Brian Iezzi, a senior studying textile engineering, stands with a bike that can be checked out through the Quad Bikes bike share program. Iezzi is the co-founder of the Quad Bikes bike share program as well as the co-founder of Platinix, a startup that provides a replacement for platinum in the synthesis of hydrogen gas." />
Bryan Murphy
Brian Iezzi, a senior studying textile engineering, stands with a bike that can be checked out through the Quad Bikes bike share program. Iezzi is the co-founder of the Quad Bikes bike share program as well as the co-founder of Platinix, a startup that provides a replacement for platinum in the synthesis of hydrogen gas.
In 2012, Brian Iezzi, a senior studying textile engineering, discovered his bike stolen just a day after he moved in his freshman year. Instead of buying another bike, he decided to go to WolfWheels, a program through University Recreation that rents bikes for a day, a month or even a semester.
However, according to Iezzi, it was not convenient to go to Carmichael, where the WolfWheels bikes are stocked, to rent a bike on a daily basis. Therefore, along with his friend Carlos Vega, a senior studying civil engineering, and in association with WolfWheels, he co-founded Quad Bikes.
This bike-share program, launched in 2013, aims to bring bikes to residence halls so that they are more accessible to students. To join the program, you have to attend a workshop that ensures you will act safely on the road. The renting is free of charge.
“It is a community thing; there are not many bikes,” Iezzi said. “It is only 50 or 60 members or so, and they all kind of share the bikes in small groups.”
Iezzi explained that the bike-share program faced some problems last semester, with a change in leadership and Iezzi and Vega wanting to focus on their studies. However, the program will be up and running again in about a month.
“There were bikes and all these resources available, and we weren’t able to use them,” said Alex Chen, a sophomore studying aerospace engineering and in charge of the new checkout software of Quad Bikes. “We wanted this program to start up again so students at residence halls can enjoy the resources that we have.”
Chen, along with four other students, returned to the project thanks to funding from the Sustainability Initiative. The principle of the program will essentially remain the same, but Chen said they hope to make some improvements to Quad Bikes.
According to Chen, the program was able to get new bikes and the team is looking into BitLocks, which would make it easier for users to unlock a bike. Chen said he hopes to extend the program, with the help from partners, to other residence halls as they grow the project.
For both Chen and Iezzi, the challenge from the start of Quad Bikes has been to make biking easier for students, but also to promote a sustainable mode of transportation.
“With biking, you combine all the things into one,” said Iezzi. “You can save gas and money, but you can also protect the environment. On top of that, people like being in shape.”
Evan Brigham, president of Oaks and Spokes, a nonprofit organization that promotes biking in Raleigh, said that it is a great time for NC State students and people living in Raleigh to become bicyclists.
“There are two sides of convincing people to ride a bike,” Brigham said. “First, infrastructures. You should have the right types of roads to make people feel safe. Then, there is the culture side. People must feel that they are welcomed on the road.”
However, the biking community cannot develop without taking into account car drivers. To raise awareness among drivers, Iezzi explained that his conversations about biking have evolved throughout the years.
“You cannot guilt someone into doing something,” Iezzi said. “I have started to try figure out better ways to say it; provide more and more information, more and more knowledge. I am also trying to be passionate and show excitement because whenever you will show that you are excited about something, you will become interesting and people will be curious about it.”
A goal of Quad Bikes, and other biking initiatives, is to teach how to share the road so that everyone can join the biking community and enjoy riding a bike in a safer way.
“When you are on a bike, you are on something important,” Brigham said. “You are part of people who care. It should be cool to ride a bike.”