“We’ll be doing a number of quick things than can actually make a big difference for a bike,” Potter said. “We’ll fill tires with air, for example, which seems like a minor thing but can make it easier for students to ride. There are lots of people riding around on mostly flat tires, or at risk of getting a pinch flat.”

Other maintenance offered will include oiling bike chains to keep them from squeaking and adjusting brakes that have become sticky or corroded, Potter said. There also will be a small selection of used parts for students who might not have thought to bring the parts needed for a replacement.

“A lot of it will just be checking and tightening parts, especially loose handles or anything that’s a safety concern,” Potter said. “We see students who have bike pedals that are about to fall off by the time they get to our shop.”

The mobile bike service will be offered from 2-3 p.m. throughout campus all week. The service will be in South Neighborhood on Tuesday, East Neighborhood on Wednesday, Brody Neighborhood on Thursday, and Spartan Village on Friday.

Office of Sustainability Education Coordinator Lauren Olson was at the bike service on Monday and said it was encouraging to see consistently-full bike racks on MSU’s campus.

“Anecdotally, I’ve seen more and more students using bikes,” Olson said. “It’s a great way to get around campus.”

It’s also a more sustainable way to get to class than taking a car or a CATA bus, said Assistant Director of Campus Sustainability Ann Erhardt.

“Bikes are good for the environment because you’ve got fewer vehicles spewing fumes and emissions,” Erhardt said. “So we continue to advocate for students to choose bikes. We sell new and used bikes at the (MSU Bikes Service) center and we service them as well. And it’s more cost-effective for students to bike because they aren’t paying for parking.”

Students and faculty are taking advantage — there are more than 20,000 bikes in use on campus right now, Potter said.

And having a full-service bike shop right on campus helps reduces the number of abandoned bikes across such a large campus, Potter added.

“For people to get their bikes repaired before the Center, even for something minor, it was a mile or more away,” he said. “It was very inconvenient to get even the most basic services. So by simply helping people keep their bikes operational, we help reduce the number of disposed bikes.”

Bike rentals continue to be the anchor service for the MSU Bikes Center, which offers students both short-term and long-term rental options. There are approximately 500-600 bike rentals each school year, Potter said.