Racing Through Campus

For students who find themselves gazing enviously upon University workers scooting around in golf carts on cold, snowy February afternoons, Mark Holveck '01 has an answer: Build your own motorized bike.

"When I was little, I wished I could do it, and so now I finally did," he remarked.

For Holveck, an investment of about $300 and 300 hours has translated to a gasoline-powered, 45 m.p.h., two-wheeled riding machine.

Using the gasoline engine from an electric generator, Holveck modified his mountain bike so that the engine, throttled by a grip shifter mechanism on his handlebars, directs its power to the pedal sprockets. This setup enables him to take full advantage of the 21 speeds of the bike.

The bike has made Holveck's life much easier. "Before I had this bike, in one year I had about $400 in parking tickets," he said, "now I don't get any parking tickets. I've saved hundreds of dollars on parking."

The bike — which gets approximately 60 miles per gallon — has greatly shortened distances for Holveck.

"I can make a Haven run from my room [in Patton] and back in five minutes," he said, as long as he calls ahead and warns Hoagie Haven he's coming. With the bike, distance is a negligible factor when deciding whether to make a trip to the post office or to his car parked at the southern end of campus.

"I can go to the movies almost as fast as you can drive there," Holveck said.

And just as movie roles have made many actors famous, Holveck's bike has given him something of a celebrity status on campus.

"The whole time I'm riding it, everyone always turns and looks at me," he said. "At first it was weird, but after a while I got used to it."

But enduring the strange looks is not a problem, considering how much time and energy he saves. "So it's worth it," Holveck said.

The bike is currently enjoying a short rest while Holveck makes some improvements to it, including changing the chain drive to a belt-driven system to decrease noise and eliminate the oil and grease that has found its way onto many of his pants.

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With graduation looming in three months, he is considering different options for what to do with the bike.

"I feel like I should sell it. But it'd be so sad to sell it," he said, pointing out how much time and energy he has invested in the bike.

Holveck is also thinking of offering it for sale to Tiger Food, but worries that it won't get the required maintenance.

"No one knows how to fix it," Holveck explained. He speculated that he might keep it at his parents' home after he graduates and "give it to [his] kids someday."

But that doesn't necessarily mean the bike will be hibernating for a while.

"If anyone wants to buy it for $1,000, give me call," Holveck said.