Supposedly, one never forgets how to ride a bicycle. Some not only remember, they make it a lifestyle.

Commuter bicyclists, competitive cyclists and recreational riders can be found all over campus. Danny Koski-Karell, Husky Cycling Club president, said he likes seeing the range of bicyclists on campus. The club team has members with a variety of skill levels.

“We’re so proud about being so diverse,” he said. “We have guys on our team that have gone into pro road racing. We also have some faculty members who commute and that is the only way they use their bikes.”

Koski-Karell is a sociology graduate student who has been racing for two years. He got serious about cycling when he became bored with his other recreational activities.

“I was getting tired of running, so I tried biking,” he said. “I bought my road bike and fell in love with it. You’re outside and you have time to yourself. You can get into a mental zone. With cycling it’s more exciting [than running].”

Koski-Karell also emphasized the community that evolves around bicycling of all sorts.

“Everyone has a bike but they have it for their own lifestyle.” he said. “It’s a neat, unifying thing.”

Lauren Boubel, shop manager for the ASUW Bike Shop, said riders choose what bike to use based on the different reasons they ride. Road bikes have sleeker frames and thinner tires to reduce friction for riding on the road, while mountain bikes are made to ride fast down a mountainside. She said she sees a fairly even number of road and mountain bikes on campus.

“Riding in Seattle brings social interactions,” Boubel said. “It’s a unique culture.”

Located on the main floor of the HUB, the bike shop offers customers the use of its tools and is able to order in most bicycle parts upon request. Boubel notices regulars who come in to tune up and fix their bicycles.

Sophomore John Broback is one of those regulars. He stops in depending on how broken his bike is, or if it’s in need of love.

Broback says he rides not only for fun, but so he doesn’t have to rely on using a car for transportation.

“Compared to other places I’ve lived, Seattle and the UW are excellent for cyclists,” he said. “If I have to go anywhere — shows, parties, museums — I ride.”

Though the surrounding environment is ideal for cyclists, according to Broback, he does face his own dilemma of having to ride through crowds of pedestrians on campus.

“I make bad judgments sometimes and have close calls hitting people,” Broback admitted. “I feel bad about that.”

Bikers also have to be wary of cars. Officer William Bergin of the UWPD said that cyclists should be defensive riders at all times. “People in cars don’t always see the riders,” he said.

The blame, however, should not always be placed on drivers.

“The last two accidents that I’ve been to, the rider has been at fault,” Bergin said. “Bike riders feel that they don’t have to obey the rules of the road.”

The laws that car drivers follow also apply to cyclists.

“There is a general lack of respect between drivers [and cyclists],” Boubel said. “Cars should be more respectful.”

Officer Bergin explained that in one of the two recent accidents, the cyclist neglected to stop at a stop sign while crossing on the Burke-Gilman Trail.

“She said she saw the flashing light [of the stop sign] and thought she could make it,” he said.

The cyclist ended up hitting a car and had to go to the hospital. The driver was the one obeying traffic laws.

Last July there was an incident with a group of Critical Mass riders on Capitol Hill that ended with conflict between cyclists and an injured driver. Critical Mass is a group that bicycles together around the city once a month to assert cyclists’ right to the road, among other causes, according to the Seattle chapter’s Web site.

“Both sides acted really poorly,” Broback said. “Critical Mass is not supposed to be a violent event, but now people see it that way.”

Aside from learning to share the road and sidewalks with drivers and pedestrians, student bikers also live with the risk of getting their bike, or a portion of it, stolen while parked on campus.

In the past Broback has had small parts stolen off his bicycle, including his lights. “It’s always a nuisance,” he said.

In 2007, 135 bicycles were reported stolen to the UWPD, officer Bergin said.

“If you have a $500 or $1,000 bicycle, don’t buy a $25 lock,” he said. Bergin suggests spending more money and purchasing a U-Lock, which allows you to gain back your property’s value in the case that it’s under warranty.

“My dorms at my [undergraduate] college had basement rooms for storing bikes,” Koski-Karell said. “There aren’t that many protected spaces for people to lock their bikes here. You have to leave it outside and let it get rusty [and potentially] stolen.”

The UW does supply bicycle lockers that provide riders with protection from the rainy Seattle weather and security for the bike, as well as other equipment, such as helmets. “There are 582 secure bicycle lockers throughout campus,” Celeste Gilman said. “More than any other college in the country.” Gilman is the Transportation Systems Manager of Commuter Services.

The UW bicycle lockers have a $70 annual fee with an initial $80 key deposit, and are leased out on a yearly basis. “Most or all of the bike locker sets have waiting lists,” Gilman said.

Despite the threat of thievery, injuries and citations, students continue to ride. Besides the health benefits that result from riding, Boubel rides because, as she says, “I believe in effective green transportation.”

There are other options besides standard bicycles. According to Gilman, UW Commuter Services has been working with its technology partner, Intrago, to bring electronic bike rentals to campus. “We’re now anticipating a launch sometime during winter quarter,” she said. Broback thinks the idea is a little silly.

“Why electronic bikes? Why not pedal bikes?” Broback asked. “It could be a good thing, but if you ask me, everyone should have a [pedal] bike, so why not get your own?”

Reach reporter Kristin Okinaka at features@dailyuw.com.