On April 15th, 2008 Ohio Staters, Inc. launched Buckeye Bikes, a project providing a free bike rental service for students, staff and faculty of the university. The co-chairs, Brianna Jordan, James Knight, and Lauren Gay, have been working for almost two years developing the program. In the initial phase of the program, twenty canary yellow 2007 Heavy Duti Cruisers donated by Schwinn are available at the Recreational & Physical Activities Center (RPAC) for rental, with plans for expansion that includes the North and South Jesse Owens Facilities as well as the Adventure Recreation Center (ARC). The program is structured so anyone with a valid Ohio State Rec. Sports membership and is at least 18 years old can borrow a bike for a 48-hour time period by swiping his or her BuckID.

The pilot phase utilizes ten bike racks, two bikes per rack, to be exclusively used by Buckeye Bikes. The racks are located at the south end of the corridor between the two phases of the RPAC. Participants go to the Sports Shop to fill out the Release, Waiver and Assumption of Risk Agreement (required only at the first time of rental) to check out a bicycle with their BuckID. They are given a key to a particular bike located at the designated bike racks outside of the RPAC to unlock and use the bike. Twenty helmets are available in the Sports Shop for borrowing, upon discretion of the renter. Safety equipment is not required, but strongly recommended. Upon completion of the 48-hour rental period, the bike will be returned, locked up properly, and checked back in to the Sports Shop. Participants do not have restrictions as to where they are permitted to take the bike, providing that it is returned in proper condition (normal wear and tear as determined by RPAC personnel) by the end of the allotted rental period.

The pilot phase has launched with great success, as the first day every bike was rented out by ten o’clock that morning! The co-chairs are excited to expand the program in the near future, and are continually working hard at making sure everything continues to run smoothly.

Visit Buckeye Bikes at the RPAC!

         


    

Ohio Staters, Inc.
Office 118G, 1961 Tuttle Park Rd., Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-2130     Staters@osu.edu