With its 10-mile-long promenade, rich countryside and well-organised roads, Bournemouth offers a great place to hop on a bike to commute or explore, trust me!! With its eco-mind, the university fully supports you bringing your bike to the seaside and offers a variety of services to support you doing so, and to keep you and your cycle safe once you’re here.You’re talking to the converted.
On-campus, there are numerous bike sheds which you can access with your student card; these are offered on both the Talbot and Lansdowne campuses. On Talbot, there are three, and on Lansdowne, four. Even if you decide to take advantage of your included UniBus pass with your first-year accommodation and don’t wish to cycle to uni, there are bike stores at every single halls of residence so there’s always the option!
If you don’t own your own bike (and let’s face it they aren’t always cheap), and just want to get more into cycling, the BU Bike scheme offers amazing support. You can either pay by semester or per academic year, to receive access to a mint condition bike, all the safety products and support in various different areas, all for a really small cost. If you have your own bike, then you can make use of the BU Bike Doctor scheme, which is located on both campuses, where you can get you bike serviced for free once a month.
Venturing outside of Bournemouth, you find the New Forest, loads of gorgeous countryside and bays, which students are encouraged to explore. Dorset is so easy to get around on a bike, and provides opportunities for students to get out of Bournemouth, even just for a couple of hours, which can make a huge amount of differ
ence to your morale (head-space from exams/ assignments etc).
Parking on campus is limited, but don’t let this put you off as cycling offers a far more beneficial solution. The benefits of cycling are endless, to name a few: increased fitness, reduced carbon emissions, beating the traffic not having to pay for fuel and be the one who is always asked to provide lifts!. Cycling to your lectures, along the promenade or just around the roads of Bournemouth as a break from studying is extremely relaxing and has benefits for not only your physical health, but your mental health as well.
Bringing your bike to uni can offer you sooooo many opportunities, and if you want to get into cycling, the uni will support you 100%. So give it some thought!!
Which accommodation is best for you?
Getting into halls through Clearing isn’t as unlikely as you think!
How to make friends in your seminar group
