When it comes to transportation, the 2025-26 school year is setting a new trend. This year, there has seemingly been a spike in the popularity of bike riding as a way to get to school. 

“I haven’t counted them to be sure, but from a visual perspective, it does feel like there are a lot of bikes out there,” assistant principal Dr. Chris Ham said. “Our bike racks are full to the point where we have to start leaning on each other’s bikes, so beneficially, it does feel like there’s a lot more bikes, and I’m not sure exactly why. We have students that live close by and instead of getting dropped off, riding a bike is more convenient.” 

However, a natural consequence of having more bikes is less space on the racks, which has been an adjustment for senior Sydney Kieley, a student who has been riding her bike to and from school since her freshman year. 

“In this year especially, there’s more kids who are biking,” Kieley said. “So if you’re late you have to double up or triple up on a singular bike rack, which is difficult because some bike locks need to be in a certain position, and if there’s another bike right across you can’t position your bike because the handlebars will hit each other, or the seats and pedals do, and so that can be difficult to deal with.”

That could be one of the reasons students were parking their bikes in a restricted area earlier in the school year. But after Wingspan asked School Resources Officer Tommy Craig about students parking their bikes on the path to the school’s Americans with Disabilities Act ramp, that issue has been resolved. 

“At the front of the school, there is a ramp that is on the left side, if you look at the school directly, and that’s a ramp we have for any compliance,” he said. “There’s a whole bunch of laws on civil liberties. It allows people with wheelchairs to get in and out of the school, and we need it for emergency personnel. What we [noticed] is that there’s bikes there, [and] we want to make sure that people have access to the ramp at all times, so I promptly removed the bikes back to the bike racks and made temporary signs to signify that you cannot put your bikes here. Right now it’s doing great.” 

The increased number of students riding bikes can lead to some physical and mental health benefits to these students, with it being known to help prevent the development of serious illnesses like stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and depression. 

“I ride my bike to school because it saves gas and my parents think it’s good for my health,” junior Garv Choudhary said. “It’s also fun.”

Due to Frisco ISD’s and other school districts’ transportation policies which limit bus service to those living two or more miles away from campus, some students turn to bike riding as an alternative transportation option. 

“I ride my bike because my mom [can’t] drop me off at school,” freshman Joanna He said. “And I can’t take the bus because I’m too close to school.” 

For students who don’t have a license, bike riding can be a way for them to get to school without relying on others or having to manage the responsibilities that come with having a car. 

“Flexibility is the big [advantage],” Ham said. “It’s kind of like having a car without having the liability of having a car because you can get to school whenever you want and leave school whenever you want, so you get all of the benefits of a car without having to deal with the licensing and car insurance.” 

Bike riding to school provides benefits, however there are some disadvantages that come with it as well. 

“I feel like the advantages are obviously that it’s quicker sometimes when there’s a lot of traffic, and it’s a fun way to get to school,” Choudhary said. “Some disadvantages could be when it’s cold or too hot, or when the weather conditions could be a bit extreme, or when you’re tired.” 

Choundary’s route to school includes going through a handful of steps to eventually reach campus. 

“I just bike through a couple streets and I go around a grassy hill, and then I take the bridge,” Choudhary said. “Then it’s a straight concrete pathway to the school.”

However, a natural consequence of having more bikes is less space on the racks, which has been an adjustment for senior Sydney Kieley, a student who has been riding her bike to and from school since her freshman year. 

“In this year especially, there’s more kids who are biking,” Kieley said. “So if you’re late you have to double up or triple up on a singular bike rack, which is difficult because some bike locks need to be in a certain position, and if there’s another bike right across you can’t position your bike because the handlebars will hit each other, or the seats and pedals do, and so that can be difficult to deal with.”

In addition to the amount of bike riders reaching new heights this year, an issue arose pertaining to where students were parking their bikes. According to Ham, before, students were parking their bikes in a restricted area, but now he has resolved that issue. 

“At the front of the school, there is a ramp that is on the left side, if you look at the school directly, and that’s a ramp we have for any compliance,” he said. “There’s a whole bunch of laws on civil liberties. It allows people with wheelchairs to get in and out of the school, and we need it for emergency personnel. What we [noticed] is that there’s bikes there, [and] we want to make sure that people have access to the ramp at all times, so I promptly removed the bikes back to the bike racks and made temporary signs to signify that you cannot put your bikes here. Right now it’s doing great.”