Bike rental program keeps Pitt moving

‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt sophomore Marshall Stula might have brought his bicycle to school, but the bike ride… ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt sophomore Marshall Stula might have brought his bicycle to school, but the bike ride from Kansas to Pittsburgh was just a little too far. However, with Pitt’s new rental program, students without bikes won’t be left on the side of the road. ‘ ‘ ‘ Initiated by Pitt’s Intramurals and Recreational Sports Department, the bike rental program was ready to roll after the department purchased six bikes this past September from the Golden Triangle Bike-n-Blade rental shop in Pittsburgh. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ To promote the program, the department showcased bicycles in front of the Baierl Fitness Center, said John Schneider, outdoor recreation coordinator. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We went to the Pete to work out, and we saw [the bikes] and thought it might be a good idea,’ said Pitt junior Jessica Drake. ‘ ‘ ‘ Drake and a friend rented bikes for a leisure cruise around Oakland and Schenley Park. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The rental program is geared toward bicyclists looking for a quick ride around town or a day trip to their favorite bike trail. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There’s all kinds of great trails and bike routes around Pittsburgh, and we wanted to give students more opportunities to enjoy them,’ said Schneider. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘[The program was created] for people that want to ride during lunch or in between classes or want to go out on weekends and ride a couple miles on the trails.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The bikes go for $5 for the first hour and an additional $2 for every hour after that or $20 for the entire day. Any interested Pitt student, faculty or staff member can go to the Baierl Fitness Center or Bellefield Hall gym for a rental. ‘ ‘ ‘ Stula and a group of friends rented bikes and rode down to the Strip District and Washington’s Landing. Biking proved, for Stula, to be a great way to tour the area. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It was fun to just get out of Oakland. It was neat to see part of the city,’ said Stula. ‘You just get to see so much more [while biking]. We probably went 15 to 20 miles.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Stula and his friends opted for a trail away from South Oakland’s traffic-stricken streets. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘South Oakland isn’t very biker friendly,’ said Stula. ‘You have to watch out for so many cars. There aren’t really any great trails [in South Oakland] except for Schenley Park.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Drake agreed and added that ‘Forbes and Fifth Avenue can be scary [for bikers].’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Schneider said he doesn’t consider Oakland treacherous territory for bicyclists, although they should still be cautious. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘In Oakland the traffic’s a little thick,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t call [biking in Oakland] unsafe. It’s doable, you just have to be careful.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Oakland lacks bike lanes on roads, unlike some streets in Squirrel Hill and Shadyside, said Schneider. ‘ ‘ ‘ Whether the biker prefers riding in the street or on a trail, the bikes are equipped to handle either ground. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘They’re universal bikes, they’re considered hybrids. They can handle general to moderate terrain whether you’re on the road or the trails in Schenley Park,’ said Schneider. ‘ ‘ ‘ All rented bikes come with a helmet and cable lock. The department has not yet established a policy on theft although renters will not likely have to pay for stolen bikes themselves, said Schneider. ‘ ‘ ‘ The department plans to keep the rentals available year-round, even on weather-permitting winter days. Much of the program’s future, however, rides on the feedback and interest level from students. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If there’s an interest, we’ll get more bikes. We’ll get better bikes. It’s something that we’re willing to grow as needed,’ said Schneider. ‘Eventually we could rent them out overnight or for a weekend. That’s still in discussion.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Schneider also mentioned potential semester-long passes for avid bikers. ‘ ‘ ‘ Students who don’t rent a bike from the department could still get a chance to sit behind the handlebars in an upcoming mountain biking class. If needed, students without their own bikes can borrow one of the rentals for the class, said Schneider. ‘ ‘ ‘ More information on the bike rental program and a guide to Pittsburgh bike trails can be found on the Intramurals and Recreational Sports’ Web site at www.intramurals.pitt.edu.