I would have to say T that to me, that shoulder is not bad. I guess I have ridden on much worse and my standards have gone down.
Yeah, I agree. Looks like many roads that I have ridden.
I tend to gravitate to roads with the US designation. US 90 for example. Many of those look like that picture much of the way. They tend to have a shoulder, be graded reasonably well over the mountains, be direct for long distance travel, and have plenty of services.
US 90 is one that I'd consider riding for it's 1600+ mile length if I were to cross the Southern Tier again. I have ridden a lot of it and found it nice enough (some of it looks like that picture some of it lighter traffic and rural.
Another that has sections a lot like that... I always wondered how feasible riding US 40 coast to coast would be. I have ridden pieces of it and know there are probably chunks that would need to be detoured around (some of it may have been replaced by interstate and some may be in urban areas that I'd just as soon avoid), but it is an iconic road.