Spring Break
How to start cycling
Issue date: 8/7/08 Section: Athenscape
Athens has always harbored a strong cycling community, providing a variety of specialty shops and local groups that make getting started easy. Below are just a few shops that will help you get the right bike and hit the road.
- Erin Lovett
Whether buying a new bike or tuning up an old one, The Hub, located in Five Points, is your store. From as simple as taping your handlebars to as delicate as fitting a bike to you, The Hub is as professional as they come. (www.hubbikes.com)
Ben's Bikes - 159 Oneta St. Suite 6B1 (503) 459-8110
For a bike more like an old friend then a mode of transportation, Ben's Bikes, discretely tucked away in the Chase Park Warehouse, is your go-to shop. Specializing in fixed gear conversions, custom builds, and vintage and used bikes, Ben's Bikes creates bikes that scream "Athens." (www.bensbikes.com)
Sunshine Cycles - 294 W Washington Street (706)548-6088
Conveniently located downtown, Sunshine Cycles is as student-friendly as its name suggests, offering services that cater to students' needs, such as packing and shipping your bike to and from the University to your hometown, and a fall tune-up special. Sunshine also offers lifetime tune-ups on bikes purchased there. (www.sunshinecycles.com)
Georgia Cycle Sport - 1029 Baxter Street (706) 549-2453
Located on Baxter past Milledge, Georgia Cycle Sport is a great place to meet other cyclists and learn a thing or two about cycling. The store, which sells new and used bikes, also holds a bike maintenance clinic and sponsors weekly 30-mile rides that begin and end at the store. (www.georgiacyclesport.com)
There are bike lanes on several busy streets; the city buses now all have bike racks available; and it usually isn't too difficult to find a place to lock your bike. But there are still many people who will insist bikes don't have the same rights as cars on the road. For this purpose, among others, some citizens joined a movement that is taking place all over the world - Critical Mass.
Although it is much smaller in Athens relative to other cities, groups of bikers meet in a specific location the first Friday of every month around 6 p.m. and begin a five-to-six mile trek around the city. This mass of two-wheeled demonstrators usually takes up an entire lane of traffic, and although there are rarely police escorts, it may cause some interruptions at traffic lights. Although some drivers see the movement as an annoyance, it is a chance for people who bike as their main mode of transportation to express their equal right and power on the road.
The Athens movement has no official Web site, but BikeAthens occasionally posts the organization's official route on http://bikeathens.com/activities/cmass/index.html
- Chelsea Cook
- Be visible. By law, a bicycle in Athens must have a white headlight visible from at least 300 feet ahead and a reflective red taillight visible from at least 300 feet behind. Wearing a reflective vest at night and during the day helps alert drivers to your presence on the road.
- Do not hug the right curb. Though it seems counter-intuitive, giving yourself a little space from the curb gives you leeway to avoid getting "right crossed" - the most common bicycle accident - where a car pulls out of a side street or parking lot on your right and directly into your path.
- Avoid busy streets. Though cyclists are entitled to the same rights as cars, it is always safer to err on the side of caution. Taking back roads rather than the route you would take with your car may take a little longer but significantly lowers your risk of getting clipped by a passing vehicle.
- Take the whole lane when appropriate. Particularly when riding downtown amongst its typically low-speed traffic, taking the lane as if you were a car helps increase your visibility without causing a traffic jam. Riding downtown also carries the risk of the dreaded "door prize," which is when a car parked along the side of the road opens its door right in front of you - an accident easily avoided by taking the lane.
- Erin Lovett
- Erin Lovett
Where to get your bike, fix your old one or just learn the ropes
The Hub Bicycles - 1245 S Milledge Ave. (706) 355-3989Whether buying a new bike or tuning up an old one, The Hub, located in Five Points, is your store. From as simple as taping your handlebars to as delicate as fitting a bike to you, The Hub is as professional as they come. (www.hubbikes.com)
Ben's Bikes - 159 Oneta St. Suite 6B1 (503) 459-8110
For a bike more like an old friend then a mode of transportation, Ben's Bikes, discretely tucked away in the Chase Park Warehouse, is your go-to shop. Specializing in fixed gear conversions, custom builds, and vintage and used bikes, Ben's Bikes creates bikes that scream "Athens." (www.bensbikes.com)
Sunshine Cycles - 294 W Washington Street (706)548-6088
Conveniently located downtown, Sunshine Cycles is as student-friendly as its name suggests, offering services that cater to students' needs, such as packing and shipping your bike to and from the University to your hometown, and a fall tune-up special. Sunshine also offers lifetime tune-ups on bikes purchased there. (www.sunshinecycles.com)
Georgia Cycle Sport - 1029 Baxter Street (706) 549-2453
Located on Baxter past Milledge, Georgia Cycle Sport is a great place to meet other cyclists and learn a thing or two about cycling. The store, which sells new and used bikes, also holds a bike maintenance clinic and sponsors weekly 30-mile rides that begin and end at the store. (www.georgiacyclesport.com)
Critical Mass movement
Athens is one of America's rare cities that could be considered "bike-friendly." BikeAthens is a non-profit state-government organization that was formed in the late '90s with the sole purpose of promoting alternative modes of transportation and making them practical and convenient.There are bike lanes on several busy streets; the city buses now all have bike racks available; and it usually isn't too difficult to find a place to lock your bike. But there are still many people who will insist bikes don't have the same rights as cars on the road. For this purpose, among others, some citizens joined a movement that is taking place all over the world - Critical Mass.
Although it is much smaller in Athens relative to other cities, groups of bikers meet in a specific location the first Friday of every month around 6 p.m. and begin a five-to-six mile trek around the city. This mass of two-wheeled demonstrators usually takes up an entire lane of traffic, and although there are rarely police escorts, it may cause some interruptions at traffic lights. Although some drivers see the movement as an annoyance, it is a chance for people who bike as their main mode of transportation to express their equal right and power on the road.
The Athens movement has no official Web site, but BikeAthens occasionally posts the organization's official route on http://bikeathens.com/activities/cmass/index.html
- Chelsea Cook
Safety tips for student cyclists
- Never ride on the sidewalks. Especially during class-change periods, sidewalks on campus are usually over-congested. It is much safer for cyclists to ride on the road than to risk weaving through pedestrians on the sidewalks.- Be visible. By law, a bicycle in Athens must have a white headlight visible from at least 300 feet ahead and a reflective red taillight visible from at least 300 feet behind. Wearing a reflective vest at night and during the day helps alert drivers to your presence on the road.
- Do not hug the right curb. Though it seems counter-intuitive, giving yourself a little space from the curb gives you leeway to avoid getting "right crossed" - the most common bicycle accident - where a car pulls out of a side street or parking lot on your right and directly into your path.
- Avoid busy streets. Though cyclists are entitled to the same rights as cars, it is always safer to err on the side of caution. Taking back roads rather than the route you would take with your car may take a little longer but significantly lowers your risk of getting clipped by a passing vehicle.
- Take the whole lane when appropriate. Particularly when riding downtown amongst its typically low-speed traffic, taking the lane as if you were a car helps increase your visibility without causing a traffic jam. Riding downtown also carries the risk of the dreaded "door prize," which is when a car parked along the side of the road opens its door right in front of you - an accident easily avoided by taking the lane.
- Erin Lovett
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
RB
posted 8/07/08 @ 12:26 PM EST
Is there a complete list of bike shops in the Athens area anywhere? Thanks.
Eleanor Cook
posted 3/15/09 @ 2:34 AM EST
I thought this debate was about them, as opposed to featuring them. Whoops.
Post a Comment