Riding As A Uni Student

[PaRtZ]

Im going to swansea in september (Anyone else coming btw? ) and I just want to ask current and past uni students how easy/difficult it is to still ride? Im doing mechanical engineering and I was told the timetable is about 20 hours a week for the first year, so did old students still survive?. as a guide I kinda go biking about 5 times a week for atleast an hour

Also what did you do when your bike broke? try to bodge it as much as possible first before paying? second hand ***?

chars

ill have to say bye bye nwbt soon

[N.Wood]

I rode more last year than i ever have in my life

I rode when i was meant to be attending lectures 'cos it was sunny, i rode during studyleave, i rode if there was a big ride on...

I basically divided my time between the gf, my bike, my bed and the pub.

[Luke Rainbird]

Yep.

My year started with a timetabled 25 hours a week, but I was out a few days a week for a couple of hours, plus most Saturdays too

Even better was when it all ended up around 8 hours a week from February

Ride ride ride, ride some more! Love it

Partz-wise, uni will probably let you have access to tools and materials, especially on Mech Eng (I do Eng Maths and get away with it) but otherwise you've got a lovely student loan for shiny things!

1st year loan got me the following:

-Travel costs all year

-Living costs all year (not inc. rent)

-Nights out etc

-Other expenses

-New guitar

-New acoustic bass

-New bike

-Reading ticket

-Holiday

so I think you'll be fine dude

[Brian Bleech]

First year I didn't ride that much, was too busy enjoying uni life n stuff. Then made a bunch of new friends to ride with and rode loads - most uni's have a half a day set aside for sporting activities where they will try not to have any lectures. I remember in my third year working from 9-7 and then riding until 11 and would go out after good times!

For me riding is more than just riding, I enjoy it because it relaxing and takes my mind off other stuff too. So yeah take your bike...

[Tommy d]

Just make sure there is somewhere secure to leave your bike! And invest in some big bad locks.

I worked quite hard in my first year and still rode loads, probably about the same as I do at home, bit less if I had mega deadlines but that's true at school anyway.

It was\is great having a whole new city to explore and find all the spots and new people to ride with etc so you should be in for a treat!

I suffered the slight misfortune that my frame broke just before Christmas... so of course the logical thing to do was to buy the most expensive frame I've owned yet. In the hope that it will last of course, always saving money . Don't get a job at uni if you can avoid it though, time is precious, you should be enjoying yourself!

[duane]

Swansea - 'The city of theives'

I had a good few years there about 12 years ago, didn't ride trials at the time just cross country for which there are miles of quality bridleways etc towards the gower.

I saw a post recently from someone organising a trials demo in Singleton park which is right next to the uni so there must be a few riders there already.

Like Tommy D Says - get some big locks, also find yourself a copy of the film 'Twin Town' no bikes but all the best spots in Swansea including Baron's Nightclub.

Duane.

Edited July 16, 2007 by duane

[Jamie_Neal]

Swansea - 'The city of theives'

Yep, I had two bikes nicked - insurance is well worth it especially when they pay out (although my mum wasn't too keen as it was done through her house insurance). Big locks or if possible stick it in your room.

I saw a post recently from someone organising a trials demo in Singleton park which is right next to the uni so there must be a few riders there already.

I also helped sort the demo in the park and yes there's about 6 of us that ride at least once a week - the uni is great but security is a pain.

Living wise - Swansea is cheap compared to most other cities which is a real bonus (I finished at the uni in 2003 and am still down here).

Let me know when you're down.

Jamie

[OD404]

Rode a lot in the first few years, but it tailed off in the final ones as I concentrated more on my degree.

Honestly, whether you are doing mechanical engineering (as I did) or sociology, if you want to ride, you will find the time

[AdamR28]

Riding at uni is good, you can always find time.

Words of warning: DO NOT store your bike in a public bike shed, no matter how big and secure your locks are. I had a bike stolen while I was at uni, they cut through the frame to steal the rest - because the lock was undamaged I couldn't claim on insurance. Get yourself a bike bag and make the cleaner a few cups of tea instead

[tom jersey]

I rode more last year than i ever have in my life

I rode when i was meant to be attending lectures 'cos it was sunny, i rode during studyleave, i rode if there was a big ride on...

I basically divided my time between the gf, my bike, my bed and the pub.

Haha lmao

[Janson]

Another mech. engineering student here. Finished my first year in may, and it's been brilliant.

I don't think I rode anything between august and december. Had a handful of rides in the winter, and maybe 10 rides before june?

I've been way too busy studying/being drunk to ride, which is something I need to work on. I think I'll cut my studying time down for riding time.

If you make time for trials you can ride as much as you want. It's a good idea to study harder/more efficiently during the week so you can ride/relax during the weekends, instead of being a giant slacker and having to do all the work when it's sunny, like I did.

Oh and I keep my bike in my 1 room apartment. If it's dirty it goes in the shower.

[Bionic Balls]

i usually go out for an evening during the week and most weeks there'll be a group ride on at the weekend...(i'm in london)

does get rather lonely though- i am the only trials rider at my uni! but nxt year it should all change- CHAI IS COMING!! the fkin chai!!

oh yeah..then i'll ride more

adam

[manuel]

I rode more last year than i ever have in my life

I rode when i was meant to be attending lectures 'cos it was sunny, i rode during studyleave, i rode if there was a big ride on...

I basically divided my time between the gf, my bike, my bed and the pub.

indeed, the first couple of years at uni were probably the peak of "riding all the time" - first year i met boon and potts who turned into my long term riding buddies - then I met all the oxford and swindon travellers who spent every weekend in brissle - goddard big ben porter DJ wheeler etc - and basically learnt to ride.

Riding at uni is good, you can always find time.

Words of warning: DO NOT store your bike in a public bike shed, no matter how big and secure your locks are. I had a bike stolen while I was at uni, they cut through the frame to steal the rest - because the lock was undamaged I couldn't claim on insurance. Get yourself a bike bag and make the cleaner a few cups of tea instead

agreed - pretty much every third person on a uni campus is a bike thief ..... they go in under 5 minutes..... you might even want to lock it up INSIDE YOUR OWN HOUSE .....

if you are doing engineering - you will have plenty of free time - unless you are one of these work hard types.... there are many many shortcuts. you will have plenty of lectures in the first years - sometimes though you dont need them all. but you wont have that much to do outside of the classes until the pressure end of the year (I say year - its 6months on 6 months off !!!!!!! BRILLIANT).

oh and even better you need 40% in the first year to progress.... this is basically saying - dont come to lectures. pretty much all the engineeringy exams are choose 4 questions from 6 (or mine 3 from 4) and the 6 will be 6 distinct questions on 6 seperate parts of that course.... so to get 40 % you need to know 4/6 * 40% which is pretty much just writing your name down... that with the spreading of marks they fiddle to get a normal distribution (or whatever) (always ends up a mark boost) means

YOU WILL HAVE AN AWESOME 4 YEARS.

[Luke Rainbird]

Yeah. I pretty much followed what Rowan's said up there, and ended up running into him out and abut most days!

[p_rew@theciderbar.na]

You'll get loads of riding done in the first year - the first year doesnt count - so you can get away with doing the minimum amount of work.

However, you may find that you dont ride at all in the first term as you'll be too busy getting battered with your new mates....!

But be prepared to put things on hold in the final year though, you'll want to walk out with the degree you wanted.

[poopipe]

pretty much every third person on a uni campus is a bike thief

amen.

in fact. get several rottweilers and tie at least one to everything you own, get used to closing your windows and locking your door when you go for a piss, and definitely DO NOT leave your bike anywhere but next o your bed (chained to at least two of the rottweilers and the bed itself.)

I payed £30 per term in fines for keeping my bike in my room while I was in halls - I figured it was worth paying out - especially after they went round the whole campus taking the locks off the bike sheds (1 per house) for fire safety reasons (wtf!?!)

anyway. take bike, get pissed, shag nurses, south africans, greeks, gingers, the irish and at least one fat girl - then concentrate on failing your degree in earnest. it'll be the best few years of your life

[JaMmY]

Im not at uni yet (long way from it) but you lot make a very tough thing really easy thanks i will feel much more confident when i go!!!!!

[toxicturky]

i'll be starting my second year of mechanical & marine engineering in september, for the first year i was in the city center but i never rode, got out a few times but i just didnt fancy going out into liverpool on me tod at night riding, didnt know any other riders and all the rides that were on were at the weekend when i worked. this year i'm gonna be living in wavertree [bout 15 mins out from old place] so i doubt the riding will be any better, might not even bother taking the bike up with me this time, plus trials is dead in southport pretty much, it's shit cos i really love this sport but i rarely ride with other riders, meh, more riding, less whining

Mark

[MattB]

I was wondering what it would be like riding whilst at uni but now it sounds great.

I'm starting in 08 and hoping to get into portsmouth to do maths (anybody go there?).

matt

[Ash-Kennard]

I was wondering what it would be like riding whilst at uni but now it sounds great.

I'm starting in 08 and hoping to get into portsmouth to do maths (anybody go there?).

matt

i can hook you up with all the guys down here, add me on msn a-kennard@hotmail.co.uk

[grantham]

i'm off to loughborough in october to do sports technology, anyone riding around tehre? I know a few lads who do but wondering just how many there is as i like to ride everyday.

[Walleee]

anyway. take bike, get pissed, shag nurses, south africans, greeks, gingers, the irish and at least one fat girl - then concentrate on failing your degree in earnest. it'll be the best few years of your life

I could sort you out with a fat, ginger, irish girl, that's 3 in one deal right there, PM me if interested.

[Mark W]

It's been awesome for me

Gone from just pottering around Mid Wales to going up to Glasgow in a week or two to have some photos taken of me for a Dig interview thing, and for some other article for them, plus I've gotta go behind the camera tomorrow to shoot some 'lifestyle' photos for WeThePeople's catalogue, then go out afterwards and film some lines for a videopart in a DVD.

Riding at Uni = awesome, but your flatmates will be probably be a bit weird about it at first. None of them seem to get the drive people have to go riding, so they just kinda think "WTF" and so on. After they get the gist though, shit's tight. My flatmate used to timetable his day around my riding sessions, so he'd do solo stuff like have a shit/shower/whatever while I was out, then when I got back we'd go cook food then play Pro Evo 5 for hours.

Uni in the first year was super good

[tom e]

anybody up in manchester riding? i'm going to invest in a nice bike bag and take my bike there with me in september.

[ben_travis]

just take your bike, ull regret it if you dont, and ride when u want.

simple as that really. no doubt ull be going out and getting pissed, but you do that anyway right???