Instead of "ghost riding the whip," SF State students were encouraged to "ghost ride the bike" at SF State's Bike to School day on Wednesday.

The Bicycle Advocacy Group on campus organized the event to raise bike safety awareness and to help make SF State a more bike friendly community.

Riders began their journey to campus at 6 a.m. Some rode straight from home and others met at various locations around the city, such as the Balboa Park BART station and Mojo Bicycle Café on Divisadero Street, which offered a free cup of coffee to any SF State student with a bike helmet.

"This event has been going on for about four semesters now," Coordinator Melissa Gordon, 23, said. "We are expecting a couple hundred people."

Yellow caution tape around the lawns by the Cesar Chavez Student Center created a parking area for the bikes. Volunteers helped with valet, handing out surveys, information, water and free snacks.

"We tried doing some fundraising, but we only raised $150 dollars," said Bicycle Advocacy Group member Christy Osorio, 25, a member of the Bike Advocacy group.

"Everything else was donated including a free bike from Ocean Cyclery," she said.

In order to win the shiny new bike that was on display next to the parked bikes, students needed to turn in a two page essay on how a bike could change their life.

The bike give away was not the only fun part of the day. Gordon hosted a few bike games in Malcolm X Plaza including a bike beauty contest and a game where bikers tried to knock off other riders as they rode in a circle whoever was left standing was the winner.

Bay Area hip hop group Trunk Boiz performed, whose hits include "Scraper Bikes," and "Cupcake No Fillin."

The event ended at 5 p.m. Gordon said that they had about 250 students park their bikes on campus and that they had reached capacity during the afternoon.

"It's exciting to see more people riding bikes in the city," Julia DeFranco said. "My bike ride from home to SF State would take about 45 minutes. Promoting sustainability is important for students and this event shows what we can do to help."