When I first noticed the orange bikes—sleek in design, brilliant in color, overwhelming in their campus bike stands, shining in the light of the first warm Saturday morning—I was overcome with this thought: Holy crap. I do not have a bike on campus, but have always been jealous of those who do and have missed bike rides. When I’ve used bike sharing programs in metropolitan areas in the past, I have always had a positive experience. These bikes were the answer to my prayers: on campus, available for only 50 cents for each half hour of use, bright, and sustainable. It’s because of all these fabulous qualities that students need to take care of them.

The Spin bikes, in design, are wonderful. They are available to Wesleyan students for a cheaper price than sharable bikes in most metropolitan cities, and the University obtained them at no charge. According to Sustainability Director Jen Kleindienst, the price had been what prevented something like this from occurring on campus earlier. The bikes have solar panels located in the basket at the front, which power the lock in the back of the bike, as well as the backlight. The seat and speeds are adjustable.

The vision behind the bikes’ implementation is admirable as well. Spin bikes will, as is the hope of the Sustainability Office, deter students from using cars to get to various locations around campus and off campus, particularly Main Street. They will also promote spending time outdoors, which may promote a greater appreciation for natural landscapes.

They are also clearly being used by the student body. I noticed a couple of students riding them to Wadsworth Falls last weekend—something these students might not have done sans the bikes, or if they had, would have been via car. On Saturday, in the warmth of the day, I saw dozens of students riding them around campus, in packs or individually. On my own rides, I have heard people exclaim “These bikes are so cool!” as I rode by, and have passed other students on bikes, who will ring their bells at me and to whom I will direct a bell ring in return. In the short amount of time they have been here, students seem to have embraced them: downloading the Spin app, riding them happily around campus, locking them properly.

And yet, it is important we do not abuse the privilege of having these bikes, as well as acknowledge some of their flaws. This is not to negate their value because I truly believe they are a wonderful addition to campus. I’ve been saying that were I currently a pre-frosh, and if I came to campus and saw the bikes, they would literally be the reason I attended Wesleyan. It’s because of my love of the orange bikes that I want to highlight the importance of ensuring they remain accessible to the student body.

There are a couple of things that keep these bikes inaccessible to some students on campus. First off, the necessity of owning a smartphone. Students who cannot afford a smartphone or choose not to have one cannot download the necessary app to use the bikes, and subsequently, do not have access to the bikes. There’s also the issue of money—while 50 cents per ride can feel inexpensive, embarking on the $14-per-month plan of unlimited rides means the cost can really add up.

But the most prevalent issue on campus is students using these bikes as their own personal mode of transportation: riding them to classes and other campus locations but keeping them in their backyards or even dorm rooms. This method depletes the number of bikes usable by students on campus, abusing this system of shared communal usage. I don’t mean to paint with too broad a brush, but this feels akin to the capitalist commandeering of public goods or something like that. The bikes are a privilege and available for public usage. Though they are allocated primarily throughout the Wesleyan campus, there are rumbles of a potential expansion to the Middletown community.

There are other forms of care students ought to take. Because none of these bikes belongs to anyone, many students, I’ve noticed, do not treat them with the care with which they might treat their own bikes, which has led to some of the bikes breaking slightly. A couple of them, when a student attempts to access them, will notify students that the bike needs repairs. This early into the era of the orange bikes on campus, it is remarkable that some already need repairs. This may easily speak to the cheapness of the bikes’ materials, but the fact that we should take care of them still stands.

And I also hate to be the kind of person who points this out, but students primarily ride the Spin bikes without helmets. This is likely because many students who ride the bikes don’t have helmets on campus, but that’s not much of an excuse—it’s just so much less safe. Bicycle helmets have been proven to reduce the risk of head injuries while riding bikes, and the vast majority of deaths related to bike accidents happen to bikers who are not wearing helmets. To prevent this, there was a phenomenal giveaway when the bikes were debuted: The first 25 people who downloaded the app received free helmets. It would be better if everyone bothered to wear them—but because the bikes are so easy to pick up and put away, few do.

And for this very same reason of ease, there’s been a small epidemic of students who will ride the bicycles drunk on the weekends. I shouldn’t even have to argue how brainless this is. Though I understand the reasoning—biking is an easy way to get back to one’s dorm quickly—it is tremendously stupid. Though no recent studies about alcohol levels of bikers who get into accidents are available, according to a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene study examining fatal cycling accidents in New York City from 1996 to 2005, 21 percent of autopsies determined alcohol in the bikers’ systems. Intoxication leads to decreased motor control—something necessary when it comes to handling a bike. Couple this with the likely lack of a helmet, and this leads to an extremely unsafe situation.

Overall, I love the orange bikes. I think they’re a tremendous addition to campus, adding to a culture of sustainability and love of the outdoors, as well as simply promoting the value and importance of biking. And, they make getting from one place to another much faster. But to really make the most of their arrival on campus, students need to prioritize taking care of them and taking care of themselves while they ride them. Riding sober, riding with a helmet, and being sure to park bikes in appropriate public locations are all ways we can make the most of having these brilliant orange bikes on campus.

Emmy Hughes is a member of the Class of 2020 and can be reached at ebhughes@wesleyan.edu.