14 Years of Biking: The Journey, Challenges, and Advice from a Local Atlien – PART 2
A VP at a parking operations company bikes to work you say? It’s time for part 2 of our bike commute series.
As a brief reminder, Glenn Kurtz has been cycling around the city for over a decade and has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the neighborhoods of Atlanta, experiencing unplanned encounters, and getting his daily exercise. But of course, we can’t pretend like he hasn’t faced any challenges when it comes to biking around Atlanta.
Hills & Tips
If you’ll remember from part 1, Glenn started to reduce the number of times he biked to work because of the commute distance to his Legacy Parking office. This was a totally new commute that he was going to have to get comfortable with: the trip from Grant Park to Buckhead can’t be the easiest and could be pretty intimidating to someone who hasn’t done it before. The hills, Glenn says, with the unfinished section between the Beltline and PATH400, are some major barriers. But he was determined to try it out, found a route that works for him, and still regularly bikes the entire way. On the other hand, when he isn’t feeling up to the hills or has client meetings to attend, Glenn instead changes up his commute by walking or biking to his closest MARTA station or driving when he needs to.
Tip #1: Your commute doesn’t have to be the same every day. Stay flexible and mix it up: bike when you can, work from home one day, take transit or drive in when you need to run errands or take the kids to school.
Now you’re probably wondering what Glenn does when there isn’t a separated bike lane or trail to ride on. As we mentioned in part 1, this is one of the biggest challenges for Atlanta. Glenn’s general rule: if there’s no separated bike lane, take the entire road lane. Don’t hug the curb – let the cars know you’re there.
Another barrier many people face is not knowing what to bring with them or what resources are available at their office. Generally, Glenn bikes to work when he doesn’t have meetings and can travel light. If he is riding the entire way, he brings a change of clothes and typically some tools and a spare tube in case he gets a flat.
Tip #2: Check with your employer and/or building to find out what resources are available. Some amenities include showers, lockers, secured bike storage and fix-it stations!
If you’re thinking about biking to work yourself, Glenn recommends to first pick a route that mostly journeys through neighborhoods and uses bike lanes as much as possible – even if it’s longer, it’s worth staying off the major roads. Another great piece of advice: think of your bike commute as a fun way to get exercise! And, most importantly, try the route on a weekend to get comfortable before taking it as a commute.
Glenn has found some of his favorite parts of the City from biking around it. From the Westside Reservoir Park to PATH400 and Proctor Creek, he has been able to experience so much by overcoming his barriers and looks forward to a fully connected Atlanta.
Livable Buckhead can help find a route that works for you. Give us a shout if you’d like to try it out and if you missed PART 1, check it out.
