Martin Steren, sophomore mechanical engineering student, works part-time at the Duke Bikes Outpost renting bikes and doing maintenance. Photo credit: Jared Lazarus

Durham, NC - With more than 90 percent of its 110 bikes rented out on a weekly basis, the Duke Bike program shows no signs of slowing down.

The program, now in its third year and located in the Outpost, rents mountain bikes and 3-speed bikes to students for a week at a time. Jordan Hale, who took over the program in May, says it has undergone a series of changes over the last two years that have greatly increased its efficacy and accessibility to students.

These changes include the creation of a website, the addition of a group rental option, and offering complementary bike maintenance and bike maintenance courses.

Hale attributes the continued popularity of the program to new forms of marketing as well, such as free T-shirts during orientation week and Duke Bikes' new presence on Facebook and Twitter.

"The first year it was the best kept secret on campus," he says. Now, with the increase in marketing and especially positive word-of-mouth among students, "it doesn't take much to advertise Duke Bikes."

The online rental system has undergone some useful changes as well. Students now receive e-mail notifications about due dates, and through online renewal may keep their bikes for up to a month instead of three days, which was the case during the first year. There is a $10 late fee for overdue bikes, but Hale and his crew prefer to err on the side of leniency. "We're not here to make money," he says. "Late fees simply hold students accountable."

Other changes to the fleet include phasing out the 1-speed cruisers, whose popularity dwindled significantly during the first year. Durham's hilly landscape made them exceptionally difficult to ride, and many lamented the fact that pedaling backwards applied the brakes. "People tried to pedal backwards on hills on the cruisers and almost killed themselves," Hale says.

The cruisers have since been donated to Duke's Marine Lab in Beaufort, where the landscape is much more conducive to their use. They were replaced last year by 50 mountain bikes, the result of a petition to the provost that garnered close to 500 signatures.

Hale says that rentals are generally split evenly between undergraduate and graduate students, as well as an even division among students living on and off campus.

Hale says 70 percent of users are international students, which he believes indicates their particular interest in exploring the surrounding Durham community. "There's a lot more to North Carolina than what's inside Duke's walls," he adds.

Hale and the rest of the Outpost crew have major plans for Duke Bikes, hoping to double or even triple the size of the fleet in the next several years. He says there is enough demand to justify 150-200 bikes, although that would require more funding. For now, Hale is pleased with student response and enjoys supporting their efforts at increased mobility.

Alok Sharda, a Trinity junior and frequent bike renter, says the program benefits students. As an off-campus resident without a car, Sharda said the Duke Bikes program helped him make his trip to classes a lot easier.

"The advent of the Duke Bike was paramount in my success as a student," Sharda says.