RoadTire 

What he said. Busy roads are just plain a bad idea. Too much going on for both the drivers and biker. I consider it a bad idea to "ride the margins" on anything and the rides you propose are, IMO, marginal. If you can, ride them on quiet times and use other routes during the rush. I grew up in a rural area and riding 2 lane gravel shoulder roads. My cousin riding the same roads a few years later fell and a car ran over his leg at highway speeds. Ugh.

rumrunn6

some roads in my opinion are kill zones. roads without shoulders and blind hills sound dangerous, more dangerous than my local NE roads which have shoulders. withoutout shoulders you'll be in the lane. with blind hills the drivers will have no advance warning to help them adjust their lane position to pass you. the whole point of strobes on bikes is not to be seen, but rather to be seen sooner, giving drivers more tiem to react. having no reaction time is kinda like riding against traffic. you see the rider just as you are coming upon them. there is no time to react and no time to view oncoming traffic. when I see a biker in the distance I can gauge my speed so that we don't wind up with all 3 (2 cars and 1 bike) passign at the same moment.

rebel1916

There are a lot of nervous nellies on here. I live an hour from NYC. There is traffic on all my roads. It's cool, they do their thing and I do mine.

icyclist 

"Are people in general respectful of your being there or do most drivers blow by like you aren't even there?"

Where is "there?" This is not something anyone can answer if we don't live and ride where you do.

My take: Don't ride on roads with blind curves, no shoulder, and lots of fast-moving vehicles. Considering where you live, it's difficult to believe you can't find a plethora of rural roads that would be inherently dangerous.

DeanB

I don't like riding on city roads... they tend to be rougher and in residential areas I hate watching uncontrolled intersections every block. Sidewalks around me in North Tacoma are horrible due to old tree roots and sharp tall curbs. After getting used to the city I'm comfortable on most highways with or without shoulders. There's one blind hill I ride in the valley.. I'd ride the sidewalk but at the bottom of the hill the sidewalk just ends. I consider the cars behind me motivation to jump up the hill fast as possible .

I'm a bit nervous when I have to take a left turn lane on a highway. If I can I usually end up cross like a pedestrian :\

knoxtnhorn

I understand your fears. What sucks about where I live - right on the border of Knoxville and the country - is that I can't win when I bike. If I head out into the country, every us house seems to have an unleashed, wild-assed dog that will chase you. The city, itself, is absolutely horrible to ride. What sucks about the city is that you can go for 5 miles with a 10 foot wide shoulder only to completely lose the shoulder suddenly and in some of the most dangerous places.

I Bike

Lights. Blinky and a day time running light. You'd be amazed at the wide berth cars give. Maybe the strobe looks 'authoritative', I don't know. The DRL may sound and look silly, but I believe it helps. Also, a mirror. I know it's much derided here, but it can calm your nerves by reassuring yourself -- and pulling over if you have to. I ride exclusively rural roads.

JaceK

that fear is called sanity, it is a self defense mechanism. It is also one I have spent years beating the fear into submission. My colleagues, and managers regularly tell me the level of sanity in my choice to ride roads is questionable. Understanding the risk, and riding defensively helps reduce the risk. Be Aware it does not eliminate it. I and many of my fellow cyclists have been hit some of us multiple times. However it is very hard not to use the roads to train and ride, I mean seriously how could I ride 100 miles @ 20 or MPH on a MUP???

Dudelsack 

I live down the road in Loovul. I understand the road concerns.

Youve gotten lots of good advice so far. Don't have too much to add, other than (and I apologize if it's been said already) try to do some group rides. I know there is an active club out od Lexington. You'll have to wait a bit, but the Horsey Hundred would probably be a real confidence builder, too.

BillyD

Nice you remembered Sydney.

Bradleykd

Yeah. I guess I will get over it. When I was little I would ride the roads all the time but they weren't like these roads I live off of now. There are some good ones to ride not far from my house without much traffic but to get to them id have to ride three miles on a pretty gnarly one to get to them... Ill see how it goes I guess...

sam83

You don't ride with a mirror or don't know how to ride with a mirror.

Campag4life

Tell that to sydney. He forgot more about cycling than you ever knew about and it did him no good.
He was run over and killed by a distracted aka stupid kid who veered into a dedicated bike lane adjacent to the road.
30 years + of cycling. Just takes 1 jackazz.
They will do their thing all right...Ignorance is bliss...those vigilant get it and you apparently don't.

SlowOlympian

Wohoo! I'm brave! I climbed the beartooth pass(rated in the top 5 most beautiful cycling climbs of north america ) Which honestly I had no problem whatsoever. People didn't pass when they couldn't. I rode 6"ish from the shoulder, and was never buzzed or anything of the sort. RV's which worried me the most took their time to pass me. Occasional diesel smoke form that, but the grades called for it, unlike flat land thick black chevy smoke. It was probably one of the most pleasant rides I've had, and that's before factoring in the magnificent view! Also, the massive amount of front seat passengers coming the opposite way seeing me and pointing like "holy shyt! what a badass for cycling up this far!" made me feel good Some of this is due to tourists who are deathy afraid of somehow instantly losing grip in a 2+ ton car and sliding off the side of the mountain. My sister refused to drive on this road for that reason (middle of summer, only patches of snow, and no snow on the roads)

But honestly, on regular roads without bike lanes or any no shoulder roads, the closer I ride to the white line, or on the white line drastically increases the number of times people come closer than 1' from me. compounding the fact that I have no wiggle room to the right, this becomes a problem. If it's a nice road with no cracks that will suck my tire, and I feel comfortable, I will hug the white line. If the road is cracked and pitted I'll take the right tire track and make people wait a few seconds. This can have bad reactions, but you have 2' to your right if need be. I do feel more comfortable in the right tire track. People give you room. While on the white line, many people buzz you closely, and I don't think they realize how close they are. I've tested clearances(not with cyclists) a few times(keep in mind I don't own a car, but I don't think it's much better with regular car drivers), and it can be tough, what seems far away when you're on the opposite side of the car, can really be quite close. Now if the driver knows they can't eek past you, they won't try to. There will be the occasional truck that buzzes you and hits the gas, leaving a trail of black smoke, but hey, not everyone can have a big d1ck. and they typically don't try to kill you.

I did have a guy driving a truck cut into the bike lane, slow down, SLOOOOWWWW down, and then take a right into a gas station. I followed him. Once he stepped out of the truck I asked him "do you have something to say to me?" "uhhh what?" "you cut me off IN THE CYCLING LANE, damn near brake checked me. Do you have something to say to me?" "Uhh well with traffic, I just have to swerve in and out and uhh, yeah." and nervously walked into the store. If his reaction was any different I would have thought it an accident. But his whole disposition screamed caught in the act of being a doosh

Now, on the other hand. I have been on the main street through town. Olympia, WA, and Tucson, AZ. The deadliest drivers known to cyclists are moms in small to large SUV's. When they are about to take a right onto the main road is when they are at their deadliest. I have watched so many of them turn from the back seat, look left briefly and GO! These require extreme situational analysis. You DON'T want to be caught in front of the car when they unleash all 350HP! I usually try to send a message. I slow down to 8mph or whatever is needed(always slow down, it WILL be needed) and keep crawling forward. try to be 10yds plus back when they whip around. Most of the time they give a .3sec look, look where they're going, and look back at traffic. THIS is when they see you. If you did it right, you're 5' from the car. They slam on the brakes with the front wheels just though the cross walk. I try to flash an incredulous look at this point. hopefully they realize they could have seriously hurt or killed someone elses baby, or husband. I never take the opportunity to unclip and berate them though. maybe I'm chivalrous, our chauvinistic. IDK. They're moms. they'll figure it out. mine always did for me

holy shyt! RANT! sorry, tired with a few beers in me.

Really though. Roads are better than MUP's with those extenda-leashes/tripwires with the owner blasting his headphones or in his own world. Scared the crap outta a few of em myself. I'm no cycling diplomat. Riding the roads just takes situational awareness. a bit different from MUP's, but everyone should be behaving as expected. Just takes a bit of experience
/extended rent

Noxid31

Its best to avoid the really busy roads, but if you cant avoid them make sure you have lights on your bike. Make sure you actively listen ahead and behind you, its easy to space out on long hard rides.

Or you could find a riding partner who is slower than you; his screams will give you a couple seconds warning...

SlowOlympian

This is not a bad piece of advice! hwy or not, sometimes it is better to cross as a ped. In tucson, the traffic flow can be heavy, never allowing me to cut over into the turn lane, or being in the turn lane, never giving me the opportunity to accelerate(usually on platforms on my commuter) and get across. Never had to run my bike across from the left turn lane, but the wait can be several minutes. taking a right and using the crosswalk can be good. get across the street if you can, so you don't have to cross twice.

Campag4life

Pretty funny post. That truck driver you confronted. Good thing for you he wasn't a cage fighter. We would have never of read your post...lol.

rebel1916

I never said don't be vigilant lil homey, but all these people saying they don't ride roads that have traffic, and they don't ride curvy rural roads, and they need a shoulder etc etc etc, are riding scared. Riding scared does not lend itself to smooth predictable operation. These nervous nellies need to bo up. Or stick to the rail trails...

photogravity

That is a method that I would use back when I rode my motorcycle. I have not used it while riding my bicycle, but it does make good sense. Perhaps I will try that technique.

SlowOlympian

I had a riot baton quite accessible, but not accessible enough, yeah, if he was a cage fighter I would have woken up after he had left. Maybe without my bike. Most cage fighters won't resort to violence when asked a simple question though. jail time would follow. Maybe a 'riods cage fighter. But theis was obviously a "salt and pepper hair" guy. just screamed it even before he got out. I have been wrong once before though.... He did reach into his truck once and I got REALLY nervous. whipped off my bag and unzipped the side pocket(with my baton, while standing over the bike). made me rethink my approach technique.

thump55

If you have the option of routes, always consider the sun.

It is better to have the sun at your back (and motorist's back) so they are not squinting into the low morning/evening sun. They will see you easier.

Now go ride.

danmc

I moved back to Western NY about 12 years ago and 11 of those years I would only ride on MUPs and thought that people that road on streets were crazy. But then I got bored of the flat MUPs and tired of dodging wandering kids, unleashed dogs, and people gabbing away unawares. In April I bought a road bike and have put 2,600 miles on it.

I only ride on rural roads and will put my bike on my car and drive 10 or more miles to get out of city traffic and roads with no shoulders. I guess I'm lucky here because cars are very respectful and usually go way overboard with giving a wide berth, sometimes almost riding in the opposite shoulder! I've only had a handful of cars honk at me for no reason or kids yelling out of windows.

I always wear either a bright yellow or orange shirt and have a flashing light on my saddle bag. I also use a mirror and always check what the traffic is like to get a sense of how far right I need to be riding.

About the only way to avoid the danger is to sit at home and watch Oprah and Ellen all day long. Or you could take up kayaking, which I also do. I never get buzzed by trucks on a creek!

Machka 

+1

Riding into the sun, and you're invisible.

DeanB

But it's the only time I get to pretend I'm a cowboy

dolfinack

You wanna ride in the UK with the crazy small back-roads, especially Northern Ireland. That's some scary stuff. I'm sorry to say it but sometimes the best thing to do is avoid the really dodgy roads off the beaten track, which are obviously some of the most interesting ones.