Day 1: Hit the road

There’s a city where a large percentage of the population spends over an hour a day stuck in traffic. A city where roads keep expanding and yet they remain just as packed. A city where exhaust from cars pollutes the air, causing smog alerts nearly everyday during the summer. A city selected by Bicycling Magazine as the worst for bicycling in the nation. That city is my hometown, Atlanta Georgia.

I’ve lived in and around Atlanta my entire life, I’ve seen it transformed from a sleepy southern capitol to a thriving metropolis choking on it’s own growth. And for the past four years I’ve not only lived in Atlanta but I’ve bicycled here as well. Bicycling in Atlanta has given me a new perspective on my city, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. After reading blogs of cyclist in cities like Portland and Minneapolis, both of which seem far more bike friendly that Atlanta, I decided to create Atlanta By Bike.

The focus of Atlanta By Bike will be transportation but I’ll try and cover every aspect of cycling from riding with the kids to racing. I don’t expect this blog will change the world or even Atlanta, but if I can bring the message of bicycles as an effective means of transportation I’ll be very satisfied. So stay tuned, I try and post at least once a day during the week and if I ever post anything you disagree with or if I get something wrong feel free to let me know.