Best place to bike
Donna Anderson of Acworth rides at the site of mile marker 0.0 on the Silver Comet Trail, on Sept. 27, 2009. Photo: Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com
YOUR PICKS
1) Silver Comet Trail
You say, “Silver Comet Trail. No cars, lots of miles to ride. There’s just something about riding a bike to another state and then back home.”
2) Stone Mountain PATH Trail
3) Chicopee Mountain Bike Trail
4) Blankets Creek Trail
5) Arabia Mountain Trail
OUR PICKS
1) Stone Mountain PATH Trail/Stone Mountain Park
We say, “Take the 17-mile trail from the Martin Luther King Center to Stone Mountain Park and once you get there, you can circle the mountain on a dedicated bike lane on Robert E. Lee Boulevard’s five-mile loop.”
2) Silver Comet Trail
3) Peachtree City
4) Georgia International Horse Park
5) Blankets Creek Trail
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© 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
183 comments Add your comment
M Lewis
November 2nd, 2009
3:06 pm
Silver Comet to Alabama
Mel
November 2nd, 2009
3:24 pm
I really enjoy the Silver Comet Trail
abby
November 2nd, 2009
3:53 pm
Bike all over town! No need to drive to a trail – if you’re uncomfortable with traffic, stick to the quieter streets. It takes a bit longer but is much more rewarding. So many of our intown neighborhoods are bike-friendly (Virginia Highlands, Midtown, Downtown, Inman Park, Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, Edgewood…. etc): you’ll even run into bike paths every so often. Stay well-lit, follow the traffic rules (i.e., don’t anger the car drivers), and be aware of your surroundings – you’d be surprised how bike-friendly Atlanta is.
Jeff
November 2nd, 2009
4:15 pm
In-town neighborhoods are great because many of the streets interconnect, so you don’t have to venture onto major arterial roads. Fall is a also wonderful time in these neighborhoods, with the mature trees in their autumn colors. The Atlanta-St. Mountain Path is a good way to get from Downtown Atlanta to Candler Park, Decatur, Avondale Estates, Scottdale, Clarkston, and the city of Stone Mountain. (http://www.pathfoundation.org/index.cfm?event=showADKTrail )
A great on-line tool is http://new.atltransit.com/ from Citizens for Progressive Transit. You can adjust your trip length, route topography, and roadway/facility type.
Girls ride road bikes!
November 2nd, 2009
4:24 pm
Men ride mountain bikes! Best mountain biking? Conyers International Horse Park/Olympic trails and Fort Yargo in Winder.
Scott
November 2nd, 2009
4:26 pm
Silver Comet-the farther out the less crowded. Also Little Willeo, Azalea, Riverside in Roswell. Lot’s of bikers so the motorists usually are cautious.
Tom
November 2nd, 2009
4:28 pm
Atlanta-Stone Mt. Trail is fantastic. It’s a nice ride from Downtown/Midtown/MLK all the way to Stone Mt. And Decature makes a nice place to stop for lunch.
Stay on the trail
November 2nd, 2009
4:35 pm
I have yet to run (not over yet) a cyclist that follows the rules of the road. Everyone I have come across peddles outside of the bike lanes (if there are any), runs through red lights, and loves to bike between the hours of 5pm and 7pm on the weekdays during rush hour. Nothing irritates an Atlanta driver more than doing 5 miles an hour on a back road home behind 6 cars and 8 behind him due to a tree hugging cyclist. Heaven forbid if two or more get together. They make Daytona racing look tame with their 2-4 wide peddling. No single file racing here. And for some reason they all look as if they are trying to win their own Tour de Atlanta. Really? Sorry, but the ATL and SURROUNDING burbs are not bike friendly on the roads. Especially on the back roads. They were designed for cars and buses. Not bikes. Use the trails. Of course I don’t walk the Silver Comet anymore because of the speedsters who think they own it. But I don’t care, as long as they stay off of the road.
abby
November 2nd, 2009
4:42 pm
@Jeff, thanks for the link to the trip planning tool! I hadn’t seen the new features – I only thought I had found the least-hilly way to work…
briBike
November 2nd, 2009
4:44 pm
I bike and think anyone on a road has a death wish. It does not matter where it is insane. Find a Path, as do I, and save yourself some bodily harm. Silver Comet is not that far, Alpharetta Greenway is nice-avoid peak family time, decatur to St. Mt trail, St. MT itself is nice.
Splavistic
November 2nd, 2009
4:46 pm
Yo, ’stay on the trail’ you’re a hypocritical (blank). You complain that we don’t ‘follow the rules’, yet you berate us for even being on the road in the first place. You have serious driver rage. You need to calm down before you have a heart attack. Why don’t you ride a bike and de-stress. BTW, I do not ride on the road because of wacko’s like you. I highly suggest all cyclists to ride on the sidewalk. It is muuuuch safer, and the ATL sidewalks are way underused. Just be courteous and give the peds the right of way. However, if you see this ‘Stay on the trail’ dolt, ride really slowly in front of him.
Share the road
November 2nd, 2009
4:48 pm
Stay on the trail – this is obviously not the place for you to make a comment. I hate to break it to you, but a bicycle has every much right to be on a road as you do. There are some great anti anxiety medications on the market. You should look into them. As for me, I don’t like to ride on the road because of people like that. I’m eagerly anticipating the opening of the new greenway in Forsyth and I enjoy the greenway in Roswell/Alpharetta. I also like to ride down on Riverside. This area really could use some more bike freindly roads.
abby
November 2nd, 2009
4:51 pm
It’s not legal to bike on the sidewalk, and the paths are nice for a weekend ride, but unfortunately don’t go to my office, or to most of the places I run errands, go out to eat, etc. Funny that people “love” to bike between the hours of 5 and 7pm … could they be commuting home from the office as well?
squirrelkiller
November 2nd, 2009
4:53 pm
Off-road riding is the best. Blankets Creek in Woodstock is the best Metro trail system.
Rebecca
November 2nd, 2009
4:55 pm
I love biking down Peachtree Street – it’s my absolute favorite place to ride. Lots of places to go, plenty to see and do, and enough people bike there that car drivers are aware of bicyclists, which makes it safer. But beyond that, I like riding in most parts of intown Atlanta – like Abby and Jeff said, it’s not perfect but better for biking than you might think.
Use the Trip Planner – it’s a fantastic resource – and check out http://www.atlantabike.org for other resources, including classes on how to bike safely and confidently on the streets, how to share the road safely and legally with cars, a ride calendar, etc.
0488
November 2nd, 2009
4:55 pm
I agree with stay on the trail. Cyclists need to stop at red lights and not weave through cars in order to get around them, especially on Peachtree Road. It causes concern for the cyclist and motorist. Simply following the rules could cause much less road rage.
Sandy Springs Cyclist
November 2nd, 2009
4:55 pm
The neighborhoods of Buckhead and Sandy Springs are a wonderful place to ride — very low traffic and lots of nice elevation change. Of course, you want to be sure not to be on the road when “Stay on the Trail” is trying to use my neighborhood roads to cut through to avoid sitting on the freeway. It’s hard to take anyone seriously that can’t spell (I pedAL, not peddle). Unfortunately, it is people like him: 1)ignorant of the law — bikes aren’t allowed on sidewalks, 2) in possession of a deadly weapon – his car, and 3) NOT in possession of any brains, patience or common sense, that make cycling and alternative forms of transportation so dangerous in the city.
reebok
November 2nd, 2009
5:01 pm
nothing in atlanta touches the silver comet trail for road riding…out-of-towners who cycle it are just blown away. for mountain biking, i like the sope creek cochran shoals area, but the trails are pretty limited. horse park is very nice.
Rebecca
November 2nd, 2009
5:02 pm
By the way, while it might seem sidewalks would be safer, they are in fact not! Tons of people have studied this, and your chance of being hit by a car is much lower in the street. I know, it’s very counterintuitive, but it’s true.
Sidewalks are engineered for people walking, not for vehicles. On the sidewalk, bicycles are less visible, which makes intersections and driveways more dangerous. Most crashes in urban and suburban areas occur at intersections, so anything that makes cars less likely to see you makes you more likely to get hit.
Take a class, be proactive, educate yourself, and be courteous but assertive, and you’ll live longer. Good video education called Cyclist’s Eye View here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFjCza5e1kw. Did you know cyclists can expect to add 10 years to their lives compared with non-active folks? And you can get places while you’re getting exercise – the ultimate in multitasking.
Lucas
November 2nd, 2009
5:05 pm
I bike to work. There’s dedicated bike lanes maybe 20% of the way, and I prefer it without. It’s often the best part of my day. Try it.
Road Biking is for Men
November 2nd, 2009
5:05 pm
Sorry, but I prefer off road. My fav, Bull Mountain, I leave things like Ft. Yargo to the Men! This girl takes her riding serious. If I have to get on the road, the 6 gaps of the north Ga mountains are the best place for a great ride.
anonymous coward
November 2nd, 2009
5:08 pm
I agree with the people that write saying that cyclists need to follow the rules of the road – stopping and red lights and stop signs and not weaving through cars stopped at an intersection. That being said, some of us ride on those suburban roads between 5pm-7pm because it’s legal for us to do so and that’s the only place for us to go. The greenways have speed limits on them of 10MPH, making cycling training impossible, plus it’s dangerous to pedestrians. I wear the brightest cyclist clothing possible so you can see me better, not because I want to be a TdF poseur.
Best suburban riding is the Roswell Bikes! route around Roswell. A little further out are the roads from Alpharetta out through N. Fulton, Cherokee, Forsyth and Pickens counties. Best route overall I’d have to say would be the 3-Gap or 6-Gaps route: GA 129/GA 60/GA180.
It’s really hard to balance traffic with people that just want to get home from a long day at work and cyclists riding as a group on some of the roads. Believe me most of the cyclists don’t want to cause aggravation and want to make it as easy as possible to get around us. That being said, it’s GA law for cyclists to ride on the road, not on the sidewalk and bicycles are considered under the same laws as motor vehicles. In other words, we ride to the right as safely as possible, but there are times when we will take the lane for safety, and that’s the law. All we ask is that you be patient and accept a minute or two delay in your drive home. At the same time, as a cyclist I accept my responsibility to obey the traffic laws and to cajole others that ride with me to do the same – and that’s what I do.
Got your spandex in a wad?
November 2nd, 2009
5:10 pm
Hey Spandex Cowboys. There wouldn’t be any trouble or complaints if you JA’s OBEYED the rules of the road. You idiots would get a better workout if you stopped and started at all the stop signs. Start following the laws and you’d see the complaints against bicylists go way down.
Tom
November 2nd, 2009
5:11 pm
Silver Comet Trail is excellent. Avoid the crowds and intersections and start at the Carter Road trailhead in Powder Springs if you are riding a road bike. After that, it is a very nice ride. I ride knowing that pedestrians have the right-of-way, and understand that I am not on the trail to record any personal bests that require blowing past walkers and whatever else I encounter.
Awayfromtraffic
November 2nd, 2009
5:14 pm
Go where it’s designed to be safe and away from traffic. Peachtree City has over 100 miles of paths to ride.
PJ
November 2nd, 2009
5:14 pm
I love Riverside Road area in Roswell. It is where I live and bike. However, as a cyclist and a driver, I can say that it is most irritating when cyclists don’t follow important rules of the road like stopping at red lights & stop signs. Just like cars that run red lights put everyone in danger, so do bikes. I see far more bikes breaking these laws than I do cars.
Paul
November 2nd, 2009
5:20 pm
Atlanta is remarkable in that it boasts terrific road and some real mountain biking that is close by.
Road:
North Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Chastain/Brookhaven is a great loop for in-town rides.
3 or 6 Gap out of Dahlonega is beautiful with some tough climbs.
Pick up Road Biking North Georgia at any LBS for other fantastic road rides.
Silver Comet – fine when I want to take the kids but always prefer the actual road.
Mountain:
Bull Mountain
Bear Creek or
Blanket’s Creek for close to town
Pick up Alex Nutt’s Off the Beaten Path at any LBS for other great mountain bike rides just an hour or so away.
Charlie
November 2nd, 2009
5:22 pm
Georgia should look into a bicycle law similar to the one in Colorado. It mandates a 3 foot buffer between motorized vehicles and cyclists but also mandates that cyclists must ride single file when near traffic. The road belongs to everyone you know.
David Milton
November 2nd, 2009
5:23 pm
On the right side of the road in a single file, not 4 abreast down busy streets with a smug self satisfied look on your face as you hold up car traffic and make it dangerous for everyone involved. PS I ride a bike to work, and used to ride DeKalb Ave to Georgia State back in the day, so no calling me cager.
steveh
November 2nd, 2009
5:26 pm
“Stay on the Trail” – As has already been pointed out, bikes have just as much right to the road as do automobiles. Bikes do not interfere with traffic, bikes are a PART of traffic.
Yes, cyclists ought to obey the laws of the road just as cars do. But if you want to ban cycling because some cyclists do not obey the laws, are you willing to apply that to cars as well? How many drivers out there obey the speed limits, come to complete stop at stop signs, etc.?
If everyone, in a car or on a bike, obeyed the simple traffic laws and treated one another with courtesy and respect, it would make the roads safer for all.
Tim
November 2nd, 2009
5:26 pm
Silver Comet Trail.
SouthernYankee
November 2nd, 2009
5:32 pm
I currently bike commute to work in Minneapolis, and am in the process of moving back to our house here in VaHi. This will help me plan my commute to/from the airport every day. And, it will help allay some of my wife’s concerns about the safety of biking in ATL.
Yes, there’s always at least one troll on any bike article comment page who paradoxically 1) wants us to follow the “rules of the road” while simultaneously 2) wants us off the streets. Well, here’s the problem with all that. If I follow the rules of the road, I GET THE ENTIRE LANE! At 18 miles an hour. (Which is probably faster that most ATL drivers get to go when they’re stuck in traffic.) I think I’m being pretty generous, staying to the right and giving you room to pass.
Also note that there has never been an instance where a bicyclist has caused an accident fatal to a driver. Sadly, there are way too many instances of the other way around. Sandy Springs is right, Troll. You are armed with a deadly weapon. Give it, and us, and other drivers, and pedestrians, the respect we all deserve by remembering that.
Bigz
November 2nd, 2009
5:33 pm
Cyclists have every right to be on the roads of Georgia. That being said, some roads are safer than others. Lightly traveled neighborhoods and some of the “country roads” around Atlanta are perfect. Even the Silver Comet Trail is fraught with obstacles like long-leash dog walkers and mobile flab road blocks of walker-talkers, two to four abreast, who refuse to stay to the left (and, of course, ragers like “SOTT- Stay on the Trail” above.)
SOTT is right about one thing, though. Single file cycling on busy “back roads” during rush hour is an absolute must. Me and my “Share the Road” tag have been detained many a time from an evening cycling ride by impassable clusters of my lycra-clad brethen. I get impatient and I ride. Imagine what the guy in the pickup with the twelve-pak gets. Livid.
Got your spandex in a wad?
November 2nd, 2009
5:34 pm
Some Cyclists? Hahaha! That’s a good one. There’s a 4 way stop sign in my neighborhood that I make a left at everyday after work. The bikes NEVER stop there. I’ve witnessed many times a bike flying past multiple cars at the stop sign (going in the same direction as the biker) and blow through it. I had a Spandex Cowboy give me the bird because I was blocking him from blowing through the stop sign. I drive a junky truck… it wouldn’t bother me in the least if the JA’s ran into me as I’m making my left hand turn… LEGALLY.
Got your spandex in a wad?
November 2nd, 2009
5:37 pm
Stay in Minny Southern Puke
Mongose
November 2nd, 2009
5:42 pm
Everytime I see DOT working on or creating a new road I say a prayer they will include at least a 4′ wide bike lane on each side. Ain’t gonna happen in my life time. The widening on GA20 in Forsyth’Gwinnett would be a perfect bike route addition. Ain’t gonna happen.I can’t see driving 50mi just to ride my bikes on the Silver Comet. I stick to the MB trails unless I’m visiting Maryland. They have miles of “snow emergency lane” routes about 8′ wide. Man do I love to visit Maryland with my road bike. 30 mile route on 8′ wide bike lanes. Is that heaven or what.
Stumpjumper
November 2nd, 2009
5:45 pm
Blankets Creek. Absolutely the most fun you can have on a mountain bike in the metro area. SORBA Woodstock rocks!
Tom West
November 2nd, 2009
5:57 pm
The Silver Comet Trail in Paulding County
Love Trails
November 2nd, 2009
6:00 pm
There are so many great mountain bike trails within an hour of the city limits. Today I rode Dauset Trails Nature Center. I was the only one on the trails. It was so quiet and peaceful. There are great trails nearby for all skill levels. Check out singletracks.com for a listing and description.
Les
November 2nd, 2009
6:03 pm
The city of Decatur is a good place to ride a bicycle.
Les
November 2nd, 2009
6:06 pm
Avondale Estates is the absolute worst place to ride a bicycle. City officials and the Avondale Police do not like cyclists. If they spot a cyclist on the street, they will either pull them over, follow them and look for an opportunity to write a citation, or issue them a warning – just for being in their town. They also have police traps for cyclists… and tickets start in the hundreds of dollars.
gttim
November 2nd, 2009
6:09 pm
Everytime I ride on the road I have to deal with motorists who run red lights, blow through stop signs, swerve all over the road trying to pass other motorists, and are so busy texting or talking on the phone that they cannot drive safely or legally! And is there a single motorist who actually follows the speed limit? I have yet to see one!
BTW, roads existed before cars. When cars started driving on them at high speed, they had to be fitted with red lights, stop signs and such nonsense They were not needed before. Pedestrians, horses and bikes could all exist safely without them. They are there because cars are inherently unsafe. So I hate to break it to you, I jaywalk, I roll through stop signs if they way is clear and I proceed through red lights after a stop if the way is clear. I am not going to hurt anybody, run anybody over or slam into a building. Many states even have laws now saying “yield at a stop sign and proceed when clear after a stop at a red light.”
And remember, 2 abreast is state law. If a car approaches from behind, we usually go single file as a courtesy, unless there are 2 lanes in our direction or it is a straight flat road with no oncoming traffic. If we are not impeeding your travel, we do not, however.
Dog Boy
November 2nd, 2009
6:23 pm
Take the PATH from the city out to Stone Mountain Park and do laps around the mountain.
Riding in the in-town neighborhoods is nice since the speed of traffic is close to bike speed.
lil'b
November 2nd, 2009
6:26 pm
I really enjoy railing the corners on 285
Wendy
November 2nd, 2009
6:26 pm
If you like flat roads, runners, dogs, strollers, rollerbladers and kids on tricycles, then the Silver Comet Trail is for you. The really nice riding is in the North Georgia Mountains where the roads are challenging, the drivers are courteous and the scenery is amazing.
RealDawg
November 2nd, 2009
6:31 pm
MT Bike…Conyers International Horse Park.
David
November 2nd, 2009
6:56 pm
The best place to ride is at Stone Mountain Park. It is hilly but the scenery can’t be beat. Some days I commute from Stone Mountain to downtown Atlanta and. If you are squeamish about mingling with vehicles, city streets might not be good for you. Otherwise, it is great.
I have been commuting that way for about four years.
I use various routes to get home, but I usually stick to the same route in to work. To get home, I might go north on Peachtree Street, east on 10th street and then I’ll wind my way through Virginia Highlands towards Stone Mtn. Another route that I’ll use is north on Peachtree Street and then east on Roxboro Road. Most times I’ll go east through Little Five Points by way of Euclid and McLendon avenues. The last route seems to be the most peaceful. I stop at every single stop light and stop sign. It sure does give a better workout. It’s not so nice when you are sucking in exhaust fumes though.
I have only been involved in an accident once when I was hit by a vehicle that turned left as I was going down a hill and through a green light at 32 mph . The driver not only misjudged my speed, she was talking on a cellphone and swerved in front of another vehicle to make the turn at the last minute. I have seen a motorcyclist suffer the same fate in Decatur. Those things happen whether you are in a car, riding a motorcycle or riding a bicycle. No form of transportation is totally safe. It’s just that a cyclist or motorcyclist has a greater chance of dying. I accept those risks for the potential benefits. I also try to mitigate those risks by paying attention and riding predictably.
I have no choice but to ride during rush hour because traffic is already terrible and it makes no sense to add my vehicle to the mess. Atlanta seems to have endless traffic anyway.
It takes me almost the same amount of time to ride home as it does to drive. By commuting I combine my commute with my exercise and save some time in the process. I have also been able to explore more of the local neighborhoods and I don’t have to worry about parking if I want to stop somewhere. I also feel very relaxed after the ride to and from work. It sure does help after sitting at a desk for most of the day.
GoRideAtlanta
November 2nd, 2009
6:59 pm
Hey “Got your spandex in a wad?”. This is a cycling forum and not the place to display your jealousy of others that are fit enough to actually fit in spandex! It doesn’t surprise me that you drive a junky truck – as you said yourself. In my estimation, that might be due to the fact that you appear very dim, and probably do not have a good enough job to afford a nice truck! Quit being ignorant and respect other people and their healthy hobbies. Cyclists have rights of the road – every bit as much as you and your crappy truck. However, I do not condone blowing through stop signs, and I agree with that frustration of yours, as it is wrong.
David Milton
November 2nd, 2009
7:16 pm
Lance Berkman drives a 20 year old crappy truck. He plays 1B for the Houston Astros. Not everyone needs a leased BMW or a $6,000 Italian bicycle made of composite parts and $3000 worth of “fancy pants” to feel whole. The bike scene downtown is semi-hostile, and I know what group I think is to blame for that. Again, I’ve ridden bikes in downtown Atlanta longer than most of you transplants have even lived here, so, yeah, I know what I’m talking about.
Old Biker
November 2nd, 2009
7:29 pm
It’s a good ways from Atlanta, but for folks who like to ride country roads the area around Rutledge, Hard Labor Creek State Park, Bostwick, Fair Play, etc. has some nice rolling hills, pretty scenery, very little traffic, and a nice little lunch place in downtown Rutledge (The Caboose). Also, a little closer to Atlanta, Arabia Mountain (near Stonecrest Mall) has a pretty nice trail.
DEA
November 2nd, 2009
7:30 pm
Silver Comet is definitely very nice. Riverside Road in Roswell, as well as Azalea are very nice as well. The gaps are great (I love Wolf Pen Gap when I have a day to drive up there (2.5 hours each way for me)).
If you want to go flat and fast, try the 5 mile loop at Columns–it’s basically flat, relatively controlled traffic, and a great place to do a workout, especially if you’re training for a TRI (I’ve been riding there for 8 years). Also, you have hills on the sides (bluffs) that you can use for some hill work, as well as nearby Johnson Ferry (if you’re brave)–although, as I recall, a cyclist was killed there about 6 years ago, so be careful.
Joe
November 2nd, 2009
7:30 pm
Silver Comet is for rookies and novices. Go to the area known as Silk Sheets, Ga 154 & 166 in south Fulton Co. You can ride ten or a hundred and ten miles.
Hulman Moody
November 2nd, 2009
9:10 pm
Atlanta is years behind in cycling….I have been to many states, cities and towns…in my professional life i work for a major auto racing team…when we travel – we ride most anytime we can…sometimes with a well-known driver….there are good cities and bad…Atlanta is below bad…cars dont think they have to stop at a stop-sign when they are opposing a bike instead of a car…wanna be gangsters drive you off the road…and rednecks do the same…terrible….just read some of the comments in this forum…that should give you an idea of the environment…and yes I was born and raised here…unless you have been elsehere…you will not realize how bad it is….
M. Rankin
November 2nd, 2009
9:28 pm
Hey David Milton…hooray for lance berkman….baseball is still as boring as watchning paint dry….
Suwanee Creek
November 2nd, 2009
10:19 pm
I ride on Suwanee Creek Greenway/George Pierce Park almost every day up by exit 111 on 85..
That girl that I see sometimes, the one with the turquoise bike, on this forum? Would love to ride with you!
gttim
November 2nd, 2009
10:36 pm
For those cyclist hating drivers:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7096535
Watch a doctor get taken away to jail for assault on cyclists with his car. Happened today. The LA Doctor Road Rage Trial.
Splavistic
November 2nd, 2009
11:08 pm
Really LOL to hear the ‘angry drivers’ talk about the bikers not following the rules. How many of you roll through stop signs, use a cell phone, or freaking TEXT while driving? Also, you nuts are drinking at night and then getting behind the wheel. I know a LOT of you do it, so don’t say otherwise.
Splavistic
November 2nd, 2009
11:10 pm
And, I don’t care if it’s illegal, riding on the sidewalks is the SAFEST thing for a biker in ATL. You have to be careful at intersections, but that’s just part of the urban biking skill. I have passed MANY police officers over the past two decades of riding this way and not a single one has ever even looked twice.
Splavistic
November 2nd, 2009
11:18 pm
Need proof? Just look at Ralph’s comment above.
Bob Powell
November 2nd, 2009
11:21 pm
Though I grew up in Atlanta, I have lived in Southern California since I graduated from Ga Tech in 1971 and moved to San Diego. Some regions have more of a cycling culture than others. California is generally good for cycling. I ride almost everyday for exercise. One thing that is very helpful here is that the cities have constructed many of the roads wide enough to provide 3-4 foot wide bike lanes. The networks of these lanes are exensive enough that I can get in a wide variety of 15-35 mile rides in my city and several ajoining cities. Though a 3 inch wide paint stripe will not save you if a car driver makes a mistake, I feel much more confident when I can bike on a street with a bike lane. The bike lane allows cars to pass unimpeded and I can go as fast or slow as I want.
I would suggest biking advocates try to influence local governments to provide such lanes when new road construction or widening of existing roads occur. The people who developed the the city master plans here in Thousand Oaks/Agoura/SimiValley/Westlake Village California were forward thinking enough to do that here to the benefit of me and others who enjoy the cycling. All cities need to embrace these approaches.
Paul
November 2nd, 2009
11:29 pm
“Ralph” – you are sounding mighty intelligent there! Crawl back under your rock and stay there.
Have any of you morons thought that us cyclists out there are parents, doctors, lawyers, teachers, small business owners, and a large part of the tax paying base?!!! These are humans out there for god’s sake. Think about what you are doing! There are cyclists and motorcycles everywhere on the road, doing what we have every legal right to do,
Concerned Decatur Driver
November 2nd, 2009
11:29 pm
Has anyone conducted a traffic study to see how often bike riders cause accidents between cars? I regularly see near misses on the roadway as drivers make sudden lane changes to avoid bikers going 12 miles an hour down a 40-mile-per-hour road.
Bikers create additional hazards by whizzing through stop signs and street lights, dangerously slipping in between lanes of traffic, and showing up alongside cars with no warning and little more than a few inches of buffer space.
I consider myself to be a very progressive person otherwise, but I feel as though drivers aren’t allowed to speak openly about the hazards of road sharing policies in polite company. This very important safety issue gets swept under the rug because it’s considered politically incorrect to criticize the status quo.
paulaatl
November 2nd, 2009
11:31 pm
I ride a bike a lot but I also drive a car (more than I wish). I understand motorist frustration with bikers that seem to hog the road and I have been behind a few cyclists myself that appear to take advantage. However, I will take over a lane on the bike when on a dangerous curve or hill because not doing so puts me in real danger of being run over.
We need better communications between motorists and cyclists; something beyond “Share the Road”. The issues appear simple on the surface to either side but really are rather complex.
Motorists are trying to get home; and bikers are out after work trying to put the day behind them by
getting a good workout. There should be a way for everyone to win and wider lanes that accomodate cars and bikes is a good answer.
Sandy Springs Cyclist
November 2nd, 2009
11:52 pm
There are bad cyclists. There are bad drivers. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say the number of bad drivers is exponentially larger than the number of bad cyclists. And as many have pointed out, bad cyclists rarely kill or maim others with our16-20lb “weapons”.
@Concerned Decatur Driver – I agree there needs to be dialog about road sharing policies, but the attitude of condemning all cyclist because ’some’ are bad and create a hazard is ludicrous. I ride quite a bit. I drive a lot, usually on the same intown roads. I’ve never been held up for more than 2-3 minutes at the MOST by a cyclist. It’s just not that big of a deal. For those of you that are so outraged by a cyclist running a stop sign, do you automatically hate everyone in a car because of the person that cut you off on the freeway? Is your time so valuable that you relish the thought other human beings being killed (@Ralph) because you were slowed down for a few minutes??
By the logic of some of the people on this blog, it should also be okay to blow through school zones (oh wait, you already do!), and bowl over children and crossing guards because it slows down your commute.
I’m a wife, mother, girl scout leader, and possibly your co-worker who happens to like riding my bike. I’m legally allowed to do so, I obey the rules and I do everything in my power to ensure that I return from my rides safely. I may hold you up for a few seconds. You’ve probably done the same to me as you texted at a stoplight, or slowed down to answer your cellphone cutting through my neighborhood. The difference is that I don’t think you should be banned from the roads for your transgressions, nor do I think you deserve to be killed.
Bill
November 3rd, 2009
12:01 am
I agree with the guy who wants to stay off the roads as much as possible. I love my bike and ride it a lot. But I don’t trust anybody in a motor vehicle. When I was a runner I could at least run facing traffic with a chance to evade careless or malicious drivers. But can’t do that on a bike. No, I find places I can workout with no or little traffic.
Bill
November 3rd, 2009
12:08 am
Well, I found such a place on account of my work. I live in a SE Asian nation now where there is no lack of dirt roads, trails and cowpaths. Where there is traffic, it’s unbelievably insane. No one’s ever heard of traffic laws. Cops are in business for themselves, not for safety on the roads. But with so many other places to ride where the only traffic is people on foot, a few motorcycles, some bikes, cows and water buffalo, a good ride is almost guaranteed.
jay
November 3rd, 2009
1:17 am
No matter what rules I break on my bike I guarantee you I am more aware of my surroundings at all times than the 60 percent of drivers I see speaking on cell phones. The bike lanes in Atlanta are a joke, they are laden with glass and there are grates every 20 feet. I feel more safe on roads without them because it forces drivers to be more aware and roads tend to be more clean. I run red lights because I often come close to being taken out by a car turning right at lights due to the fact they don’t realize how fast 15 or 20 mph might be and wrongly judge the fact they can turn before I get to a crossing and the breaks on my bike don’t instantaneously stop my motion.
David
November 3rd, 2009
1:52 am
Silver Comet, Grant Park Zoo, Inman Park, Jester’s Creek Trail from Jonesboro to Morrow, bike trail from Stonecrest Mall to Panola Mountain. Southlake Mall area, all around Morrow area and Clayton State College, Forest Parkway from Jonesboro Road west to the libray in Forest Parks and beyond to the air freight offices on Aviation Boulevard, Ellenwood area around Panola/Fairview road intersection. Nice ride from Tara Schwinn through Jonesboro up Jester’s creek trail and along Forest Parkway to the Aviation Boulevard area where you can hook up your bike to C Tran and then catch a Marta rail northbound to town. Got a nice Nishiki mountain bike but would like to find my blue Mongoose Crossway stolen from my home in Morrow a year ago.
Mike
November 3rd, 2009
2:19 am
Honestly, riding in Atlanta is fairly easy despite the poor state of cycling infrastructure. I used to commute from Smyrna to Marietta daily, and had several instances of being run off the road, yelled at, etc. I have had barely any problems since I moved to Midtown and, as Rebecca said, riding up Peachtree Street is great!
Having said that, I’d like to make a few points. First, many of use ride for TRANSPORTATION. Sure, it’s fun and you get a slight cardio boost, but I’m really just getting from point A to point B. Second, I wish the guy talking about riding on sidewalks would stop. This is misinformation, and besides the aforementioned safety and legal issues, it’s just plain rude to pedestrians who already have a really tough time in Atlanta (my only altercation with a car in Atlanta was in a crosswalk). Finally, I have to ask: why are so many motorists angry towards cyclists? Aside from slowing you down for maybe 7-8 seconds and making you more aware at intersections, what is the problem? Would it be better if we were driving, alone, and contributing to Atlanta traffic? Bicycles don’t tear up the roadway, don’t emit any gases, don’t take away from the oil supply (and thus keep prices lower), and our improved health keeps health care costs down. Actually, each of those issues cost billions of tax dollars because of car dependence, so why don’t motorists just “get off the road”. We’d all be better off.
Scott
November 3rd, 2009
6:36 am
Upon reading through the comments above it should be clear that what Georgia needs is a state-wide ‘Sharing the Road’ PSA program aimed at cyclists and motorists alike (and for GA to include the bicycle related laws in the drivers handbook AND to address ‘Sharing the Road’ in drivers ed).
GA Bicycle Safety Laws
http://www.gohs.state.ga.us/gabikelaws.html
Steve
November 3rd, 2009
6:37 am
I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned Stone Mountain! It is a great combination of terrain for a good workout and safety around.
Daryl
November 3rd, 2009
8:17 am
I do 95% of my riding on the Comet Trail. This doesn’t help me much when it comes to organized rides that have hill though.
Leeboat
November 3rd, 2009
8:20 am
Idaho got it right. http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title49/T49CH7SECT49-720.htm
We need the same laws in Georgia!
Clincher
November 3rd, 2009
8:31 am
I agree with other posters. Intown Atlanta is a great place to ride. As long as you stay off the major streets it is plesant and safe. Most motorists are even starting to expect you to be there. Intown Atlanta is also more interesting than a trail because you get to people watch, stop off and get a snack, shop or go to a library. More fun. If more people would ride it would be even safer! Come on everybody and get out there on your bikes!
Charles
November 3rd, 2009
9:05 am
Motorists and cyclists alike need to read GA Code 40-6, as Scott as provided a link. It’s a shame that the comments posted herein are emotional–not factual– and from those who have not taken the time to educate themselves on the issue.
I am an avid cyclist, both on road and mountain, and I have a drivers license which requires that I know the laws governing the road. Sure we can add bike lanes and such, but that won’t solve some of the issues (cyclists running red lights, riding 4 abreast, cars cutting off cyclists, motorists yelling to ride on the sidewalk, etc).
On the topic of best place to ride in Atlanta: SOPE CREEK trail system at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area! http://www.sopecreektrails.com. The trails are maintained by SORBA (www.sorba.org) in partnership with the National Park Service and we’re in the middle of a massive trail rehabilitation plan to be completed in 2010.
Stephanie
November 3rd, 2009
12:04 pm
I think its a great way to get a good work out in, but I agree with others, STOP RIDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. it makes me terrified I will hit you, & usually LATE for work because I am unable to pass you. geesh.
Paul
November 3rd, 2009
12:23 pm
Stephanie. Given the 20-30 seconds it takes for it to be safe for you to pass, you were already late for work. Take a deep breath, the chicken nuggets can wait.
Seriously, if you hit someone – they will probably be killed or seriously injured. And that would be the end of any future you may have.
Charlie
November 3rd, 2009
12:25 pm
Imagine this. In the mountains of Colorado cyclists can ride on some parts of the interstates.
atlin83
November 3rd, 2009
12:34 pm
In the streets, not on the sidewalk! As a cyclist – recreational and for personal transportation – I know that it’s illegal to ride on the sidewalk in the City (per the City of Atlanta ordinances), and that you encounter far more obstacles and hazards on the sidewalk. As a pedestrian, I know exactly how dangerous it is when discourteous bikers nearly mow me down because they can’t be bothered to follow the laws. Ride in the street – follow the law.
Bajaboy
November 3rd, 2009
12:34 pm
Biking can change your life. My best girl friend used to be a streetwalker, but she got a bike and now she peddles it all over town.
People Pleaser
November 3rd, 2009
1:18 pm
The best place for you to bike is OFF THE FREAKIN’ ROAD! You idiots need to stay off the busy streets at rush hour – riding where there’s no shoulder in your little pastel spandex thingies – are you kiddin’ me or what? Get a real bike (i.e. motorcycle) or go play with your Schwinn in the park.
Tigerfan
November 3rd, 2009
1:20 pm
Silver Comet Trail. No cars, lot’s of miles to ride. There’s just something about riding a bike to another state and then back home.
David Milton
November 3rd, 2009
1:21 pm
Even the picture for this article is jacked up… looked at the overdressed wannabe weekend warriors taking up the whole lane. Bicycles like to get smug and block the whole lane so they can flaunt how progressive they are and how much you suck for being in a car, even though all but the most poor fixie hippies have and use cars. The solution is not something idiotic like Critical Mass, it’s to simply add sidewalks and bike lanes everywhere as a rider to all road construction projects and to retrofit popular routes with lanes and paths. With the money the rednecks at the DOT spend on roads, this should be trivial. Cars and bikes should not mix when possible. Riding a bike is cake, I can go anywhere within ~10 miles or so with my sidebags with no problems but there is no doubt that bike paths and lanes are safer and make cycling that much easier and stress free.
Joe
November 3rd, 2009
1:33 pm
I don’t want to have to try to FIND a place to ride. Rather, I want to be able to ride my bike from my house to the park, the store, for lunch, run errands, meet friends or go to work. I don’t want to put my bike on my car rack and DRIVE somewhere to go for a ride. I want it to be SAFE for my kids to ride their bike to school, like I could do in the 60’s and 70’s. Bicycles are vehicles. The City of Atlanta’s Connect Atlanta plan has details of designating routes and making it safer and convenient to ride: http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/
Just in case people comment: I actually see motorized vehicles violating the laws every day! We’re all people out there – regardless of the mode of transportation we choose. Just when you aren’t surrounded by a ton of metal, you’re more able to smile at one another, nod, wave and/or smell the roses along the way.
Ray LaHood, (Republican) The US Secretary of Transportation summed it up best:“Don’t pit one mode of transportation against another” and talk about “Multi-Modal Mobility”.
Iron Dawg
November 3rd, 2009
1:35 pm
Uh…just to let you know Splavistic, it isn’t legal to ride a bike on sidewalks in the state of Georgia (or many other states for that matter).
And to the ever brillant “Stay on the trails”, oh that you would have an IQ of more than 45…if you know anyone in your family that can read, have them try to explain the rules of the road to you – and maybe a history lesson. How did you pass the drivers test? Does one of your relatives work at the drivers license testing facility? Roads, with the exception of the Interstate System, are for “travel” not specifically “vehicles”.
David
November 3rd, 2009
1:44 pm
Ga leads the nation in pedestrian fatalities. I wonder where bike riders rate in Ga?
Motorist do not like bike riders in Ga. The people who built the roads did not include bicycle lanes.
Who are we kidding? Ga is dangerous for riders. I ought to know, I spent a month in the hospital.
Robert Olson
November 3rd, 2009
1:45 pm
My favorite place to bike? Between work and home. No parking fees, no gas costs, and no insurance/repair expenses associated with a second car. And no, I don’t feel the first bit remorseful about riding in the middle of the lane, even if it slows some other people down by a few seconds. It’s the safest thing for both of us. Bikes don’t belong on the sidewalk, and if I ride too far to the right it just makes you think there’s room to pass when there simply is not. I’d happily ride in a bike lane if it existed, but in the three miles between my house and my office, there is not a single inch of bike lane.
If you’re really that angry about bikes being in the road, get involved to help improve the bicycle infrastructure in this city. It’s dismal.
Iron Dawg
November 3rd, 2009
1:53 pm
I like to bike on the roads where “stay on the trails” drives as it really ticks her off that other people have lives and aren’t as fat and overweight as she is.
Iron Dawg
November 3rd, 2009
2:01 pm
“Got your spandex in a wad” is correct, all the motorist in Atlanta follow every rule of the road, never speed or throw their cigarette butts out the window…just model citizens and she will wake up one day from her dream world. Yes cyclist should follow the rules of the road just like everyone else should. Yet motorist rarely even know the rules so they can begin to follow them. Neither is good but ignorance isn’t the high road.
Folks, please.
November 3rd, 2009
2:03 pm
Stephanie et al, don’t take offense but, is it possible your are late because you don’t give yourself enough time to get to work? Going through life expecting other people to change their lives to suit yours just isn’t going to happen.
Why do cyclist ride ‘off the curb’? Because it’s safer. It’s nothing personal to the other vehicles. It’s just plain old self preservation. There are road grates out there that send cyclists over their handle bars, there are people who would pass when it’s not safe to do so (try to give 3 feet between your car and the cyclist), there are tree branches and signs that hang out into the roadway, there is broken glass and debris in the gutter, there are car doors that open without warning., They need room to maneuver.
Thank you to the majority of motorists out there who are considerate of other peoples rights and well-being. Every cyclist out there is a Mother, or Father, or Son, or Daughter, or Brother, or Sister, and a human being.
Iron Dawg
November 3rd, 2009
2:13 pm
Don’t you just love people like “Concerned Decatur Driver”? She says the cyclist are causing problems because they are going 12 MPH on a 40 MPH road. How many roads in GA have a 40 MPH MINIMUM? 40 MPH is the MAXIMUM you are supposed to be traveling and 12 MPH is (now I know this is difficult) actually under the speed limit which means it is legal. Actually, driving 40 MPH on that road may be breaking the law as you are only supposed to go the limit if conditions are perfect (and of course you don’t have to slow down for a pedistrian or cyclist, both of which have every bit of right to be there as you do). Oh, how so many of the posters here believe that the world is supposed to revolve around that small space called their head.
JohnF
November 3rd, 2009
2:15 pm
Silver Comet trail is ok once you get a ways from the marietta start (with all the walkers pushing baby strollers) but it gets old after awhile. The Capital City Country Club/Silver Lake area in Brookhaven is popular with cyclists as well as runners. I personally ride all over Atlanta but do a lot of riding in the northwest/inside 285 area (mt. Paran road, Northside, etc). Traffic is usually pretty light except during rush hour. I also often take Dekalb Avenue to Ponce all the way out to Stone Mountain. The park often restricts one lane just for cyclists.
Jenn
November 3rd, 2009
2:27 pm
The Georgia International Horse Park’s mountain bike trails in Conyers are challenging!
Ben
November 3rd, 2009
2:37 pm
I really love the cyclists who ride on Dekalb Avenue when there is a dedicated bike path 10 feet away! Idiots.
Matt
November 3rd, 2009
2:39 pm
My votes are for the Silver Comet as well. (Hopefully the trail near Hiram will be reopened soon) and Arabia Mountain trail from Stonecrest Mall area to Panola Mountain park, but it’s much more hilly than the Comet so you get a work out in an even shorter time!
scofflaw cyclist
November 3rd, 2009
2:42 pm
What I find truly revealing about the mindset of the anti-bicycling contingent is their obsession w/ the fact that we tend to not come to a complete stop at stop signs–are we violating some kind of moral imperative? I will continue to go through stop lights and stop signs when it is safe to do so; it doesn’t slow motorists down. Deep down they are resentful and jealous. As far as riding during rush hour–if my destination is under 20 miles, I can get there faster on a bike than I can driving. If you’re a smoker, you have exhibited such a low degree of intelligence already that I would refrain from posting.
durden
November 3rd, 2009
2:47 pm
Tribble Mill Park in Gwinnett can get crowded sometimes but has a nice mix of paved and unpaved trails.
Eradicate Spandex Cowboys
November 3rd, 2009
2:48 pm
The problem “scofflaw” is that you don’t know when it’s safe to blow through the stop sign.
Big Jon
November 3rd, 2009
2:53 pm
Trails sux. ride intown it is great , I just finished a 20 route in the city that included the highlands , piedmont park, downtown , east atlanta and back to Highlands. it was great. stopped at 2 coffee shops had a great time.
scofflaw cyclist
November 3rd, 2009
2:57 pm
“Eradicate Spandex Cowboys”–yeah–it’s really complicated to determine when it’s safe to “blow” through a stop sign; I wake up, open my previously closed eyes, look to my right, then to my left, and then to the right again. After I make it through the intersection, I close my eyes again and go back to sleep.