With the age of gas-powered vehicles slipping away and alternative means of transportation growing in popularity, bicycle companies have found an opportunity to cash in.
"The reason [for the increase in biking] is because the economy is doing bad," Bicycle Garage Indy employee Josh Praeter said. "Speculators estimated less spending on bikes due to the economy and tight spending, but with the increasing gas prizes, the bike market never went down. Consumers offset the speculations by buying more bicycles. The environmentalists are making a difference; people now see that they can make a difference."
Whether Ball State University students are ardent supporters of protecting the environment or are simply skeptics, attitudes about global warming abound. From advertisements to laws and from cars to bikes, climate change has a large influence on today's society. Although the earth has gone through previous periods of global warming, the past century has seen temperatures rise an unparalleled 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. To counter such a change, many people are looking for ways to make a difference.
"People do not generally ride bikes because of laziness," Praeter said. "Driving is what has always been: everything is designed around the automobile. One of the reasons is that we do not value the land as much as other countries, whose cities are older and built around commuting shorter distances. I like to call not biking a complete disregard for senseless consumption."
Bicycle riding is promoted by proponents of green efforts because it does not contribute to air pollution or traffic congestion.
Freshman undeclared major Adam Kilmer drives to campus for class each day.
"I commute about two miles," he said. "I drive because I can get to school faster and my parents bought me a parking pass, so I do not want to waste it."
According to Horizons Unlimited, a Web site for motorcycle travelers, if a student's commute to class is two miles, and in a week he travels to class an average of two roundtrips per day, 56 miles will have accumulated by the end of the week.
If the student rides a bike those 56 miles, he will have reduced 54.32 pounds of carbon dioxide, burned 2,632 calories and saved $12.32 dollars on gas, according to the Web site.
"I bike because not only does it benefit me, but it benefits society as well," sophomore telecommunications major Greg Lyon said.
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