Cycling in L.A.

Driving a car in Los Angeles is often a necessity, but a well-planned bike ride, weather permitting, can be a joy. On June 6, a sunny Saturday morning, I leisurely biked 20 miles, from Silverlake through Griffith Park to Burbank and back. What fun, hearing songbirds, seeing flowers!

Those considering biking will definitely want the big, beautiful bike map of Los Angeles County that the MTA distributes. All kinds of routes and trails--both for road and mountain bikers--are listed. In addition, written descriptions of the various trails are depicted together with whom to contact in an emergency, on the back of the map.

For a free copy of the bike map, telephone: (213) 922-5622; or write: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Customer Relations Department, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2932.

DAVID TULANIAN, Los Feliz