To many people, the use of a bicycle is for exercise, but there are some who took biking beyond just burning calories. Through biking, these students were able to build lasting friendships and further forge their passion for biking. These students not only use their bikes to get to and from school but also ride them as a bonding activity with their friends and family.
Junior Allen Rodillas has been biking for almost all of his life, and his fascination for biking began when he got a Lightning McQueen bike at the age of four, Rodillas said.
However, Rodillas realized in middle school that he was not the only one who shared this passion for biking as he began to meet others at the school’s bike rack.
“It would happen that we would park our bikes in the exact same spots and as the days passed, we got to know each other,” Rodillas said. “Then we learned we live in the same general direction so we always ended up biking home.”
Although biking is something many pick up early, it can also be a passion that arrives later, such as in the case of freshman Jarvis Hong. Hong’s badminton coach told his team that biking was a quick way to build endurance, Hong said.
“At first he wanted us to do it, but later I kind of started to like biking,” Hong said. “Now I kind of do it on my own.”
Through Strava, an app that shows people who run or bike in the area, Hong was able to create friendships with people, such as freshman Dylan Nguyen, that share his passion for biking, Hong explained.
“I found him on Strava and he was actually in my PE class,” Hong said. “We started talking, and he’s my friend now.”
Biking has allowed these students to further explore their city and create a love for certain trails.
“My favorite course is definitely through the woods,” Rodillas said.
“I like to ride through Coyote Creek near Morgan Hill,” Hong said.
Biking not only helped to create many friendships, but also to find a sense of community for many.
“We always go exploring on our bikes together, to see around Milpitas,” Rodillas said.
Junior Gabriel Su has also been able to build upon his connections with people in his life through his passion for biking.
“I bike with my cousins a lot as a family,” Su explained. “It’s a hobby you can connect with.”
Biking also has the added benefit of being able to quickly pass the car traffic during school days, Su said.
“I think biking to school is really nice,” Su said. “There’s so much traffic in the morning and after school. It is better than walking. It’s a change of scene.”
Besides helping students avoid traffic, biking makes the ride to and from school fun, Rodillas explained.
“When you are biking, your own legs are controlling the whole thing,” Rodillas said. “You definitely have more freedom and you get to feel the air brush against your face.”