Ever wanted to join the bike scene in Los Angeles but not sure where to start? Here we have compiled a nice list of routes and rides to try that are close to campuses.

First one up is the Stradella North Route, which is near UCLA. This route is about 9 miles long and begins just north of the campus, near the Easton Softball Stadium, at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Bellagio Drive. It is one of the routes the UCLA cycling team frequents and recommends. It is also the closest route to campus and provides riders with short, steep climbs. It may be one of the safer routes to bike in L.A., but that doesn’t mean it’s exempt from speeding cars, so be careful.

For most other bike routes near campus, UCLA’s team meets in Brentwood, a nearby neighborhood. If you go to UCLA and are a bicycle enthusiast, you may benefit from checking out the cycling team's website or contacting them for more questions.

If CSUN is your campus, then perhaps the closest and most convenient bike trail will be the one located in Aliso Canyon Park. This may not be directly near campus, but the distance is minimal. You may even want to ride there using Zelzah or White Oak avenues, turning onto Rinaldi to enter the park. This trail is great for a nice, steady ride and is perfect for beginners. It also connects to other nearby trails, so your ride can vary from 2 to 8 miles.

Again, a great way to find more trails that are near campus would be to turn to a bicycle club on campus. At CSUN, this club is known as the CSUN Bike Collective, and its members are always happy to help anyone who has questions. Find them on Facebook, or visit csunbikecollective.wordpress.com.

Finding bike paths for USC students is a bit trickier as they seem to just be creating their Bike Coalition after facing some apprehension over the years due to various accidents involving bikes near campus. However, LAist provides a nice suggestion: the Fairfax to Downtown route.

Of course, Trojans can reverse the Fairfax to Downtown route, starting at MacArthur Park and heading west until they hit La Brea Park. Or, they can simply continue south to Downtown. Just watch out on the busier streets that make up this route. As the Bike Coalition develops, there are sure to be more suggestions.

If you are up for it, you can also ride from USC to CSULA. This ride climbs up to Los Feliz and then descends down into various neighborhoods such as Silver Lake and Elysian Park, before reaching CSULA.

For CSULA students, this route can be reversed, but it is not the only one available. Bike enthusiasts can also ride from campus to Highland Park, ending in Tierra de la Culebra Park. This particular route is about 7 miles long and is also a ride that the ladies of the Ovarian Psycos Bicycle Brigade frequent. Keep in mind that there are also many neighboring towns near CSULA such as Alhambra and Pasadena that may offer great trails, but students may have to drive to some of these locations.

Unfortunately, it seems that this campus doesn’t yet have a bike club to turn to for more information, but surely local off-campus bike clubs can be found.

If your campus wasn’t mentioned but you want to know what bike routes are near campus, look to see if your school has a bike club or coalition. If not, then look for any local riding clubs or see if local bike shops have information.