May is National Bike Month, and to celebrate, people across Pittsburgh biked to work Thursday morning, leaving their cars at home and hitting the roads on two wheels.

Elizabeth Beam loves feeling the wind on her face as she rides her bike, no matter the season. Since 2017, she's been saving on gas on her commute to and from work, both in Oakland and on the South Side.

"It just kind of gets you going in the morning," Beam said. "It's like, freeing. It's kind of like sets your day off nicely, ends your day off nicely."

Year after year, she's noticed more people doing the same, especially as Pittsburgh puts in more bike lanes in the community.

Deanna Srock, the director of operations for BikePGH, a local nonprofit advocacy organization, said they've seen huge growth in ridership.

"The more infrastructure that's built and the safer it feels for people, the more you'll see people out commuting," Srock said.

In fact, the latest U.S. Census data shows Pittsburgh is one of the top 15 U.S. cities for commuting by bike.

"You don't have to sit in traffic, you get a little bit of exercise, you get to slow down and enjoy the view," Srock said.

On Bike to Work Day, she and others hope to share those benefits with commuters, who may be thinking about taking a simpler form of transportation, by possibly renting a bicycle from the POGOH bike share system.

"Trying new things can be hard, but the joy and freedom of being able to get to where you need to go safely by bike, you really can't beat it," Srock said.

It's giving someone that push to hop on a bike and to put their body to work.

"A lot of people complain about parking in Oakland, and I'm like, you know, if you just bike, it's a lot easier," Beam said. "I don't know that I've made many converts yet, but trying to."