MSU Bikes Commuter Challenge 2013

A well-equipped campus cyclist (Lauren Olson) tooling along a campus road.

Saddle up during National Bike Month and take the MSU Bikes Commuter Challenge! Log your commuting miles to and from MSU from May 13 – 17^th for a chance to win prizes in the following categories:

• Most Miles Ridden – Beginner
• Most Miles Ridden – Experienced
• Most Miles Ridden – Department or College
• Most Riders – Department or College
• Best Bike Commuter Story/ Photo/ Video
  

Contest Rules:

• Submit your information using this form by 5 pm May 17^th.
• This contest is for the MSU community only (valid ’msu.edu’ address is required for entry).
• Contact info is required to win prizes.
• Calculate mileage based on your daily commuting and errands only. (Weekend tours, evening training rides, etc., do NOT apply.)

Click here to submit your commute information for the week!

See our MSU’s Bike Month Events page for more bike events and activities during May: http://msubikes.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/msus-bike-month-events/

Ride of Silence 2013 for MSU – Greater Lansing

Scene from Greater Lansing Ride of Silence 2010

This year, the 10th anniversary, the Greater Lansing Ride of Silence event will again be hosted by MSU Bikes joining 300+ events annually world-wide that honors and memorializes bicyclists hit and killed or injured by motor vehicles on roadways.

New this year attendees will gather at the Wells Hall courtyard (east side of Wells Hall) on May 15th, Wednesday, from 5:15 pm but no later than 6:00 pm for important instructions and to sign-in, etc.  Come earlier to be sure you’ve signed the waiver, tied on arm-bands (black, if you know someone who was hit and killed; red, if you or someone you know was hit and injured). Participants will then roll off at 6:30 pm. The start time is being bumped earlier this year to ensure a safer return to campus in more light. Police escorts (bike patrol officers) will accompany the group through the route to help maintain safety and guide us through intersections along the route.

Route:
Our route this year will be different due to major construction on Michigan Ave. and Grand River Ave. near campus.
This is our route.

Car Parking:
The closest visitor parking lot would be the one between the International Center and the College of Engineering.  Click here for a campus map of Wells Hall; put a check in the box for Visitor Parking on the left to see all of the visitor pay lots on campus.

Many thanks to our sponsors and supporters this year:

• Tri-County Bike Association - Thanks to the generous support of the TCBA board and members this event is the official Wednesday evening ride for the club.  The TCBA Advocacy Committee provides the volunteer efforts to organize and pull it off.
• League of Michigan Bicyclists - for state-wide & local support
• Mid-MEAC – for PR and volunteer assistance
• MSU Bikes Service Center – for primary support and organizing logistics, etc.
• Velocipede Peddler - for mechanical assistance/ SAG vehicle service

Rain Date:  Saturday, May 18th.  Same time, same place, just no bells and whistles (no police escort, bagpiper, etc.)
We will post to our Facebook page by 4 pm on May 15th IF the event will be called off due to dangerous/ bad weather (lightning, thunder, deluge conditions).

Stay tuned to this web site and our Facebook group for updates and more details as the date nears.

Poster for promoting Greater Lansing RoS event.

The official website for the Ride of Silence worldwide is here.

• Photos from last year can be seen here on Facebook
• Videos can be seen here and here.

• 2013 RoS – Lansing – Handout (PDF)
• Link to poster for promoting Greater Lansing RoS event.

Learn to Ride a Bike!

Metal Skuut balance bike in action – click photo for more info. on Skuut balance bikes.

We occasionally get inquiries about how to learn to ride a bike.  While I have offered one-on-one sessions for people just outside our shop there is a very simple way to learn that just about anyone can use to learn.  It’s the method of learning using a “balance bike” rather than “training wheels”.  I’ve used the method to teach grown youth (10-12 yrs. old) within an hour and some of the videos I’ve seen say within 30 min. for younger kids (which I’m assuming is due to them being generally less scared of falling than older people).

In a nutshell, ‘balance’ bikes are like a normal bike except they have no pedals and are designed to help the person figure out how to balance while rolling.  Typically the seats are much lower than on a bike with pedals so that the person can easily touch the ground to help avoid a crash while learning to balance.  A smooth grassy area with a slight decline is the ideal place to learn so that if there is a crash the person doesn’t get hurt. Once the person can roll for 3-5 seconds with their feet up (might take a bunch of times up and down the same hill) then it’s time to put the pedals on and raise the seat a couple inches and encourage them to pedal (on the same grassy hill).  Once they’re able to put the pedaling together with the balance without crashing on the grass then get them on a smooth hard surface (away from traffic and other objects) and encourage them to keep trying the pedaling and within a short while most will begin bicycling!

Here are some videos that will show you how this is done:

This is one of the best I’ve seen: “Teach kids how to ride a bike in 30 minutes or less”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMIyC0tMt1s

Here’s one showing adults learning using the balance bike method too showing that it works for older people as well!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0sifwUaQkg

If you need a smaller bike in order to teach yourself or a child using this method you can rent a bike from us or contact the Share a Bike program in E. Lansing to see if they would loan you a smaller bike for teaching, or you might be able to acquire one from them via a donation (contact them for details).

Good luck learning!

MSU’s Bike Month Events

May is National Bike Month!

Our bike-related events/ activities in May, 2013, which is National Bike Month:

• Lansing’s Friday Nite Fun Rides – Weekly – hosted by MSU Bikes on every Friday evening during warm riding months, meet-up at Beaumont Tower at 5:30 pm, roll-off at 5:45 pm for various destinations in the area.  Slow social ride with stop for food/ bev. at the end.  Themed rides for May starting with Tweed Ride for 1^st Friday, May 3rd then our Great Gatsby Ride on May 10th.  Facebook page for details, photos, commentary.
  
• Bike Commuting 101 Lunch n’ Learns  – Weekly -  May 21 & 30 (MSU Recycling Educational Room) will cover variety of topics from simple maintenance, emergency tips for on-road repairs, changing flats, how to dress to be comfy and safe, other safety tips, proper bike locking, etc.  Please RSVP with this online scheduler.
• Weekly Volunteer Bike Workshops – Wednesdays, Weekly – managed/ hosted by MSU Bikes in original MSU Bike Project workshop in basement of Dem Hall.  More details here.
•  MSU Bike Commuter Challenge – Week of May 13-17 – Submit your info/ mileage now!  Form will stay open for another week.  Prizes for the winners in various categories; full details here.

A well-equipped campus cyclist (Lauren Olson) tooling along a campus road.

• Greater Lansing Ride of Silence – May 15^th - hosted by MSU Bikes and the Tri-County Bicycle Association‘s Advocacy Committee.  The 10th Anniversary of a global event dedicated to honoring fellow bicyclists who’ve been hit and killed or seriously injured.  Details online here.

• MSU Bicycle to Work Breakfast – May 17^th  – On National Bicycle to Work Day, The Office of Campus Sustainability and MSU Bikes are honoring those that bicycle to work. Make the commitment to bicycle to work on May 17, 2013 and join us for a free breakfast from 8 am to 9:30 am in the large private dining room of the Brody Cafeteria. Please arrive at 8 am and enjoy free bicycle valet parking provided by Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council. Mark Haas, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, and fellow bicyclist, will give the keynote address at 8:30 am.  Please join us at the integral Bicycle to Work Breakfast, celebrating MSU students, faculty, and staff who choose to bicycle to work.  Sorry, this event is FULL.
• Lucinda Means Bicycle Advocacy Day – May 22^nd - a League of Michigan Bicyclists event traditionally hosted by MSU Bikes; due to all the construction surrounding MSU it’s now scheduled to leave the Lansing Municipal Park*.  It attracts 100+ people every year.  Details here.

Bike Registration and Impoundment

Registration

Registering your bike is not only required by the MSU ordinance it is a very helpful service in other respects that you might not think about.

• Registration (a free process that gets you a permit or sticker with a unique number) proves your ownership of your bike.  This helps the police (not only the MSU Police but other police outside of campus) be able to contact you if your bike happens to get stolen.  It also helps you prove to the police that you own the bike if you need them to cut your lock (if you lose your key or break it off in the lock; pretty common problem in the colder months on campus).
• How to get an MSU DPPS permit?  You can easily apply for one online, they’re free and will come to you through the mail in a few days.  Go to this page and click the “online” link in the 3rd paragraph to begin the process.  If you need help finding your bike’s serial number refer to this web page.

Impoundment

Since MSU has over 20,000 bikes on campus the university has rules regarding bikes that are breaking those rules (improperly locked up, abandoned, no registration, etc.).  Go to this page to learn all about the impounding process at MSU so your bike doesn’t get thrown in the bike slammer.

Michigan’s Bike Related Laws

If you wonder about the applicable laws related to bicycling in Michigan here’s a great page that summarizes them all.

 

Our 2012 Blog stats in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for our blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 43,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 10 Film Festivals

Thanks for helping make our blog so wildly popular!

Click here to see the complete report.

Memories from World CX Championships

Jonathan Page rocking a Fuji Altamira CX 1.0 in the World CX Championships 2013

Tim had the good fortune to be able to experience this event and took a bunch of photos of these world-class athletes in action.  Take a look at his fav pics here on Photobucket.com.  For Facebook users, check them out here.

Avoiding Flat Tires

Hisssssss……….

Panaracer tire with Tour Guard, a kevlar based material that greatly reduces flats.  I ride these tires (1 flat in over 5000 mi. of riding up and down Grand River Ave!).  We keep a wide selection of these tires in stock.

Most bicyclists are all too familiar with that sinking feeling you get when you hear a hissing sound coming from one of your tires.  A tire or tube puncture might mean anything from an hour delay in your travels to a day or more out of commission.  Fortunately, the MSU Bikes (just under the Bessey Hall Auditorium off the River Trail with a convenient ramp right up to our door) staff are very familiar with this issue in our daily quest to keep the 20,000 plus bicyclists rolling back and forth from home to class.  We regularly stock (but can also special order just about anything!) a selection of anti-puncture solutions that I’d highly recommend you consider BEFORE you get stranded and BEFORE we get busy with spring!  There are three good options (from inexpensive to more expensive):

-          Thorn resistant tubes ($5 – 10):  these tubes weigh quite a bit more than standard tubes but are about 3-4 times thicker and thus harder for some objects to puncture keeping you rolling.  We have them in all the common sizes and in both standard American Schrader valves and French style presta valves.

Stop Flats tire liners, much lighter than thorn resistant tubes and cheaper than new tires.

-       Tire liners:  ($3.50 – $17):  these are installed between your tube and tire to give a protective barrier.  These are considerably lighter than thorn resistant tubes, so if your commute is longer these would be more attractive (weight on your wheels makes a dramatic difference in performance; for every ounce you take off your wheels it’s like taking a pound off the rest of the bike!).   We stock these in 20 in., 26 and 700c sizes.

-          Anti-puncture tires:  ($20 on up):  this is the lightest and most expensive option.  Also happens to be my favorite as my commute is a longish 6 mi. each way and I like to go fast!  Most tire companies offer tires that have anti-puncture properties, some are much better than others in terms of how much protection is provided; we stock a few of the lesser expensive in 26 in., 27 in., and 700c sizes.

Pinch-Flat example – the rim essentially punctures the tube in two places simultaneously when it bottoms out on the pavement, pothole, etc.

FREE Tip:  Keeping your tires properly inflated helps reduce the most common type of flat known as a pinch flat.  The proper pressure for your tires is normally written on the sides of your tires.  Use the lower pressure in the winter and slippery conditions, the higher pressure during the dry, warmer months of the year. We have a free 24/7 air station outside our shop plus there are air pumps at almost every front desk of every residence hall on campus.  Our brochure has a map of campus showing where air pumps are located (pg. 3). 

Fuji Scoops Up U.S. National CX Champion Jonathan Page

(reposted from ASI press release)

Jonathan Page,U.S. National Cyclocross Champion signed with Fuji

Philadelphia, PA (January 30, 2013) – Fuji Bikes is proud to announce that it has reached a sponsorship agreement with U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Jonathan Page, who tallied his fourth national title in commanding fashion earlier this month in Wisconsin – notably crossing the tape without a bike sponsor.

Click here to read the rest of the release….

Still some clearance deals available on 2011 and 20011.5 Altamira CX 1.0s if anyone is in the market for a high-end CX bike!

2011 Altamira CX 1.0 – Click for full specs.

Bike locking do’s and don’ts

Example of how NOT to lockup

I was out on campus the other day and saw a pretty nice bike locked up in a particularly bad way which prompted me to take some more pics of other bikes in the same area to show how to both NOT lock up and how to best lock up your bike.  I also included some pics of some helpful anti-theft devices that we sell in our Center to help you avoid becoming a victim out there plus a few examples of what can get your bike impounded by the MSU Police.  Check out the pics here.

More anti-theft tips:
Ever forget your lock and need to lockup for a quick visit to a store or cafe?  Here are a few quick tips:

• Take your front wheel inside with you.
• Release the quick-release on your rear wheel; as soon as the would-be thief tries to ride off the rear wheel will shift in the frame and lockup (only works on bikes without vertical drop-outs).
• Use your helmet and strap it thru your rear wheel and frame.
• This one is more complex, only works with certain brakes and requires some forethought: adjust one of your brakes with the release in the open position then close it when necessary to lock your brake.
• Check out the late Sheldon Brown’s page of clever anti-theft tips.

MSU Bike-related Art Contest

Panoramic of MSU Bikes’ front show room after the reorganization. Note the blank white space above the entryway to our service area. That is where the art work will be displayed.

Announcing an MSU bike-related art contest: we reorganized our front room over the break and ended up with a big blank wall space (20 in. by 60 in.) over the doorway to our service area that is crying out for some nice MSU bike-related art. See photo below for reference. Probably best if it were flat-art but could be 3D if it weren’t too heavy and easily mountable to the concrete block wall.

Starting today please submit your art/design ideas via email to: bikes@msu.edu The winning design artist will be decided when we’ve got one and will be announced and shown here. If necessary MSU Bikes will pay for the production (printing/ laminating, etc) and installation of the winning art/ design. If we get more than one great design then we’ll likely rotate them in the space, perhaps on a flat screen monitor, who knows!?

More pics of the front room here (first few pics):  http://s794.photobucket.com/albums/yy225/msubikes/MSU%20Bikes%20Shop%20pics/

Good luck!

MSU Bike Polo Fridays

After playing on January 11, 2013 in the IM West Turf Grass Arena.

Come play bike polo in the best indoor bike polo arena in the Midwest!  Right in the middle of the MSU campus at the IM West indoor turf grass arena every Friday evening from 5 pm – 7 pm for spring semester 2013.  Unfortunately all participants/ attendees have to be MSU ID holders (students, faculty/ staff, etc.) to get into the IM facility.  Sorry. I’ll be looking for an off-campus site to open things up more.

We can provide a limited number of loaner bikes if you don’t have a bike to play on (or would rather not risk damaging your nice bike).  Helmets are recommended.  Polo mallets are also available to borrow if you don’t have your own (here are some DIY instructions for making your own mallet)

Print out and post this poster wherever you can!

Some photos from our first indoor bike polo games at the IM West indoor turf arena back in March of 2011:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150165971071057.339334.583731056&type=3

Our Facebook event page is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/315087938595297/

If you’re not familiar with bike polo check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc8-RMWZ99o&feature=colike

U-Lock Woes

Example of a properly U-locked bike (just don’t forget your key!).

You come out to your locked bike and are in a hurry to get to class.  You quickly jam your key in the lock, try to turn it and it just doesn’t want to turn, so you turn harder, and harder til “SNAP” it goes and now you have to walk or take the bus.  ARRGGHHH!

Does this scenario sound familiar?  Well, you’re not alone.  The good news is that this headache is preventable with a little forethought.

According to a bunch of people who work with thousands of bikes on campuses around the country it seems that virtually every U-lock made will eventually develop rust inside the lock.   When you add ice to the rusty mess opening U-locks can become very frustrating not to mention expensive if you break your key.

Thanks to one of those campus bike specialists,  John Brandt, here’s your solution to eliminating your ‘U-lock Woes’:

The simple solution I’ve found is to put an occasional drop of heavy oil on the moving parts of the locking mechanism that engage the u-bar portion of the lock.  Some of the lube may find its way back into the lock tumblers, but in every case I’ve worked on it’s the sliding-locking-bar/pin that was the problem.  Simple lubrication seems to prevent the problem from ever occurring and usually fixes it if it does.

Where to lube your U-lock.

Specifically:

• take the lock apart into its two parts
• set the u-portion aside, it’s just an inert piece of metal
• turn the key to make the lock mechanism move to the locked position
• as you turn the key, look into the holes where the u-portion fits
• some u-locks will only lock one side, other will lock at both ends (photo shows a one-sided mechanism)
• drip several drops of machine oil (or chain lube) onto the part that you see moving when you turn the key; this is the sliding-locking-bar/pin that engages the u-portion (see photo below)
• work the key back and forth a few times to get the oil between the moving parts
• once they move smoothly again, the key should no longer bind and you’re good to go

Even with a frozen/stuck u-lock, there is one thing you can try as long as the key isn’t broken off in the lock and unable to be removed.  Squirt copious amounts of a thin penetrating oil (like WD-40) down the tiny seams where the u-portion enters both sides of the bar of the u-lock (see photo below).  Do it on both sides and don’t be shy with the amount; flood it good.  Squirt a tiny bit right into the keyhole, too, just in case.  If you’re willing to wait a few minutes for the oil to penetrate, you may find that the key turns again if you start by gently wiggling it back and forth to help the oil penetrate even further.  That works on better than 90% of the stuck locks I’ve worked on.  I do not use thin oils like WD-40 to lube locks once they’re working again; it washes off too quickly so I use a heavy lube for that.

Where to lube a U-lock for preventative maintenance.

For preventive maintenance:

• Check your lock whenever you lube your chain
• If the turning key seems to bind or turn stiffly, re-lube those parts (you already have your lube in your hand)
• Prevention is key.  If you leave your bicycle outside in the rain a lot, lube the lock more often;  the more it rains, the more often you should re-lube the mechanism
• I use a non-greasy lube (Poxylube) for my keyholes so my key doesn’t always come out greasy and stain my pockets( http://www.locksmithledger.com/product/10288074/sandstrom-products-poxyluber-cp200 ), but I prefer a heavy lube for the mechanism because it doesn’t wash off as fast.  (MSU Bikes sells Pedro’s Syn Lube which is a great heavier lube for both your lock and your chain)

My bikes don’t live outside 24/7 like many others do, but I lube all my locks once a year and I’ve never had a problem with any of my u-locks in over 20 years.

John Brandt
Safety, Security & Transportation Manager
The Universities at Shady Grove, MD

Bike Safety Tips

MSU Bike Safety Video

Check out this bike safety video that a group of MSU Communications Arts students (directed by Katelyn Patterson, they were all volunteers on this project) created for AOP bike tours done in previous years.  Using a bit of slap-stick humor hopefully makes the sometimes boring subject more entertaining.

Picking a Safe Route

Over 90% of all reported bike accidents are the result of sidewalk bicycling on the MSU campus! (courtesy of MSU Photography Services)

Choosing a safe route is probably the most important key to your safety as a cyclist. Our biggest piece of advice: Stay off the sidewalks if you’re going more than 10 mph even if there are no bike lanes; you have a legal right to ride in the road (just make sure you’re highly visible, ride with the flow of traffic and follow the same rules of the road as motor vehicles). Cars just don’t check sidewalks for bicyclists when they approach a roadway to make a turn and, on our campus as with most of the cities in the State of Michigan you have NO LEGAL PROTECTION if you do get hit while riding your bike through a cross-walk as a pedestrian as you’re required to be walking your bike to be legally considered a pedestrian.  National statistics as well as our own campus research show that the overwhelming majority of bike-auto accidents occur when the bicyclist is riding on a sidewalk. Below is a summary of a very convincing graphical presentation (read more here courtesy of John Allen’s Bicycle Facilities, Laws and Programs pages):”A seminal study published in the ITE Journal in September 1994 by Alan Wachtel and Diana Lewiston compared crash statistics with riding location and exposure (bicycle volume counts).  The study clearly confirmed what many bicycle safety and transportation professionals had held for many years – that riding on a sidewalk is not necessarily safer and in fact, due to the inducement of bi-directional travel the risk is approximately four times that of riding on the roadway with traffic.”

If you’d like to learn more about why it’s safer to ride in the road and exactly WHERE to ride in the road you should review the great animations on this website courtesy of the folks at Commute Orlando.

Riding Safe Tips

Once you’ve got your basic safety equipment all set (see below for our recommendations), the next major area of keeping safe while you ride is how you ride and react to aggressive or clueless motorists/pedestrians/other cyclists. The Bicycle Safe website lists common types of bike-to-motorist accidents and how to avoid them. The League of Illinois Bicyclists has a video on the topic of riding safely and defensively on the roads.

If you’re interested in learning more about safe bike riding, consider taking a class from the MSU Bikes Service Center. We’re planning on offering some classes focused on this topic. Drop us an e-mail and get on our bike classes wait list at bikes@msu.edu.

Helmets

The Bike Helmet: Cheap insurance. Example of the kind of helmets we normally stock.

At the top of the list is head safety. We highly recommend the use of helmets when riding around campus – or anywhere, for that matter. We recently had a student with a helmet stop by the Service Center who shared one of the simplest summaries we’ve ever heard for why wearing a helmet makes sense:”When people say ‘helmets look stupid,’ I just say ‘Would you rather look stupid or be stupid?”

• If you’re not convinced, perhaps you’d like to read some stories about helmets saving lots of lives? (presented by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute).
• The MSU Bike Project’s co-founder, Gus Gosselin, has his own story about how his helmet saved his life a few years back, so you don’t have to go far to know it’s worth it.
• Here’s a great site called “Safety is Sexy” to help people see helmets as sexy (yes, sexy); has a ton of great materials, photos, videos, etc. promoting bike helmets and other bike safety issues.

Be Seen with Lights & Bright Clothing

NiteRider Mako 2 watt headlight – a great light for the money. Read a review here.

Watch this video to understand why it’s important to stand out from your environment.  Trust me, you DON’T want to be the bear if a car driver doesn’t notice you.  Wear the brightest clothing you can find; safety-vests rock if you’d rather not flip for a new jacket. We’re also very big on good lighting for your bike, especially if you commute or ride on the road (as you should) around campus. We stock a great selection of strong headlights and rear lights to fit any budget.A tail light is required by Michigan State Law when riding after dark, but if you ask any commuter or experienced bicyclist, they’ll advise you to run with tail and head lights (strobe is best) all day (use rechargeable batteries and you don’t have to worry about the expense of replacing batteries).Why use lights during the day?  Well, when you ride in and out of dark shadowy areas of the roads you can become almost invisible to a motorist who’s eyes haven’t adjusted to the darkness in that split second which could cost you dearly.

Eye Protection

Protecting your eyes is highly recommended while you’re riding.  Use tinted during the day and clear for riding after hours or in low-light conditions. Prices range from bargain basement on up.

Fenders

Using fenders will keep your tires from picking up road debris and throwing it in your eyes. Most people associate fenders with keeping water and mud off yourself, but overlook the protection they provide your eyes. We stock a good supply and variety of them.

Bells and Horns

The Airzound – a very loud horn that can be reinflated with any air pump.

Yes, we’re all about bells and horns, too. How many pedestrians, cyclists, motorists are busy talking on their cell phones or listening to their iPods or other radios? Get yourself a nice little bell for letting peds know you’re about to pass them and then consider something stronger like the AirZound Bike Horn for getting yourself noticed by motorists in no uncertain terms. We stock a good selection of bells and horns, including the AirZound.

Legal assistance and case studies

The League of Michigan Bicyclists has published a number of legal columns by two Michigan attorneys (Sarah W. Colegrove and Todd E. Briggs) who specialize in litigating bicycling-related cases. You can read those past columns and get their contact information here.

What to do when hit by a car

We have many bicyclists come into our shop having just had an accident and way too often they report not having reported the incident and telling the driver they’re OK and not getting names or anything only later to find out that they’re injured or that their bike is damaged beyond repair.  Don’t let this happen to you.

The following list is excerpted from an LMB legal column in the site referenced above.

• Don’t admit liability by stating the accident was your fault.
• Call the police (911 if there are serious injuries) and make a report.  The MSU Police non-emergency number is 517-355-2222 for non life-threatening injury accidents.
• Get driver’s contact and insurance information.
• Get witnesses’ statements and contact information.
• Get the officer’s precinct number and contact information.
• Seek immediate medical treatment for injuries.
• Report incident to your auto insurance company.
• Report incident to your homeowners/renters insurance company.
• Take photos of crash scene, injuries and bicycle.
• Request copy of police report.
• Keep folder of all crash information (notes, receipts, log, insurance information, etc.)
• Contact an attorney to advise you of your rights.

MSU’s commitment to improving traffic safety

In 1995, MSU’s administration made the decision to make improvements to campus roads to improve traffic safety. This has resulted in a drop in automobile-related accidents that result in injuries to approximately 90 percent fewer accidents as of the 2008 accident report. As a result, not only have hundreds of potential accidents been avoided, but MSU was awarded an Outstanding Contributions to Traffic Safety Award from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission in 2006. Click here to read the award announcement.

A new campus policy calling for their construction/ addition to all new road projects was also adopted at the same time to improve bicycling safety and reduce accidents with automobiles and pedestrians. MSU is approximately 60 percent done with installing bike lanes on all campus (MSU-controlled) roads as of the end of the 2012 construction season.

The All University Traffic and Transportation Committee was also formed to advise Dr. Fred Poston (VP of Finance and Operations) on traffic and transportation issues and serves as a way for the campus community to have input to the administration regarding related issues or concerns.

Questions or suggestions for more safety information?

We’d love to add more to this page.   Have a story or a tip you’d like to share?  Comment below or contact us at bikes@msu.edu

Our DIY Fixit station is repaired & improved

Our DIY Dero Fixit Station – click to see more pics on Facebook.

Our DIY Fixit station is repaired & improved!  We’ve installed a new air hose on the hand-pump with the same universal head so you can inflate both Presta (the skinny metal valves found commonly on road bikes) and Schrader (the black rubber ones found on most fatter tire bikes) AND we’ve added three new tools (13, 14 & 15 mm wrenches)!  So come and try it out and spread the word.  If you’d like to see more of these Fixit stations around campus add your support via a comment here or via email to:  bikes@msu.edu