Taking the lane at night in 45/55mph rural roads
The last two miles of my commute are on a straight 45mph rural road in central NY. The road has a very wide shoulder. So I usually ride on it. The last half a mile has a more narrow shoulder but still wide enough for a bike.
However, they never clean the shoulders during winter. So, it is icy and snowy most of the time. This leaves me with three options:
(1) Taking the lane and hoping that I have enough lights and reflective gear for cars to notice me. I feel comfortable taking the lane in slower roads that are nicely illuminated, but this road gets pitch dark and cars are usually speeding. I worry that a car might not notice me until it is too late to stop or swerve.
(2) Riding on the snow/ice. This is what I've done in past years. I don't like it because I feel unstable, specially when it is windy. I have actually fallen once or twice.
(3) Ride on the edge between the shoulder and the road. The edge of the shoulder is usually clean enough to ride. What I hate about this option is that it encourages close overtakes.
I don't have that much experience cycling. So, I thought I would ask for some opinions.