s the weather improves, bicycling to class becomes more common.
While some students use their bicycles for transportation, some choose to cycle recreational purposes and even competitively.
Some of these students are members of the Ball State cycling club. The first meeting was in 1989, around the same time as the Midwestern Collegiate Cycling Conference began. Layne Cameron, founding president, found the club a good way to participate in friendly competition.
"It's competitive, but not like other sports, "Cameron said. "You wanted to beat the team, but didn't hate the team you were racing with."
Cameron also recalled the hospitable attitudes of competitors in bicycle races.
"During one race, I had been going for awhile and I was beat," he said. "A guy riding by handed me a Power Bar and said he hoped it would help me get through the race."
The cycling club has 18 races during the season. There are nine road races which range from 20 to 80 miles long. The nine other races are 45 minutes of one circuit mile or less followed by five laps to determine the winner of the race.
The group has earned several awards including national placing in the mountain biking category. Individuals have also received second and third place honors at the division level. Past winners include Phil Bice, Aaron Zoeller and John Payne.
In addition to the $25 membership fees riders are expected to pay $65 for a rider's license, $10 per racing event and $65 for a rider jersey. Meetings are held in the Business Building on Wednesday nights at 9:30 in room 134.
For students who want to add some additional riding to their schedule, one popular place is Muncie's Cardinal Greenway. The trail runs from Wysor Street Depot to the town of Gaston north of Muncie. It provides riders with 20 miles of trails. The trail includes trail heads, rest areas and interpretative signage. Maps and historical information are available at www.cardinalgreenway .org.
Students who frequently ride bicycles should take the appropriate precautions to prevent theft.
Grant Delagarza from the university police department said thieves are more likely to steal bicycles with weak security equipment.
"Small chains and cables that aren't heavy duty can make the bike more attractive," he said. "Investing in better security equipment is always a good idea."
According to Delagarza, bicycle owners can also take other preventative measures to avoid theft.
"If you remove part of the bike, like a tire, that will turn them away. It may be a decent piece of equipment, but they'd have to carry it away instead of riding it," he said. "Also, check periodically to make sure your bike is where you left it."
Owners should also keep a record of the make, model and serial number of their bicycle. If the bicycle is stolen, the numbers can be entered into the NCIC/IDACS (National Crime Information Center/Indiana Data and Communications Service) center.
"When a bike is stolen, those numbers are the best information we can have," said Delagarza. "That way it can be identified, and if any officer finds it they can make an inquiry and investigate further into the matter."
The university police also offer a bicycle registration service. For only $1, they will maintain the make, model and serial number information.
"If the owner forgets the numbers or doesn't have them when the bike is stolen, we can look it up and enter it into the NCIC/IDACS for them," Delagarza said.
Bikers on campus and competitive bikers alike can find top quality equipment right here in Muncie. Kirk's Bike Shop, 124 S. Walnut St., is well-known in the area for selling bikes and accessories.
Jay Auxier, manager of Kirk's, said the store generally sells several bikes to students in the fall and that the store handles repairs for them throughout the year. He said the store also provides durable bicycles at reasonable prices for Ball State customers.
"Students are notorious for not taking care of their bikes," Auxier said. "Every year we have a special on a bike that will stand up to that. It doesn't have to be high-performance, but one that will still work okay if it's left out in the rain. "
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