Bicycles can be a reasonable, safe andconvenient purchase for any student.
    Bicycles are available at many placesnear campus. The Bicycle Shop, located outside the north gates ofcampus on Highland Road, offers a back-to-school special on certainbikes.
    According to their Web site,www.bicycleshop.com, they offer a brand-new bike for $159.95. Inaddition, the store offers a variety of bicycle accessoriesincluding car racks and chains.
    The shop can also perform bike repairs,including a basic tune-up or brake replacements.
    Besides The Bicycle Shop, students canalso purchase bikes at the Wal-Mart on Perkins Road. Though theselection varies from specialized bike shops, Wal-Mart does offer avariety of bikes for all sizes and ages. They also offer variouslocking devices to secure bikes to bike racks for less than $10 andfree assembly on any bike purchase.
    Though a bicycle may be an expensiveinvestment, according to the LSUPD they are safe to have on campus.Capt. Rabailais of the LSUPD said that only two bike thefts havebeen reported so far this semester.
    ”Typically bike thefts occur in randomlocations around campus. If we could pinpoint them in one area, itwould make our job much easier,” said Rabailais.
    The two bicycle thefts that haveoccurred this semester were on opposite ends of campus. One thefthappened at Miller Hall and the other at Kirby Smith Hall saidRabailais.
    Though bicycles are safe to have oncampus some cyclists face other issues.
    Bobby Qwok, economics and internationalstudies senior, said the most negative thing about riding a bike oncampus is people’s attitudes toward cyclists.
    But, he did say that since renovationshave been done around campus, it is now easier to get around on abicycle due to an increase in the number of ramps.
    Qwok also said he believes there areplenty of bike racks around campus to safely store bicycles whilein class.
    Bike racks are located in front ofnumerous buildings around campus including CEBA, Middleton, Hodgesand Lockett halls, as well as many others.