Volume 124 Issue 2
kansan.com
TAKING CHARGE
Lawrence leads Manhattan in energy conservation competition
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
UDK
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 53
TRANSPORTATION
To save money, get on your bike. Here's how.
With high prices to keep cars fueled and maintained, bicycling is becoming a much cleaner investment for transportation.
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
SHAUNA BLACKMON editor@kansan.com
Caroline Dickinson used to drive all the time — to work, to go out with friends, anywhere she could. Now, with gas at almost $4 a gallon, she has changed her motorist ways and started finding other means to get around.
"I like riding bikes because I get to save the planet," Dickinson, a junior from Olathe, said. "I'm not driving a super车 car around everywhere just to move me from place to place."
Dickinson hasn't always been environmentally conscious, but after living in Lawrence for a few years, she converted.
For more than two years, she drove the three miles to her Starbucks job. Now she is trying to make the trip by bike as often as possible. When she does drive, Dickinson motors around in a 2007 Toyota Yaris, which gets about 39 miles to the gallon. But even with good gas mileage, it isn't fiscally feasible for her to drive anymore.
Dickinson isn't alone. As gas prices rise so does transportation creativity. The past few weeks, local bike shops have seen an increase in business as riders pull old bikes out of storage for the first time in years. Some are even buying new bikes.
Area bike shops saw a similar trend in 2008 when gas reached a national average of $4.11 a gallon.
"2008 was such a whirlwind, it was insane for us," Adam Hess, a Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop bike mechanic, said. "People start seeing the bottom line on their monthly expenses and try to find a way around that's cheaper."
Brian Shay, the owner of The Re-Cyclery, primarily a used bike shop at 315 N. Second St., said in 2008 there was a 25 to 30 percent increase in sales. He's hoping this year will be similar. "I've already seem a lot of people cleaning out their garages and sheds bringing their bikes in to get fixed," he said.
"Tires are usually the biggest things and cables and chains tend to rust up." Shay said.
REPAIR OR UPGRADE?
Those rescuing abandoned bikes from storage still need to do a few checks before riding.
At The Re-Cycler and Sunflower Bike Shop, 804 Massachusetts St., those replacements can be relatively
inexpensive. Shay said for about $100 a $500 bike can be as good as new. If repairing an old bike isn't an option, Aaron Miller, also a Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop bike mechanic, said consumers should ask a few questions before buying a new one. Road surfaces, distance and transporting materials are all factors.
"There has been a growing trend in hybrid-style bikes, lighter weight and simplified bikes meant for paved use," Miller said. "There isn't really any one bike that is the bike for beginners or commuters, but these newer hybrid-style bikes are definitely the most ideal for just getting around."
A new hybrid bike at Sunflower starts at about $400. The Re-Cyclery doesn't usually have many hybrids but it does have used road bikes, which can be just as good for riding on paved roads, Shay said. Because most of The Re-Cyclery's bikes are used, the starting price is about $150.
ROAD RULES
In addition to repairs and replacements, Hess said cyclists need to understand that riding a bike in traffic isn't like driving a car.
"You can't be an offensive bike rider. The biggest thing I see is people who try to assert themselves on the road but it just doesn't work. Don't assert yourself. You're at the mercy of huge, slower stopping vehicles around you."
The city requires cyclists to obey all traffic laws. Cyclists can ride on either the street or the sidewalk, except for Massachusetts Street where bikes are not allowed on sidewalls.
Lawrence has a few bike trails, but most are not helpful to commuters. However, cyclists can plan a route using a city bike map, which gives information on traffic flow and speed. Maps can be found online or at any bike shop.
The two main pitfalls of riding to work are bad weather and transporting materials.
Most bikes have rack components, which can hold a variety of different sized bags. It might not even be a bad idea to stash a rain jacket in there just in case.
According to Trek bicycle manufacturer, 40 percent of trips are within two miles of the home and 25 percent are within one mile. Depending on the route, it might take a little longer to reach a destination by
bike than by car but in some cases it can actually be quicker.
"You can skip the delays, that's what I like about bikes." Hess said.
"You are never sitting behind somebody waiting on somebody else, you can go your own way."
While biking might require some extra effort, the benefits quickly add up. Switching from a four-mile car commute to bicycle will save about 66 gallons of gas per year, keep 51
pounds of carbon monoxide out of the air, and burn 36,000 calories over the course of a year, the equivalent of 10 pounds in fat, according to the Trek website.
"We are a society build on cars not bicycles," Hess said. "But the more people we can get riding bikes, the more positive effects we will see as far as people buying things locally and urban areas becoming smaller, more village-like."
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bookstore recently began offering price comparisons between its own prices, Amazon.com and Half. com.
"We are the non-profit store for the University," Rourke said. "Every profit that we make goes right back into student success such as the Student Union Activities (SUA) and the campus radio station,
But while students can save money renting or buying online, the bookstore prides itself on being there for students even after they've bought their textbooks.
"There was one student that said, It was the best idea that KU has ever had." Rourke said.
Rentals cost 61 percent less than new print textbooks and could reduce the yearly amount spent on textbooks, according to Student PIRGs, an organization consisting of college students that looks at the rising cost of college.
Renting textbooks has also become a more popular option among students.
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH WISE/KANSAN
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Don't forget
out the day to bring news to students and alumni.
Kansan.com will also be getting a new look in the coming months. To complement our print redesign, we're striving to make Kansan.com an online destination for students. We want you to check out our exclusive content, watch Web videos and daily KUJH-T TV broadcasts and talk with our football and basketball writers during games in live chats hosted on the website. If you have ideas of what you'd like to see on our website, let us know.
s, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Today is the first day of classes. Don't forget to go to yours or you could fail.
The UDK will continue to keep students and others up-to-date through our new mobile app and a stronger social media presence. You can find The University Daily Kansar's mobile app on Android in and in the iTunes store. We've also re-branded our Twitter accounts to reflect our redesign and added more accounts. To stay updated on news on campus and around Lawrence, follow us at @UDK_News. For the latest on KU sports teams, follow @UDK_Sports. And to read opinion
Though The UDK is undergoing a gamut of changes, one thing hasn't change: We're still the student voice. We're your voice. So, let us know what you think. What do you think of our redesign? What do you want to see in the paper, on TV and online? Send an email to editor@kansan.com and let us know. After all, that's why we're here.
Another change will debut on Friday, Sept. 2 before Kansas takes on McNeese State at Memorial Stadium. Friday papers before home football games will have an expanded sports section sponsored by The Wave, our sports magazine, and will include game predictions and analysis. The paper will be tabloid-style like Jayplay, our weekly lifestyle magazine, and don't worry, we'll still have our regular news, opinion and entertainment content.
Facebook page, too.
Stroda is editor-in-chief of The University Daily Kansan. She is a senior from Salina.
Today's Weather
Forecasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 24.
HI: 92
LO: 71
bit least it's not 100!