Originally Posted by
CheGiantForLife
I try to avoid riding in the actual traffic lane, whenever possible
I feel it is safer to ride facing traffic, but in the margin, than to ride with traffic, but in the actual traffic, causing all sorts of problems for cars.
You sound like you haven't meaningfully ridden with vehicular traffic. n00bs are worried about being overtaken by traffic, but ride a little bit and you'll find that turning/crossing traffic is far more problematic. This is precisely why riding on sidewalks is more dangerous than riding on the road - no one really expects you there, your positioning makes you less visible to traffic turning off of the same roadway as you (crossing your path) and you've got less cushion against traffic on crossing roadways (nobody stops before the crosswalk). Riding against traffic exposes you to the same types of hazardous conditions. Don't do it - it's dumb.