Sam, I'm going to be very honest with you and probably get flamed for doing it. I used to live in Atlanta and unless you're in Midtown or in Decatur you don't want to be on a bike in Atlanta! Especially in the Suburbs. While Atlanta is making strides towards being more and more bike friendly it frankly isn't ready yet. First off bike lanes are few and far between even in the perimeter. Second, Atlanta drivers are some of the meanest, most impatient and most ragey drivers I have ever dealt with. I had more close calls and scary incidents of road raged drivers in my car in Atlanta with other drivers then I've had in NYC on my bike. Also drivers just aren't used to sharing the road with bikes. Many if not most see speeding around as their god given right and don't understand that bikes are anything more than a toy. Third, Georgia has extremely weak safety laws. There is no hand held phone ban in place. Also it is very difficult for the state to pull a drivers license. I know a guy who has a DUI, over a dozen moving tickets and at least four accidents yet still can drive any car he pleases. Why? Because enough time has passed between each infraction that the points haven't hit the total for any loss of driving privileges. Also the fact that judges are very lenient and will usually let you plead down to a lesser infraction. Speed laws are rarely enforced and traffic frequently moves 10 to 20 MPH over posted limits. As a driver you probably know this. Finally, The roads themselves often don't lend themselves to cycling. Many roads are built only to quickly move cars about the city. Hence the reason two-way roads with two to three lanes in each direction are so common. Pedestrian safety is a second thought; bikes are not spared a thought. Personally, I would not risk my life by biking in Atlanta. This comes from a guy who cycles NYC without a second thought.
tl;dr Can you buy a bike for your budget? Yes! Should you? I wouldn't! Don't flame me only stating my opinion. Try posting your question here
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl.../234-Southeast