Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

Metro and many other local transit agencies — including Metrolink commuter rail — are offering free rides Thursday as part of National Bike to Work Day, given that biking is good for cities, the environment and yourself (exercise!). Just show your bike or a helmet to claim your ride.

At non-gated Metro rail stations, there is no need to tap — just show the Metro fare officer your bike or helmet. At Metro Rail Stations with gates, use the intercom located near the fare gates to notify an attendant who will open the ADA gates for you.

Other agencies offering free transit rides to bicyclists on Bike to Work Day are:

•  Beach Cities Transit
•  Culver City Bus
•  City of Gardena Bus
•  LADOT
•  Big Blue Bus
•  Pasadena Transit
•  Norwalk Transit
•  Metrolink

On Bike to Work Day, you can find pit stops throughout Los Angeles County. See this map below — the pit stops are the green bike icons — and located at some transit stations.

If you don’t currently own a bike,  Metro Bike Share offers convenient round-the-clock access to a fleet of bicycles for short trips, available 24/7, 365 days a year in Downtown LA, Central LA, the Port of LA, and the Westside.

For parking your bike, there are Metro bike lockers and Metro Bike Hubs. The hubs offer secure parking for bikes with on-call mechanics and face time with friendly staff.

Want to start planning your commute? Google Maps is a good place to start. All Metro buses have bike racks for riders to store their bicycles — although space is limited. If you’re taking your bike on a train, please follow the signs to place your bike in the designated areas. And a friendly reminder: bicycles are allowed on trains as long as you can safely board without blocking any aisles and doorways. For more tips on how to bring your bike on board, check metro.net/bikes.