Reporting from Buckhead

It's probably been for two years that various cyclists have complained that we always do the bicycle commuter breakfasts somewhere along the routes between Decatur and Midtown/Downtown. Certainly this is where I see the most cyclists, but because commuter cyclists' numbers have more than doubled since I began counting a few years ago, I thought perhaps it is time to expand our repertoire.

The logistical problem was how to cover long distances without being too late for work. The obvious solution was to take advantage of MARTA. The expeditionary party of Stephen and myself met at the Decatur Station and boarded the train over to Five Points to catch the northbound train headed to Buckhead.

It was fitting that Bradley met us at the Flying Biscuit. Not only is he well-practiced in the bike/bus commute (Lawrenceville to Vinings four days a week), but he had also suggested our meeting spot. (I'll need to spend more time in Buckhead before I can suggest breakfast spots.)

Bradley did well to choose the Flying Biscuit. Although there is a bike rack in the parking deck, we found a convenient covered spot for our bikes right in front of the Flying Biscuit's windows. This was sufficient for our four bikes, but we'll use the bike racks now that we know where they are.

Kevin lives in Buckhead and also commutes out to Vinings. He has been involved with the striping of the bike lanes that criss-cross Buckhead. I was quite pleased to find these along the stretch of Peachtree just south of the Buckhead MARTA and the Terminus Building at Piedmont where we met. Although there were a number of vehicles making right turns across this bike lane, the motorists gave us adequate consideration when making their turn. Their speeds were a little higher than what I'm accustomed to between Decatur and Downtown/Midtown, but I found the motorists were polite and considerate. It seems Kevin's work is paying off.

Now that we've tested out the schedule and know where everything is, we plan to run this again on Friday March 19.

Commute Summary

One-way Cycling Distance: 11.0 miles
MARTA Departure/Destination: from Decatur (E6 - Blue line) to Buckhead (N7 - Red line)
Number of Cyclists meeting for Breakfast: 4 (2 Decatur/Midtown delegates, 2 Buckhead delegates)
In-bound Route:
- Bicycle: Virginia-Highland to Decatur
- Blue line MARTA train: Westbound Decatur to 5 Points
- Red line MARTA train: Northbound 5 Points to Buckhead
- Dining Room: Breakfast at Flying Biscuit
- Bicycle: Down Peachtree into Midtown
Weather: 100% sunny, finally getting above freezing
What I ordered: Oatmeal pancakes with Peaches (4.5 out of 5 stars)
What I'll order next time: French Toast