An online survey of student response to Luther's Bike Share Program was administered May 7-12, 2008. 91 students responded. Bicycles at the time consisted of five Sun Atlas cruisers (three Specialized Globe Elite IG8s were added following the 2007/08 school year) .

Related/Background Links:
http://publicinformation.luther.edu/200809/may/misc/bikeshare.html
http://chips.luther.edu/2008/04/17/bike-share-program-launches.html

Students were asked:

One goal of this program is to reduce student driving. Do you have any other ideas of how to reduce student driving, through a bike program or any other program?

• A bus program, even a regular weekend shuttle to major cities (LaCrosse, Twin Cities, Chicago, Des Moines, Iowa City) so that people who bring their car to school in order to get home wouldn't need it for weekends as much, and then their cars wouldn't be here which would keep them from making extra trips around town. Another way would be to have some sort of Decorah/Luther public shuttle or taxi system.
• A better on campus convenience store. If we could create a super small "grocery store" of some sorts, many people would stop driving to Wal-Mart etc.
• A shuttle or taxi at certain times; late afternoon for Quillin's or Fareway and during the evening for Wal-Mart. It would operate like a bus.
• As stated before, more bikes could decrease student driving. Shuttles to places like Wal-Mart could also decrease student driving. It's logical to charge for such a service, but those charges should be kept to a minimum to entice students to use the service.
• Better organized ride-shares and literature to remind students how much it costs, per mile, to use personal cars. It's probably way more convenient to take a bike right to a location than to park and walk. Outfit bikes for winter use? Advise users on how to extend their riding season beyond fair weather?
• Campus shuttle a round town in the winter when no one wants to ride a bike on ice and in the cold weather.
• Carpool/shuttle system
• Charge way more for parking passes.
• City shuttle
• Consider a ride share program for shopping trips. A location or online site that students could plan their "Wal-Mart" runs and trips to Quillin's or Fairway so that they could get rides with other students planning to go at the same time instead of driving multiple cars. This could be implemented campus wide or even just within individual dormitory units.
• Dunno. The bike program is a good idea, though.
• Expand the 'c store' to carry more of everyday products: tissue, cold meds, milk, laundry detergent etc.
• Generally, the only place I drive my car is to Wal-Mart because I don't want to bike through an intersection like the one on that road. I know that there has been talk of a bus system to Wal-Mart but I don't know if that would actually cut down on student driving.
• Have a shuttle on breaks that go to more places than Rochester. Have a carpool or shuttle go to Wal-Mart on a regular basis.
• Have a ski lift that goes from one side of campus to the other
• Have like a Wal-Mart ride every other week that takes student there. luther diversity offers this program but i don't think that should come out of their budget. plus, there are american students who need to go there too. also, allow students to book the hybrid cars on campus. if that is accessible, then less students will drive to luther with their own car, and that way, they'd less likely drive around, and when they need to, they can borrow Luther's hybrids. p.s.: also, why is there no option of not paying anything for a larger bike share program?? i think most people have their own bikes and the bikes aren't always completely gone, so i don't see a need to buy like 20 bikes, instead just have about 5 more (total 10) would be more than enough. so, personally, i wouldn't pay that much. $10?? That's like $25,000 if you get the student body to pay it. :( That's SO much money. it is not necessary to have that many bikes, even if we did have that many bikes, and even though students paid for it, they may well likely vandalize it, or not even take care of it as well, because it wasn't given to them as a privilege, rather they had to pay for it. (i know it's a different mentality, but there are students who literally think that way). plus if if they had to pay $ to use it, then, less student would use it. Now isn't this contradicting to your aim of increasing the bike share usage??
• Have shuttles more readily available-whether that's a shuttle to Wal-Mart every weekend, or more shuttles around the breaks. The board in the union where people can try and find rides is very inconvenient and seems complicated.
• Having shuttles between popular Decorah locations and campus
• I don't know how you're going to get people to stop driving their cars but this bike share stuff is pretty legit there bud. I like it.
• I don't like the idea of a shuttle. I feel that peoples trips are too sporadic. I like the bike idea, but have not further suggestions.
• I really like this idea. I have already used a bike and certainly plan on doing it again.
• I think having a monthly health challenge for students would be great. This could include walking, running, biking, etc. downtown instead of driving. I also think that it would be great to organize a map of churches within walking distance of campus. Walking to church is always beautiful, but I don't think students often consider it. Another option would be to organize a weekly shuttle to Wal-Mart / Fareway. Students typically travel to these places about once a week, and it may reduce driving if a large group all traveled together. I know it would be amazing during the winter when students can literally not go outside for more than ten minutes on some days.
• I think having some bikes with speeds, maybe these would be checkout bikes in the union. If I am going downtown or to Wal-Mart, a single speed bike is a little slow. I bike to and from my jobs all summer so I fully support what Luther is trying to do.
• I think people would use them more if they weren't so ugly and basic. Getting nicer bikes would fix this, as long as the bikes are a little nicer regardless the color people would be less self conscious. But then there would be the problem of them potentially being stolen. That is a kind of shallow reason for not using the bikes but I think that people really think about that kind of thing.
• I think the bike program is an awesome start! I rode into town three times, and got a friend to go on a Wal-Mart run with me. I would recommend talking with Decorah town council about getting a bike path direct to Wal-Mart fixed. Right now-the bridge that you're supposed to be able to take there is blocked off, so we had to ride on the road, which discouraged us from doing that a second time.
• I think the bike program is the best, I just think that there needs to be more bikes and maybe some that have small baskets or racks to attach things to.
• I think this bike program is great!
• I was so happy the bike share program came to Luther! Besides making Decorah more accessible to bike use I think we are off to a good start.
• It might be nice to have a carpool system for Wal-Mart runs where people with cars sign up saying what evening they are going to Wal-Mart and how many people they can take along.
• Local and long distance shuttle services (for getting home on breaks, etc.)
• Make Luther's winters shorter. But I guess there's nothing we can really do about that! I think the bike share is a great idea. It's catching on.
• Make more bikes accessible.
• Maybe have a cheap shuttle to Wal-Mart (like, $1 for a ride or something. I'm not sure if that is unreasonable though) or something. Or charge kids more to bring their cars. I don't know. I don't have a car.
• Maybe have weekly shuttles that go to Wal-Mart or down-town on a specific day and time.
• My group in Environmental Philosophy has been looking into ways of possibly having Hometown Taxi give discounted rides to groups of students.
• Not at the moment, but I do agree that cutting back on student driving is a very good plan :)
• Not really. Personally, I try to bike everywhere. And if I need to go to Wal-Mart I usually hitch a ride and car pool with friends that are going. However, for those students who drive their car into town quite often, all I can think of is to keep encouraging students to walk or bike into town rather than drive. Decorah isn't that far from campus anyway, and so I find the bike system very handy and necessary. I would encourage students to continue raising awareness of growing environmental problems and to continue the service the bike program provides for Luther students.
• Offer a free bike to all incoming freshman who do not bring a car to campus.
• One college I heard of gave a bike to any student who didn't bring a car to school. i would leave my car home for a free bike Wal-Mart is only 3 miles away, a 6 mile ride is not too far.
• One problem is the weather... people do not want to bike when the weather is bad. People also do not want to bike to Wal-Mart because it is quite far away. Maybe if the bike program had a burley of sorts, people would be able to more conveniently carry the things they buy back to campus.
• Only allow upperclassmen to keep cars
• Perhaps a grocery system of some sort. that would reduce the number of people going to Wal-Mart / Fareway, which if you get much food requires a car. I'm thinking a weekly thing where some vendor (co-op, fareway) has a market of some sort on the library lawn or in the union (depending on weather). maybe not even weekly, but something so that people would get the food they'd normally have to drive to. then again....transport of food to campus would require gas on the part of the vendor, so that might not be the best overall decision
• Perhaps a weekly shuttle to Wal-Mart?
• Perhaps some flyers or permanent posted maps showing average walking times to popular spots in Decorah. I find that I walk as much as ride my bike, because it really doesn't take that much time. Encourage people to find the things that they need at downtown businesses and perhaps also post the times that businesses (like Donlon Pharmacy, Decorah Bank, or the Sugar Bowl, for example) are open.
• Provide bikes, like mountain bikes. Provide larger bikes for taller people. You could also provide bikes with baskets because people could go grocery shopping then.
• Scheduled shuttles to places that aren't within driving distances (such as Wal-Mart, perhaps)
• Screw bikes, go with segways
• Shuttle to town on a daily/ weekend
• Shuttles to Wal-Mart
• Siphon gas tanks, deflate tires, road block parking lots. That should do it.
• So far I think this idea is probably one of the best to reduce student driving.
• Some sort of transport system that went to Wal-Mart and back. This could be a bus or van that had a set time departure and arrival. This would definitely reduce student driving.
• Start a regular shuttle to Wal-Mart.
• Tandems!
• Unfortunately not..maybe a bus to town/Wal-Mart?
• Well, more bikes...hover boards would be cool. But seriously, if there's a way to get bikes with gears that isn't costly that would be great. However, I don't think students much care. I think a lot of students just like to have them for trips into town. The more bikes, the more students will notice and use them.
• Well, the place that most people go with their car is to Wal-Mart. It will take a long time to bike there from campus. You could provide a shuttle service from campus using the Luther Vans. Have designated days and times that they will be going and coming to Wal-Mart. This will allow students who don't have cars more freedom to do their shopping as well.

How much would you be willing to pay for use of a larger bike share program? ($10, $20, or $25)

What did you like and/or dislike about the bikes themselves?

• I really liked that you could go get a bike and have it all day - Nice that no cost was involves - Color is maybe not the best not a fan of riding a banana colored bike:) - would be nice to have mountain bikes as well
• A little difficult to ride around on the hills because they aren't able to switch gears at all
• At first I was worried about the foot brakes, because my own bike has hand brakes which I am used to, but those worked just fine. My on problem with the bikes is that they are too big/tall for me. Even with the seat lowered I could not reach the ground after stopping. This was not a huge problem, but if I were going to be using a bike regularly, I would prefer to have a smaller/shorter option.
• Availability has been good, in my experience using them (3 times). Condition of bikes is good, though quick releases for seats sometimes stick. Don't like the high-gearedness -- combined with very upright nature of frame, makes it hard to climb hills. Am not used to pedal brakes! Had to relearn....
• Brakes are not that effective and it is difficult to get up hills on a one speed bike
• Cruisers are not always my favorite because of the handlebar position, but they are very fun to ride. They feel a bit small for larger people such as myself.
• Did not like kick back brakes liked the seat
• Dislike: only one gear like: free! really good condition
• Disliked that there weren't any gears to shift into. It was very hard to go on anything other than flat surfaces. The seat was too high so it would be better if the height were adjustable and the handlebars were a little too wide.
• Easy to access and use. Readily available. I think the simple design is generally positive. Otherwise I thought the bike was comfortable and easy to ride. Thank you for offering helmets!
• I did not like that the bikes were single speed (but understand because bikes can get very expensive). I found that when riding the bikes the seats would move quite frequently-tip forward/back, or twist side to side and I found this frustrating at times. Overall, I LOVE the idea of the bike share program! It's nice not to have to worry about keeping a bike on campus, and getting it home, just walking up and saying "I'd like to rent a bike"!
• I didn't like that the bikes were of older designs with the bent handle bars and pedal brakes. These features were slightly annoying when re-learning to stop and steer in a less ergonomic friendly fashion. I did like that they were bright yellow and hard to lose. The locks issues also proved to be slightly difficult to use at times.
• I didn't like their color. Luther blue is so much cooler!
• I dislike the bike style. It was different having to back-pedal to brake.
• I don't have a car or bike on campus, so this was a great way for me to able to get to town quickly. Last time we rented the bikes though, the chain kept falling off one of them so we needed to go to the bike shop to get it fixed. otherwise i love the bikes- and the style of them.
• I haven't used them, but it's nice they are there.
• I like the bikes. The steel frame is good for durability and the single speed disallows a lot of mischievous activity. The yellow calls out from all over town.
• I like the seats, nice and squishy. these are good bikes in general but can't be taken out on trails very easily, which is fine.
• I like the style and the simplicity of the bikes and I feel that they are good quality bikes. Some of the bikes have hard to adjust seats though.
• I like the style of bikes, but do not like that they are a single speed. This makes it difficult to ride for recreation around the Decorah area.
• I liked having the ability to get a bike without having to bring my own, this is a fantastic idea! I don't like the type of bikes that we have however, the bike, for me at least, was kind of hard to use because it does only have one gear, also the handlebars make it hard to steer because I am not used to having the curved handlebars.
• I liked that they were comfortable to ride on, I just didn't like that they were only one speed. I used my bike to go into town, but also down to Regents and lower campus, and having only one speed was fairly difficult, as was getting used to have brakes in the pedals.
• i liked that they were mobile, and got me from place to place. The only things I didn't like about them is the bike lock is really twisted and kind of hard to put on and take off. Lastly, it isn't a gear bike which is nice to have if you ride down to the whippy dip and want to ride back up hill but can't because it is too steep and you don't have gears to shift to an easier setting.
• I liked the availability of the bikes when I needed one, but I did not like the yellow highlighter color, the way they stood out, and the awkward size/way the handlebars moved.
• I liked the big seats and having a comfortable, relaxed ride. The one gear thing is a bit of a problem, but all the more reason to get in shape, I suppose.
• I liked the bikes because they are easy to ride and a fun/easy way to get around. Once, however, the bike's chain kept coming off while I was riding it, so I didn't like that.
• I liked the bikes, but they took awhile to get used to because of the foot brake and them not having any gears. But they were very comfortable to ride.
• I liked the bikes, however, i wish that there were baskets on the back of them because when i bought groceries i had no where to put them. if the plan is to let students use them around town for a more "green" environment, there should be baskets to hold stuff.
• I liked the bikes, they are easy to maneuver and they move well.
• I liked the color and the wheel size. I had to get used to the fact that the brakes weren't on the handles, and I couldn't pedal backwards, which was a tad weird, but overall, I really liked the experience. It was really fun!
• I love the "rent a bike" idea! I find it very handy because I can bike into town and get a few groceries as often as I like. My friends and I are also more encouraged to go for a bike ride together because the bikes are readily available to us. I find that the bike share program has encouraged me to become more physically fit, while also having fun and doing my part to reduce my carbon footprint. One thing I would suggest to change is the fact that the bike locks are a little frustrating and hard to unlock once you've locked up a bike. I would suggest buying a different brand of lock for this reason.
• I LOVE the bike share program!!! It is so nice to have a bike that you can just check out and ride around. I really think that it promotes an interest in Decorah and the perks it offers. Also, besides being environmentally friendly, it promotes a more healthy lifestyle and it is just plain FUN!!! The bikes themselves are really nice and love the "classic" look to them! I would like gears for going up hills, but I really love the bikes they have available now.
• I love the yellow color and that they feel so old fashioned! They are not the best for serious bikers, but I think that if you intend to bike seriously (mountains or otherwise) it is wise to bring your own bike for that purpose. These are great for getting around town!!! Love them!!!! :)
• I loved the bikes except there were no handbrakes but hey, if it's got two wheels and can get me from point A to point B, count me in there bud.
• I LOVED THEM. I live too far away from Luther to bring a bike, and these bikes made things around Decorah more accessible to me. I think I've used them over 10 times. PLEASE KEEP THE BIKES!
• I really do enjoy the bikes! I plan on bringing my own next year in my attempt to be more green but it seems like the student's really enjoy them. I used them once to go downtown for lunch and found them very handy, easy to ride, comfortable, and good looking. Definitely keep this thing going, it makes Luther seem like an even more close knit campus. All you need now is more bikes. I would say 15-20 would be a good number. Thanks!
• I think it would be nice for luther to own some bikes with shifters. for Those that want to go on bike rides.
• I thought the bikes were super classy looking but I didn't like that there weren't any gears to change... I would probably use the bikes more if they were easier to bike up and down hills.
• I thought they were pretty nice, I liked that they were comfortable when going over bumps and things like that. The only thing was the locks weren't the greatest.
• I thought they were stylish and fun to ride. My bike handle was broken and my chain fell off.
• i wish they had gears, but the seats are nice
• I would feel more comfortable if the bikes had hand-brakes.
• Like that they are yellow and you'd sit up straight it on them (unlike mountain bikes), although it hurts my butt. Don't like that it's tall and the brake system is not on the hands, because when i go down hill, it's really very hard to stop the bike. also, i know most people like this, but I'm short, so maybe put the seats a little lower. The bike locks are very hard to use. it's kinda hard to get it in and out.
• Like: Comfortable seats, sturdy, bright, free Dislike: terrible to go up hill on, slightly big for me since I am only 5'1''
• Like: Very smooth ride, sit upright so I don't feel like I'm slouching over. Dislike: Back pedaling is cumbersome, when I'm used to hand brakes. One speed is hard sometimes on uphill slopes.
• Liked that they are old school & fun, but not having gears would make it hard to do a long/work out style bike ride.
• liked that they were free
• LIkes: Easy to use, available most of the time, great exercise. Dislikes: No gear/shift so hill are very tough.
• Likes: Nice seats Dislikes: They can't change gears. In a hilly town like Decorah, this would really be helpful. Handbrakes are also nice, which are not on these. Also, ugly color
• Loved them except one of the chains fell off.
• My bike had a loose seat, which was extremely uncomfortable and unsafe to ride with. I also felt that the way the bike was made, I had to sit straight up really awkwardly. The top bar between the seat and the handle bars was too high for my stubby little legs and it made riding it overall really difficult. I also did not like the pedal brakes. Maybe I am just from a road biking family, but I haven't ridden on a bike with pedal brakes since I was 5 years old. I tried to ride down a hill and had to back pedal with all my might not to kill myself. On the upside the bikes are very bright and cute looking.
• No gear changes, locks kinda take long to deal with.
• No handlebar brakes makes them something of an adjustment. otherwise, they're a nice ride.
• Personally liked the single speed, somewhat nostalgic; handlebars were a bit wide. Quite a bit different than my road bike overall, but enjoyed cruising on it.
• Simple to borrow, easy to ride, tough to lose. Perfect for just traveling into town!
• The bike was comfortable, and the adjustable seats come in handy. The backwards brakes are a little weak. It would be nice to have handle brakes. It would be kind of nice to have a basket of some sort on at least a couple of bikes, since the purpose is to use the bikes instead of a vehicle. Even if the basket was abel to fit a small package, backpack, or grocery bag.
• The bikes are brightly colored, recognizable, and old school. It is sometimes hard to pedal uphill with the bikes since they only have one gear
• The bikes are great for just leaning back and pleasure riding. I tried using them for some pseudo-physical activity but they totally suck for that shit. Also, I found the locks pretty hard to, well, lock. Other than that, they are a great idea.
• The bikes had comfortable seats that fit a wide variety of shapes and sizes. I did not not like that the bikes were one gear. This makes them very hard to ride, however, I understand that this is expensive, especially if you want the 40-50 bikes for the program.
• The bikes need improvement, for instance a gear change would be great or actual brakes rather than the kick back brakes that don't even really work. But the bike seat was amazingly comfortable!
• The bikes were great, but a little short.
• The bikes were wonderful! I love there fun bright color, they are definitely unique, very 'luther' like! I also like they are back pedal operated, reminds me of being a kid! I also enjoy being able to have them till 10.
• the brakes didn't work very well... they felt unsafe and it was hard to go up hills because there wasn't a gear change i love that we have bikes now
• The brakes don't work.
• The bright color - kind of weird but you know they're Luther's Locks were a little difficult
• The color. The style of brakes. It was hard to get used to again. THey didn't have any gears.
• The fact that they're non-adjustable to height and speed, plus the reverse brakes was not particularly enjoyable. It made it difficult to ride, even on flat terrain. I DID like the fact that they're an easier, cheaper (vs. cars w/gas), and more enjoyable (get to enjoy the scenery) way to get around town!
• The gear the bike is in makes it INCREDIBLY difficult to get up hills, even moderate ones. Could we upgrade to 3 speed?
• the handlebar style isn't one i like...i prefer the straight out ones that make you lean forward. this is especially important on hills...and i went off campus so the handle made a big difference
• The only thing I disliked about the bikes themselves was the color. It would be nice if there was another color besides yellow.
• The seat was a little uncomfortable, but it was easy to change the height of the seat.
• The seats are too high and the handle bars too low. they're otherwise fun to mill around on.
• The very upright sitting posture of the bikes and the more deliberate steering that they require took a little bit of getting used to. Also, it took a while to get used to the braking system. All in all, though, it worked pretty well. I had no problems getting up to Phelp's park the two times I used them.
• They are easily accessible and easy to check out. I think that the program could probably benefit by increasing the number of bikes next year.
• They are great!
• They are really small. I am pretty short and I kind of had a hard time riding. Maybe different size bikes would be a good idea.
• They are super hard to pedal up a hill, possibly consider mountain bikes so they can actually be used to take a ride and get some exercise.
• They are very comfortable and unique. I really love them...I thought it would be difficult dealing with hills on a single speed, but I had no problem getting back up to the college. The braking and steering take some time to get used to, but they are really great bikes.
• They are very comfortable to ride--but they don't shift down, up, and have foot brakes which were an adjustment.
• they are yellow, bike locks are hard to use
• They only have one gear so it's really hard to go up hills or anywhere that's not flat. The seat was also a little high and it would've been nice to be able to adjust the height. The handles bars were a little wider than I would've preferred.
• They were a little hard to ride, but maybe I'm just not good with bikes, and the bike locks were hard to use. I loved having them available! It was great to be able to ride downtown!
• They were easily adjustable, and actually were a better ride than I expected.
• They were fun to ride but they were hard to get on with the brakes being to pedal backwards and all. I had a friend that couldn't get on and just gave up after 10 minutes and gave back the key. Also, I think they would be better if we had bikes with some speed control.
• They were too "clunky"...no gears...back-breaking. A newer mountain bike would have been better for going on hills and such. Also, the locks were hard to use!
• They're fun to ride... not the type of bike I'm used to with the wide handle bars and coaster brakes- but that's why they're so fun!
• Without gears they were really hard to ride up hill...and Decorah has a lot of hills. I liked the seat cushion. It was really comfortable.

Do you feel that the bikes are accessible enough?