rebecca's blog

20 years ago, the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign was founded by a group of passionate activists to advocate on behalf of bicyclists and promote cycling, especially the kind that gets people places. Today, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is the go-to resource for people who want to start biking, for planners and city officials seeking cyclists' perspective on projects and needs, and the loudest voice for a bicycle-friendly Atlanta. 

On Friday, November 4 from 7-11 pm, we'll celebrate these accomplishments, in which our members and supporters have played a tremendous role! Please join us for fun, food, drink, and dance. 5 Seasons Westside  will serve up delicious local food and craft brews, a DJ will lend a soulful vibe, Collin Chappelle is showcasing his Atlanta Bicycle Photography project, we'll loop a photographical history of ABC (submit any interesting ABC or Atlanta bike historical tidbits here), local designers will add shine with a velo chic fashion show including ABC members, and ABC supporters are contributing fabulous items for a silent auction. 

We'll see you November 4th at 5 Seasons Westside! 

First of all, wow. I came back totally overwhelmed by the good things happening around the country in the bicycle and pedestrian advocacy world! Secondly, wow. I came back totally overwhelmed.

The first time I rode my bike to work, I was terrified. Traffic was fast and frequent on Cascade Road and I hugged the curb as if my life depended on it, which I thought at the time it did. That was after a few weeks of biking to the MARTA station on the sidewalk, and being amazed at how slowly I had to travel. Switching to the street made my commute that much faster, and as I later learned, that much safer.

Does anyone else out there bike in their work clothes? I've seen plenty of people wearing business get-up in cities like Chicago, Washington DC, or Seattle, but very few in Atlanta.

Here's why I do it: As a lazy cyclist, I enjoy not having to change clothes constantly. As the employee of a small nonprofit with no shower available in the historic building our office is located in, it doesn't make much practical sense for me to bother with changing clothes except for in the full frontal assault that is August in Atlanta. And because I try to bike to meetings whenever possible, I'm already picking my work clothes based on their bikeability.

Yesterday at the Commuter Breakfast, a new cyclist, seeing me bike up in a skirt, asked where she could go to buy a skirtguard. For those of you who have no need for one of these, skirtguards keep long/flowy skirts from getting caught in the rear wheel spokes. While a popular feature on bikes abroad, they are darn near impossible to find in the states.

Copenhagen girls (a terrific blog by the way) has a good bit on skirtguards found here.