Originally Posted by
MinnMan
... signing up for Strava and getting access to their heat maps can help a lot. That way you'll see the routes that other cyclists have worked out.
Or RideWithGPS and many others. GarminConnect use to do this very well a long time ago then it disappeared. I think they do it again now, but I don't go there very often.
I have used heat maps to get ideas about where others ride when I go to visit other areas. If that many people ride a particular route, then you'd think the regular motor traffic will be somewhat use to cyclist being there. Though for certain at any moment you never know if you are going to meet that one motorist that isn't paying attention. Or even another cyclist not paying attention.