Riding Tips

LA County’s flat terrain and gridded streets make it a great place to ride a bike.  Whether you’ve been cycling for years or this is your first time on a bike since middle school, taking these simple steps will help make your Metro Bike Share experience even better.

And for folks in their cars, when you see someone out on a bike, give them 3 feet for safety. It's the law and, well, it's just nice.

Just getting started? Check out these videos.

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Riding safely during COVID-19

Our team works to keep Metro Bike Share stations and bikes ready to use and ride with enhanced and strengthened cleaning operations, but it's important for riders to continue to practice safe riding habits. Riding safely these days means more than just wearing a helmet. You can help keep yourself and others safe while riding Metro Bikes with these recommendations:

  • 🧼 Always wash or sanitize your hands before and after your bike rides, and avoid touching your face.
  • 📏 Practice physical distancing between yourself and others while riding and when using a bike share station.
  • 😷 Wear a mask when in public, when using Metro Bike Share stations and while riding in places where it is consistently difficult to maintain a safe distance from others.
  • 📱 Finally, you can limit contact at stations by using the Metro Bike Share app to purchase passes and unlock Metro Bikes with your smartphone.

A few friendly tips for riding safely on a Metro Bike

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Every lane is a bike lane. Just be sure to ride with the flow of traffic, not against it.

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Always obey the rules of the road, including traffic signs and signals.

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Be aware of hazards, including car doors, driveways and potholes.

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Use hand signals to make your intentions clear.

  1. Right Turn
  2. Slowing / Stop
  3. Left Turn

Bring a helmet

Always wear a helmet. Helmets dramatically reduce the risk of head injury in a bicycle crash. Riders under 18 are required by California law to wear a helmet.

A good helmet should fit snugly on your head and not move back and forth while you are in motion. When adjusting the chin strap, tighten the strap to allow no more than two fingers of space between your chin and the strap.

Don't have a helmet? Visit the online store to purchase a helmet.

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Check your bike

You should always give a bike a once-over before hopping on. If you find any issues with the bike, contact Customer Service, and select a different bike to ride.

  • Seat: Adjust the seat by releasing the seat clamp, raising or lowering the seat to a comfortable riding height, and resecuring the clamp.
  • Air: Give the tires a good squeeze. If a tire flattens under pressure, select another bike.
  • Brakes: Squeeze the brakes before you ride. If you don’t feel any resistance, select a different bike.
  • Wheels: Give each wheel a spin to check that they spin freely.
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At the end of your ride

  • Push Metro bikes firmly into the dock to complete your trip. Listen for three beeps to confirm that the bike has been returned.
  • If you’ve had any issues with your bike during your ride, contact Customer Service.
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Always properly return your Metro Bike to end your trip. Never leave a Metro Bike unattended during your trip. Riders will be charged penalty fees up to $2,500 for missing or improperly docked bikes. Report missing or stolen Metro Bikes to 844.857.2453.