.
Chair of the MSU Bike Advisory Committee Gus Gosselin said it's important for a campus to be bike friendly because it allows students to travel by bicycle in a safer environment.
"Not only is biking environmentally friendly, but it is a healthier way to get around," Gosselin said. "Studies have shown that as more people bicycle, the safety of all increases."
Potter said he bikes to and from work so as not to worry about finding a parking space, relieve stress and save money.
“I save at least $500 a year for parking fees alone,” Potter said. “I save money on gas, parking and maintenance.”