MSU Bikes Joins MSU Surplus and Recycling Team – John Bieda (R), Service Supervisor and Taylor Allen (L), student mechanic, work at the MSU Bikes Service Center on Tuesday July 17, 2012.
EAST LANSING, MI — MSU Bikes — Michigan State University’s one-stop shop for all things bicycles — is now part of MSU Surplus/Recycling, a move that will not only streamline its booming business, but make it easier for Spartans to find and ride a bike.
The re-organization of MSU Bikes from MSU Physical Plant to Surplus/Recycling makes sense in a lot of ways, said S/R’s Kris Jolley.
“It’s going to streamline the business,” he said, “and, at the same time, allow for more access to bikes.”
One way it will make it easier for the MSU community to purchase and/or repair a bike: A second bike shop will eventually be opened at the Surplus Store/Recycling Center on the south side of campus.
“There are so many advantages to opening a second shop,” Jolley said, “including additional inventory, increased service and better parking.”
The existing bike shop is located on the lower level of Bessey Hall, on Farm Lane on the north Red Cedar River trail.
Both the bike shop and surplus/recycling sell bikes that were impounded on campus or donated to the university. The difference is the MSU Bikes Service Center repairs and refurbishes the bikes. Surplus has sold them as is.
“This merger with MSU Bikes will help reduce the number of bikes getting out there that are unsafe and help customers make better decisions on the used bikes they buy, as our staff will start offering estimated repairs on bikes that are for sale,” Jolley said.
Since it opened for business in 2006, the MSU Bikes Service Center’s business has steadily increased.
“We are always extremely busy,” said MSU Bikes Service Center manager Tim Potter. “We ran out of space pretty quickly — much faster than we thought.”
It’s estimated there are about 20,000 bicycles on the MSU campus, Potter said, including faculty and staff bikes.
For more information, visit www.bikes.msu.edu.
This was printed in the August 12, 2012 – August 25, 2012 Edition
