motor

Does anyone here commute to college and actually take your bike with them into the classroom?

When its a classroom with not too many students where a bike could get in the way and be an inconvenience to other students.

This would be a 95% safer way to keep your bike from getting stolen.

I have 2 classes on school day and the first class it would be an inconvenience to bring the bike to that class. But its during the day with plenty of people around.

The the class I'm thinking about taking the class to is at night with less people around. Its a smaller class with room to put a bike out of the way from everybody. I have locked up the bike at the bike rack twice so far with no problems. I use a u-lock and a thick cable lock. There is always another bike lock up on the rack also with what looks like just a cable through pretty much the front wheel. That bike never gets touched either. But you never know what could happen. So I'm thinking of asking the instructor if it would be ok.

anyone else do this sort of thing?

Jeffbeerman2

It never hurts to ask. A lot of people are uncomfortable saying no, so you get to even if they don't want you to.

politicalgeek

Some schools do have regs against bikes inside. Never hurts to ask. I just know the buildings some of my classes are in and it would be a pain to lug a bike in and out. Good locks will help-unless they reset the combination too easily and you end up walking 2 miles to the nearest bike store, with the bike slung over your back, to have them cut the lock.

But yeah, check first. You never know

zerstuckelung

I had an instructor in a weekend class make me bring it inside...

5-HT

i do it on a fairly regular basis if i only have one class that day...i also work in one of the labs, and ill just store it in there while im in class if i have multiple. definitely check with the building supervisor or your prof.

chephy

I knew of instructors who did this. And read about one student who did so. You could try it.

As a student, I kept my bike in the office of one of the profs in my department who was a bike commuter also.

adorecm

Depends on the professor and school. I did my undergrad in Santa Cruz, and it was totally chill to do so there; but where I'm at now for grad school, it is a little odd in some class rooms (i.e. tiny, tiny classrooms). No one will care/notice in big lecture halls.

But really, the prof's won't grief you if you explain you commute to school. Other students might snicker, but don't let immature students get in the way of your biking!

mike

I think it would be out of place to bring your bicycle into class. Most universities have bike racks loaded with bikes. I can't even imagine what would happen if those bikes were INSIDE the buildings.

You can ask, but it would be unusual to say the least.

Kimmitt 

You can ask; it depends on the culture.

jgedwa

As a college professor, one of the things I appreciate about (most) college environments is that you can get away with pretty much whatever you want as long as it does not hurt someone else. Go ahead and do it. If you feel strange about it, ask the professor first.

I bring mine in sometimes, and I see numerous students do it also.

jim

Banzai

Depends on the facilities provided. I'm not a student anymore, but...

There's a restaurant that I ride to sometimes that has ZERO places outside to lock up my bike. So I take it inside with me. The first time I did so the manager asked me about it, and I told her I would be happy to leave it outside if they would provide facilities that enabled me to do so. Now they just smile and say "hi" when I roll my bicycle in with me.

Same with the grocery store. I only take my bike for light trips (i.e. no shopping cart) but my bike roams the aisles with me. Again...no facilities.

ItsJustMe

There was no significant threat of theft where I went to school (hardly anyone even locked) but if there were and there was resistance to bringing my bike in, I think I'd buy a folder and bring it in anyway.

icebike

Exactly. Every campus I attended or worked on had good or great bike facilities. There was always covered lock-ups and even caged ones (though you may have to walk a little extra). I wouldn't allow you to bring your bike into my class. A lot of us faculty and staff who work hard to have better bike facilities get derailed by stuff like that, though I am not saying it is wrong. Telling you to not bring it in is silly and petty (if there is sufficient space), but then again so are most university administrators, and they are the ones who we can actually influence into getting better facilities.

orange leader

with 2 locks on the bike, I wouldn't worry about it outside for a few hours. especially during daylight. But if you're leaving it for days at a time, i'd definitely bring it inside if you can.

The mess alone from snow grime dripping off the frame as it melted (if you live in a snow inclined area), would deter this indoor bike policy in just one season, i'm sure.

I had a nice bike locked outside my lab for 3 days, since I was on a class field trip. I used a ulock through the rack & frame and front rim, and the cable lock went throught the frame, ulock, rear rim, and chainring. My professor offered to let me bring it inside, but I didn't want the janitors to have to clean around it, or other people to have to walk around it, etc., besides it was locked up really well. I came back and the whole frame was stripped. They even clipped all my spokes and just left me the tires, tubes and rims and frame. and chainrings (cable went through the rims and chainring).

A few hours, I wouldn't worry, overnight, or longer? inside it goes.

Also, bringing a cold bike indoors from the cold, promotes condensation inside cables, and ultimately is not good for the components or frame (especially if you have untreated steel) if you keep doing it over and over.

KrisPistofferson

Those newer-style backpacks that are on wheels, (suddenly people got too lazy to simply carry their books,) are bad enough for jamming up hallways and classrooms where I go to school. Also, everyone who has one seems to expect everyone else to clear a way in every crowded aisle so the won't have to get a hernia lifting 10 pounds. Also, despite there being rules to the contrary, everyone seems to feel their business is more important than everyone else's and bring their cellphones into class with the ringer turned on. There is also at least one clueless person per semester who attempts to bring their 6 month old baby and/or ****ing dog to class.

My point is, you have a u-lock and cable, so just lock it up like everyone else. The feeling of exceptionalism many cyclists, (and Americans in general,) seem to have gives all of us a bad name. I'm not saying that you share in this zeitgeist in the USA right now where everyone is a RockStar, so bringing cellphones and newborns to movies is okay and throwing trash out your car window is cool. You asked a polite question, and that's cool, but a good rule of thumb is to try and think of what it would be like if everyone did this. Speaking personally, my classes are crowded enough with the aforementioned dumbassitude, so every college student with a bike bringing their's inside would certainly not be a welcome addition, from a teacher's or student's viewpoint.

KrisPistofferson

And yes, I used the word "zeitgeist," I apologize, but I couldn't think of anything else.

PrairieDog

It is against fire code on my campus, and I suspect it is probably the same on yours. You could probably get away with it for awhile, but I doubt that you could do it indefinitely. Sorry.

pirate

When I was going to school I started bringing my bike into most classes after I found hacksaw marks on my lock one day as I was unlocking after class. No one ever complained about my bike, so I guess it was never a problem. In a big lecture hall or a larger classroom it doesn't get in the way.

Artkansas 

Never took a bike into class.

Only had one problem, in the last month of class before my degree, I was so short of funds that I had to hold my bike together with baling wire and turnbuckles after the downtube came out of the bottom bracket.

Some jerk noticed it in the art department bike racks and took the time to loosen all the turnbuckles. Talk about kicking you when you are down. Its a little funnier now.

crhilton

Just graduated last spring (ISU). Never saw a bicycle in a classroom. Don't think I saw any in buildings either.

I doubt your college will be cool with it, simply because it doesn't scale. You might ask if there's a parking ramp to lock up in though, if your issue is that you want a nice bike to commute to the school. If you want it for going between classes you should probably get a beater. Or buy a decent mtb and make it look like a beater.

doomkin

guess it depends on the campus. i'm more worried about someone spitting into my nice panniers than having my bike stolen. it also depends on what end of campus i'm on. if i'm going to a class in the main building on campus then i leave it locked up outside. if i'm in my department building, i can get away with riding it into the lobby, into the elevator, up to the third floor, then dismounting and storing my bike in my private darkroom. :/

paulwwalters

I'm in high school, so I don't know if this will be irrelevant, but I only take my bike inside when it rains. I keep it in a spare science lab, and nobody has a problem with it. The teacher I asked permission from understood that steel rusts, so I had a good excuse to bring it in.

crhilton

I'm not sure it's a good excuse, but maybe he understands your adoration for the device .

chephy

You are right if talking about larger classes. There are plenty of really small classes in generously sized lecture halls.

noriel

Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission...

I wouldn't try it during the day, but you've got small classes... I had no problems locking up when I was in school, just make your bike harder to steal than someone else's.