# Summering in Atlanta; Where to Ride?



## ybgirnadnerb

Hello,

I currently live in Brooklyn but will be in Atlanta this summer for an internship. Is there a good park to ride in or a set of roads people tend to use? Up here, there's a park with a 3.1-mile, 3-lane paved road for bikes, pedestrians, and cars to share (closed to cars on weekends). Is there a similar park in Atlanta? I like to do relatively fast laps, so the prospect of sharing space with pedestrians is slightly unnerving. A dedicated bike lane would be best.

Also: is the heat really that bad? I'm thinking of commuting to work if my work has a shower. I've lived in Cairo (Egypt, not GA) before for a year, so I'm not terribly frightened of the heat. Just wondering if there are any consequences for bikers that I should take into account.

Thanks,

Brendan


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## chris1911

Silver Comet Trail


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## GA1911

Depending on the type of riding you like to do, the Silver Comet will be fine if you just like to take a casual ride, but you will need to beware of walkers the closer to town you are. For me, the best place to ride is Silk Sheets about 20 miles south of Atlanta. It is the country with great roads and you can put together loops anywhere from 25 to over 50 miles all on country roads. Any good bike shop in town can tell you how to get there.

Summer is not that bad, although I'm born and raised here. Mid to high 90's from June through September with fairly high humidity. It's the humidity that may get you.


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## bad gas

You might google bikesbl for southerbike league.


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## Alleywishes

There's also good riding in the Blue Ridge Mountains and I hear you can get up to 55 mph on some of the descents


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## lblanch40

Stone Mountain has, from what I understand, a loop like the one you ride in NY. I typically ride the Silver Comet on one of the weekend days. Once you get 10 miles out, not much of a problem with pedestrian traffic.


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## ybgirnadnerb

Thanks! I'm just hoping I won't have to ride less frequently than I already do. It's just so easy to go for a nice ride with a big park so close to me.


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## bad gas

Also, numerous LBS'es; many of which do group rides


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## ybgirnadnerb

Great idea. Once I figure out where I'm living, I'll be sure to find the nearest LBS!

What's the situation like for bikers in Atlanta? Ideally I'd like to commute by bike. I don't expect a leisurely ride, nor do I require bike lanes on my commute. I'll be working downtown (I think?) at 101 Marietta St.

I recognize the ride to work might be intense and sweaty. The building has a gym in which I intend to shower.

Is my vision of biking to work unrealistic and delusional?


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## bad gas

It would depend on your commute (both direction & distance). I am very familiar with the city, but no longer live there. The address you mentioned would be near five points in the downtown area. Decatur might be a good place to live with either biking or mass transit commutes (MARTA, and for you locals, no I'm not a fan of MARTA). Someone more intimately familiar with the downtown/intown area could be much more helpful. Earlier I mentioned Southern Bike League. Someone there might offer more specific advice.


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## iclypso

Summer in Atlanta? Best be cycling indoors, friend


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## HikenBike

Atlanta is huge with horrible traffic. Commuting would depend on where you end up living.

I recently lived on the east side towards Stone Mountain. Stone Mtn is good for doing loops without worrying about traffic and pedestrians. There is the main 3-mile loop, with a few offshoot options. There are some good rolling hills too.

Silver Comet is great. It's mostly flat, and has shade. This is on the west side of town. For cycling I recommend that you start at the Silver Comet bike shop. It's about 5 miles west from the trailhead where the families are walking and riding bikes. There are other parking lots along the trail to chose from. The first five miles will be cluttered with people, esp on Sat.

There are a lot of hardcore cyclist that ride every Sat morning from the AB brewery in Cartersville. It's outside of the urban sprawl. Cue sheets can be downloaded here: Beautiful Back Roads Century

If you want mountains, drive north to Dahlonega and ride the "Gaps". This is worth the trip. Cycle North Georgia.com - Routes, Races, and Cycling in the Mountains - Home

In the suburbs there are many LBS sponsored rides during the week.

Summers are HOT. So far, this year looks especially hot. I recommend starting your ride at sunrise.


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## ybgirnadnerb

Thanks for all the great information. You guys have been a great help. Maybe I'll see you on a ride this summer!


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## dave2pvd

OK, I am familiar with where you will be working. I also live not far from there.

It surprises a lot of people, but Atlanta has a very vibrant cycling scene.

You absolutely can ride to work. Just like so many GSU students every morning.

Someone recommend Decatur to you. Good choice. In fact, I would recommend looking anywhere along MARTA's East line. You'll have transit and good cycling routes. Neighborhoods would include 'the Parks': Grant, Inman, Candler, Ormewood. Also East Atlanta Village, Oakhurst, Lake Claire. Have a peruse of Creative Loafing's Neighborhood Guide. 

You could move to near Stone Mountain or the SCT, but beware: traffic! Living Intown means you typically move against traffic (the suburbs folks don't know this).


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## HikenBike

dave2pvd said:


> Someone recommend Decatur to you.Good choice.


I just moved from Decatur; loved it. Downtown Decatur has the best restaurants/food/beer per square block than anywhere in Atlanta. 

Keep in mind there is the City of Decatur (small area surrounding downtown) that is within Decatur (bigger area that includes Emory, CDC, and some rougher parts as you head south). The City of Decatur feels like a suburban bubble within the urban sprawl of the inner-loop. 

The property taxes for City of Decatur are much higher than the surrounding area, so your rent might be a bit higher. I don't know how it stacks up against downtown Atlanta price points.


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## Tucson_2011

I spent July and August there many years ago, just after the Olympics and part of the bike trails for the Mountain bike exhibition were still there then, but I don't know about now. I rented a nice GT mtn bike for the time I was there and used the MARTA to get from the hotel down on the Peachtree business district to a couple nicer places to ride up north, including Five Points. Stone Mountain was a blast. Ummm, it is [email protected] hot there in the summer, and I am from Arizona!


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## ybgirnadnerb

Excellent information, all of this. I'll be sure to keep it in mind as I start looking for housing. RIght now though, I must focus on upcoming final exams. And my new baby! (see attached photo).


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## BikeWNC

If you will have a car while in Atlanta, take the drive up into the mountains on the weekends. It will be cooler and the riding will be great. There are many event rides throughout the summer you can do to see different places, ride with others and get support if needed.


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## wooglin

My wife lives in Decatur. For local rides I ride out to Stone Mtn (20ish miles with a loop around the hill) and I also do the Little 5 Flyers Grant Park loop alot. Outback Bikes has been a pretty good shop for my needs. 

https://www.outback-bikes.com/images/grantpark.jpg

Edit, the Gwinnett Touring Club is an active local group. Don't let the name fool you. https://www.gtcbike.org/


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## RoadBoy1

Check with Free Flite Bicycles. They are possibly the largest LBS in the metro Atlanta area and they will have information on just about any type of ride you are looking for. Good luck and enjoy Atlanta!


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## wotnoshoeseh

ybgirnadnerb said:


> Excellent information, all of this. I'll be sure to keep it in mind as I start looking for housing. RIght now though, I must focus on upcoming final exams. And my new baby! (see attached photo).


Where did u get the orange bottle cages?


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## askmass

Welcome South Brendan.


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## Parrothead127

http://www.sadlebred.com/gamaps.html check this out. Great info for Atl area. Heat, hills and humidity, welcome to Ga!


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## svrider0021

New to road cycling. I live out in East Cobb if anyone wants to get together for a slow ride. I say slow because I am slow, lol.


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## Kennedy

chris1911 said:


> Silver Comet Trail


Only ride the Comet if you want to dodge moms, kids, dogs on leashes, dogs off leashes, roller bladers, power walkers, freds on flat bars, tri-dorks with no regard for their speed, just maintaining their VO2 max, thugs out to rob/rape you, the occasional horse and rider, moss, pine straw and birds. I think that covers it.

Give me the road any day.

+1 to checking out the group rides on sadlebred.com 
+1 to driving up to Dahlonega for some torture in the mountains.
+1 for the Brewery Rides in Cartersville
+1 for Silk Sheets.

All of these are (mostly) cyclist friendly and offer varying terrain.

If your circumstances don't allow you to drive, then riding out to Stone Mountain and riding loops around the park is a good option. there is a 5 mile and a 7 mile loop with some decent hills.


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