Best Of 2014

To learn more about cycling and what you may do to make our city more bike friendly, please visit the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.

On The PATH: A Ride With Ryatt

Who thought having fun could be so...important? TEDxPeachtree did when giving its stage to Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons Captain Chantelle Rytter. We have her to thank for our lantern parades, among other things. Now she is taking her infectious brand of happiness down the road Sunday when the College Hill Alliance hosts its first Santa Bikes Macon for the 2014 Middle Georgia Christmas Parade.

A Sunday Ride In Piedmont Park

November's bout with the polar vortex is but a memory. Atlantans turned out in numbers on a balmy winter afternoon, giving me two portraits by Lake Clara Meer. Indeed, I had no more than turned from this encounter when another appeared. Such are the pressures of sartorial salutes. My usual, happy-go-lucky schedule has been preempted for December by our household move to Decatur. Exciting times, indeed, but they come with high stacks of boxes and miles of bubble wrap and tape. 'Tis an all consuming chore to organize and condense our belongings, yet the blogging will continue, albeit less frequently. Please know that I remain grateful for every pose and page view.
Cameron

In Grant Park: A Visitor From Berlin

What better way to show your mother Atlanta than by bicycle?

Bike Stylish

Inspiring you to ditch your car & Bike Stylish, Colorado bloggers Jeanne Eisenhaure and Tanya Dueri know the value of collaboration in their advocacy for cycling. Their offer to share with a wider audience what we are doing in Atlanta proved irresistible and became this re-posting of Roll Model Ann Shen.

Roll Model: Shayna Pollock

I try to use my bicycle to understand Atlanta. A passionate urban planner, I’m obsessed with the way cities live, work, and breathe. Riding on two wheels enables me to notice the off the beaten path buildings, the bustling neighborhood parks, and the tiny details of this city that give it character. Of course, I also notice the pot holes, the construction plates and Atlanta’s oft-bizarre street grid. However, I feel certain I wouldn’t see and experience the city the same way if I was a car driver speeding through.

I ride Linus, my early 1980s red road bike, everywhere. As my mom says, “Shayna and Linus have a thing.” We really do. I bought him at a used bicycle shop in Athens during college, and we’ve been inseparable (other than a stint abroad) ever since. He’s my primary mode of transportation and my permanent adventure buddy.

About 2.5 years ago, I left the US for a while and lived in the Netherlands (and a couple of other places). There, bicycling culture is so different. It’s the norm to cycle everywhere, and the pace of city cycling is much more leisurely. Since I didn’t even know anyone with a car there, I had to depend on my little Dutch bike to get me everywhere, even when I had huge items (see: campfire wood, an entire box of bananas, and a rolling duffel). Developing that self-sufficiency abroad really inspired my cycling habit once I returned home. Now each grocery store run, Home Depot purchase, or commute to work is a reminder of the independence and mobility that a bicycle affords.

Now, I commute to work in Downtown from Reynoldstown, and I truly enjoy it more every day. Because Wylie and Edgewood are such popular bicycling corridors, I’m making friends on the ride to work. It’s nice to chat with fellow cyclists at red lights and it’s a human connection that I certainly wouldn’t get if I was inside a vehicle. Plus, more and more people are joining the ranks every day. The bicycling community in Atlanta is so strong and welcoming. I’ve loved being a part of it so far and I look forward to watching it grow as our infrastructure expands over the next few years.

Shayna Pollock

At Casa Poventud: Ciderfest

Just the print to wear to Ciderfest! This being Atlanta, pedal power turned the mill. Pressing cider from apples requires crowd sourced muscle. People continue to post memories to the Ciderfest facebook page.

Roll Model: Aubrey Hake

It’s no secret that the Atlanta bike scene is on the rise, if not flourishing in its own right. As a recent Colorado transplant, this is a familiar taste of home. I molded my way of life around riding a town bike (Fort Collins is quite flat); my style of dress, the places I shopped, almost everything I needed I accessed on my bike.

I must admit I haven’t biked much since my arrival. Differences in weather (rain, heat, humidity, oh my!) and my single speed cruiser restrict my travel comfort and distance (and the hills! Respect to the Atlanta riders!). Limited to running errands on the BeltLine and jaunts through Piedmont Park, I am slowly finding ways to venture out. The Atlanta Streets Alive last Sunday provided another exploration opportunity and how exciting to see the turn out, the events and activities!

It is inspiring to see so many dedicated individuals that passionately pedal the way for more to have safer conditions and the comfort and comraderie of other cyclists. The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is the first organization I sought out upon my arrival in town and a valuable resource and inspiration as a new urban rider.

The Atlanta Bicycle Challenge motivated me to attempt a ride to work via the BeltLine and Piedmont Park. After running out of bike lane and safe path, I walked the last few blocks. In the meantime I’ll keep this up, but it is definitely time to get a commuter bike!

As the Phoenix represents the City of Atlanta, I believe it also represents the spirit of the biking community. The riders here have found a way, through the chaotic traffic, hills, weather, and road conditions, to do what brings joy and freedom from a car-centric society. I have found inspiration in each individual I meet to keep trying every day to make one more adjustment (fix that chain, tighten those handlebars, get some rain gear). They prove it can be done, and they are enriching the community with every pedal.

Aubrey Hake

At The Seersucker Social: Act VI

My thoughts turn this soggy Friday morning to a balmy afternoon of one month ago, when a merry band of cyclists paused for King Of Pops. Take heart: our weekend forecast is cool, dry and sunny: an ideal climate for the Terminus 5C and Sunday In The Park.

At Octane: fashion / flora // sown / style

Curated by blogger Elizabeth Chai of Sunday's Best Vintage, fashion / flora // sown / style opens Friday night at The Jane in Grant Park. Floral paintings by Christina Kwan of tide & bloom are paired with street fashion portraits from this blog to enliven the hallway walls outside of Octane and The Little Tart. 437 Memorial Drive | 7-11pm

Save The Date: October 4

By sundown Saturday, one savvy, sociable and strong cyclist will sit astride this Globe city bike that SOPO has given to be Grand Prize in the 2014 Terminus 5C. No lesser soul would prevail in a such a gauntlet of five secret way points, each providing an unique challenge. Play is for points, so bring a friend or two and take your time. Free beer and a raft of runner-up prizes await those who can find their ways to the finish. Please follow this link to register. As ever, the T5C raises funds for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, so everyone gains both fond memories and a more bike-friendly city.

At The Seersucker Social: Act V

Oakland Cemetery provided the setting for both images. Its gardens, architecture and history are ever an inspiration. Tomorrow the ladies of Heels On Wheels have chosen that Victorian park for their ride's destination. Say the organizers, "This ride is a no spandex ride - and yes, some of us really do wear our heels." If you fancy such company, meet them in Woodruff Park at 9:45am. More information and rsvp may be found on facebook.

Atlanta Bike Challenge September 28 - October 19

Exciting days await Atlanta cyclists, starting this weekend with Streets Alive in Virginia-Highland. Please click on the graphic for a calendar of events to be hosted by Midtown Alliance, check out my bit part in the Atlanta Bike Challenge Video and follow this link to see more ways you and your colleagues can make our city more bike-friendly in just ten minutes.

Roll Model: Nedra Deadwyler

Kirkwood resident Nedra Deadwyler tellingly names June 7 of this year as the birthday of her company, Civil Bikes. It was a day of pop up shopping along Auburn, and Edgewood Avenues to celebrate the Atlanta Streetcar route. Like those rails linking Centennial Olympic Park, and its Center For Civil, and Human Rights to the MLK National Historic Site, her vision is transformational. "My goal is preserving history through tours. It's a passion that pulls many things that I love together. Riding my bike puts me in a good mood automatically, keeps my body healthy, and builds relationships with people."

With help from Neil Walker of Cycles & Change, Deadwyler obtained funding for sixty-eight Raleigh Talus mountain bicycles. She then distributed half of that bounty among youth programs in metro Atlanta. The remainder became her business fleet, either for rent or guided tours. "Right now it's Old Fourth Ward, and downtown, concentrating on civil rights."

Other days find her studying historic preservation at Georgia State University. "I like to ride downtown on Peachtree Street. Motorists are mindful, and don't go that fast. More people are riding, and acknowledging one another. A stranger called to me, 'Have a nice ride!' I ring my bell all the time, and people ring back." Civil behaviors, indeed.

At The Seersucker Social: Act III

At The Seersucker Social: Act II

At The Seersucker Social: Act I

Seersucker Social Saturday

Four years of Seersucker Social rides give us this retrospective in anticipation of tomorrow's ride. Following a noon gathering at The Spindle (PATH at Boulevard facing John Wesley Dobbs), cyclists will embark upon an afternoon city tour that concludes with a picnic at Oakland Cemetery. RSVP via facebook and see you there!