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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184 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.