Southeast - Atlanta/Decatur needs a LONG "What's Up" thread too!

The next Intown Touring Club ride is scheduled for April 7 to explore Atlanta's historic railroads. The route is mostly in downtown around the viaducts and the city's original neighborhoods, then out a bit westward. Meeting time and location TBA (probably mid-morning at Underground/Five Points).


So, does this mean you are going to pass over the tracks (DeKalb Ave. near King Memorial) of my infamous tumble? If so, please advise everyone to walk across because as I have found out, if you have an accident, you are getting nothing from the railroad. We got ditched by the federal court on the original lawsuit and the appeal.

Tommy

No Tommy, I don't think we'll be going over those tracks. I will keep that in mind though and make sure the group is paying attention.

The ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon (http://www.georgiamarathon.com/site3.aspx) was held today. Anyone know someone who participated in this.

The traffic was murder in downtown Atlanta this morning.

thank god I got outta town :)

The ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon (http://www.georgiamarathon.com/site3.aspx) was held today. Anyone know someone who participated in this.

The traffic was murder in downtown Atlanta this morning.

I did! I escorted (on bike) the winning woman wheelchair athlete, 20-year-old Amanda McGrory. She was flying through the course, and it was a blast because we were out on our own for most of the ride - the wheelers did the half-marathon. Having Peachtree to ourselves, and Freedom Parkway was so much fun. I had to stay a distance in front of her, so she couldn't draft off me. We hit 27 mph on some of the downhills. Finished with an average of 13.6 mph, but for me, it was alot of sprinting ahead to make sure an intersection was clear, then waiting for her to get close, then sprinting ahead again. It was so much fun, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Her biggest concern was that the runners would catch up, but they were nowhere near her. She's my newest hero.

I posted some free stuff in the Pay It Forward (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=4170166) thread. Send me a PM if interested. I'd rather deliver it to locals than mess with PayPal and shipping.

Howdy Ron, hows the shop gig treating ya?

Howdy Ron, hows the shop gig treating ya?
Great. Everyone here is very friendly and helpful.
GTcommuter has stopped by a few times and Map tester was there when I arrived at work yesterday.
I've assemble 4 or 5 bikes including 2 Electra Amsterdams, done several tune-ups, multiple flat repairs :o ,and started my first overhaul yesterday. Sold a few bikes too, including a Jamis Nova (just like mine) that a young woman wanted to use for commuting, light touring, and rec riding.

So how are things at Peachtree Bikes now that the "former Bicycle South group" is running the shop? ;)

Peachtree Bikes is a lot of fun. I've been enjoying living vicariously through others big ticket purchases. (yumm 1020 gram carbon wheelset, oh my) And the Sorella girls are all a ton of fun.

And the Sorella girls are all a ton of fun.
Note to Mike (the shop owner): We gotta get a shop sponsored team at Intown Bicycles. ;)

Peachtree Bikes is a lot of fun. I've been enjoying living vicariously through others big ticket purchases. (yumm 1020 gram carbon wheelset, oh my) And the Sorella girls are all a ton of fun.

:p

I got an email over the weekend. Seems that ABC (http://www.atlantabike.org) is looking for a new Executive Director. Conflicts with the outgoing director is the reason five very good people left ABC during the past 1.5 years. Maybe the new person will have better *people skills*.
If you're interested, the job description and contact info is in the attachment.

I got an email over the weekend. Seems that ABC (http://www.atlantabike.org) is looking for a new Executive Director.

Ron, does that mean Dennis is leaving? ABC's not going to have anyone left and is going to have to start from scratch. This is disappointing to hear.

I received another email this morning - from Dennis.


Dear ABC Member,
After 10 years of service as your Executive Director, I am moving to part-time work.
But not to worry - I will still be part of the ABC team, working on Safe Routes to School, Share the Road, and Advocacy efforts, and I look forward to continued collaboration with so many of you and your dedicated contribution to our cause!
<snip>

He's taking over Sharon's job (I think she's leaving at the end of May) and some of the things I did.

That's too bad. We're at a time where the city needs a strong and vocal bike advocacy leader.

I agree, we do need a strong and vocal bike advocacy leader here in Atlanta.

Agreed.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the new director will be a strong leader and will be well-schooled in bike advocacy. Maybe some new blood will help turn things around in metro Atlanta.

yeah, I'll keep my fingers crossed too.

I still need to pay you a visit, Ron...that shop is super close to my house. I do hang out at Peachtree Bikes a fair bit. Not too great for my wallet, but I get to hang out with Josh and oogle the uberbikes.

If all the ATL locals stopped by at the same time we could have a mini-BF meeting (with pics of course). Pedal Wench is supposed to stop by today or tomorrow to pick up a free light I offered in the Pay It Forward thread.

If all the ATL locals stopped by at the same time we could have a mini-BF meeting (with pics of course). Pedal Wench is supposed to stop by today or tomorrow to pick up a free light I offered in the Pay It Forward thread.

Ooops! Forgot about that. Can we make it next week? (having a really bad week this week.:( ) The new Trader Joe's opens on the 18th - I'll be there sometime shortly after that! Let's make it a BF-party.

And, we all know the real reason Branman is hanging out at Peachtree. It ain't about oogling the bikes, now, is it????

If we want to get a BF/Atlanta group pic why don't we plan to meet up at the final stage of the TdG? I know probably everyone on here is planning on watching this, we could do it together. My wife doesn't post so she could take pics of us, and besides, my panniers have been known to hold a lot of beer:beer:

I'm planning on being at Stone Mtn to watch the finish of stage 6. You know I'll have my camera for pics of the riders, bikes, crowds :eek:, other BF folks, etc. I'll be on the Litespeed.

Now if I could figure out why all my jerseys have shrunk. :rolleyes:

YO ATL!

i've been down there plenty of times, but this is the first time i'm bringing my ride... do they allow bikes on the marta?

not only allowed, but encouraged!

MARTA is very bike friendly on the trains and on buses...on my commute I ride from the vahighlands to the 10th st MARTA station and take it north.

do they allow bikes on the marta?

not only allowed, but encouraged!
+1
Here's the MARTA webpage with bike info.
http://www.itsmarta.com/howto/bikes.htm

Hey, ya'll!!! This post should take the record for distance. As most of you know, I am in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia working a contract, but I thought I would shoot a quick note to say hi. I hope all is well with all of you.

Also, I sent many of you an update on my trip getting here, but for those of you that I did not have email addresses for, you can read my write up at http://journals.aol.com/wolf1069/riyadh-assignment/. I plan to post more things as I have a chance to write them. I also have pictures at http://pictures.aol.com/ap/myAlbums.do?includeReceivedAlbums=true&albumId=13716.1560.1176552796205.3.

On the cycling side of things, I have not gotten to do any here since I have not gotten a bike yet, but the traffic here is the worst that I have ever seen. If you could imagine Atlanta traffic with absolutely no rules, you would be close to what it is like here.

Tommy

I was just thinking yesterday about you, and that I expect some epic biking tales from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Have you found any bike shops?

not only allowed, but encouraged!

MARTA is very bike friendly on the trains and on buses...on my commute I ride from the vahighlands to the 10th st MARTA station and take it north.

+1
Here's the MARTA webpage with bike info.
http://www.itsmarta.com/howto/bikes.htm

awesome! thanks a ton guys. i would've went on their website, but experience on other mass transit systems has shown that what is said & what is accepted on lines are 2 different things. i used to ride the marta a ton in high school & didn't ever recall anyone on there with a bike. i'm sooo happy now. i'm bringing my commuter to ride in the city during stage 7 (i'm also a course marshall).

You should have seen a friend and me on Marta with our bikes a few weeks ago. 5:30 am on a Sunday morning, and the train was packed to the gills with runners heading to the ING Marathon. They all looked at us like we were completely lost. We were volunteers escorting the wheelchair racers, but we felt like fish out of water!

(We just biked all the way up Peachtree afterwards, to avoid being crammed in with the runners AFTER the marathon.)

There is a bike shop here, but I have not been to it, yet. I will get a bike when I get paid. They do have some good stuff there because I have seen some of what others at the compound have gotten there.

Tommy

(We just biked all the way up Peachtree afterwards, to avoid being crammed in with the runners AFTER the marathon.)
Peachtree probably smelled better than the train that morning. ;)

Hey, ya'll!!! This post should take the record for distance. As most of you know, I am in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia working a contract, but I thought I would shoot a quick note to say hi. I hope all is well with all of you.

Also, I sent many of you an update on my trip getting here, but for those of you that I did not have email addresses for, you can read my write up at http://journals.aol.com/wolf1069/riyadh-assignment/. I plan to post more things as I have a chance to write them. I also have pictures at http://pictures.aol.com/ap/myAlbums.do?includeReceivedAlbums=true&albumId=13716.1560.1176552796205.3.
Hi Tommy,

Glad you made it ok. Great info in the journal but I couldn't see the pictures. AOL wanted a password. Did you make the pictures public or private?



From Tommy's journal:
After getting in touch with the appropriate people with CSC to let them know that I had arrived, I was picked up and taken to the compound where I would be staying.
CSC?? Do you get free team kits? ;)



From Tommy's journal:
Men are not allowed to wear shorts or muscle shirts, which, actually, would not be appropriate in this environment, anyway.
I don't think I've ever seen you in anything but shorts or shorts with leg warmers. Post some pics of you riding in trousers. ;)

Glad you made it ok. Great info in the journal but I couldn't see the pictures. AOL wanted a password. Did you make the pictures public or private?;)

AOL is screwy, but easy to use. If I moved them to the Public area, I lose the folders, so you will need to send me a message at Wolf1069@aol.com with your updated email and I can make the albums available to you. I only have your old one.



CSC?? Do you get free team kits?

I wish, but I don't know of any available.



I don't think I've ever seen you in anything but shorts or shorts with leg warmers. Post some pics of you riding in trousers. ;)

I will publish more pictures as I can. I can't promise what you will see. I am sure there will be some surprises.

Tommy

I'm glad to find this thread. I live in Kenesaw and commute 12 miles one way to Dobbins Air Force base. The worst part of my commute is that I have to get on Cobb 41 Hw to work, but my ride home is all local roads. Here's a website that you can get cash rewards for doing alternative commuting to work. I have actually won $25 myself. Sorry if this website was posted before. Nice to meet everyone here.


http://www.logyourcommute.com/cleanair/main.aspx


H23Nutcase,

Great pictures, Tommy! We need more pictures of camels!

Hey Tommy, glad to hear everything's going well over there.

I will get more camel pictures when I can. I want to try to ride one. Maybe, when I get back there Atlanta can install camel lanes.

Ya'll can use your great influence and get everything ready for my return next year.

Tommy

Tour De Hope: www.cityofhope.org/nopi/tourdehope or BRAG Spring Tune Up Century? Both are centuries. Never done a BRAG event. Tour De Hope is a good cause. Tour De Hope is in Hiram, closer to home and familiar territory. Tune Up is in Madison, further away and new roads. Know people doing the Tune Up. What to do, what to do...

What to do, what to do...
Don't stop by the bike shop today - my day off. And I'm on vacation all next week.
Look out St George Island, here I come. :D

Well, if I were there, I would be doing the whole BRAG weekend, including my ride down and back. That would be back-to-back centuries. Instead, I am working and the only 100 I am seeing is the temperature.

Whichever you chose, I hope you enjoyed it.

Tommy

Tommy, I did do the BRAG century. It was a nice ride, and a good route. One busy road, but it was probably for less than a mile, other than that, nice country roads and quaint small towns. Great support, nice volunteers and really gorgeous countryside. Lots of goats, cows, horses, and two buffalos! Today I did a short 3-Gap ride. Ouch.

Let's hope the weather clears up for the 3 State 3 Mountain Century this weekend...

For those of you that I don't have an email for:

I just added a few writings to my blog at the below link:
http://journals.aol.com/wolf1069/riyadh-assignment/ (http://journals.aol.com/wolf1069/riyadh-assignment/)

These cover a number of areas and my perceptions of living in Riyadh, so feel free to take a look and let me know what you think.

Tommy

Great read, Tommy! Sounds like an amazing place to VISIT.

It is an awesome experience. I have not gotten a chance to do any riding here since things are quite as accessible as I had hoped on that end. I still am debating what I want to do in regards to a bike. I can get a beater for a few hundred riyal, which translates to less than two hundred US. That would allow me to ride around the compound and get some general riding in and I would not feel bad just leaving it here.

If I can connect with the groups that go out to the desert, I would need a much better one, which I can get for about 3000 riyal (about 800 US). Then, I would want to ship it home, which could be quite expensive. The only thing is that I don't know how much use I would get out of it to justify the expense. Also, the better bike shop is not as easy to access.

Watch for more pictures later.

Tommy

Tommy, if you're going to be there for a year, couldn't you get one shipped to you from home? However, given your description of the traffic, I'm not sure we want you riding around the city and don't want to encourage it. I loved your description of traffic: "The smallest amount of time ever recorded probably is the amount of time between a traffic light turning green and Saudis blowing their horns. "

Be careful over there!

RonH invited (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=296157) me over to say hello.

We've got a garage full of bikes we haven't ridden since moving to Atlanta 6 years ago. Traffic here terrified me. Still does. Debbie will never ride on the roads here. A month ago, I decided I'd rather die on the road then from a heart attack and started riding again. That and I just missed cycling.

I've never been a racer, or even slightly fast but I used to be able to ride 50 hilly San Diego miles. In my current state of non-fitness I can manage about 6 easy Atlanta miles. I am getting stronger every day.

I commute to work 4 days a week. If I have time, I ride Sunday morning too.

If you see an idiot riding a green Trek (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=4410753&postcount=1810) on the sidewalks around Emory, that would be me. :o

Any good shops for used bikes? Someone on my floor is looking to get a bike. (I'd guess she is looking for a Hybrid) She needs full service and someone to fit her. So Craigslist / eBay isn't going to work.

Traffic here terrified me. Still does. Debbie will never ride on the roads here. A month ago, I decided I'd rather die on the road then from a heart attack and started riding again. That and I just missed cycling.

I commute to work 4 days a week. If I have time, I ride Sunday morning too.

If you see an idiot riding a green Trek (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=4410753&postcount=1810) on the sidewalks around Emory, that would be me. :o
Riding on the sidewalk??? Not a good idea.
Why not take an Effective Cycling class (http://www.atlantabike.org/ec.html) and learn how to safely navigate the streets of Atlanta?
You missed the April 14 class at Emory (taught by a BF member :beer: ) but there is one remaining class. The schedule says it's full, but if you call and beg (and maybe mention my name :rolleyes: ) you may get in. That class will be taught at the REI Atlanta store (along the NE Expressway between Clairmont Rd. and N. Druid Hills Rd.)
Call Patricia at CCTMA (http://www.slashforward.com/CCTMA/) (404-712-2415) to get a discount on the cost of the class.


BTW: I ride through the Emory campus on my way to work (Intown Bicycles (http://www.intownbicycles.com)) and on my way home. If you see some *old* (whatever that is :rolleyes: ) guy on black Jamis (see bike picture in my signature), that's me. ;)
Did you bring your bike to us for service recently? I've seen one or two green Trek bikes like yours in our shop lately.

Riding on the sidewalk??? Not a good idea.


All the stopping really slows me down too.

Between the way people drive here and the terrible roads, there are some spots that I'm not comfortable taking a lane. When we first moved here from San Diego I stayed off the sidewalks. I had near misses on every trip. The thought of meeting a wrong way car really unnerved me. I gave up and the bikes sat in the garage for years. Briarcliff/Clifton/Shepherds Lane intersection is one that I will never attempt again.




Why not take an Effective Cycling class (http://www.atlantabike.org/ec.html) and learn how to safely navigate the streets of Atlanta?


I've been thinking about it. I have a copy of Forester's book but I'm sure a class would help. I could have taken the class at Emory for free but it was full before I got around to signing up.



Did you bring your bike to us for service recently? I've seen one or two green Trek bikes like yours in our shop lately.
Wasn't me. If the tool is less than $100 I do it myself.