Kaylee Wimberly does not have to walk thirty minutes across campus as many freshmen do. Instead, she rides her bike. From bike lanes to bike lockers, Kaylee told me all about having a bike on campus.
Kaylee did not originally bring her bike to campus, but after a few twenty-five minute hikes in the hundred-degree weather, Kaylee had her mom bring one of her bikes down to Norman. Luckily she left the orange one at home.
Since she had already been on campus for a couple of weeks, Kaylee was well aware of how often bike theft occurs on campus.
“I was so stressed I literally talked to a police officer,” Kaylee recounted.
When he told her she might as well take her bike back home, it did not reassure her very much. So far, though, Kaylee’s bike has stayed safe and sound.
“I got a bike locker, and it makes me feel more secure.”
What exactly is a bike locker?
“Those green dingy looking things outside the residence halls. It does not feel secure, but this is better than having it out tied to a rack.”
When we made it over to the bike lockers, the dismantled bike on the rack nearby could attest to this.
Before she could get her bike locker, Kaylee had to register her bike.
“I had to know so much info about my bike. Serial number, color, brand, model, size of the wheels…”
So there is a learning curve to having a bike on campus. Another example of this is when Kaylee could not find a bike rack for her class in Wagner Hall.
“I tied it to a tree a couple times. Then I realized that was illegal.”
Luckily, her bike did not get picked up by the police, and now she just ties it to the rack at the union.
Kaylee has not had any dangerous incidents on her bike yet. When she first started riding around campus, she was scared of running over people. Now, she admits, she has become a little ruthless. People shouldn’t walk in the bike lane. Luckily, when it comes to the scooters and skateboards she shares the bike lane with, everyone is pretty respectful.
However, the closest calls Kaylee has had on her bike have been with the infamous campus squirrels. They are even worse than confused freshmen when it comes to getting out of the way.
“One time this squirrel actually got closer to me. I’m slowing down, and he just keeps coming.”
Kaylee brought her bike to campus for practical purposes, but biking has become a hobby as well.
“In the evenings, if I’ve been out for a while, I could just ride straight back to the dorm, but no. It’s nice to just cruise around the south oval.”
All in all, Kaylee’s campus biking experience has been a good one.
