One of the first things you’ll notice when you step on Oberlin’s campus is the mass of bikes: crowded outside Mudd, zooming through Tappan Square, rushing up to King as students ride to their class. Oberlin is known for being a walking and biking campus, and many students take advantage of the scenic nature and bike-friendly paths. It really is a huge part of the culture. For example, Yeofit has hosted some biking trips very similar to their hiking trips in which they go to a nature reservation and take a bike ride together. This year I got to bring my bike to campus, which I’ve been using to get to work and my classes, and also just for exercise and fun. One of my favorite places to bike is the Oberlin Bike Path, which is a couple blocks from Tank. A diagonal line reaching all the way into Elyria, it passes through forest and farm fields and is a wonderful scenic trip. If you want some great exercise, I highly recommend taking it up to Elyria’s town center, walking around and enjoying the shops, and then coming back down to campus. I will admit it’s a hike, but a rewarding one!
Living in Keep, I’m in the perfect place to have a bike, as the cottage houses the Bike Co-op in its basement. At the Bike Co-op, you can acquire help with an issue with your bike, customize it, or volunteer and work on building your own custom bike. A couple weeks ago, my front tire went completely flat and I couldn’t figure out why. Fortunately, I knew help was right outside my doorstep, literally! What I love about co-op life is that the people who help you are your friends, so some of my fellow Keeple helped with my bike, along with new friends I am incredibly grateful for. I headed over expecting that I had to patch my tire, but after some investigation, we figured out that it was actually my tube that was leaking, as the valve was bent. They worked diligently to see if they could bend the valve back into shape, but unfortunately it was shot. Thankfully, the Bike Co-op is filled to the brim with bike parts, including tubing! We dug around for one of the proper size for my bike and then put it back into my tire. What I really appreciated is that they taught me how to remove and replace the tubing myself, and so now I have a skill I can carry with me for the next time my tire goes flat. No more going to an expensive bike shop! I am a self-sufficient bike owner. Especially after watching the co-op volunteers work on their custom bikes while I fixed mine up, it made me want to learn how to make my own bike just as they were! That must be such a fun adventure to undertake during your time at Oberlin. I think I’m becoming a bike nerd.
