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Old 09-18-19, 09:26 AM
  #248  
transitguy
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 15

Bikes: 1982 Bianchi Limited, Specialized Stumpjumper, Trek 520, Specialized carbon Diverge

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I just finished a loaded tour from Portland OR to Missoula MT, with over 150 miles of riding on freeways where the posted speed limit was well above 55 mpg. I had a safety triangle on my panniers, a bright yellow safety vest over my shirt and a mirror so I could at least try to assess whether each passing motor vehicle was approaching the shoulder. It was somewhat tedious at times watching for both road debris and traffic and I'm guessing that some would say I looked silly, but I had only one issue with motor traffic coming too close to me.

This is not to excuse the driver of the car shown in the crash video or to blame the cyclist involved, but rather to agree with what some other cyclists have said- it is possible to ride high speed highways in relative safety if one knows the shoulder conditions ahead of time, wears highly visible clothing and stays as far to the right as possible. Having good luck is probably an element as well, but that is something entirely unpredictable.

During my tour I encountered about 25 miles of across-the-shoulder rumble strips in eastern Oregon, but most of the time I rode over them at slow speed without too much annoyance. Granted, I was riding slowly anyway on a touring bike with wide tires, but in the interest of personal safety I would make the same choice under the same conditions regardless of the bike I was pedaling.
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