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DEL.ICIO.USPedal your way to a cycling getaway
Would you take a bicycle tour for a vacation?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You don’t have to be a bicycling aficionado to see that Atlanta’s not the best place to take to two wheels. Pedal power can’t match the Alpharetta Autobahn mentality that many embrace, and few of our roads were designed with the biking enthusiast in mind.
I will be the first to admit that I am not a cyclist. You won’t see me in the peloton of cyclists that ride along the beautiful, winding roads in my neighborhood every weekend. I do like to bike though. For instance, I enjoy bike-riding down at the beach, where the roads are wide and flat and the traffic is slow and sparse. While I haven’t done it in ages, I also enjoy riding on trails. Translation, I’m all for biking if it doesn’t get me killed.
With more cars on our roads and a stressed infrastructure, the idea of a biking getaway could prove appealing to our city’s growing number of cyclists. Over the weekend as I watched several cycling clubs pedal by, I saw this AJC article about the Virginia Creeper “biking haven” near Damascus, Va. It’s a 17-mile (one way) train line turned bike trail that runs through beautiful southwestern Virginia, and it draws thousands of riders during autumn’s peak weekends.
A quick check online for other off-road biking-friendly destinations in the southeast turned up plenty of good locales within a short drive of Atlanta — enough to keep mountain bikers pedaling for many weekends of the year.
Road cyclists can obviously take to the streets anywhere, but some places are better than others for a biking vacation. The Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs from Nashville, Tenn. to Natchez, Miss., offers more than 400 miles of paved road through rural areas of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.
The League of American Bicyclists also designates several regional cities as “bicycle friendly” communities — including Chattanooga, Tenn., Auburn, Ala., Gainesville, Fla., and Columbia, SC — for their commitment to providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists.
Bicycle tours, like Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG), are another good option. BRAG offers bike tours throughout the state.
In addition to safe roads or trails, a biking destination needs a good support system - i.e. decent places to overnight, eat, drink, rest or simply “use the facilities” along the way. And of course, it helps if the scenery is breathtaking and there’s something else to do for fun after you dismount your two-wheeler.
Have you considered a biking getaway in the southeast? What do you look for most in a bike destination - quality trails/roads, length or difficulty of the bike route, overall environment for the cyclist? Have you participated in a bicycle tour and would you recommend them to other riders? What’s the best way to plan for a trip like this?
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Southeast travel
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By Speed Racer
October 22, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this
A cycling getaway is a great idea, but we have one of the best bike trails in the country right here is metro ATL; the Silver Comet. Its long (61 miles one-way), railroad-track flat, plenty of places to rest, good scenery, and no cars! Go out far enough and you will leave all things urban.
By Anonymous Coward
October 22, 2008 8:59 AM | Link to this
Roswell is designated as a bicycle friendly community - the only city in Georgia to receive that designation. There are miles of bike paths and bike lanes, many along the river where the route is quite flat and enjoyable.
By Speed Racer
October 22, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
A cycling getaway is a great idea, but we have one of the best bike trails in the country right here is metro ATL; the Silver Comet. Its long (61 miles one-way), railroad-track flat, plenty of places to rest, good scenery, and no cars! Go out far enough and you will leave all things urban.
By dorrie
October 22, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this
Hey cyclers - Here ae some tips: -You scare horses, so please do not whiz by silently or you might get a swift kick in the head. Give us some warning. -If someone says hello or waves, do not ignore them. You are in their neighborhood, so be polite. -Stop at stop signs. Do not ignore the rules. -if you stop at the convenience store to use the bathroom, at least buy a pack of gum or something. -Do not wave cars by on a curve. -Do not ride five accross on a twisty, winding road. btw, we in north Coweta County hate your guts.
By Pierce Randall
October 22, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
I took a day trip to Rome to bike around the other day. A friend of mine and I just loaded our bikes into the trunk of a Zipcar (seats folded forward; not like we carried anything). It went pretty well: A lot of Rome is a picturesque American small town, and bike-friendly.
“dorrie”, perhaps you should get off your high horse. Don’t lecture cyclists. Even if some slow you down a little, and you find that inconsiderate (I’m not saying it always isn’t), a much more serious problem might be the local Coweta drag-racing teenagers who get killed, kill other people, and make the roads more dangerous. And what are you talking about with horses? Seriously? This isn’t the 19th century. And I personally find those stupid heritage buggies remarkably easy to pass in a bike without scaring the poor horses or getting “kicked” by them.
By steve
October 22, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
Dorrie -
Get over yourself. Cycling is on our roadways is perfectly legal. If you took it up, perhaps you would not have such anger issues. You hate cyclists guts? You sound like you are in third grade.
By the way, there are always a small percentage of cyclists who do not obey traffic laws (stopping at stop signs, riding more than two abreast, etc.). However, a far greater number of those behind the wheel of automobiles break the laws and/or drive carelessly. Do you hate automobile drivers too? They are the ones that put all of us in real danger.
By Jessamine
October 22, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this
It’s folks like Dorrie that have me riding on trails instead of roads. Give me Dauset, Tsali, and the Rich Mountain trails off of Aska Road in Blue Ridge any day. Much more fun breathing in hemlock mist than car exhaust.
By Mike D
October 22, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this
I would rather play Russian roulette than ride my bike in Alpharetta. The number of people that drive while multi-tasking is incredible. I was jogging in Newtown park Monday and a lady was easily driving 50 mph to get to the tennis courts while on her cell phone. I’ll save my life and bike by staying to greenways.
By CBL
October 22, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
Folks like Dorrie are the reason why some of us cyclists pack heat while riding.
By ptarmagintravis
October 22, 2008 11:07 AM | Link to this
Hey Dorrie, we hate you too, trust me. It’s idiots like you that make it dangerous to ride on the roads. Maybe if you got on a bike instead of making the horse do all the work for you, you would have a better understanding of cycling. Not to mention you might lose a few of those unwanted pounds.
By TomL
October 22, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this
My next bike tour will be in LaGrange and Pine Mountain area. That’s Coweta County, isn’t it? Give a wave, corrie, and get a bike.
The best ride is from my front door. From Decatur to work downtown, to Stone Mountain, through town to Six Flags/Silk Sheets. The Gaps in north Georgia’s mountains are an outstanding ride if you must drive to the start. Just returned from six days of touring in New Mexico…great pace for learning about an area’s history, culture, and geography.
TL.
By Chris
October 22, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this
Motorists: try going the speed limit for one day, or coming to a COMPLETE stop at every stop sign. Then, and only then, should you have the right to complain about cyclists breaking the law.
For every cyclist I see breaking the law, I see hundreds of cars doing the same.
But if you are walking out to get your mail, would you rather have a cyclist run you over, or a car?
I’ll gladly take a cyclist running a stop sign over a car doing the same any day.
By gttim
October 22, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this
Folks like Dorrie are why many other folks think people from Coweta County are ignorant hicks with serious anger issues.
Atlanta has some great cycling in town and Georgia has great cycling in the northern part of the state. The state itself is great, many of the people who live here, like Dorrie, are not so great.
By harold
October 22, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this
some stupid cow hit me with her SUV in Smyrna and kept going. i caught her up the street in some heavy traffic approaching an intersection and called 911. Smyrna sent out the tattooed freak they called a cop to say “so what” and he let her go. avoid Smryna at all costs.
By dorrie
October 22, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this
Yes people. I ride my horse to some trails and am constantly getting whizzed by stupic cyclists. Have some brains. Pack heat while riding your little bike???? whooo, I’m scared. We country folks are pretty familiar with that. I am really glad to see that you are reading my tips. bwahahahahah
By Chili
November 6, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this
The idea of a biking vacation is wonderful but I’m afraid of the reality of it - traffic, weather, etc. Chili San Diego