Pico Rivera resident keeps the city active with bicycle and walking clubs

Yvette Zea is connecting the city of Pico Rivera by creating two clubs to keep residents active: the Pico Women Bicycle Club and the Pico Rivera Walking Club. 

Zea first organized the bicycle club in September 2024 after noticing the divide between people who bike on the street and those who don’t. She’s bridging the gap and letting other bicyclists know they are not alone. 

“Putting yourself out there is important. It's not only just because we're biking, it’s beneficial for other aspects of your life, like your mental health, working out and even meeting people,” Zea said. “We're trying to just live a sustainable life.”

There’s hope to change the perspective of automobile drivers:bicyclists are not here to cause harm. 

There was a time when Zea considered moving out of the city to a more affluent place, but wanting to create a better quality of life in Pico Rivera convinced her to stay. Participants who have joined her clubs are a testament that others feel the same way. 

She hopes that silent supporters of the bicycle club will become comfortable enough to come out of their shells and join in on the rides. 

While the bike club is geared toward women, this is an open space that welcomes everyone and aims to make others feel safe.

“Oftentimes, the bike cyclists are mainly male-dominated. And even when I started, I didn't know anything. I didn't even know how to put on a helmet. Making women feel comfortable and asking just little questions without being ashamed of anything. And that's how we all start, we don't know everything in life,” Zea said. 

Helping others with questions comes naturally to Zea because of her background in teaching. 

“Just ask questions, it's okay. It's part of being human, we're spreading knowledge to each other,” she said. 

The bike rides are suitable for beginners to intermediates, with an average distance of 14 miles. There are two types of rides: the monthly Saturday meet-ups are mostly street travel, and the weekly Tuesday meet-ups are meant for less street use.

“The two riverbeds that we have are amazing. That's why we have our weekly Tuesday rides. I know some people are scared of being near cars in the street. To start off, we have the amazing Mines Avenue bike lane that's totally protected. We use that bike lane on Tuesdays to go all the way to Bell Gardens just using the Rio Hondo River Trail,” Zea said. 

Tension in Pico Rivera has escalated since last year when the city made a huge change by completing the Mines Avenue Bikeway Project, a 1.1-mile bicycle-protected path along Mines Avenue from the Rio Hondo Channel to the San Gabriel River. 

“For those who oppose it, I want you to really think about why you oppose it, whether it's because it's an inconvenience for you, or if it's just to like being afraid of change and what that bike lane can bring to the Pico Rivera residents. And I know there's a lot of long-term Pico Rivera residents that are afraid of change, and it's understandable. But also, I want those people [who are] opposed to see the future,” Zea said. 

The new protected space brings other aspects to consider, which Zea has noticed.

“I know that the bike lane is also helping with cars not going fast. I've even seen a lot of families that live on Mines Avenue with kids already playing in the front yard, feeling a little bit safer because there's even a bigger separation from the street. So just thinking about other things besides, ‘Oh, there's gonna be bikes running here,’ because there are so many other factors than just bikes,” she said. 

Promoting bike lane accessibility and safety is important to Zea for those who cycle to get to where they need to go. She understands that with the cost of expenses going up, including insurance, some can’t afford to have a car right now. 

“It's really important to bring in those bike lanes. I'll use my dad as an example, where he's getting older, and he still has to get to places. He might be at some point where he can't really drive, or it's not as safe. Biking is the only option… it is not meant [just] as a recreation; biking is a way of life for them,” she said. 

Zea found another way to bring the community together for those who do not have a bike. She established the walking club for more inclusivity, to help others feel more comfortable walking around the city, and to meet neighbors. 

The walking club meet-up location changes every month to explore the different sides of the city. 

“Pico Rivera is so big, and sometimes we're stuck in our own little side of town. Right now, we're at Rivera Park, and I live way closer to Pico Park, so I'm hardly ever at Rivera Park. But it's also important to note that we're all one big whole Pico Rivera, and introduce ourselves to different sides of the neighborhood, too,” Zea said. 

High school was an important time for Zea. She learned about community spaces. She was part of high school sports, participated in after-school activities and often volunteered on her own time.

After high school, Zea attended UCLA and graduated with a background in sociology and education. 

As a first-generation student and originally from Boyle Heights, attending the university and living away from home was a culture shock. She joined the UCLA Community Programs Office, known as the university’s multicultural center, where her trajectory changed. 

“Community means just being able to humanize each other. I see myself as a Latina, but I think community doesn't have to be based on just ethnicity, but just like humanizing each other and bringing in that kindness and understanding and empathy towards one another and toward anyone else's culture,” Zea said. 

To find more information about both clubs, check out @picowomen_bicycleclub and @picoriverawalkingclub on Instagram.