Check it out. I live in an apartment complex up at school that is exactly 3.5 miles from campus, or 4.5 miles if I take back roads. I've been driving my car back and forth every day to class which is a pain because

1)traffic is ridiculous
2)I have to leave THIRTY minutes before class starts (as opposed to waking up 15 minutes before class last year when I lived on campus..and
3)The parking lots are mostly on the outer edges of campus which means after you park, it still takes 15 minutes to walk to class (my classes are in almost the dead center of campus).

So basically, I started the 2 week hunt for a bike off of craigslist. This too was somewhat of a pain because there isn't a category for "Clemson," there's just one for "Upstate/Greenville." This means that if I got LUCKY, I'd maybe find something as close as Anderson..but that's still about 25 minutes away..and so picking it up, fitting it into the car, etc..just a hassle. Plus, I was only willing to pay about 35 or 40 dollars.
For two weeks I searched and searched, found random 30-50 dollar sales as far as Greenville, Taylors, Anderson, Spartanburg...and I almost settled on Anderson, but I just wasn't sure about that bike..it needed new tires on top of paying 30 for it, which could have put me at about 60 dollars.

I waited about two more days, and then I randomly checked craigslist again. There was a post that said
"Free bike, putting it out on the curb in front of my apartment tomorrow morning, needs some work before its ridable, first come first serve before the trash gets it."

Then I looked at the location: Clemson.
HOLLA. I didn't care what the bike looked like at that point. I emailed the guy, said I lived in Clemson too and asked if he could put it out tonight so that nobody else would get it. He said sure, put it out at 8:45, and Chris and I picked it up at about 8:47.

Okay so, this bike is LEGIT. 21 speed, looks like its in good condition, brakes work, nice bike seat..it just needed a new chain and new tubes for the tires (not even urgent..we rode it without the new tubes.) So I got a chain, Chris put it on..and this morning I took the back roads to class.

Workout: check.
Save gas: check.
Help the planet: check.
Got a SWEET bike for FREE: check plus.

I'd say it's just a win all around. I'm about to be so fit by the end of this year.