Cruise downtown Athens on two wheels to see the relics of its eclectic past--from antebellum mansions to the record shop that spawned R.E.M. Brent Buice, the co-chair of alternative-transportation advocacy group BikeAthens, recommends a 12-mile loop that begins at City Hall (301 College Ave.) and heads west between the dogwoods and magnolias flanking bohemian-chic homes on Boulevard Street. Jog east toward historic Milledge Avenue, the University of Georgia's Greek row. From the hilltop at Five Points, turn north and ride through UGA's 200-year-old campus before picking up the North Oconee River Greenway and cruising 2.5 miles to the Sandy Creek Nature Center. Backtrack on the paved path to College Street and close your loop in the heart of downtown.
--mapped by Jered Gruber with help from BikeAthens

TO TRAILHEAD: This ride begins at Athens' city hall building at 301 College Avenue, two blocks north of Broad Street.