Hey! That's my bike!

Stanford is regarded as one of the most bike friendly campuses in the US. I am very thankful for this, and so are many students, because of Stanford's large size. However, bikes are used as the major form of transportation for students all over the country, so it's important to make sure you know everything you need to know about bikes before you get one and go to college. This blog post will go over the basic details about the three types of bikes that you could consider, as well as how I am personally preparing my own bike for constant use on campus. (Again, click on images to go to the product on Amazon.com).

The Street/Racing Bike

This bike is what professional street bike racers use, like on the Tour de France. What makes them unique is their light chassis, very thin tires, and aerodynamic design. As you can see, the handles curve down, allowing bikers to "hug" the bike, decreasing their wind resistance. The chassis is usually extremely thin and light, built for speed. The tires, again, are thin to decrease resistance against the road. They don't have any treads either. While these bikes are great for people who bike long distances regularly, or even competitively, they are not ideal for typical "campus" bikers. They will not withstand abuse, as their makers are not intending them to be thrown about, bumped, dropped etc. The tires are not intended for constant stop/start, as well as the rough terrain you may bike over when you choose to take a shortcut. They are also more susceptible to punctures, and they are quite difficult to change out unless you are used to fixing them. If you enjoy biking, and will be doing so for long distances, this bike is for you. Otherwise, stay away from buying these bikes!

The Beach Cruiser

The beach cruiser is a classic bicycle. Made with one gear, these bikes are simple, classic and plain fun to ride. The wide handle bars, large seat and curvy chassis are all characteristics of a beach cruiser. Typically, these bikes will have tire covers, those plastic pieces that stop mud and water from splashing the rider. They also have a bag platform on the rear tire. The tires are quite thick, with enough treads to stay in control on pavement. They're fun bikes to have and I would recommend them to any student who won't be riding their bike for much more than to class and back. You cannot ride these bikes on rough terrain, and they are not very efficient for going long distances, so if you plan on using your bike to go off campus, don't purchase this bike. Otherwise, beach cruisers are fairly inexpensive and easy to maintain.

The All Purpose/Mountain Bike

The term "mountain bike" can be misleading sometimes. A true mountain bike is very expensive, customized and tricked out. But for the most part, most "bikes" that aren't either road bikes or beach cruisers, are capable of handling themselves on rough terrain, thus the term mountain bike. For the purpose of this blog post, I will refer to the all purpose bike as a mountain bike. A mountain bike has thick-sih wheels with solid treads for gripping any terrain. Many mountain bikes have shocks built into them, however they don't have to have. Mine does not. They have a solid chassis construction, and can often be quite heavy. Many times, these bikes will include vertical handles, which aid in climbing steep hills. These bikes are the nicest to have for on campus, in my opinion. They always have multiple gears, which makes them very efficient. They can take a beating and still be usable. You can use them on campus, off campus, and on long rides. The are a little harder to maintain, but with good care, these bikes will last over ten years easily. I would highly suggest buying one of these bikes if you could be biking a lot and want to make a good investment into a bike.

Preparing Your Bike for College

Even if you already have a bike, it's a good idea to make sure it's ready for daily use at college. This is my bike, and as you can see, i'ts pretty basic. It's a great mountain bike though, and I use it a lot. I am doing various things and buying various parts to make sure its ready for college. I'll list the parts I've used and include pictures. Again, simply click the image to see the product on Amazon. If you buy the product, or any similar products, I do get a small referral fee. This will help pay for my books while at Stanford. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will most definitely get  reply.

The seat is one of the most important parts of the bike. You will be sitting on this thing for many many miles, and there is nothing worse than a hard, sore seat! Make sure you have a padded, comfortable and durable seat. I recently got this Schwinn seat for my bike. My other seat was horrible. This new seat is very soft and comfortable. It's wide enough without being too wide. It is only $16 as well, not a bad deal. It was very easy to install as well. You can pay much more for a good seat, but this $16 seat is more than adequate.

A kickstand is something most mountain bikes do not have on originally, but they are very important nevertheless. You will be propping your bike up a lot, and a kick stand will be very useful. This kick stand is also made by Schwinn. It's only $7, and was easy to install. It has adjustable heights, and the spring action is very smooth. It's also small and nondescript, and when it's folded away, it's barely noticeable. It's definitely a good investment for a college bike.





A bottle cage is another item that most bikes should have. This bottle cage is slightly different to mine, because mine came with my bottle that is intended for heavy bike use. However, this cage is nice because it adjusts to most water bottle sizes. Even if you only plan on biking on campus, during the spring and summer, the weather will get hot in most parts of the country. Having a water bottle that is easy to grab will help you wonders. This cage is also only $6, not that bad!



Buying all these accessories is pointless if your bike gets stolen. I have been searching for a long time trying to find a good security solution. The problem with cables are that they're easily cut. The problem with D-locks is that they only encompass the front or rear tire and the metal post you're connecting to. I came across this product and bought it instantly. It is a very thick D-lock (they call it a U lock) that includes a very thick cable. The cable runs through the whole bike, such as the other tire and seat, and then back to the d-lock which is locked with a key. This provides two layers of protection. The more a thief has to deal with on a bike, the less likely he/she will target your bike. This accessory isn't cheap, but $35 is a lot better than having to replace your whole bike. If you're only going to buy one item that I suggest, buy this one. You will NOT regret it.


I hope this helps! Stanford students, get your bike ready! I am taking my bike with me, all the way from Tennessee. I'm boxing it up and putting it on the airplane. But even if you buy a bike once you arrive to campus, get these items anyway. Remember, you can use your student account on Amazon.com to get free two day shipping, so you don't have to worry about shipping at all.