James Chamberlain, a professor of political theory in the Mississippi State University Department of Political Science and Public Administration, has been biking his kids to school since 2018.
“I bike my kids to school because I love cycling and do what I can to drive less. I also like the kids getting some fresh air and showing people that you can commute by bike in Starkville,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain’s love for biking extends far beyond just taking his kids to school.
“The school run is a bit over ten miles I think, but most days I’ll take another ride by myself for 20 miles or so. I ride the kids to school on a tandem with a tag-along attached. I also have a collection of road and gravel bikes, two of which are custom-made by my dad,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain excitedly recounted the history of these morning bike rides.
“When my kids were quite little, in 2018 or 2019, I would take them to preschool with a bike trailer. Then after COVID, I’d take one of them with the tagalong attached to my regular bike. In the fall of 2021, they started at the same school.”
Chamberlain’s choice of transportation often garners notice from passersby on the street.
“People take pictures, wave, point and ask questions,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain’s daughter, Frannie, is self-conscious about the bike rides.
“I don’t like it because no one else does it,” Frannie said.
Her nine-year-old brother, Henry, has a different opinion.
“I think it’s fun,” he said.
Both children voiced their enjoyment in riding their own bikes in their spare time.
Frannie’s belief that her family is an outlier in their choice to bike to school was corroborated by Chamberlain.
“There’s quite a strong car culture here,” said Chamberlain. “It’s a lot more common in big cities and in Europe. What I hear from my parents, who live in England, is that it’s becoming very common there.”
Chamberlain believes that there are several misconceptions about biking that may prevent others from choosing it as a mode of transportation.
“It’s strange because people are often worried about traffic, and thinking people are unfriendly towards cyclists, but it’s not true. People in this area give you a lot of room,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain said that in his experience, the Starkville community has been exceptionally friendly and supportive toward his family of cyclists.
“The best experience we’ve had was when we got a puncture one morning. I was able to fix it on the side of the road, but I was overwhelmed by how many people stopped to offer us help. It really felt like the community supported us,” Chamberlain said.
People also tend to believe that biking will take longer than driving, but Chamberlain has found that biking takes about the same amount of time as driving.
“People don’t realize how fast biking can be. Well, I guess they realize when I pass them on the road,” Chamberlain said, laughing.
Chamberlain lamented another common misconception — that to get into biking, you must have the right physique or the right bicycle.
“People often think you have to have a nice bike or be more fit, in order to bike,” Chamberlain said, sighing. “That’s not true.”
Chamberlain believes that culture and infrastructure in Starkville play a large part in deterring others from riding their bikes instead of taking their cars.
“In other places, there’s less of a car culture, so there’s more infrastructure for biking. Starkville is getting there, and that’s been nice to see,” Chamberlain said. “The more people see biking as an option, though, the safer it gets for cyclists. It’s really a cultural mindset change.”
Chamberlain hopes more people in the community will begin to incorporate biking into their daily lives.
“We still have a car, but it’s limited in its use,” Chamberlain said. “I’ll even take the bike to get groceries at Kroger. Driving less reduces our use of fossil fuels, and cycling is great in Mississippi — we have a great climate for it. It’s warm and sunny almost year-round, making it a great place for cycling.”
For Chamberlain, biking is his family’s unrivaled mode of transportation — acting as a remarkable opportunity for family bonding. Chamberlain expressed his hope that other community members might be inspired enough to get on the bike themselves.
“If people see us,” Chamberlain said, “maybe they’ll think, ‘I can do that too.’”