hankj

I hear you OP

Regardless of my technique or the rules of the road, riding no shoulder roads becomes a numbers game. I can only do so much to control bad drivers overreacting to oncoming traffic, people text-drifting, and (usually redneck) psychopaths who seem to want to clip me with a big-a$$ mirror. Every passing car is the roll of a thousands of sided dice, but the odds are a lot better (aka worse ...) than the lottery.

Cyclists have techniques to make themselves feel better. In Vietnam American soldiers did too - "sit on the helmet in the helicopter," "never remove your helmet," "never three cigs on a match" etc etc. Feels better, but doesn't actually stave off the body bag if you roll the wrong number.

I no longer ride shoulderless highway on purpose, occasion short connecting pass through if I have to. I feel lucky to live in a place with enough bike trail, bike lane, massive shouldered highway, gravel and MTB to make this choice and still get my minimum 100 miles a week year in year out without too much boredom.