Hi All,
I'm new to the forum, and, was checking out a few threads when I noticed a few Atlanta members. This brought a question to mind. In 1996 - 1998 I visited Atlanta fairly often on trips to my company's corporate office. I don't recall seeing many cyclists, and, the traffic congestion has almost legendary status.

So, for you Atlanta cyclists, what is the state of commuting specifically, and, cycling in general? What is your experience with the drivers, and, the sheer number of vehicles? Also, for non-commute rides, where do you ride?

You're right! There aren't many commuters in the Atlanta area. The traffic is too crazy for most cyclists.
I commuted until 2-1/2 weeks ago. I get off work at 6 p.m. and have had a few close calls after dark on my 14 mile ride home. I guess Atlanta motorists have bad eyesight and couldn't see my 2 headlights and 3 taillights.
When the days get longer or I get a job with better hours I'll be commuting again.

As for riding, many folks like the Silver Comet trail, but it is too crowded for me.
There are lots of rides that leave from bike shops and many lone riders on training rides or out for exercise.
I prefer riding the roads and path to Stone Mountain Park. :thumbup:
I also do SBL group rides.
One I particularly like is with the Henry County Bicycle Club. They ride the back roads in Henry, Spaulding, and Fayette counties. Very quiet and peaceful and relatively carfree.

I have heard the Silver Comet Trail mentioned in rec.bicycles.ride, and, on the touring@phred email list. The traffic was mentioned as being quite heavy at times, and, in certain areas.

I had wondered if the area around Stone Mountain offered any quality riding. I often planned on playing golf at one of the courses there, when I was in town. However, scheduling always prevented my playing.

If you get far enough west the Silver Comet Trail isn't crowded. It goes all the way to the Alabama state line. "Go West young man." But I live on the east side of Atlanta and that would be a long drive for me.

The road around Stone Mountain (inner loop) is about 5 miles and has one lane closed to cars. Only cyclists, skaters, joggers, etc. are allowed! :thumbup: It has some great hills!!
The outer loop (goes by the golf course) is about 8-9 miles and has some very challenging hills.

Ron makes some good references to Stone Mountain Park. This is a great place to ride your bike, especially if you like hills. You can also canoe, golf, or just climb the darn thing.
And about 1 mile from the west gate, you can eat at a lovely German restaurant, run by a family that I have known for about 25 years (they started out as a natural bread bakery, and still sell great baked stuff, including cakes and pies.) I remember when their son, who is now their primary chef, was a little kid! Incidentally, he (Carl) lost 100 pounds running up Stone Mountain on a regular basis. :thumbup:

Anyway, now that my advertisement for my friends' establishment is over, back to the original question.

Atlanta is a mixed bag. On my commute from Stone Mountain to Atlanta, I pass through three cities (14 miles) and many neighborhoods. The history of these areas range from as old as 1890 to as late as 1980. Overall, Atlanta is a mixture of older cities and neighborhoods connected by auto-friendly arteries. The key is finding the quietest routes possible.

By the way, when passing though Candler Park and Inman Park neighborhoods (closest to Atlanta,) I see many commuting cyclists. In fact, I have met several and spoken with them. But I can only remember Henry's name.

That's true. A good friend of mine told me to take Peachtree in to the offices. I never found those damn offices!

Those areas don't sound familiar. I must not have been in the right areas to see the commuters. Hell, I didn't even know Atlanta had right areas for commuting!!

I've eaten there several times and the food is great!! :thumbup:

Unfortunately I commute from a close-in suburb (Decatur) to the distant suburbs. That's probably why I don't see many commuters.

Trying to find an office by travelling down Peachtree is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Let's see ... is that Peachtree Street, Peachtree Road, Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Industrial, West Peachtree, East Peachtree, etc. :confused: :confused:

Ron,

One of these days I will have to meet you!

C'mon down, set a spell!

Rent a bike, ride for fun. If you ever move down here (a great place to be,) do the research. If you like intown living, there are some beautiful neighborhoods that have been refurbished, within a couple of miles of downtown. There is something for everyone, even those who like to live waaaaaay out.

(Did you know Elton John lives in Atlanta? Of course, I don't know how much time he actually spends here. I'm sure I don't know where he lives. He should bike around a bit!)

Sounds like a great idea. :thumbup:
I ride to Stone Mountain Park every Sat/Sun as long as the temperature is above 40 degrees. Usually between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Except, this Sat I'm planning on doing the Peachtree City Christmas ride with the Henry County Bicycle Club and the group from Bicycles Unlimited. It is listed as a "social" ride with no tough hills. If you're interested send me a PM and I'll give you all the details.

Exactly!!!

Oh, I loved my business trips to Atlanta. One of my favorite evening "time-killers" was a trip to "something and Dave's" or "Dave and somethings". It was the restaurant/casino/mega-game room. Unfortunately, I didn't have anyone local guiding me to the really nice areas to see. I did go a few times to Buckhorn for dinner and whatever. It was VERY crowded, but, I had some fun there.

I did contemplate a move there at one time, however, my wife would not go for the size of the city and the congestion. Oh, another famous spot I visited was The Varisty. I took a year or two off of my life eating dinner there once.

Hey, you don't have to move here. Just have fun when you come!

Hey, your wife may have the right idea!

Ah yes, Dave and Buster's. Good food and good times.

There's one in Marietta (off I-75) and one in Duluth (off I-85 near the Gwinnett Mall).

That's the one I visited on occasion. I can't remember how good the food was, but, I'm relatively certain I had a good time.