When Kilian Loftis arrived at University of Victoria, he was surprised to learn there was no campus club he could join to go group-cycling, so he started his own.
Along with more than 2,000 other members of the UVic community, the fourth-year engineering student and UVic Cycling Club president regularly uses pedal power to commute.
It鈥檚 not surprising when you consider that Loftis was first put on a bike at age two, and cycles 500聽kilometres a week during the summer.
It seemed only natural, then, to find Loftis, 25, cheerfully tuning up bikes near Petch Fountain during UVic鈥檚 second annual Sustainability Week.
鈥淥ne of the biggest excuses we got when we asked if people wanted to come riding was 鈥榤y bike doesn鈥檛 work,鈥� so we wanted to take away that excuse,鈥� said the cyclist, who hopes to remain in Victoria.
鈥淚 should be looking for jobs elsewhere, but that would mean leaving here and not being able to bike through the winter.鈥�
A bicycle-maintenance workshop, free tune-ups and visual arts student Kyra McLeod鈥檚 public art project at the Campus Bike Centre on University Centre鈥檚 lower level were among activities during last week鈥檚 event. Its purpose was to promote sustainable lifestyles and encourage people to get out of their vehicles to reduce carbon emissions.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think many people know about this yet, which is nice for me,鈥� smiled Courtney Zoschke, a third-year kinesiology student, as she unlocked her 15-speed white Apollo for her five-minute ride home.
Zoschke is one of 8,000 campus community members who walk, skateboard, cycle or use public transit to travel to and from UVic.
鈥淭he word is getting out, though,鈥� said sustainability co-ordinator Susan Kerr, referring to the cyclist-friendly space and SPOKES, UVic鈥檚 unique bike loan and recycling program. It鈥檚 housed in the spacious Campus Bike Centre that provides 215 secure parking spots, lockers, tune-up stations with tools, charging stations and other amenities in a reclaimed car parkade.
鈥淯Vic had the vision to promote cycling culture,鈥� said Kerr, noting SPOKES, which refurbishes used bicycles, has 350 bikes available 鈥� compared to between 50 and 100 at most universities 鈥� to loan for a nominal fee.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been such a demand we鈥檝e had to turn away students, so we鈥檙e trying to help out SPOKES so they can hire work-study students to recruit volunteers.鈥�
McLeod, a fourth-year visual arts student and former Team sa国际传媒 bicycle motocross racer, was starting to turn a 20-metre concrete wall into an abstract cycling-themed mural when we dropped by.
鈥淚鈥檓 using a lot of really saturated colours,鈥� explained the abstract artist, commissioned by Kerr to increase sustainability awareness.
Kerr, who wanted to 鈥渆ncourage experiential learning through something a student would get credit for鈥� said having McLeod, 22, create the mural was an ideal way to link sustainability and the fine arts.
Other amenities on campus aimed at helping users reduce their carbon footprint include bike paths, a green Waterfillz water bottle refilling unit and dozens of retrofitted water fountains.
Simone Van Alphen, 21, a third-year international business student from Tilburg in the Netherlands, said she felt right at home in such an environment.
鈥淚n the Netherlands, it鈥檚 so much easier to use the bike or train instead of the car, especially people our age. We use bikes all the time,鈥� she said.
