UA Expands Bicycle Rental Program for Students

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama’s Outdoor Recreation Program has a new set of wheels – actually 150 of them.

The new bikes are additions to the bicycle rental program. Students rent the bikes monthly for $15. Rentals include a lock and, if needed, a helmet.

“Our aim is to get alternative transportation at an affordable cost for students who don’t have a car,” said Stephen Middleton, manager of the Outdoor Recreation Program.

Middleton’s staff maintains a bike shop at its facility in the University Recreation Center. Students may return the bikes they rent for a tune up and then rent a new set of wheels. The shop began rolling out the new bikes Sept. 21 to mark UA’s Quad in Motion Day on campus.

Before the new bikes went into circulation, the program had about 100 bikes rented. The program also offers a full-service bike shop where students may get their bicycles fixed for the cost of parts and labor.

In addition to the bike program, the Outdoor Recreation Office runs a wide variety of opportunities for UA students to enjoy nature. It coordinates about 13 trips a semester, which include kayaking and mountain biking, as well as indoor climbing opportunities at the University Recreation Center and the Robert E. Witt Student Activity Center.

It also provides a rental center for students to load up on camping gear.

“We rent backpacks, sleeping bags and other items,” Middletown said. “If you know how to do it, but don’t have the gear, you can get it from us.”

The bike shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

University Recreation serves students and the greater University of Alabama community by providing opportunities to foster health and well-being, learning, leadership and inclusion. For more information on the Outdoor Recreation Program, go to https://urec.sa.ua.edu/outdoor-recreation-news/. For more information on University Recreation, go to https://urec.sa.ua.edu/.