Originally Posted by
LarrySellerz
How fast do you think you have to be going in order for it not to be ******y to take the whole road on a descent? i don't drive so I don't really know how it feels from the cars point of view. On my commute to work I usually take the main hill at low 30s, and feel fine taking the whole road because the speed limit is only like 35. I was riding in the hills this week, on unfamiliar fast roads with a 50 mph speed limit, and I found myself taking the road even so. I was going mid 30s, but im not confident with descending and didn't feel happy staying in my bike lane. At what point do you come out of the bike lane and claim the whole road? In my mind like just be patient the hill will be over soon you can pass me then...
It feels like a violation of the natural order. No matter how fast you're going. You can be doing 2 or 3 x the speed limit and most drivers will be unhappy.
I mostly ride in the city, so I have a lot of roads to choose from. As much as possible I do big descents on low traffic roads. I usually get to ride anywhere I want, meaning I can avoid debris and imperfections in the pavement. Also people are in less of a hurry. There's a long, steep one coming out of West Seattle, most days I have it to my self, when there's car traffic they usually wait until the bottom to pass. A lot of other ways down the hill lead to freeway on ramps, and they're incredibly uncomfortable no matter where I ride. So I don't use them.