We're kicking off a new feature each month - a chance for you to meet some of the great members in our ranks as well as learn more about the different types of bicycle users among us.
November Member Spotlight - Kyle Torok



Kyle is a tall guy so we frequently exploit his height and presence when we need an impromptu announcer or a great crowd shot (he's responsible for a lot of our cool ride photos). Kyle represents ABC at a ton of events, and we think his combination of humor and intelligence encourages more people to get involved. Check out his blog posts on our website and learn more about him below:

How did you get involved with ABC?
I was hit by a College Park police officer on Courtland Street my second day commuting in October 2007, three weeks before my wedding. I spent a month researching routes and learning about cycling in Atlanta, and mostly from ABC. I wanted to help other neophytes gain confidence to love cycling, or, facing setbacks like me, get up and dust themselves off.

How long have you been a member?
I joined in May 2009, though I had been volunteering with ABC for a year and a half. We were talking membership at an event and someone piped up, "Actually, Kyle, I don't think you ever joined." They were right. I joined that night.

How many bikes do you own?
I own three (Fuji Crosstown 1.0; 1970s Schwinn Suburban; 1983 Fuji Del Rey) and Colleen, my wife, somehow owns three (Jamis Citizen 1; Huffy Savannah; an orange beater), though one of mine is in my parents' garage in New York. I couldn't let Colleen outshine me.

Where can we find you riding?
I ride wherever I need to go for work, recreation and fun, but you'll mostly see me in Toco Hills, downtown, on Highland and Little Five Points. Look for me: I am the enormously tall guy on a bike the size of a pennyfarthing.

Favorite bike story?
I have two: I had a bachelor weekend and decided to ride 25 miles to Kennesaw Mountain and hike all its trails; it was a great adventure but the chafing was inexplicable. Also, I bought my Schwinn Suburban randomly for $20 from a bum in the Trader Joe's parking lot, the day after I sold a first-time triathlete the bike that got me back into riding.

Did you learn to ride as an adult or kid? Who taught you?
My brother, sister and I all learned to ride as kids on the same bike, a yellow thing built like an Eastern Bloc tank, with a cartoony caterpillar decal on it. My parents taught us. We lived outside Chicago, where it's very flat, and rode everywhere with my mom, trailing like ducklings.

What do you do when you aren't biking?
When not in the saddle, I run long distances around Atlanta training for races; read Victorian novels or pulp crime stories; and laugh with my wife, usually at the zoo. And if not riding bikes, I probably am talking about them.