I do some of the group rides, but always use my road bike during group rides. I assume I don't have to go into all the reasons group riders don't like to see people in the aero-bars, particularly if the rider is an unknown (its the triathlete's curse, I know). The airport ride is good for base training, but gets faster as the season progresses. Another fast ride is the tucker ride - averaging about 24mph. A good resource for group rides is sadlebred.com. The only regular ride group that welcomes triathletes on tri-bikes is the weekly Chris Andrus led ride out by Conyers. Go to mycoachchris.com for details.

Typically, I do one group ride with my road bike on Saturday and one solo ride on my tri-bike on Sunday (or vice versa). With all the sprinting, the group rides are usually like interval workouts. And people differ on this topic, but I personally feel like group road rides help me improve my speed, even though its fewer total hours on the tri-bike.

Hope that helps.

yeah, i'd like to have a road bike as an option for group rides but alas, i do not. i've done the airport ride but it takes so long to get going seeing as you have to navigate downtown atlanta and then the lights, etc. i'll check out sadlebred.com.

thanks for your help.

I've actually been thinking of putting together a group ride on the Silver Comet lately just for tri riders, roadies would be welcome but no aero bar discrimination allowed. A few of my friends and I sometimes do the Comet for a flat fast ride and then pack up and drive over to lost mountain to do 18% grade hill repeats. It's a hell of a workout but lets you really earn that pasta afterwards.

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-Andrew Saar
It is better to do the right thing and be paid poorly,
than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded richly.

i've never ridden on the comet. are there any problems with rollerbladers, kids on bikes, joggers - in other words, does it get crowded? anyway, i might be interested. what kind of speeds do you guys avg?

We normally start from the bike shop so most of the crowds are already thinned out, by the time we're warmed up it's mostly runners and cyclists, but I never have a problem with crowds, maybe at certain times on Saturdays that are really nice it can get a bit busy, but it's not normally a problem.

We used to ride in the 22-24 range. But 2 of us are coming back from big injuries so it's dropped down considerably. It would guess it's in the 19-20 range once you include the slowdowns for road crossings, etc.

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-Andrew Saar
It is better to do the right thing and be paid poorly,
than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded richly.

[reply]i've never ridden on the comet. are there any problems with rollerbladers, kids on bikes, joggers - in other words, does it get crowded? anyway, i might be interested. what kind of speeds do you guys avg?[/reply]

As someone that rides the SCT frequently on a tandem with my 8-year-old daughter, I believe it would be [b]irresponsible[/b] for a group of tri-geeks to ride the trail at 20+ mph. Certainly so on weekends in the spring, summer, or fall. The trail, even at the Rockmart end, is just too crowded. And although neither Kelsie nor I would ever consider it, a lot of recreational cyclists and nearly all roller bladers (who require a larger lane than cyclists) are using Walkmans or MP3 players. They'll never hear "on your left". There have been several serious injuries on the trail from the meeting of hard core roadies and recreational folks. As I would say to hard core roadies thinking about training on the SCT, they're called "road" bikes for a reason.

I don't do group rides, I can't risk my entire season on someone pulling a bone head move (I might be that someone).

As for SCT--only once you get way out the crowds are thinner. Don't bury your head down though, every single time I go out someone is just stopping short in the middle of the road and then panicking where to move as they see you coming.

I actually find the boring collumns repeats safer than SCT. With the exception of some guy yelling at me for biking in the bike lane as he was walking in the bike lane that we didn't belong there, I have seldom had any problems. Oh, and that one guy that always rollerblades towards traffic this is the first season he actually was aware of me cycling in the same lane and was curteous- last season he almost got me killed with a car. Just down at the end stay very alert for those pulling out of the condo section close to the trailhead.

Thinking of bailing out of here today for a 3-5 hr ride, just trying to decide where.

{Thinking of bailing out of here today for a 3-5 hr ride, just trying to decide where.} reply

how about 3 gap?

i can't take riding at columns for more than 30 miles. now that my long rides are getting longer i need a change of scenery.

If you can name one road in Atlanta that is safe to ride on I'll be all over it. I've gone on the Stone Mountain/Emory rides on my road bike and just about been killed each time. The drivers around here are terrible, and only when you get a huge group together is it anything approaching safe to ride. Trust me it's safer on the comet with having to slow down a bit every once in a while to pass some Dad and his daughter out for a nice ride than it is to expect some jerk in a Suburban to not add you to his hood ornaments.

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-Andrew Saar
It is better to do the right thing and be paid poorly,
than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded richly.

brrrr I think it is 55 today :-) No 3 gap for me with snot flying everywhere. Both of my races this year are flat so I have to get my body used to that boredom. Kinda pissed that I missed the sun this weekend while I worked. I sorta envy the weekend riders.

If you do go out today (just got back from a quick lunch ride, couldn't pass up the beautiful day) watch the winds, their really strong right now. Although part of it is probably just my new set up, I've never had "race wheels" before, trying to get used to HED3s and they move around a LOT more than my old Mavics.

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-Andrew Saar
It is better to do the right thing and be paid poorly,
than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded richly.

OMG---thank you for reminding me about race wheels. I have to go by all3 and pick up my new 606 :-) SWEET! I felt the winds and am still debating on what to wear, as soon as laundry is done then I guess that will dictate what I am wearing. See, now I feel better about working all weekend :-)

Mmmmm...nice wheels. I haven't ridden those, but they seem like the best balance. The 808s are too deep for some courses in my view and the 404s not quite deep enough. The 606s are the momma bear of the Zipp lineup...just right. After having taken the 3 out in these winds I'm thinking I might switch to an Alps up front. I love my other Alps so why not. I could keep the 3 for non-windy courses.

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-Andrew Saar
It is better to do the right thing and be paid poorly,
than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded richly.

I have a love affair with Zipp. I am clueless on all other wheels. I think had I bought a HED to begin with and they had taken me through tough times I would probably be loyal to HED. The best investment any of us can do is get out there and train--which is where I am heading now.

I was under the impression the 808 and the 606 are the same wheel, just the 808 is the whole set? I have the 909 set (never ever use the disc wheel-it just feels too heavy, and I am not fast) and the 404 rear (has seen over 6k of race miles). Broke my first spoke on the 404 mid race and borrowed my friends 606 so I just knew I had to have a 606-it is a total different feel. So now I will be riding a 909 front and a 606 rear --it would have been cheaper to just buy the 808 set. Maybe I just screwed up all the numbers--my brain is in need of endorphins. VERY Happy with Zipp none the less and am pleased to have a 404 as a backup wheel :-) The overtime has been worth it, and now that I have my toys for the season, time to go back to normal hours.

You have way more experience with Zipps than I do. I had thought that the 606 sat in between the 404s and the 808s, but after your comments and looking at the site, I guess it's an 808/404 combo. The sad thing is I've seen a 606 set on a bike and never picked up on that. Oh well. Either way seems like a really nice set and I hope you enjoy.

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-Andrew Saar
It is better to do the right thing and be paid poorly,
than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded richly.

[reply]If you can name one road in Atlanta that is safe to ride on I'll be all over it. I've gone on the Stone Mountain/Emory rides on my road bike and just about been killed each time. The drivers around here are terrible, and only when you get a huge group together is it anything approaching safe to ride. Trust me it's safer on the comet with having to slow down a bit every once in a while to pass some Dad and his daughter out for a nice ride than it is to expect some jerk in a Suburban to not add you to his hood ornaments.[/reply]

FastInAtl is quite right in noting that Atlanta is extremely bike unfriendly. And I agree that the drivers are far worse than the pitifull infrastructure. Still, as someone that commutes to work (20 miles each way) by bike, I can say that it is possible to ride here. Just in case someone's lurking on this thread and considering relocating to Atlanta, I wouldn't want them to be completely scared away.

And yes, the SCT is a wonderful place for a leisurely ride with family. As is the (much shorter, unfortunately) Big Creek Greenway in Alpharetta.

I agree that Atlanta is difficult. Weekday rides are the most difficult, because traffic is heavier and there's not enough time to drive out of the city. Due to this difficulty I usually do my interval and/or tempo workouts during the week. Columns drive is good for a 1hr lunchtime fast paced tempo ride. And the in town weeknight rides are great interval rides, because you are usually just sprinting between stoplights. And finally, I live around Emory/Candler Park where there are lots of hills, so I sometimes get up at 5:30am (with lights) and do hill repeats. So those are some suggestions for overcoming weekday difficulties.

On the weekends my favorite areas are Silk Sheets (rolling/light traffic), The Gaps (great climbing), and the Serrano Century route near Social Circle, GA (40-100+ mile options).

The Comet is good for a brick, but I do agree that you have to be very courteous of walkers/families, etc.

I have done most of the area group rides over the years with aerobars with no trouble. I used to be on a full tri bike, and my buddy has always been on a full tri bike. On the airport ride several roadies come out with full TT bikes. Not a big deal. Don't try the Tuesday crit with aerobars, if that is even still going on.

On Columns there is a nice hill loop you can use to break up the monotony. You can also do some interesting loops out of there.

As for the Silver Comet Trail, just say no. It is not safe for you or others out there if you are any kind of decent cyclist. There are too many kids, runners, bladers and the like out there. Sure there are some areas that seem to be relatively clear, but then you come up to another parking lot. A former customer got over 100 stitches in his face and caps on all his teeth after a young girl on a moutain bike just swerved into him. Her helmet hit him squarely on the face. His capped teeth will forever be lose, until he loses them. The potential for carnage is great for you and the others out there.

Atlanta is a city, and a crowded one. That is just life. Ride accordingly.

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"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC

I'm visitin family in Atlanta next week and planning on bringing my bike. Besides the Silver Comet Trail, is there any other safe riding. Can you ride in Stone Mountain Park? I'll be able to ride during the day, if that makes any difference?

Thanks,
Litherland

Silk Sheets is a local favorite.

http://www.sadlebred.com/gamaps.html (look for the two silk sheets entries)

I haven't ridden Stone Mountain area in a while so I'm not sure about the timings, but here's a map if you want to do loops:

http://www.sadlebred.com/maps/stonemtnroutes.pdf

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-Andrew Saar
It is better to do the right thing and be paid poorly,
than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded richly.

Another good source for maps in Atlanta is http://www.mycoachchris.com/Ride%20Maps.htm
But I agree with the posts on the Silver Comet. I've been on the ground twice--both times on the Silver Comet. Once the weather gets nice, forget it.

One other option is the Webb Bridge rides on Saturday morning in Alpharetta. 50 miles with two options--an A ride (19-21 MPH) and a B ride (17-19 MPH).

It seems Atlanta is getting a bad rap. I ride with a few friends right out of my driveway and we seem to do well avoiding major traffic. We ride every Tuesday and Thursday night at 6pmish and a longer road or mountain ride on the weekends. We either do the six flags ride on our own or go out to Stone Mountain. I'm right in the city on Moores Mill, and most group rides go past my house when they turn from Ridgewood. I think you just need to know what side roads to take. When it's dark we have a great 6 mile loop we do about four times on the week nights. I think it's worse when you live outside the city and try and ride on weeknights. I think most cars are leaving the city and in a rush to get home.

Is there anyway I can post my route on Mapmyrun.com? I could show you our six mile loop for anyone to try.


Here's the 6 mile loop we do. It's one mile to the start of it. You can park at the corner or Warren Rd and Defoors at the American legion. Take a right out of the parking lot on to Warren Rd.

Left on to Moores Mill

Right on Ridgewood Ter.

Right at the "T" onto Ridgewood Rd

Left at the fourway stop at Nancy Creek

Left at the road with an island splitting it into a "Y" entrance

Right at the "T" of Rivermead. Ride the whole of this street, its a cul-de-sac at each end, then exit right, where you came in. We call this road the flats since it's a half mile long and flat. If anyone arrives late to our ride, you circle the flats until we come down there from our loop and you join in.

Back up Nancy Creek, on it for a couple of miles

Left on to Ridgewood at the top of the hill from Nancy Creek

Right on to W. Wesley, we call this the "horseshoe"

Right onto Ridgewood, one loop complete when you get the the four way stop at Nancy Creek and Ridgewood.

I guess you can go to mapmyrun and put this in to see the loop. It's alot easier than it sounds. These roads have a lot of cyclist on them, but due to our schedules, we just can't make the group rides, and it's kind of nice to just do it with a few good friends. Maybe I'll see you guys out there. I'll have the yellow Nike Lance shoes on, you can't miss those things.

Where will you be staying?

Stone Mountain is a loop, which can be 5 or 7 miles around, depending on how you take it.

I'll be in town, over by Emory\VA Highlands
Thanks,
Litherland

stone mountain is a good option - especially during a week day. if you don't mind an 1hr drive or so you could hit some of the gaps in the north ga mtns for great climbing and very little traffic.

[reply]i've never ridden on the comet. are there any problems with rollerbladers, kids on bikes, joggers - in other words, does it get crowded?[/reply]

Some folks are giving the SCT a bad rap. If you go early enough in the day, it's not that bad, no matter where you are (I always start at the Smyrna trailhead, which, for the first five miles or so, is the most congested part of the trail). It only gets REALLY crowded during the nice weekends in the spring and fall anyway, and even then it's still later in the day. If you go out at 7 or 8 AM in July, just about the only other people you'll see out are other hard-core exercisers. 1:OO on a Saturday in mid-April, forget about it. It's also not as crowded if you start out a few miles into the trail.

You have definitely got to pay attention to your surroundings at all times, though, no matter when or where you go out. If nothing else, the squirrels and rabbits like to dart out in front of you. I've had a couple of sphincter-clinchers out in the middle of nowhere that way.

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fork DOWN
times DOWN
woo - jackmott

You're right. You can be smart about your Silver Comet usage and really get a good ride in. Weekday mornings are best.

I give to the Path Foundation regularly, so I get teed off when people say it's for walkers and rollerbladers and serious cyclists need not show up. And I've seen this guy on a Litespeed pulling a Burley trailer doing 25-30.

I agree completely.

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-Andrew Saar
It is better to do the right thing and be paid poorly,
than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded richly.

A few mind numbing laps at Columns Drive is a weekend favorite.....or the Cartersville Bud Plant ride.....then there is the Kennesaw Mt. 8am ride.....mostly roadies now though...

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I shall never misuse Rex Kwon Do
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice