Ping: Paul in Atlanta

Staying a couple days in midtown, 'cross from the Fox. I'm bikeless,
but curious if there are any cool bike shops in the area worth
checking out. I'll probably spend half the day wandering around Little
Five Points, FWIW.

Saw a ****load of people on fixies over by Georgia Tech yesterday, was
one you? :-P I see the no-brakes affectation rules down here as well.
Gawd help 'em.

I'd have brought the bike, but my neighbor borrowed my car rack, then
decided to drown in the Gulf of Mexico. Thoughtless *******!

landotter wrote:
Staying a couple days in midtown, 'cross from the Fox. I'm bikeless,
but curious if there are any cool bike shops in the area worth
checking out. I'll probably spend half the day wandering around Little
Five Points, FWIW.

Lil' 5 is ok. I think East Atlanta is way more fun if you're not in
high school anymore

http://tinyurl.com/yqr5st

Bike shops: Outback in L5 (on Euclid) is good. ATL Pro Bikes in the
Highlands is good for advice/ordering stuff, but their inventory seems
to be limited by space. ATL Velo Exchange (AVX) off of Howell Mill is a
great shop too. My favorite shop is Bike South out in Decatur though.

Saw a ****load of people on fixies over by Georgia Tech yesterday, was
one you? :-P I see the no-brakes affectation rules down here as well.
Gawd help 'em.

Yeah. GT finally "caught" up (though I think there's relatively few
there compared to other areas). But unfortunately I'm still at least 1
week away from getting the clear from the surgeon to get back on the
bike. I'm craving it though! ...and I'm a brake dude, so no need to
start that discussion with me. It's like politics, some friends and I
have simply agreed to not bring it up around each other. LOL.

I'd have brought the bike, but my neighbor borrowed my car rack, then
decided to drown in the Gulf of Mexico. Thoughtless *******!


JESUS DUDE!

phobson @ gatech . edu if you want to grab a bite near campus (5th and
W. Peachtree)

Anyway, enjoy the sunshine.
\\paul

On Apr 12, 8:02 pm, Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
landotter wrote:
Staying a couple days in midtown, 'cross from the Fox. I'm bikeless,
but curious if there are any cool bike shops in the area worth
checking out. I'll probably spend half the day wandering around Little
Five Points, FWIW.

Lil' 5 is ok. I think East Atlanta is way more fun if you're not in
high school anymore

http://tinyurl.com/yqr5st


Har, wish I'd seen that before I set out yesterday. :-P Might do a
drive through today on my way to the Dekalb Market. Still very close
to town.

I had two teens in tow, so L5P was fun for them. They got some ironic
Tshirts and were interviewed for internet TV. They live in Europe, so
they'll be extra cool with international snarky fashion. Woohoo!

Lots of bikes around. Mainly workhorse sport bikes, a few with a
single ring front but gears in the rear. Makes sense considering that
you're well ****ed if you can't keep up with traffic here.

Also saw quite a few streeted rigid mtbs with skinnies and fenders,
and the de rigeur sticker collections.

I'll definitely try to bring a bike down here for a ride asap, but it
looks to be pretty harrowing for an urban biking noob. It reminds me
of North Sheridan in Chicago. Four lanes where there really should
just be two and a turn lane. An inch of shoulder. Yikes. Guess I'll
have to reset into messenger mode next time I visit. LOL

TBH, It seems to me that the best way for a tourist to do town is with
MARTA and some walking shoes. I bussed back from the MLK center, as I
was a bit tired and didn't want to deal with being hustled a dozen
times on the way to Peachtree. Nice, clean buses, with free train
transfers. Bike racks on the front to boot.


Bike shops: Outback in L5 (on Euclid) is good. ATL Pro Bikes in the
Highlands is good for advice/ordering stuff, but their inventory seems
to be limited by space. ATL Velo Exchange (AVX) off of Howell Mill is a
great shop too. My favorite shop is Bike South out in Decatur though.


Got this message late, so no go on the browsing, 'cept on their
websites. Dang. Had to drive to MLK and purchase/install a headlight
on the VW yesterday. Waste of time, though the auto store guys treated
you like family.

We did check out the new Atlantic Station 'hood, as the Europeans are
fascinated on how urban Atlanta is being reborn. It looks to have much
potential in a few year for those that don't want mega high rise
living. Still a bit soul less at the moment.

Saw a ****load of people on fixies over by Georgia Tech yesterday, was
one you? :-P I see the no-brakes affectation rules down here as well.
Gawd help 'em.

Yeah. GT finally "caught" up (though I think there's relatively few
there compared to other areas). But unfortunately I'm still at least 1
week away from getting the clear from the surgeon to get back on the
bike. I'm craving it though! ...and I'm a brake dude, so no need to
start that discussion with me. It's like politics, some friends and I
have simply agreed to not bring it up around each other. LOL.

No, but wait! Frames 4" too small + negative rise keirin stem + B17
angled waaaaay down + non-machined deep Vs....garnished with yellow
bmx grips. Find that young man, and give him a fashion violation.

I'd have brought the bike, but my neighbor borrowed my car rack, then
decided to drown in the Gulf of Mexico. Thoughtless *******!

JESUS DUDE!

He was a Buddhist, AFIAK.


phobson @ gatech . edu if you want to grab a bite near campus (5th and
W. Peachtree)

Can't. Wish I could. I'm at the Georgian, so close. Gotta get these
folks to the airport (via train, of course) and me to the Dekalb
Market and on the road ASAP. I expect to spend an unhealthy time on
I75.

Nice bike lane on W. Peachtree, FWIW--It's one of the few I've seen in
the US that's direly needed!

landotter wrote:
On Apr 12, 8:02 pm, Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
landotter wrote:

I'll definitely try to bring a bike down here for a ride asap, but it
looks to be pretty harrowing for an urban biking noob. It reminds me
of North Sheridan in Chicago. Four lanes where there really should
just be two and a turn lane. An inch of shoulder. Yikes. Guess I'll
have to reset into messenger mode next time I visit. LOL

It's really not that bad. There are definite unofficial bike routes.
Peachtree and W. Peachtree are actually a blast during rush hour.
-Peachtree b/c it's so crowded you keep up with or go faster than the autos.
-W. Peachtree b/c it's so wide you can take a whole lane an no ones notices.

TBH, It seems to me that the best way for a tourist to do town is with
MARTA and some walking shoes. I bussed back from the MLK center, as I
was a bit tired and didn't want to deal with being hustled a dozen
times on the way to Peachtree. Nice, clean buses, with free train
transfers. Bike racks on the front to boot.

I wish everyone who incessantly complains about MARTA would read this.
To be fair, buses near me run every 40 mins during *rush* hour :/

We did check out the new Atlantic Station 'hood, as the Europeans are
fascinated on how urban Atlanta is being reborn. It looks to have much
potential in a few year for those that don't want mega high rise
living. Still a bit soul less at the moment.

Yeah. It's not really my style, but it's a 7 minute ride from school.
Perfect to stop by the grocery store to get dinner if I'm going to be at
school late.

Saw a ****load of people on fixies over by Georgia Tech yesterday, was
one you? :-P I see the no-brakes affectation rules down here as well.
Gawd help 'em.

Yeah. GT finally "caught" up (though I think there's relatively few
there compared to other areas). But unfortunately I'm still at least 1
week away from getting the clear from the surgeon to get back on the
bike. I'm craving it though! ...and I'm a brake dude, so no need to
start that discussion with me. It's like politics, some friends and I
have simply agreed to not bring it up around each other. LOL.

No, but wait! Frames 4" too small + negative rise keirin stem + B17
angled waaaaay down + non-machined deep Vs....garnished with yellow
bmx grips. Find that young man, and give him a fashion violation.

Haha. Interesting. Doesn't ring a bell, but I've been sidelined since
5 Jan :/

Nice bike lane on W. Peachtree, FWIW--It's one of the few I've seen in
the US that's direly needed!

Brand-spanking new. So new I haven't ridden or even seen it yet. I'm a
bit skeptical b/c BL construction down here tends to be 1 block here,
two blocks a mile away, 1/2 mile here that randomly ends...etc. But if
you say they did a good job, I believe you.

\\paul

On Apr 13, 3:36 pm, Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
landotter wrote:
On Apr 12, 8:02 pm, Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
landotter wrote:
I'll definitely try to bring a bike down here for a ride asap, but it
looks to be pretty harrowing for an urban biking noob. It reminds me
of North Sheridan in Chicago. Four lanes where there really should
just be two and a turn lane. An inch of shoulder. Yikes. Guess I'll
have to reset into messenger mode next time I visit. LOL

It's really not that bad. There are definite unofficial bike routes.
Peachtree and W. Peachtree are actually a blast during rush hour.
-Peachtree b/c it's so crowded you keep up with or go faster than the autos.
-W. Peachtree b/c it's so wide you can take a whole lane an no ones notices.


Sounds like messengering during the day on Michigan Avenue. I thought
it was crazy till I did it. Sort of like driving a car amongst semis
at 75mph--as you can keep up with the cars, it's no big deal. Indeed,
I saw half a dozen dudes do it today. Only one fix, but a few nice
working 80s sport bikes, and one tough ass chick on a circa '90
Cannondale. Saw her as I crawled up PT towards Buckhead this evening.
She road as if she was a ****ing Escalade. Confident--and breaking not
a single law, yet she still danced in traffic. My kinda gal. :-P

I was also impressed by the dozen or so basic riders I saw on hybrids
or converted mtbs today. You Atlantans are a practical bunch. Fenders,
racks, rack packs, and even blinkies and reflective tape. Only saw one
really creative lad being a dick on some old Fuji racer outfitted with
platforms after I grabbed a quick glass of unsweet tea at noon near
the Flatiron.

TBH, It seems to me that the best way for a tourist to do town is with
MARTA and some walking shoes. I bussed back from the MLK center, as I
was a bit tired and didn't want to deal with being hustled a dozen
times on the way to Peachtree. Nice, clean buses, with free train
transfers. Bike racks on the front to boot.

I wish everyone who incessantly complains about MARTA would read this.
To be fair, buses near me run every 40 mins during *rush* hour :/


Hell man, I had my car parked at the Georgian Hotel in Midtown, but
didn't go back to it after the airport dropoff. I took the train back
to town, transferred @ 5P to the eastern line, got off on Avondale
Station, took the #8 bus on a transfer, then went shopping at Dekalb
Farmer's Market. Timed it from leaving the Market to hitting my stop
back at Midtown at North--30 minutes. Beat that in a car. Much more
stress free as well. I like cars for what they do well, ditto for
public transit and bicycles.

Oh, you'll like this--a cat on the train back from the market sees my
bags and was, "hey bro, you can take MARTA to the Market!!??". Ha, he
complained that he hated sitting in traffic with his stick shift
sports car, so I filled him in on the stop and the bus you take for a
short five minutes from Avondale. This is of course a full two hours
after I first started using 'da MARTA. It's not big science.

Here in Nashville, I'm like you, the bus goes every 30m or hour--but
so what. I'm ten by bike from downtown, and a mile from most stores I
need. Even with a flat, the feet work. If it rains hard enough to be
an actual pain in the ass or I'm feeling like a lazy puss, I jump in
the car and make our Presidente proud by consuming a few hydrocarbons.
Life's too short to be an absolutist.


We did check out the new Atlantic Station 'hood, as the Europeans are
fascinated on how urban Atlanta is being reborn. It looks to have much
potential in a few year for those that don't want mega high rise
living. Still a bit soul less at the moment.

Yeah. It's not really my style, but it's a 7 minute ride from school.
Perfect to stop by the grocery store to get dinner if I'm going to be at
school late.

You Atlantan bastewardes have something like three urban Publix
Supermarkets. Here you have to go out of town ten miles. I might like
live for collards and cornbread, and indeed last night I ate at Gladys
Knight's Chicken and Waffles-but a man does not live by soul food
alone, sometimes you need a nice full grain chewy batard...


Saw a ****load of people on fixies over by Georgia Tech yesterday, was
one you? :-P I see the no-brakes affectation rules down here as well.
Gawd help 'em.
Yeah. GT finally "caught" up (though I think there's relatively few
there compared to other areas). But unfortunately I'm still at least 1
week away from getting the clear from the surgeon to get back on the
bike. I'm craving it though! ...and I'm a brake dude, so no need to
start that discussion with me. It's like politics, some friends and I
have simply agreed to not bring it up around each other. LOL.
No, but wait! Frames 4" too small + negative rise keirin stem + B17
angled waaaaay down + non-machined deep Vs....garnished with yellow
bmx grips. Find that young man, and give him a fashion violation.

Haha. Interesting. Doesn't ring a bell, but I've been sidelined since
5 Jan :/

What's your ETA on being 100%?


Nice bike lane on W. Peachtree, FWIW--It's one of the few I've seen in
the US that's direly needed!

Brand-spanking new. So new I haven't ridden or even seen it yet. I'm a
bit skeptical b/c BL construction down here tends to be 1 block here,
two blocks a mile away, 1/2 mile here that randomly ends...etc. But if
you say they did a good job, I believe you.

Har, don't. I didn't ride it. The parts I did see were good--they
appeared to be a legitimate integrated road lane, instead of an
afterthought--i.e.: let's make bike stencils randomly in the glass
covered shoulder.

-Max in Nashville

landotter wrote:
What's your ETA on being 100%?

At least 4 more weeks 'til I'm back on a bike according to the doctor's
visit I had today. Once this semester is over (~2 weeks), I'm gonna
starting riding on a borrowed trainer in hopes to make my transition
back onto the street a little, ahem faster. But I've obviously lost
significant strength in my left arm, so I imagine plenty of PT is in
order 'til I can say I'm 100%.

I'll just be happy when I can ride my bike and play drums again.
\\paul

On Apr 17, 7:26 pm, Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
landotter wrote:
What's your ETA on being 100%?

At least 4 more weeks 'til I'm back on a bike according to the doctor's
visit I had today. Once this semester is over (~2 weeks), I'm gonna
starting riding on a borrowed trainer in hopes to make my transition
back onto the street a little, ahem faster. But I've obviously lost
significant strength in my left arm, so I imagine plenty of PT is in
order 'til I can say I'm 100%.

I'll just be happy when I can ride my bike and play drums again.
\\paul

Well, I ain't the prayin' type, but I'm trying my best for ya here in
Nashwille, Paul. I've squinted all hard like the preachers do on TV.
Till my brow is sore. Dangit, it works on the TV!squiiiint You
healed yet?? Dangit. squiiiint [/fart] Too much effort.

If I'm in 'lanta in a year, your healed ass will take me for an urban
ride most craziness, I hope.