Step 1: Register your bike with the UNL Police Department
If your bike is ever lost or stolen, your items will be on file with UNLPD. Register your bike here. This will help them locate your property. Bike theft is a nationwide problem, particularly on university campuses. UNL is not immune to this problem. Most of the bicycles stolen at UNL are either:
Not secured with a bike lock
OR
- Secured with a poor quality lock
Step 2: Learn where you can park your bike
Every residence hall and most academic buildings on City and East Campus have bike racks for students, faculty, staff and visitors to park their bikes. Check out this bike parking map to locate the best places to park your bike on UNL's campuses.
No matter where you park your bike, it is important to secure it properly with a high quality bike lock, as shown in the diagram on the left. Using a U-lock to attach the frame of the bike to the rack and a cable lock to secure parts of the bike to the U-lock is a good option. You can do the same thing with a thick chain lock.
UNL regulations prohibit attachment to trees, posts, signs, stairwells, railings, or handicapped ramps. Any bicycles found secured to any object other than racks are subject to removal by Landscape Services. They will be held at the UNL Police Department for 30 days and, if unclaimed, will be sold at public auction.
Step 3: Learn where you can ride your bike
Lincoln has an extensive trail network that includes streets, designated bike paths and wilderness park trails. One route students should know is the path from City to East Campus. Below are two videos showing a possible route you can take to bike between East and City Campuses.
To see the other bike trails Lincoln has to offer, check out these interactive maps:
Nebraska Department of Transportation interactive bike map - For Lincoln routes, zoom out to see the overall map and zoom in on Lincoln.
The Great Plains Trails Network interacative bike map - A similar resource to the NDOT's, but it allows you to plan your route on Google Maps.
Parks and Recreation trail map - This Lincoln trail map shows street and wilderness bike paths in the city with their names. You can also read about the history of these trails on this webpage.
Step 4: Learn local bike laws and campus rules
Local and state bike laws and UNL bike policies can be found here.
Note: The following is our interpretation of the written laws and is not guaranteed to be correct. The legal documents, as written, are provided here. This is not an inclusive list.
UNL City and East Campus Policies:
See the full UNL bike policy here.
Lincoln Bike Laws:
View all Lincoln Bicycle laws here.
Bike Lincoln - City of Lincoln Site
Nebraska Bike Laws:
Step 5: Visit the campus bike shop for a tune-up
Located in the Outdoor Adventures Center, the Bike Shop provides the UNL Community affordable pay-for-service repairs by trained staff to keep you and your bicycle on the road. See current pricing and services here.
930 N. 14th Street
Lincoln, NE 68583-0232