Ryan Bowen does not need a plane or car to travel from Los Angeles to the presidential inauguration.
He has his bicycle.
Bowen, a photographer whose journey is called Biking for Obama, set off on Dec. 2 from Los Angeles for a bicycle ride that will end in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20.
He arrived on Turlington Plaza at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to talk with students about how the concepts of hope and change in Obama's campaign are represented through his bicycle journey.
Bowen said his bicycle is a vehicle for change.
It is an unconventional form of transportation, but an environmentally friendly one, he said, adding that cycling is a good way to stay healthy.
Bowen is trying to recruit cyclists as he goes.
Megan O'Brien, a UF zoology junior who planned to join Bowen during his journey to Jacksonville on Tuesday, said cycling represents a vehicle for change because it is both a physical and mental endeavor.
She said cycling is the best way to communicate your cause.
However, Bowen's journey does not just involve cycling.
Each day, Bowen documents his ride by blogging, shooting photographs and video interviews with his filmmaker, Albert Vazquez.
The interviews that Bowen and Vazquez conducted with UF students will be included in BET's coverage of the inauguration on its Web site.
Students like UF freshman Jacob Smith also introduced themselves to Bowen.
Smith, the event coordinator for Students for Change, said Bowen's journey is symbolic of the American spirit.
Bowen said his journey also involves talking with people about the election and their visions for Obama's presidency.
"Maybe all we got is hope, but I'd like to see it live further than that," he said.
Bowen, who cycles 80 to 100 miles each day, has come pretty far - about 3,000 miles as of Tuesday.
The journey offers a liberating lifestyle, he said.
"You're free," he said. "You're not tied down to such a strict or boring form of life."
