One Spoke Ride is June 16

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One Spoke Ride on June 16, 6:30 pm

This will take the place of the June Third Friday Bike Ride.

The One Spoke ride will go from Decatur to Centennial Park and is part of the Atlanta Cycling Festival.
Like the spokes on a wheel, there will be rides starting all over the city. Meet in front of the Decatur Recreation Center and be ready to roll at 6:30 pm.
Our goal: Come together at one central hub and ride together with the other groups.

Different bike orgs/biz all over Atlanta will meet at 6:30pm and ride out in whatever route they choose. All rides will then meet up at Centennial Olympic Park near the Fountain Of Rings at 7:30pm. We will then all ride down to the Georgia Beer Garden for the Free Bikes 4 Kids auction and Roadtrek Bike RV. Goal: Have Auburn Ave lined with bikes.

We will try to regroup around 9:00 pm for a group return from the Georgia Beer Garden.

You may be on your own for a return trip. You can take the Marta Train with your bike back to Decatur as an option.

For more information and to sign up on Meet-up, click here.

Helmets and cycling lights are required for your safety!

Third Friday Fun Bike Ride This Friday at 6:30 PM

The weather is perfect for a fun five mile bike ride around the City of Decatur! Join us this Friday, September 19 at 6:30 pm for a social ride around the city followed by a stop at a local watering hole. We meet at the Church Street MARTA Station and are ready to go at 6:30; stop by a little earlier and get to know your fellow riders.

All levels of riders are welcome; this is a no-drop ride and we ride at a social pace. Please wear a helmet and you may want to check your lights for the ride home. Our days are getting shorter.

Questions? Contact cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com. Meet-up information is here.

Last Month's Group Enjoying Themselves After the Ride

Last Month’s Group Enjoying Themselves After the Ride

Participate in the Bike Challenge and Win Prizes!

LTR-Facebook-Memes_7The City of Decatur has formed a team for the Atlanta Bike Challenge which runs from September 28 to October 19 and we invite citizens and employees alike to join our team. So far the Decatur team is Tracie, Cheryl, Jeff, and Trish. Recruit your Decatur friends and neighbors, everybody bike!

The 3rd-annual Atlanta Bike Challenge will be going strong ALL OVER the metro area including Decatur. You just have to ride your bike 10 minutes a day, or 10 minutes ever to participate! Log when you bike to yoga, bike to work, bike around the park, bike to the pool…you get the idea, just bike!

Log your rides (a few or all of them) at ATLBikeChallenge.com or through the Love to Ride mobile app to qualify for great prizes.Be sure to sign up for the City of Decatur team its not just employees, its meant to be citizens too!

What’s the goal? It’s all about participation – which workplaces (or in our case communities) can get the most people to ride a bike? Metro Atlanta business will compete against each other to see who can get the most staff to ride a bike during the challenge. It’s not about who can cycle the most miles, but who can encourage the most people to give bicycling a try.

Throughout the Atlanta Bike Challenge, participants will qualify for awesome prizes. However, to be eligible for the grand prize, you must log cycling trips to and from work. And by participating, you’ll get bragging rights when you reach goals and recruit coworkers to join in on the fun. Logging is easy, click # of miles, click date, done!

To find out more and to register, visit ATLBikeChallenge.com. And connect through the Facebook event.

Stay Active This Weekend With Bike Rides, a Walk in the Garden and More!

Looking for some activities for the weekend?

Friday:
Bike Decatur will go on a 5 mile social ride. Meet at the Church Street MARTA Station at 6:30pm and join us for a casual all-levels ride followed by beverages at a local watering hole.

Saturday:
Southern Bicycle League offers an Intro to Group Riding Skill Clinic at 1:30pm. Meet in the parking lot of Glennwood Academy located at 440 East Ponce de Leon Avenue for instruction on Group Cycling followed by a 5 mile ride through scenic Decatur neighborhoods. Click here for more information.

Celebrate Summer at Woodlands:
Woodlands Garden invites the community to visit them and stroll through the gardens seven days a week during daylight hours. Woodlands is located at 932 Scott Boulevard. Walk or bike to the garden if possible as parking is limited. Information at www.woodlandsgarden.org.

July is Parks and Recreation Month, so stop by one of Decatur’s parks, pools or greenspaces and take a stroll, swim, play tennis or simply enjoy nature. Click here for a list of City Parks. If it rains, stop by Decatur Recreation Center and take a walk on our new elevated walking track.

There are lots of ways to stay active in Decatur!!

Stop by Glenlake Park and try out the Adult Exercise Equipment

Stop by Glenlake Park and try out the Adult Exercise Equipment

Staying Active This Weekend

There are many manys to stay active this weekend in Decatur: events, organized rides, art, places to walk or cycle to, and more. What are you waiting for? Get out of the house and enjoy your city!

Friday:
Bike Decatur Mobile Social: 6:30 pm at the Church Street MARTA Station. Don your beach wear and join Decatur Active Living and Bike Decatur for a beach-themed leisurely 5 mile ride around Decatur neighborhoods. After the ride we will go to Beach Party and dance the  night away! Helmets are required.

Decatur Beach Party: 5 – 11 pm, on the Square in downtown Decatur. Walk or bike to the event that is fun for the entire family. Children’s Boardwalk and music from A1A to dance to.

Saturday:
Visit the Decatur Farmers Market, 9 – 1 pm, at the corner of Trinity Place and N McDonough. Chef Eric Ottensmeyer from Leon’s will be demonstrating. Squash, blueberries and peaches are just some of the tasty summer foods available. Shop for a great dinner for Dad on Sunday!

Sidewalk Saturdays continue in downtown Decatur and Oakhurst from 3 – 6 pm. Thanks to the Decatur Arts Alliance,  artists and musicians will hit the sidewalks. Have lunch and then walk or  hop on your bike and ride to Harmony Park and back to downtown Atlanta to enjoy the day.

Sunday:
Join Bicycle South for their monthly Stone Mountain ride. Cyclists leave Bicycle South at 9 am. This is a no-drop ride. Helmets are required. After the ride there will be snacks at the shop. It’s my birthday so join the ride and help me celebrate.

Celebrate Father’s Day with an afternoon at one of Decatur’s pools or parks. Ebster pool is a great place to swim laps. Enjoy the adult playground at  Glenlake Park while the children enjoy the children’s playground and then hop in the pool to cool off. Bring your toddlers to McKoy pool – with zero entry it is as close as you can get to the beach in Decatur.

Take a stroll through Woodlands Garden. You are welcome to visit for a quiet stroll any day during daylight hours. A walk through the woods on a hot day will cool you off and provide an escape from the city without having to leave the city! Consider walking or biking over as parking is limited.

fathers day

Beach Party Friday: Join us for a Mobile Social Before the Party

931163_10151681844932275_1063421229_nJoin Bike Decatur and Decatur Active Living this Friday at 6:30 pm for our monthly Mobile Social. The Bike Decatur Mobile Social is a leisurely 5 mile ride around Decatur neighborhoods. This month, in honor of the annual Decatur Beach Party, we encourage you to dress in beach wear and/or decorate  your bike . After the ride, you can either join us at Beach Party or go to one of the many great watering holes in the city.

Meet at Church Street MARTA Station at 6:15 pm, the ride will depart at 6:30 pm.

Tickets to Beach Party are available online for $7 or $10 at the gate.

Helmets and a fun attitude are required!

For more information contact cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com. To find omore local rides, click here to access the Southern Bicycle League Meetup Calendar.

Bike Ride to Stone Mountain Cancelled Due to Threat of Bad Weather

The Bicycle South Ride to Stone Mountain is cancelled this morning due to the threat of thunderstorms moving in. Join us next month.

Hope to see you at the Decatur Arts Festival next weekend at the Bike Valet.

Keep on riding!

Bike Riding Over the Weekend

If it doesn’t rain again all weekend, here are a few options to help you celebrate Bike Month:

Tonight, May 10
Bike Decatur Mobile Social is at 6:30 pm. Meet at the Church Street MARTA for a leisurely 5-6 mile ride around Decatur. Decorate your bike and join us!

Saturday, May 11
Sam’s Freight Room Ride is at 2pm (tomorrow and every Saturday). Meet at 415 E Howard Avenue for an easy 11 mile ride through Avondale Estates, Oakhurst and Decatur. No drop ride and really nice folks. They usually go for pizza after the ride.

Ride Leaders Mike Masters and Mike Sheehan will host an Intro Group Riding Skills Clinic. Meet at Glennwood Academy, 440 East Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur GA 30030, ready to ride at 1:30pm. The clinic starts with a group discussion covering the basics of bike safety, rules of the road, and group riding skills. There will be time for questions and answers on a variety of cycling topics before the ride begins. Following the group discussion, we will put theory into practice on a 5 mile group ride around Decatur. Participants are encouraged to reconvene at Fellini’s Pizza after the ride for refreshments and socializing. For more information click here.

Georgia Bicycling Rules of the Road

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Since it is National Bike Month, it is a great time to review the Rules of the Road.

  • Bicycles are vehicles and MUST obey traffic laws! Traffic laws that apply to vehicles also apply to bicycles. Bicyclists must obey stop signs, speed limits and traffic signals just as they would if driving a car.
  • In Groups, ride no more that two abreast and as a courtesy ride single file when traffic is present in your travel direction.
  • Ride on the right. Georgia Law states that bicyclists should ride as near to the right side of the roadways as possible. Bicyclists can move from the right when turning left, when avoiding hazards, when the lane is too narrow to share safely with a motor vehicle, when traveling the same speed as traffic and when passing another vehicle.
  • At night, be seen!  Every bicycle must be equipped with a white front light and a rear red reflector, each visible from 300 feet. Rear red lights may be use as well.
  • Don’t hit the road without a helmet! Bicycle helmets are a good idea for everyone, and required by law for every bicycle rider younger than age 16. They must be fastened on securely.
  • Three Foot Rule. Motorists are required to pass cyclists by a distance of at least three feet.

Let’s all obey these rules and stay safe!

Decatur Active Living and Bike Decatur have produced a Bicycle Suitability Map for the city rating the road conditions for cycling as well as showing the location of bike lanes, water and bike parking. You can download one here, or stop by the Decatur Recreation Center or the Visitors Center to pick one up.