Pro-bikers:

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of Champaign wind rippling across your body as you zip up and down the campustown bike paths.

Rain or shine, you’ll find the many enthusiastic pedalers at the University on their way to class during passing periods.

These cyclists have achieved the pinnacle of college living. Biking is an activity that lends itself to both deep thought and carefree traveling, which makes it perfect for the mature, reflective college students of today.

At times, it seems as though nothing could disrupt these perfect moments of accelerated tranquility — until an arrogant, headphone-wearing pedestrian saunters into your bike path without even glancing to either side.

These daydreaming dolts can’t pause for one second to take stock of their surroundings before barreling headfirst into danger. It’s as if they can’t comprehend the very nature of a bike lane.

It’s for bikes. Figure it out.

While we two-wheeled travelers are no strangers to having fun on our rides to class, at least we have the common courtesy to slow to a crawl before wading our way through crowds.

Sure, we’re not perfect. Our interpretations of traffic laws can be ambiguous at best. We’ve been known to get lost in our own music from time to time.

But consider the intense difficulty of piloting a high-speed vehicle through a campus of tens of thousands. If we can limit the hit-and-runs to once a day, it’s a win.

Plus, the world is probably better off without those prehistoric pedestrian punks anyway.

Anti-bikers:

We’ve all been there: walking across the Quad, trying to get to our class on time when all of a sudden a cyclist with two wheels and a screw loose blazes past you, nearly knocking you to the ground.

Crossing Wright Street can be like playing a game of “Frogger.”  Not only do you have to watch out for passing cars, but there’s the added challenge of making it over the bike path without a collision. This becomes more dangerous than just annoyance.

Students typically ride their bikes to get to and from their classes quicker, but most of the time it seems like bikers have no regard for students who prefer walking to class.

Cyclists are given their own pathways to use throughout campus, but it often seems like they completely disregard something that’s meant to help them and bike wherever they please.

Half the time cyclists will be using the main pathways on the Main Quad, swerving around and shuffling absentmindedly through large crowds during passing periods. This essentially slows everything down for them because they can barely make it through crowds of students who walk.

Not to mention, it completely defeats the purpose of saving time as they’re stuck slowly coasting through walking students.

The whole practice of campustown cycling just becomes obnoxious to students who have to constantly keep an eye out for rogue bikers.

Get off your pedals and take to the streets if you want to try a “wheel” mode of transportation.