Atlanta Cycling Festival, city’s weeklong celebration of two-wheelers, starts this weekend
More than 40 events scheduled include tours, parties, and talks
- Atlanta Cycling Festival
- Bike jousting!
With the construction of the Atlanta Beltline’s paths, more bike lanes than ever before, and a bike-share program in the works, Atlanta was itching for a celebration of two-wheelers. And Jeffrey Wisard, organizer and founder of the Atlanta Cycling Festival, delivered.
On June 13, Atlanta will kick off the the second annual Atlanta Cycling Festival, a weeklong celebration of two-wheelers where bicyclists of all skill levels can gather, explore, and experience the city without a windshield to buffer the view.
Wisard had the idea to start the festival after a family trip to Cork, Ireland, in 2013, where he attended a cycling festival. Even with Cork’s lack of infrastructure and small roads, Wisard says, the city was still able to hold a great festival.
If Cork could do it, he thought, so could Atlanta. And with a team of three to four people, support from the city’s bicycling community, Sopo Bicycle Cooperative, and Georgia Bikes, Wisard turned the idea into a reality.
Last year the event hosted around 2,000 people with 33 events, Wisard says. This year, with more than 43 events, he expects that number to double. Organizers have arranged tours, community service, parties, and speaking events to take place over seven days.
Even though he’s excited about all the events, Wisard says The Tour de BeltLine, “Bikes vs. Cars” film, the Doughnut Ride, the Bike Jousting Tournament, and Meals on Two Wheels are not to be missed. He also recommends Sunday’s Pecha Kucha presentation.
- Atlanta Cycling Festival
- The St. Patrick’s Day Parade ride was one of several events held last year.
Only three of the more than 40 events require paid admission. The Tour de BeltLine is a fundraiser for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and Atlanta Beltline Partnership. The Living Walls bicycle tour is raising money for the arts nonprofit’s next round of murals, the Metro Atlanta Cycling Club, and the festival. The “Bikes vs. Cars” film is charged in order to rent out the Landmark Midtown Cinema. The other events are free to the public as Wisard believes cycling should be open and free to all.
All events are open to all levels of cyclists but events do have skill levels listed. Also, while the festival guarantees no one gets left behind on rides, Wisard says to perform maintenance on bikes beforehand. If you don’t own a bike, Atlanta BeltLine Bicycle is offering $15 daylong rentals.
Wisard says this festival is important for Atlanta to become the city it wants to be. With everything the city currently has to offer — “from the commerce to the shopping, to the people to the influence, to the infrastructure” — the festival highlights another feature that makes Atlanta great.
“I think it’s important because it will bring about a lot more people to the city, be another selling point for the city, and ideally get people out there to experience the city in a new way,” he says.
The full list of events and dates can be found online.