Admittedly, I have always been interested in bikes. I remember riding my bike practically every time I went outside at a very young age. My love for bikes grew in recent years, and I am excited to see what the future holds for cycling and my life, especially at Lawrence.
Being from Madison, Wisconsin, cycling has an entirely different dynamic where I am from than at Appleton. Madison has a gold rating from Bicycle Friendly America, so it is hard to top riding in the area around there. The year before I came to Lawrence, I worked in a bike/coffee shop as a barista. It sounds like kind of a strange combination, but really, it was a great idea. Cyclists love coffee. So, partway through their ride, they would stop into the shop for whatever reason, be it repairs, exhaustion, or just for fun, to take care of both their bicycle needs and nutrition needs. I love coffee, and that summer I discovered that I also really love cycling as well. It is a culture that many people may not know much about, and as I learned more, I loved it more as well. I didn’t really know what I was getting into when I got the job as a barista, but I’m glad now that I took it. When I started out, I had a decent hybrid bicycle, and didn’t know much about bikes. After working there for a while and serving coffee, food, and sports drinks to cyclists, I eventually began to learn a lot more about cycling, and decided that it was something that I was very interested in. I even met Lawrence University Alums when working at the shop that summer! I learned about local bike clubs, different types of bikes, basic bicycle repairs, and much, much more. Coming to Lawrence in the fall, I was very excited at what Lawrence held for me in terms of biking.
There are lots of students at Lawrence that use their bicycles for transportation, exercise, and recreation. I am proud to be one of them! My interest in bikes has developed into a love for everything involving bicycles and the culture that surrounds them. When I came here, I realized that Lawrence did not, however, have a student-run bike club yet. Towards the end of my freshman year, I really started to think about the prospect of a bike club at Lawrence. During the fall of this year, I was certain that it was something that I wanted to start up on campus. Fortunately, others shared my interest, and another student got the bike club up and running. We have just recently started the club, but I am very excited about it and what the future has to hold.
There are lots of issues to address in cycling in any city, even the ones that have a platinum rating for bikes. I’m excited to tackle some of the issues that people see around the Lawrence community as we
ll as Appleton. I try to ride my bike as much as I can, but I always run into the issue of there not being enough bike racks, both around any campus and around the city, so I’m looking forward to seeing whether we could get more bicycle racks implemented! Appleton is currently installing bike corrals in the downtown area, and they have a lot of people very excited. It is also important to educate others about issues in cycling that exist around them, such as helmet safety, laws — for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists alike — general care for their bicycles, and where they can go to get things fixed with their bikes. Although there’s a lot to think about, my love for bikes has only increased since coming to Lawrence, and I’m ready to take on the task!