Bring it or buy it there?
At Lincoln University, campus sits a long way out from Jefferson City's center, so a bike earns its keep locally first — around campus, to the nearest shops, to the bus. If you already have a bike you like and it's in good shape, bringing it is usually worth it — you know it fits and you trust it. If you don't, buy after you arrive, not before: a local shop will size you properly and do the first tune-up, and a campus or town bike co-op (most college towns have one) is the cheap, friendly way to find a sound used bike and learn basic repairs. Skip the big-box "bike-shaped object" — it costs more in repairs and frustration than a decent used bike.
The ground rolls a little, so give yourself a low gear or two — nothing exotic, just enough that the hill on the way home isn't a reason to drive. And check whether the local buses carry bikes: a bike-and-bus trip beats both a car and a long ride you keep talking yourself out of.
The theft reality — lock like it matters
A small campus doesn't make a bike thief-proof — it just makes the racks quieter. Bikes still disappear from college towns, most often the ones locked with a cable "because it's only for an hour." In a city this size, lock it properly even for the ten-minute stop — that's the theft, every time. Get a hardened U-lock, always lock the frame and rear wheel to a fixed rack, account for quick-release wheels and your saddle, and register your serial number with campus security or a national registry. A good lock used well is the single biggest thing between you and a bad week.
The ride into town needs planning
A ride this long into town is a fine thing on a bright afternoon and a miserable one in cold rain at night. Around campus and the nearest shops, the bike is still the best tool you have. For the trip into Jefferson City, plan it properly — daylight, charged lights, a way home — or pair the bike with a bus and skip the worst of it.
A note for parents
The most useful send-off isn't the flashiest bike — it's the boring kit that keeps a student riding safely all year: a serious lock, lights that stay charged, fenders for the wet months, and a rack so they'll actually carry books and groceries. Given how far campus sits from the middle of town, lights and a rack matter more here than they would at a school you can walk across. Run the Assessment together in Jefferson City and it'll turn your student's real situation into a short kit list — and flag the one item worth spending real money on.