Stories from Atlanta

Read stories and get inspired! Share a cycling story and inspire others to get out and ride!

My Bike Made My Disabilities Easier

Over the last 5 years, I have been diagnosed with several disabilities which cause chronic fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, and chronic pain. I struggled to work 8 hours, walk less than a blo... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Image for story Riding a bike is an interruption

Riding a bike is an interruption

Start slow - every mile you ride, you are interrupting: - childhood asthma - global warming - your future medical costs - traffic - wealth of gas company CEOs Keep on keeping on. See ... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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It's been over 30 years

At 62, I just bought a bike and I'm wondering WHY it took me so long. Honestly, it's been since high school when I rode daily so I'm still getting used to the feeling but I love it! Aside from a co... read more

Topic: My first time on a bike in years

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Encouragement from the street

One day a couple of years ago, I happened to be riding in the rain. A car was stopped next to me at a traffic light, rolled down his window, and said that he respected me for braving the conditions... read more

Topic: A happy riding memory

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Image for story Riding with Purpose

Riding with Purpose

I rode one of the first AIDS Vaccine rides benefiting the Emory Vaccine Center from Montreal, Canada to Portland, Maine in 2001 - on a mountain bike! It was my first century (100 miles) - and then ... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Image for story Enter to win a FREE Electric Bicycle for Biketober

Enter to win a FREE Electric Bicycle for Biketober

Win a Free Electric Bike Yes! This is your chance to win a free e-bike and take a Test Ride too! Stone Mountain Bike Company would like to get more people riding bikes for Biketober and beyond.... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Bike tour in Reynoldstown

Hi everyone I am new to biking in metro Atlanta and have not ventured out much my beyond my neighborhood, the Westside Beltline & Michelle Obama Trail (South River Trail); The way folks drive h... read more

Topic: Other

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$4000 bike for $500

it's 20 years old. Klein Race Pro. 2001. All Dura Ace. no one wants old, expensive bikes. shop lucky! Also have a Quantum Race, from 2001.

Topic: Other

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Image for story '77 Schwinn LeTour II, part 2: Off to the races!

'77 Schwinn LeTour II, part 2: Off to the races!

So, I'd been riding in the Cheaha Challenge (on the Talladega Scenic Byway) most years since 2010. In 2019, they added a 20km time-trial the day before, to which I paid no attention. That's not h... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Image for story Goal met- thanks Critical Mass!

Goal met- thanks Critical Mass!

Just met my goal of 50 miles for the month of October! I may not have met the goal if I didn't tough out the rain to ride in Critical Mass's October ride. If you haven't met your goal yet, don't gi... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Image for story Being chased by a flock of scooters

Being chased by a flock of scooters

So on the way home from middle school, I turned left down Ralph McGill off Parkway and as I was going to turn North on Central Park Place I see a flock of scooters going east on Ralph McGill. As I... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Another Douze Rescue!

Helped another lady and her dog today. Her dog had a hurt foot from the Piedmont Park dog park and I put them in the Douze and got them across the park to their house. 3 in a month!

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Image for story Special tour of Allied Cycles

Special tour of Allied Cycles

We got to see carbon fiber bikes being built!

Topic: Carbon Crushers

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Just riding

I've been bike riding for a while now. After discovering an electric bike my biking jumped like 50%. I mostly ride in the downtown area. I also ride in the Stone Mountain area. I would love to ride... read more

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

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Beltline is almost empty! Woohoo!

Just got back from riding PATH Parkway and the Eastside Beltline and they are both empty. Put your rain pants on a enjoy the cool stress-free breeze!

Topic: My commute by bike

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Encouraged Daphne from Global Growers

We went to Global Growers and our tour guide Daphne has 2 kids and is new to the area. I let her test Tracey's bike and my Douze (bakfiet) to help her see what even with 2 kids she can ditch the c... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Image for story I like to cruise Downtown Atlanta as the sun is setting.

I like to cruise Downtown Atlanta as the sun is setting.

Ride with me during one my evening routes in Downtown Atlanta. [address removed]

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

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Naan Stop Hills

Decided to ride from Dawsonville to Buckhead for some Naan with a friend. It was brutal, but worth it

Topic: A happy riding memory

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Need to discover new trails

It has been a honeymoon with the cars off the road but now people are going back into the office which means more and more cars on the road and everybody in a rush to get nowhere. I am now go... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Less Traffic Equals More Fun

When most people complained and moaned that they had to stay home during the pandemic, I took it as an opportunity to get to know my neighborhood. With less cars to contend with I felt comfortable... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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In the beginning

In the beginning of lockdowns, back in Spring, when all the vehicles seemed to disappear from our streets, people began to view our public spaces in a different view. Many people dusted off their o... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Image for story GRIT.  GETS.  IT.

GRIT. GETS. IT.

Last Biketober I spent over $200 on inner tubes. My goal was to be a top ten rider for mileage during the challenge and to do so required riding over a thousand miles. I finished 9th out of over ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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A different route

I have been taking the same route to work for the last 2 years. At first I HATED biking to work. I had to pump myself up every morning and I just hated it. Now it's my favorite time of the day. It'... read more

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

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Image for story My Biketober experience

My Biketober experience

I was told about this challenge from a friend. I was happy to know that there was a community of cyclists for I haven't been on a bike in 8 years. Everytime I rode my bike for this challenge other ... read more

Topic: My first time on a bike in years

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Rule 9

Rule 9 of Velominati's "The Rules" says, "If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period." Here's to all the badasses that were out riding in the rain, yesterday.

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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What It Takes to Get Those Day Miles

I’m trying to bicycle every day in October, as part of the BikeTober competition. On Saturday, I was not near mystreet bike. Stepped into a bike shop and asked about their rental policy, which was... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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I bike for transportation

I often talk with other bike riders and we've all decided that folks fall into one of two categories: those who bike for leisure (ie Saturday mornings on the Silver Comet Trail) and those who bike ... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Atlanta Streets Alive

First ride with my Grandson on my father's day gift "The Rocket" is the Blast Peachtree street closed to car but open to bike and walking. Daughter and youngest grandson walked along. Perfect Sund... read more

Topic: Ride with kids

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Image for story Peachtree Creek Greenway - PART ONE - December, 2018

Peachtree Creek Greenway - PART ONE - December, 2018

After years of grassroots work by local cyclists and bicyclists, the ground-breaking ceremony for the first section of the Peachtree Creek Greenway took place on December 19, 2018. The Greenway loc... read more

Topic: My first time on a bike in years

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I Love My Bike Commute!

I started working at Emory in November of 2021. I've been a bike commuter the whole time. I live just 3 miles away, so it's really a no brainer. I started with my 1976 Schwinn Super Le Tour, tha... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Image for story Back in the Saddle

Back in the Saddle

Earlier this year I had my first bike accident. Due to a combination of overloading my ebike, driving down a hill, and faulty breaks, I flew over my handle bars and cracked my helmet; I walked away... read more

Topic: Ride with kids

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Paying it forward and helping out a stranger

A few months ago someone I hardly know learned that I like bicycles and gave me a box of tubes they had no use for. I didn't have any bikes in that particular size, but accepted because I figured I... read more

Topic: My commute by bike

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Image for story '77 Schwinn LeTour II, part 1: I get a spare bike!

'77 Schwinn LeTour II, part 1: I get a spare bike!

So, by 2017 I'd broken two old steel bike frames. And considering the parts I'd removed to upgrade on my current ride at the time, I figured I had about two and a half bikes worth of components sta... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Image for story Biketober brought me back

Biketober brought me back

So as a kid I was encouraged by my cycling parents to get into cycling, racing, and the larger biking community. It ended up being a big part of my upbringing all the way through highschool. It gav... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story First pure fitness ride!

First pure fitness ride!

Well, thanks to Biketober, Tracey Harding and I decided to rent some gravel bikes from Outback Bikes and give them a spin around Georgia Tech today before the house hold was awake. :)

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Bikes help people in cars!

On my way home from The Whole Dog Market, I saw a stranded driver. I stopped and helped, Ian, the ride-share driver, change his tire! Never did that when I owned a car!

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Bikes connect me to my community and make it easy to take actions

So, I rode with Geri, my daughter to Howard and as I was leaving I noticed a trash bag ripped open at the South East corner of Boulevard and John Wesley Dobbs. Cars kept hitting the trash bag and ... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Image for story Biking at a bike park in the Ozarks

Biking at a bike park in the Ozarks

I sure wish we had bike parks at the Quarry Park!!

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

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Image for story Bike are more fun when you have to wait around

Bike are more fun when you have to wait around

I went to meet my oldest daughter, Geri, at Howard at 4:15pm but then realized she had extracurricular to 5:30. So, my daughter, Jackie Blair and my dog Mac just hung out and talked about electric... read more

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

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From Fat to Fit

Bought a good, inexpensive Trek in Dec. 2013. Was 255+ lbs and rising with borderline hypertension and assorted weight problems. Kept riding, and by August 2014, was able to make the 5 miles to wor... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Saved by a Stranger

I was on the Arabian Mountain Trail a few years ago riding my bike. Trying to get back to my car before dark, I put my bike in fast gear. Suddenly I hit a rock on the trail and was airborne. I was ... read more

Topic: Other

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Another Douze Rescue!

Riding on the Beltline last night and a lady had a Bulldog that couldn't go any farther. We tried to just put the bulldog in the Douze but she jumped out so the owner and the dog got in and I rode... read more

Topic: Other

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Image for story Commuting to Touring

Commuting to Touring

Frequently, while driving through the west and Midwest my family would pass cyclists going and coming across the mountains and the plains. I always wanted to take a shot at Colorado and Kansas... read more

Topic: Biking in the Coronavirus Era

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Image for story Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area (North Georgia)

Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area (North Georgia)

All the miles of dirt and gravel roads to ride to your heart's content through shady pine and oak forest, mostly to yourself on weekdays. No need to gravel grind here. Slow down a bit, smell the ... read more

Topic: My favourite place/route to ride

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Festive Biking November/December 2020

Am grateful to have been able to do my holiday shopping on my bike! It was a festive way to check the items off my list. Quick bike ride with my back pack to the PATH then on to Avondale or Decat... read more

Topic: Other

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Grateful!

Belly laughs, beads of sweat on my forehead, soft and forceful breezes on my face, indescribable joy, inner strength - these are just some of the experiences I have been blessed to enjoy during the... read more

Topic: A story from the Bike Challenge

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Image for story Growing Participation Among Colleagues

Growing Participation Among Colleagues

I have participated in Biketober in years past, and so have others from my workplace at AECOM. But I wanted to help make this the year with the highest participation yet for AECOM. Near the beginni... read more

Topic: Encouraging others to ride

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Safer Infrastructure Encourages More Riding

Witnessing the constant stream of bicycles safely crossing DeKalb Ave @ Krog St, using the new scramble.

Topic: A happy riding memory

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Image for story Ebike changed my life

Ebike changed my life

I ordered an Ebike back in February and just by chance injured my knee shortly after receiving it. I was waiting for a knee replacement and wasn't able to ride a normal bike. I was hit by a car in ... read more

Topic: My Bicycle Romance

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Image for story No more beautiful ride anywhere!

No more beautiful ride anywhere!

It's a bit of a schlep to get there (5 hour drive from Atlanta), but there is no more beautiful ride than the Virginia Creeper trail -- 17 miles from White Top to Damascus, VA. Very mountainous, b... read more

Topic: Other

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