With the riveting increase of in person events this term, ways to get outdoors are of no shortage. One resource on campus has yet to be taken advantage of by many students: the on-campus UBikes. 

These easy-to-use bikes are an excellent choice if you are looking for a more environmentally-friendly and fast way to cruise around campus. They are completely free to students–all you need is the ability to pedal and the app Movatic, which you can download to your smartphone to check out a bike. Keep in mind that to rent a bike your first time, you will need to wait one to two days for the system to approve you via the Movatic app. 

Each rental period lasts a long three hours, so you have plenty of time to explore campus and ride your bike from class to class. Though do be careful! Should you go over this allotted three hour period, you may be charged five dollars for each additional hour you have the bike. Another risk you take if you go over the allowed time period is you could also be banned from the system for a week, so watch your time. 

To rent a bike, swing by one of the three stations docks are available at. Reamer, Garnet and College Park Hall are the only docks on campus this term. The positioning of these docks are super convenient if you are getting lunch at Reamer, but need to speed over to your class at College Park Hall. In previous years, you could also get the bikes from the Memorial Fieldhouse or a station between Fox and Davidson Houses. Once you have chosen the trusty bike that will serve as your travelling companion for the next three hours, make sure to disinfect it before and after you use it. Wipes for disinfection are provided at all three stations. 

To actually remove the bike from the dock, use the app Movatic. It will ask you for your phone number and Union College email address. Then, after selecting continue, a screen will appear that allows you to look at a few different options, including rental history and account information. Make sure to select “private systems,” then choose “join a private system,” and enter Union College. After accepting the Terms and Conditions, your profile will be submitted for approval through Movatic. In one to two days, you’ll be approved to start riding! 

On your first ride, enjoy the outdoors and the breeze as you pedal swiftly through campus. You can check your bike back in through Movatic as well, and ensure the solar powered dock is securely attached to the rack. In an effort to make campus more sustainable and get students outside more often, these bikes are managed by Student Forum with help from the Sustainability Office and are the product of a 2017 Student Green Fee project. If you have any questions or concerns about the bikes, make sure to email [email protected] for further information. Have fun riding!