 | The Cavalier daily Tuesday, September 12, 1972 |  |
Getting Around On Spindly Spoked Wheels
By ANDY BALLENTINE
C/D Saxon Holt
Happy Motorist Speeds To Class
Bicycle Paths Provide Safety And Convenience
Have you brought a bicycle
to school this year? It may turn
out to be your most useful
possession because most places
important to a U Va student's
daily le can be easily reached
by bike
Car drivers are often
maniacs when they sight a
bicyclist One of their favorite
tricks is to squirt you with a
water pistol or have a passenger
reach out and try to hit you It
is a harrowing experience for
them simply to come up
behind you and been the horn
scaring you to death.
To all the frenzied cyclists
out there who are dreading
similar experiences, it is
comforting to know that most
Charlottesville drivers are more
polite than most Perhaps they
are used to cyclists here but
rarely will the driver of a
smogmobile go out of his way
to bother you
Repairs Present Problems
The University itself is also
coming around Bike paths and
increased provisions have been
provided for parking and
looking your wheels. Although
much more can be done, this is
a good start Most importantly
people realize now that bikes
are here to stay
Local repairs and parts are a
problem. Last year, only "The
Spokesman" offered good parts
and repair work for the
University area.
Lock Your Bike
Unfortunately, "The
Spokesman" is a small shop,
and there was usually a backlog
of repairs. If you are able to fix
most problems yourself, you're
in great shape. You will save
yourself agonizing waits while
your bike is in the shop.
Another problem is that
there is no outlet for a name
brand of bicycle in
Charlottesville the best you
can do is a department store
So buy your bike elsewhere
Common sense dictates that
you should lock your bike
whenever you leave it Bicycles
that were carelessly locked or
left unlocked were often stolen
last year and the situation isn't
getting any better Your riding
style should also be defensive
Club Plans Bike Hike
A new bike club at the
University this fall is
sponsoring several "bike
hikes" in the Charlottesville
area For instance, a round trip
to Monticello is a day's ride, if
you can make it up the "Little
Mountain"
Bicycles help the well-being
of both the community and
yourself Pedalling is an
exhilarating experience, with
no gas or oil bills, very little
depreciation and no smog!
The University has provided
bike paths in heavily traveled
areas for the cyclist's safety,
providing partial shelter from
people and cars Use these
paths and stay off the
Lawn'
| The Cavalier daily Tuesday, September 12, 1972 | |