All across Los Angeles County, everywhere you go, there are bike paths and bike racks. Groups of riders, some quite large, can be seen, day and night, sharing the road with sedans and SUVs. Some ride for leisure, some for exercise, some out of necessity, but they all have one thing in common, and it has two wheels.

PCC, with thousands of cash, and time-strapped students, is no different. The bike racks are frequently full, just as the parking lots fill with cars. 

Jasmin Olvera, ceramics, relies on her bike in conjunction with bus and rail to get to campus. “I don’t have a car, so I ride my bike pretty often. Whenever I need to get somewhere,” she said.

One appeal for students who ride to class is to avoid the cost of fuel and parking.

Nick Gomez, international relations, divides his commute to class between riding his bike and driving. He doesn’t ride for leisure, “I’m more into saving money,” he said.

Enrique Roman, television operations chooses to ride his bike to class instead of driving his car. “It’s easier than fighting for parking in the lot. It gets me to the center of school right next to my class. It saves me a lot of time and money,” he said.

The bikes themselves are as varied as the riders. From mountain bikes to beach cruisers, any type of bike can be seen chained to a post or flying past you on campus.

Gerardo Casas, criminal justice, is looking forward to riding more since recently purchasing a brightly painted, neon green and yellow racing bike.

Casas prefers his bike to other modes of transportation for a variety of reasons.

“It’s a personal gain for me because I want to start losing weight and being more active, and a bike is the best way. You also save gas money. It’s a win-win,” he said.

Whatever the motivation to ride, cyclists show no signs of slowing down, just as long as their legs don’t get tired.