Roll Model: Jack Wachtel

I just moved down to the city in mid August, and the automobile gods frowned upon me right before I came down. My loss of a car put me back into the saddle, and truth be told, I don't know if I'll ever go back. I cruise mainly through the Edgewood Avenue area, and you can catch me most mornings at Cafe+Velo. Never leaving my side is my trusty steed, a 1992 Trek 1200 Aluminum. First and only bike I have owned, and I'm zealous about squeezing every inch of life I can from it.

I grew up in Canton, so I'm ecstatic to be out of the suburbs. But even in my short time here I think I've surpassed the initial joy that comes from being cradled among the concrete forest of a progressive metropolis. Atlanta is a microcosm for our nation: a sprawling puzzle of subjective identity. A thousand varieties of opinions and cultures, and enough diversity to draw political borders around the neighborhoods. The American identity is impossible to put a pin on, but calling yourself an Atlanta Native is badge of passion.

But that pride is something you miss when enclosed in a rolling, two-ton, cage of steel. You fail to witness the living, breathing entity that you can’t help but fall in love with once you sleep down here for a week, because it’s something that only a resident can know.

So what has my saddle given me? A chance to romance my city, and a city to call my own. For what good is living free, if your house is not your home?

Jack Wachtel

Roll Model: Margaret Mary Riley

"I broke so many medical id bracelets that I got the tat," explains Margaret Mary Riley. One of eleven tattoos, a caduceus adorns her right wrist along with the explanatory word, epilepsy. Living car free is more a necessity than a choice for the Grant Park resident, whose seizures are part of her life. Riley moderates their effects using a combination of vegan dieting, sleeping well, and an exercise regimen of ballet, yoga, and cycling.

"People have told me 'You should not be alone' and that just makes me feel victimized." Once she seized during a ride when another cyclist who had stopped to help realized her condition, and berated her for taking such a risk. "A passing homeless man told him off, then gave me a bottle of water," she remembers gratefully. "I spent a lot of time in New York City, so I think yelling at people is totally fine."

It was the Occupy Wall Street movement that found her in Manhattan, practicing her hard won medical skills in the service of the protesters. There she also met her partner, a bike messenger. Back in metro Atlanta, they revived the Clarkston Community Center's Communicycle program, and organized refugee rides for kids around the Stone Mountain path. Now the recent Agnes Scott College political science alumna works as an apprentice bike mechanic while applying for graduate studies so she may pursue an academic career.

Roll Model: Becky Katz

I wasn’t a bicyclist until I moved to Atlanta. For most people, this comes as a surprise. Atlanta? By bike? Really? When I moved to Atlanta three years ago, I didn’t own a car. I didn’t have a job. I didn’t know anyone. It was just me, my partner and my bicycle. In my solitude, my bike grew to be my closest friend while we explored our new city.

In 2012, I started working at Park Pride and noticed that the organization did not have a strong relationship to the bicycle community. At the same time I realized that bicycles didn’t serve just a single purpose. My bike was more than a way of getting to the office. It was a way to connect, a way to surprise people, a way to be social. It could be exercise, a style, a way of in-town living, and a tool for advocacy.

I have been lucky to work in parks and greenspace around the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County, and to incorporate bicycling into my work. Riding has helped me build stronger relationships with park advocates and other stakeholders. It has also helped me lead by example. I led my co-workers at Park Pride to a first place win of the Bike to Work Challenge in 2014, and used biking to bring a new twist to events such as Park Pride’s Community Garden Tour and Pints for Parks (June 16th, and part of the Atlanta Cycling Festival). Biking even helped me raise money and awareness about my neighborhood, Adair Park, through Tour De SWAT.

My bicycle, a blue Cannondale Cad 3, has been a gift for my personal and professional development. Unfortunately, in early February my bike and I were hit from behind by a car going 40 mph. Thanks to my helmet, my injuries were not as severe as they could have been, but my bike was left beyond repair. The accident has only solidified my commitment to making bicycling a part of more people’s lives. I have been able to connect with other victims of cycling accidents and work more closely with law enforcement on improving their response to accidents involving cyclists. Despite the physical and emotional pain, the support and love I have received from friends, family, and the bicycle community have helped my recovery.

Currently, I’m searching for my next bicycle soulmate. And I can’t wait to be back in the saddle.

Becky Katz

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

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

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.

Roll Model: Malia Mask

Like many, my love for biking began in my youth. I have many fond memories of navigating the neighborhood on my red bike, beads on my spokes and the wind in my hair. All that joy came to an end when my little brother got old enough to take my bike apart... but lacked the skills (and intelligence!) to put it back together. It wasn't just my bike. My two sisters got the same treatment. What is it about little brothers!?

Fast forward quite a few years and I am in Paris for my honeymoon. We sign up for an urban bike tour and fall in love with navigating the city via bicycle. It is amazing what a different perspective a bicycle can give you. Not just touring a city but just running an errand. When was the last time a trip to the store made you happier, healthier and better looking?

Anyway, on my honeymoon, I fell back in love with biking and got a baby blue cruiser with a basket as soon as I got home. How cliche is that?! At the time I lived in Buckhead and could be seen cruising sidewalks on the regular. It was liberating and invigorating, but something didn't feel quite right. I wanted to be on the streets. I wanted to play by the rules. I wanted legitimacy, and I wasn't going to get there on my cruiser.

So, I moved to midtown and solved my own problems. I founded MBIKES, which designs fixed gear, single speed bikes that are light and fast... perfect for intown riding. Now, I ride almost every day. I lose my car keys on weeknights and weekends and I love it. With my fixie, my bike has become the ultimate fashion accessory. My bike, The Twain, was originally white on white but I switched out one of the rims to add a hit of the world’s most regal color, purple! That way, when I am on my bike killing it down 10th Street, I feel like the queen of the streets. Since we ride hard, my fashion accessories usually include my Vans and my favorite pair cut offs, but I am not scared to dress it up for a concert in the park or a date night with my hubby.

At MBIKES we say we want to rid the world of cars one bike at a time. We believe in biking as the solution for many of our intown transportation issues, and we want to be part of that solution. From a brick and mortar showroom to one day manufacturing our bike frames in Georgia, we have big plans for MBIKES. When Mayor Reed says he wants Atlanta to be a top ten biking city. We say what can we do to help?!

Oh, and remember that story about my little brother? Well, he was our first MBIKES customer. So, he turned out alright. Funny how things work out.

Malia Mask

Roll Model: Theresa Kanter

I enjoy living in Atlanta so much more as a cyclist. In 2008, I moved to the Edgewood neighborhood because of the proximity to MARTA stations and to work (then downtown, now the CDC by Emory). Living in Edgewood has allowed me to appreciate all the great surface streets running through and near the neighborhood that are bicycling thoroughfares: Wylie, Whitefoord and Oakdale, Freedom Parkway, Hosea Williams, Edgewood (which is curiously not in the neighborhood), and now the BeltLine. At the right times of day/night, I also love cycling down DeKalb, Moreland and Briarcliff, and Memorial.

These days, I primarily ride two of my six bicycles: a red hybrid Trek FX (a.k.a. Big Wheel, but I’ll take suggestions for a better name) and a red folding Citizen Miami (a.k.a. Rosa). The staff at Atlanta Cycling’s Ansley location was super helpful to me when I got the Big Wheel, which replaced an ocean blue stolen Trek hybrid. Rosa came by mail from Citizen. Both bikes have racks and panniers; my rides generally include transporting stuff.

Most of my bicycling is commuting to work to avoid parking hassles and because I’m too lazy to workout otherwise. The ride is about 5 miles, mostly through Druid Hills where I must endure The Hills! The last stretch of my ride to work takes me through Emory, and it seems like the elevation change from the Oxford Road entrance to Haygood and Clifton is a bajillion feet. The commute works for me because, given the speed limit, traffic lights, and stop signs, it takes me about 20 minutes to drive to work, and on a bike, it takes me about 25 minutes. My neighbor and I inadvertently confirmed this last week when she drove and I biked, and arrived at Emory at the same time. It’s a tough ride and I appreciate having showers on campus; I’m sure my colleagues do too.

Beyond work, I love being able to bike to dancing, athletic events, the symphony, and flying lessons at PDK. Especially dancing. In addition to clubbing, I’ve been social dancing (east coast swing, salsa, and blues) for a few years. I like biking to meet friends for dancing at Northside Tavern, the Georgia Tech Ballroom, Fernbank, and Kavarna . After hours of twirling on the dance floor, I love cooling off in the night air on the ride home. I wear white/reflective gear and use lights, but here’s the beauty of night riding: there are few cars on the roads. I actually feel much safer bicycling late at night, as do the many of the cyclists who ride the Midnight Full Moon Ride. One memorable ride home happened after dancing at MJQ. When I turned onto Moreland from Freedom Parkway, another cyclist caught up to me at the light in Little Five and we chatted until I turned off at Wylie. It was such a treat to have company and safety (in numbers) late on a Saturday night.

I loved that the Heels on Wheels rides affirmed that cyclists can ride in a broad range of attire. When I bike to work I wear spandex pants and tops appropriate to the season. I try to be visual by wearing white, florescent, or reflective clothing. A good windbreaker and gloves make all the difference to me when it’s cool/cold out. When I bike home, I wear my clothes from that day with the windbreaker from the morning. I tight-roll loose pant legs, and, if I have a particularly flowing skirt, I use a binder clip to turn the skirt into a skort. A-line or knit skirts and dresses work great for me on either bicycle. In the winter, I find clogs keep my feet the warmest; in other seasons I like Mary Janes with a low heel. I’m not sure if the extra strap across the foot makes a big difference, but I feel more secure, and prettier, wearing them. (Pictured, dianaira dress, Uniqlo cardigan, and vintage dragonfly brooch.)

Theresa Kanter

Roll Model: Marty Mannering

Mannering and Irish Rover at the Iron Column by Phil Proctor on the Eastside Trail

Schmidt and Mannering at the Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Paul Mannering and his father in Piedmont Park
A Sturmey-Archer internal gear hub nut that went missing between Shannon and Hartsfield-Jackson Airports became the link from High Nelly Irish Vintage Bicycles to Houndstooth Road. Limerick entrepreneur Marty Mannering and his son Paul were en route to meet with investors in Atlanta. In their luggage were two Irish Rovers, one a vintage bike they had restored as a prototype and the other a first in production model based upon it. Their web search for a spare led them to Decatur where they found a kindred spirit in Jae Schmidt, whose inventory of European city bikes supplied the small but all important part.

One senses that Marty Mannering never met a stranger. This veteran of RTÉ Dragons’ Den also negotiated the lease for a pioneering segment of the Great Southern Trail and leads e-bike tours of the Irish countryside. Now he was the guest, riding with Schmidt and others from the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition in our Saint Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday. Tuesday he and Paul joined the Decatur group of Georgia Rides to the Capitol. Their return itinerary became an impromptu tour of Sweet Auburn, the Eastside BeltLine Trail and Piedmont Park led by another Roll Model, Amber Raley.

Back home, Mannering looks forward to the May 30 release of Jimmy’s Hall, a film set in the 1930’s for which his restoration business provided a fleet of HighNelly bicycles. Such traditional Irish bikes were a mainstay of daily life then. As the sole bicycle manufacturer in Ireland today, he draws from a proud heritage while looking to a future of renewable resources.

Roll Model: Grace Molteni

I'm a Midwest born and raised designer and illustrator currently living south of the Mason Dixon line. When I'm not slinging pastries at the best bakery in Atlanta (Little Tart, represent!) you're sure to find me posted up at a coffee shop doing work, at the bar with a book, or exploring somewhere new around the city by bike. When I first moved to here last July I was living in Inman Park but working on the west side- as you can imagine the Belt Line quickly became my best friend. That, and the view of the skyline as you fly up Freedom Parkway Trail are by far some of my favorite rides. Coming from biking Milwaukee and working in Chicago, the transportation infrastructure, or perhaps lack thereof, took some adjusting to. Aside from the need for more bike lanes/safety zones, I was most surprised by the hostility of motorists towards cyclists in Atlanta. Many drivers here (though not all) tend to make it their job to let you know they don't want you on the road. The upside to that is zooming past a rude driver at the next lights while they are jammed in a gridlock. Karma, karma, karma.

I recently picked up a vintage Japanese 1980's MIYATA touring bike and can't wait to soup that up and hit the pavement this spring, but my current ride is a TREK Hybrid that I bought back in high school and (shamefully) neglected in college. As far as my bike goes I definitely go for utility- anything added has been a necessity. After being taken out by car and a trip to Grady for stitches and a few x-rays (thank you Atlanta traffic) my brother gifted me a new set of back lights- The Laser Shark. Essentially the Laser Shark shoots two laser lights out alongside my back tires, creating a lit bike lane that reminds cars to give a bit of space. Really cool product. My favorite accessory though is my helmet. I am, admittedly, one of those people who has a hard time wearing a helmet if they think it looks silly; when I saw this awesome Dia-De-Los Muertos-esque BELL helmet at Outback Bikes, I knew it was the perfect way to protect my head and still look like myself. Skulls for my skull!

My bike is quite literally my ride- this undeniably affects my wardrobe. Because biker's butt looks good on no one, in bad weather especially I often do like the fellow cycling enthusiasts the Danes do and don on black on black on black. Growing up in Wisconsin and going to college in Northern Minnesota taught me that when it comes to weather, it pays to be sensible. I rarely buy shoes I can't ride in, I live in tights and leggings (blame 14 + years as a dancer), and swear by my Herschel Supply Co. and Duluth Pack Co. scout packs to tote around anything from my laptop and sketchbooks, to spare clothes, to my weekly Dekalb Market grocery haul. As far as style goes I rely on thrift store dresses, vintage earrings, and a handful of scarves I picked up traveling abroad to build an outfit. Throw on a Marmot jacket and waterproof mascara and I'm good to go.

Grace Molteni

Roll Model: Sharif Hassan

Kirkwood resident Sharif Hassan wears many hats, from mixologist at TOP FLR and Argosy to doorman at the Tabernacle. His photographs from the streets of Cairo during the Arab Spring are a tribute to both his eye and daring. Now he has partnered with his brother, Ezz-Eldin, to test and market clothing for commuter cyclists. Called The Spindle, their venture began “in April 2013 as a blog, a pre-interview, to become a resource for community and manufactures to give them feedback for what works and what doesn’t, like the placement of a seam.” A former bike messenger, he knows from frequently blowing through pants and once took five pairs of jeans to bag maker Dustin Morado for stitching.

Hassan relishes riding in bad weather because “We test all the clothing we carry. Here it’s snowing one day and 70 the next, so I just dive into the bad weather when we get it. It’s nice to see how other people are decked out and what works for them. There’s no such thing as foul weather. There are only unprepared people.”

“Swerve makes a pair of jeans I pretty much live in,” he says of today’s outfit, which includes a jacket from Mission Workshop and DZR all weather clip-in shoes for his “urban assault vehicle”. Of its fixed 52x15 gearing, fat tires for the potholes and no brakes, he explains, “I like to build up death traps. I like to ride things other people won’t.”

The rest of us benefit from his hard won knowledge. “The whole idea is to create a new community of riders who are not hardcore. Introducing them to commuting apparel opens that door as a viable option for a new category of people who bike to festivals, art shows and bars.”

Roll Model: Amber Raley

Amber Raley likens bicycles to tattoos. "The ideal number is one more than you now have, with a limit of the number at which your partner will leave you, minus one," she hastens to add. As someone about to donate her car to NPR, she retains many transportation options.

"Aubrey was my first bike in Atlanta, a blue 1980's Ross with orange wheels." Invited to ride in North Georgia with Sorella, she looked to Kirkwood ReCycle for something sportier: a red Schwinn ten-speed from the 1960's, its drop bars wrapped in the original tape now faded to her favored color. She proudly remembers hanging tough with the B+ riders, all the while mastering Cinnamon's derailleur gears. When friends sent her the same link to a CraigsList for sale ad, the orange and white fixed gear mixte (aka chixie) became her Tango. Christmas brought a yet to be named vintage mountain bike. "I haven't ridden it yet and gotten a sense of its spirit."

Lari is the suborder of sea birds that includes terns and the name given to the Tern folding bicycle she won from the silent auction at last year's ABC Blinkie Awards. This versatile bike goes with her on MARTA and into conference rooms, where it plays a role in advocacy on behalf of BeltLine Speakers Bureau. Her winning ways and wits have disarmed guards in the Atlanta Financial Center and the less than bike friendly Hurt Building, who watched as the dreaded, two wheeled machine became...luggage!

This "crucial part of my BeltLine narrative also shapped my choice of neighborhood, Adair Park." She first explored those streets of SW Atlanta in a 'wheel estate' tour with EcoBroker Burke Sisco. Subsequent rides, including one to her house inspection, "proved to me I could do that." Commuting by bicycle finds her "energized and ready to start the day. Riding straight up Peachtree Street every day makes me a tourist in my own city."

Roll Model: Ann Shen

I was a late bloomer when it comes to learning to ride the bike. At the age of thirteen, my father taught me how to ride my first bike, a brand new fuchsia mountain bike that I had proudly selected at the store with dad's help. Biking has always been something dad and I shared, starting with fond memories of riding shotgun on dad's top tube when I was little.

I have also been pretty lucky to grow up in bike and public transportation friendly cities such as Ottawa and Toronto, so moving to Atlanta has been an interesting challenge. The sheer sprawl of the city as well as the disappointment of MARTA has resulted in me owning my first car. This feeling of dependence on my car coupled with a generally negative attitude towards cyclists and public transportation was something I struggled with after relocating here.

Everything changed after I met Bianca, my Specialized step-through bike. Riding Bianca around town makes me feel so liberated! I've been able to not only discover and explore so much more of Atlanta car-free, it has also made me realize that Bianca is all I need to get to places I love. Although I still drive my car to and from work, I love that the moment I come home, when I can park my car, hop on Bianca, and go to the grocery store, meet up with friends, or go thrifting in L5P. A rear bike rack, my Po Campo bag, a pannier, and some solid wind resistant/water proof layers pretty much mean I can go anywhere. Weekends will find Eliot and I riding around town on our bikes to the ASO, the High, riding the Mobile Social, enjoying Streets Alive; really, any excuse to ride my bike. Some of my fondest memories entail Eliot and I biking around on gorgeous sunny afternoons, just trying to get lost and explore our favourite neighbourhoods such as Grant Park and Decatur.

As a member of ABC, it has also been very exciting to see all the advocacy and infrastructure changes that ABC has helped to bring about, such as the cycletrack on 10th and the new buffered bike lane on Ponce. I'm also excited about the upcoming cycletracks ABC is working on creating in Midtown and O4W. I hope that the creation of more bike lanes as well as greater visibility of female bikers will lead to more women feeling safe and empowered to bike around Atlanta.

Ann Shen

Roll Model: Tracie Sanchez

Decaturite Tracie Sanchez dressed as Diana Nyad for Halloween. Inspiring as the long distance swimmer may be, Sanchez offers plenty of her own insight from a lifetime of bicycle commuting. "I really will do most anything to use public transit and enjoy the ride before I will jump in a car." At UGA, she sold the "Mustang that all the men in my family took me to pick out when I graduated high school. Vroom! College campuses are contained, even ones in agricultural states, and I lived nearby so I just biked to work."

The habit followed her to Washington, DC, where an enlightened employer installed office showers. "This was back in 1989! I never owned a car, bought gas, paid parking tickets, insurance, fines, got towed, had fender benders or road rage. Instead I read the paper, worked the puzzle, got some exercise, got super fit, saved money and threw away the gym membership."

The DC Metro and later BART in San Francisco augmented those bike commutes and informed her thinking so much that in 2011, UGA awarded her a Master's of Public Administration "in transportation solutions focusing on, you guessed it, bicycling." Reconciling professional dress codes with riding to work she says is "easy once you embrace it. Just buy a-line skirts, boots, skinny leg pants, lots of fun $1 gloves at Target and scarves for winter. Love scarves on bikes!"

Roll Model: Niklas Vollmer

gorilla photo by guest blogger Niklas Vollmer
I recently lashed this beast to my bike handlebars to recognize nine months of being without a car. I once chose to bike across the country alone and it was an incredible experience (my sister and dad made the transcontinental trek a few years later) -- yet, it was immediately humbling to find myself carless with a child (11-year old T--lad) in this economy, and I hadn’t done much Atlanta city cycling. So far, I have chosen urban cycling over accumulating more debt after my car died prematurely. I am thrilled to tear up auto insurance offers that come by mail, peddle by gas stations and car repair shops, park for free, avoid sitting in traffic, and smile and nod at other cyclists along the way. When I was a kid, my favorite things were my bikes. I rode a yellow 10-speed I purchased with my paper route earnings everywhere. Cycling again reminds me what it was like as a kid peddling and babbling along next to your buddies (side by side biking is legal in most scenarios); I also learned that cars are not very social environments –– and covet the people I meet and the additional conversations with T –– lad as we explore the city. It can be slow-going and less convenient to bike, walk, or cobble together public transportation routes (three buses to a soccer game) –– yet, T--lad and I are a team, trying to figure it out together. We still grumble sometimes, are a bit more regional, and cannot do it all; these constraints make us more intentional and resourceful –– and physically active and fit. I thank fab T--lad for being game, and also appreciate the occasional loaner car or ride offer from friends (biking to the drive-in is no fun). A number of folks keep asking when I'm going to buy a car –– and, as a university professor with an inverted salary, I don't have an answer as carlessness saves me hundreds of dollars a month and I am not sure I can afford a car for a number of other reasons. I also feel good about lessening city congestion and environmental impact –– and have recently added a nifty bike trailer to port heavier loads. As urban crowd–sourced auto sharing groups arise, who knows. Craigslist is full of bike deals and there are terrific bike sales right now. If you haven’t done so already, go getcher self one. As cycling grows in Atlanta, support your local bike advocacy groups to boot!

Niklas Vollmer

Roll Model: Taoran Le

Taoran Le acquired her taste for city cycling as a student in France and Italy. "In Paris, I really enjoy the citybike there to see the amazing city and beautiful people." Memories of Vélib’ followed her to New York, where she found Citi Bike "surprisingly cheap and convenient." Today the Midtown resident commutes to Georgia Tech for her PhD studies in Electronic Engineering aboard a Schwinn Point Beach cruiser. Improvements like the cycle track on Tenth Street and the 'Amsterdam Left' at Fifth and West Peachtree Streets make her "glad that midtown becomes more and more bike-able and Georgia Tech as well."
A romantic at heart, she and other Georgia Tech Ph.D. students who "love biking, are free spirited, and enjoy the amazing breeze in late night Atlanta" have formed a night riding group, who last July "decided to bike to Decatur for not wasting the beautiful night. We biked through the BeltLine and Poncey-Highland Playground. The moon had an amazing blue ring with very few clouds. We were really enjoying the cold beer under the huge moon in Decatur."

Roll Model: Jessica Michelle Moore

Jessica Michelle Moore is a human dynamo. The triathelete trains for fifteen hours some weeks in addition to her full-time responsibilities at the Centers For Disease Control and evenings on stage at Whole World Improv Theatre. "Contrary to popular belief, biking actually saves me a lot of time," she confides. "When I do have to drive, I know all the best short cuts around the traffic, thanks to my creative bike routes." A cyclist since 2007, she became a regular commuter three years ago aboard her racing bike with an overfilled messenger bag. The search for a practical, all-weather solution has taken the form of "a beautiful steel touring bike with panniers this past spring. It’s a Salsa Vaya from Loose Nuts and she’s amazing. I really love the steel ride and modern comforts with the classic styling. I’m able to ride to the pool at 5 am, swim for an hour and then continue on to work. On swim days I get in 18 miles just by commuting. On other days I get in about 14 miles. Some days I get home on Salsa and switch to my road bike, Maccabee, to get in another 20 miles or so."

Such extensive training covers a lot of Atlanta and has shaped her perception of an adopted city. At first the native New Yorker studying at Emory "resented the car-centric culture and the general disdain for mass transit." Cycling revealed to her the urban landscape on a human scale. "The city really opened up for me at that point. I found myself taking extended routes just to discover different neighborhoods. That’s one thing I really love about the city; each neighborhood has its own unique qualities and people. I also really love to see how proud people are of their neighborhoods, i.e. I’ve never been somewhere where people drive around with bumper stickers of their zip code, lol. Whether it’s a beautiful sunrise or sunset over the city, running into a movie set and numerous famous actors (Ryan Reynolds is actually hotter in real life, if you can believe it), giving tourists in downtown directions (because cyclists know their way around, obviously) or seeing horses on the BeltLine, each experience by bike adds to the unique nature of our little big town that I would have never noticed if I were stuck in my car."

Roll Model: Indra Tobias

Indra Tobias and these blogs go way back. As a subject of the seventeenth posting to Atlanta Street Fashion, she helped me to preview the 2010 Seersucker Social that August. My former blog, The Chattanoogan, had just begun exploring the convergence of city cycling and street fashions, so it was thrilling to pick up the thread right away in Atlanta. Born of such timely optimism, Atlanta Bicycle Chic would be launched two months hence.

Amsterdam gave her an epiphany. She returned “with the idea of owning a bike as an adult weighing heavily on my heart. I wanted to pattern my biking style after those lovely, stylish ladies in the biggest biking town I've ever visited riding their city commuter bikes, mine having gears of course.” In the true European mode, those gears are internal, for both her Linus mixte and “a heavy tank of an old bike I had reworked to fit my city fresh style.”

She must have been a sight riding home from Ikea with a tall planter swaying in her wake. Duties that call from all over Atlanta preclude car-free living, but she once surprised colleagues by appearing "with my work supply box on the back of my bike on the rack. The crew on the other end looked amazed that I rode across town to meet them to work by bike. Now they are never surprised when I show up on my bike with work gear in tow."

"Critical mass was my very first group ride," she recalls. "Mobile Social is another top ride on my list of Atlanta best bike rides. My absolute favorite group ride is the Atlanta Seersucker Social. There is something about getting dressed up and riding around town on a well supported joy ride that ends with a picnic." Agreement here, and all who enjoy that stylish parade have her to thank for serving on its planning committee.

A resident of District 2, she acknowledges the cycling advocacy of Council Member Kwanza Hall, who "has no shame riding around on his fixie, sporting a suit, to show his support for many of our neighborhood events." Being a member of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition expresses her thanks to those "diligent folks have fought long and hard to get the biking community to a much safer and progressive level. With all of these working parts of our biking community there is a place for all riders, from no-car lifestyle cyclists to weekend joy riders."

Roll Model: Corny de las Alas

"My super hero bike name," explains the outgoing Decatur resident, single dad and long-time cycling commuter, who finds that "people on bikes seem to be happier and more approachable, which fits my personality." While his daily commute to Midtown could be spent reading or listening to NPR news aboard a MARTA train, enjoying cool mornings and connecting to people and savoring natural beauty along the way can only be accomplished on two wheels. "I get to go through some great neighborhoods, shop if needed, and see some great art. It’s a safe route with little car traffic and what car traffic there is, are use to bikes on the road. And I get to ride with, wave, say hi, ring my bell at some awesome folks who are enjoying the outdoors on their bikes or walking on the BeltLine or the PATH."

Corny calls his commuter bike "a SoPo franken-bike made up of all different parts". That building experience is one he is happy to share with others. "I was lucky enough to have discovered SoPo when I first started bike commuting and I have been involved with them ever since 2008. It’s great to see where SoPo’s donation bikes have gone and the stories behind them."


Fortunate are the children who can claim a super hero for father. The family portrait came from a chance BeltLine encounter on their way to Piedmont Park for the Atlanta Icecream Festival. "Now my favorite memories are seeing my daughter and son ride at 3 ½ years old. With no training wheels he is already pushing his boundaries in cycling. She has been gaining confidence learning to ride. It’s great that they want to ride with me whenever they see me riding."

Roll Models: Jessica Estep And Johann Weber

Atlanta cycling takes on a special meaning when meeting your love. So it was for Jessica Estep and Johann Weber, who are long time friends of these blogs. He reached out to me two years ago in his work for Georgia Tech Bike Week. A professor of English, she interviewed him to write this guest blogger post for us to enjoy.

Jessica: I actually started riding because of a dream I had five years ago, in which I was flying down the street on a blue bicycle. The next morning I got on Craigslist and bought a blue bicycle for fifty bucks. That bicycle was stolen after a few months (lesson: invest in a decent U-lock), but I’ve kept riding. This summer I purchased a white steel-frame Jamis road bike with dropbars. I was scared of dropbars for a long time, and I now I can’t remember why. I also have a rear rack for carrying my purse and groceries and the occasional water balloons.

Johann: I have two bikes. Nicole is my commuter/touring bike, a Trek Portland I’ve outfitted with a rear rack, pannier bags, bright front and rear lights, a fancy rear tire, and a rear fender. Lexi is my road bike, the more finicky and impatient one but so much fun. She’s a Trek Madone, which I’ve given some Look pedals (good for cleats and sneakers). I mostly ride her recreationally. When I moved to Atlanta from Portland, I drove across the country with her on the roof, stopping frequently to make sure she was secure.

Jessica: I would call myself a casual transportation bicyclist, as I typically wear flats and summer dresses when I ride, and I rarely go further than a few miles. However, Johann recently bought me spandex bike shorts, my first pair. I tell him he has to stop upgrading my bicycle gear, that I don’t want to change the kind of bicyclist I am. Last weekend, though, we took our spandex bike shorts to the Silver Comet, and we rode over forty miles, an incredible distance for me, and it was exhilarating.

Johann: Riding a bicycle is simply the ultimate independence—there’s no need for anyone else to fix, fuel, or store your machine. I ride mostly to save money and enjoy my commute. I used to commute forty-five minutes each way by car, and I’d watch so much of my paycheck disappear into gas and repairs, and at the same time the long commute was destroying my old love of cars, stressing me out, and exhausting a large chunk of my day.

Jessica: Johann and I met at an Atlanta Bicycle Coalition event at Georgia Tech, the same night that you first photographed me for your blog, Cameron. My old vintage Schwinn had bled chain grease on my leg and my white dress. I guess he found that pretty; less than a year later, he proposed to me on a Mobile Social bike ride. Sometimes I think our lives are so intertwined with Atlanta and bicycling that each improvement (like the city’s first cycle track) is a deeply personal celebration of the life he and I are building together in Atlanta.

Johann: It’s funny, though: I don’t consider myself a bike nut or anything, and I don’t think Jessica does either. But biking has been a wonderful way to share the city with each other. I can’t imagine how empty my life would be now without bicycling, not only because it is an exceptional way to experience Atlanta but also because it led me to meet her.