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Bicycles

Okay, a thought that just occurred to me:

do Oxford/Cambridge students actually USE bikes? Are they expensive if you just buy one in Ox/Cam, rather than hiking one all the way down(up?) with you?

Slightly random, but...

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Reply 1

fairieboi

you'd want a cheap one, anyway, lest it get nicked
a guy i know has only been there a term and is already 1 bike down

Reply 2

parallelduck

I'd pick up a £10 one second-hand. It'll get nicked anyway - happens all the time in Cambridge.

Reply 3

Reema

get nicked, even if you get a lock?! how do they manage that...

Reply 4

granddad_bob

yes yes, many student use them and there's loads of cheap bikes avaliable once you get here.

Reply 5

Rose64

I want a bike when I (hopefully) go to Oxford :smile:

such a romantic image.. cruising to the English faculty on an old rickety bike through a cobbled street! Now just *how* cheesy am I?!

Reply 6

granddad_bob

Reema

get nicked, even if you get a lock?! how do they manage that...

it depends where the lock is. on the wheels - they'll steal the frame; on the frame - they'll steal the wheels. they actually prefer parts than the whole thing as they're easier to shift.

Reply 7

Tyler Durden

granddad_bob

it depends where the lock is. on the wheels - they'll steal the frame; on the frame - they'll steal the wheels. they actually prefer parts than the whole thing as they're easier to shift.

They're a clever bunch these Oxbridge thieves. :biggrin:

Reply 8

Helenia

WhatFreshHell?

do Oxford/Cambridge students actually USE bikes? Are they expensive if you just buy one in Ox/Cam, rather than hiking one all the way down(up?) with you?

Yes, absolutely we do! We're a lazy bunch, and it's the best way to get around the city. Get a cheap one though, it's not worth getting a fancy one as it might as well have a label on it saying "steal me! steal me!"

Reply 9

granddad_bob

englishstudent

They're a clever bunch these Oxbridge thieves. :biggrin:

well, the standard of teaching at brookes has improved over the years. :wink:

Reply 10

Reema

So, 2 locks should suffice :wink:

Reply 11

Tyler Durden

granddad_bob

well, the standard of teaching at brookes has improved over the years. :wink:

BA in Pikeyness. Sweet. :biggrin:

Reply 12

granddad_bob

it depends on the standard of the lock. two cheap one are not much better than one, because they'll easy to smash anyway; and two expensive ones - albeit making your bike safe - probable cost more than the bike itself. the solution is to lock the back wheel and the frame together, taking the front wheel with you. though of course, who could be bothered to do that at 8.50 every morning?

Reply 13

Drogue

It's used more in Cambridge than Oxford, so it seems. Especially if you're a mathematician/at Girton/Fitz/anywhere else north, it's needed. At Oxford you cna walk pretty much anywhere, but for scientists at southern colleges, anyone doing E&M, and anyone at somewhere further North than Balliol (there's civilisation up there? ( :tongue:

at Daria)), it can be useful.

Reply 14

ThePants999

I beg to differ - it's useful for just about anyone, given how cheaply you can pick one up. Few things are further than 15 minutes' walk, which isn't much, but if you can save ten minutes by cycling, so much the better.

Reply 15

Drogue

Very true, it is useful for just about anyone, though most people I know don't have one. That could be due to the proximity to exam schools though :biggrin:

Reply 16

parallelduck

My dad used to own a naff £5 bike once. He had the lock and chain stolen, which was actually worth more :biggrin:

True story.

Reply 17

Elles

the idea of cycling in oxford terrifies me.
though being a pedestrian i managed to nearly get run over by a runaway bus .

(i kid you not & there's no need for me to even be melodramatic about this... eagle-eyed observers may have realised Thursday of 8th the central road bit opposite Queens' cafe was somewhat smashed up, with metal signs dispersed over payment yards down! :eek:

)

anyway, pretty much accept you'll get it stolen - try & make sure you leave it on college ground etc. overnight. bf had his stolen within days of buying - left it for about 5 minutes, outside our plodge, but hadn't attached it to something very sensible.. :rolleyes:

Reply 18

Helenia

Mine's lasted a year without being stolen yet, but I'm usually pretty good about locking it up (though it's somewhat dodgy just locking the back wheel to the frame and propping it up outside Clare, but there aren't always enough racks). I didn't use it so much last year, as I lived more in town and my lectures weren't so far away, but I wouldn't be without it this year. Now I just have to hope that it's still there when I go back :eek:

Reply 19

Alexander

I think the risk of theft has been exaggerated on this thread. If you use a good quality lock (prepare to pay £20 or £30) and lock your bike by the frame to an immovable object, then your bike is very unlikely to get stolen. It's possible that someone will take the front wheel or the saddle or something, but that is unlikely unless it's particularly valuable.

The only bike crime I've experienced in 13 years of cycling around Oxford has been vandalism. The answer to this is probably to try park your bike in the middle of a stand full of bikes, and not to leave your bike in a public place overnight (though having said that both my instances of vandalism occurred during the day).