HunterDrummond

I only ride inside on zwift, outside other than in races just freaks me out

PeteHski

You mean road traffic freaks you out? Or something else?
I find bunch races are more dangerous than just riding along on the road. At least in terms of the chances of having a crash.
But I have given up winter riding on the road simply because it's dark in the mornings and late afternoons and the rare times that the sun does appear it is low in the sky and makes road visibility a nightmare for cyclists, with effectively blind drivers approaching them. It doesn't help that our roads are narrow so cars are always driving very close to the kerb and the chances of getting "clipped" on a bike are very real in these conditions.

HunterDrummond

My dad was hit by a car last year and has been in a coma sense then, I don't ride outside much because of it

MinnMan

I'm sorry to hear about your dad.

Any veteran outdoor rider is aware that there are risks. I don't ride outdoors because I think it's safe. i do so because what I get from outdoor riding is worth the risks. For me. And though I think about safety while riding, it does not diminish my experience.

I wouldn't try to convince somebody else that they should make the same judgment.

himespau 

After getting hit last spring, I think I've put in maybe 50-75 km outside and ~2000 km on Zwift since getting back on the bike in September, so I get where you're coming from.

MinnMan

I ran across a younger (mid-20s) acquaintance who used to ride in my group. He's a monster runner- he placed in the top 10 of the Twin Cities marathon this year. I asked him why he doesn't ride with us anymore. He said that cycling was too dangerous and that he'll stick to running.

That's his choice. For his sake, I hope his knees hold out.

spelger

It is awful that your dad was hit and is still down for the count. hope he recovers. toward the end of the riding season just about 6 weeks ago i have been hit two times. once teh driver just drove off. very lucky for me. only about 2 weeks later i was hit again at a stop sign no less. but a giant enormous truck. i can't quite understand how she could not have seen me. only hit me in the shoulder, ever luckier that the previous.

Zoxe

My last significant road ride was in 2017. Mrs. Zoxe and I were doing our last shakedown ride before a sprint triathlon. We were about 1/2 mile from the house, she was in front of me by about 50 yards on a downhill and picking up speed. An oncoming car crossed center all the way to our road edge without warning. No contact, but she was inches from his bumper and ran off in the weeds at speed, through the neighbor's yard, dodging their mailbox and drain culvert. From the look on the kid's face, it wasn't intentional - I think he was probably txting or something.

Anyway, I can be all macho about myself and take risks, but watching her moments from bouncing off of his windshield was a "what are we doing this for?" moment. We did the race the next morning and hung up the road bikes.

I have a mtn bike to ride on trails on our property, but started w/ Zwift last February. Indoor is indoor, but I like that it allows me to recapture much of the joy I got from riding on the road.

zandoval 

Man... I was scared the pack was gonna eat me when I was in my 20s. No way could I do it now....

AdkMtnMonster

I love riding outside. There's nothing quite like it. The trees, the mountains, the quiet... I'm really fortunate that I live somewhere that has countless miles of quiet roads, no traffic lights, and tons of dirt (gravel, if you like) roads where I rarely see cars, and almost never ever see another cyclist. When we lived in Colorado I loved riding outside, but there were too many close calls, too much yelling out the window, too many horns honking, and not enough rides when one or more of those didn't occur.
Indoor riding is safe from a "no cars" standpoint, but I tend to ride a lot harder on the kickr. And I *LOVE* it! Probably because of the power meter, and the ability to kill it for a while and if I get bombed out I'm already home.

Ride inside, if that's what you like. I do.

PeteHski

I ride both inside and outside. I think the risk of riding on the road is acceptable in the overall scheme of things - obviously depends where you live etc. But in the winter I simply don't enjoy riding outdoors in the cold and wet or the maintenance that goes with it. I also find that a winter break from outdoor riding makes me appreciate the outdoors again in spring. Gives me something to look forward to and feels fresh again.

PeteHski

Sorry to hear about that and I can fully understand your fear right now. But please don't let it prevent you from enjoying your life in the long term. Cycling is not that risky in the big picture, so it's really just a matter of risk vs reward. For me the reward of cycling far outweighs the relatively small risk. Having said that I do avoid riding in adverse conditions when the odds are stacked slightly more against you and the rewards more dubious! So I'm strictly a fair weather rider these days.

Bald Paul

So sorry to hear about your father. I hope he recovers completely.

I was hit while riding solo about 3 years ago. (The driver was caught.) I no longer ride solo, because in my mind, there is safety in numbers. At least there would be a better chance of having witnesses should something happen.
This, of course, limits my outside riding quite a bit, mostly to group rides in the evenings during the spring and summer months, and weekend rides with my neighbor, who rides, but also still works during the week (I'm retired.)

During the colder months, and especially after DST ends and it's dark by 6PM, I ride indoors with Zwift.