[Buffalo-jon]

Given a choice where would you ride this route? and why?


In the lane?


On the shoulder?


On the sidewalk?


(That's my LBS on the left)

 

[qmsdc15]

Probably the shoulder. Because drivers are idiots. Most seem incapable of changing lanes to pass.

 

[Andy2302]

I said 'in the lane' but I'm all over the place, lol. We have nice stretches of smooth wide sidewalks or I stay to the right of the lane when there is no shoulder.

 

[zero3one]

On the shoulder. I looks like a bike lane...

 

[newleaf150]

Shoulder.

 

[Dos_Ruedas]

In the lane.
Right where the passenger wheel of a vehicle should be.....and hope...and pray, they stay behind or do the right thing and pass in the other lane.
Where I ride, it is either two lane roads or single lane roads with little to no burm and what burm there is has cinders & glass ready to chew up a tire. If I try to ride the white line, the vehicles try to squeeze past me as oncomming traffic passes as well. By staying IN the lane, it forces them to wait to take the other lane & NOT squeeze past.
I've been in this area long enough that most of the local drivers know and we wave at each other as they pass (even though we have no idea who the other is).
On the other hand, there are still the ******** that honk all the way past and wave with one finger as they yell "get off the &*#[email protected]@% ROAD #$$$&%#!!
I dig deep and make no reply to these folks.

 

[wild]

If that sholder was 10ft wide and you were all the way to the right some one would come as close as thay thaught thay could with out hitting you.
My ¢¢

 

[lmiles64]

This road is similar to one I take on my way home during my "Big Boy" commute I make from home. In the afternoon the road is heavily traveled with a speed limit of 35 mph. However, drivers around here tend to drive 5-10 over. So, with that said, I would ride on the shoulder.

Now, there is a four lane road I take for both of my commutes (the other being a car/bike commute) that doesn't have a shoulder but does have a sidewalk. Again the speed limit is 35 w/everyone doing 5-10 over and it runs through a warehouse district so there are a lot of 18 wheelers. But for the most part traffic is light. On this road I ride as far right in the lane as possible. Never on the sidewalk. I don't trust sidewalks, because drivers don't pay attention to sidewalks and whats on them....IMO.

I never have a problem with the truckers as they always give me room and once in a blue moon someone will buzz me.

 

[Sneakers]

You can't ride on the sidewalk because in most places that's illegal unless otherwise posted.

The shoulder looks plenty wide enough to support a bicycle with decent space between the cars and you.

Sure once in a blue moon someone may buzz you to be a smart arse, but so what? There's smart arse's doing all sorts of things to people not even on a bicycle, so what else is new?

 

[georgec]

With a shoulder like that why would you ride anywhere else?

 

[Buffalo-jon]

well the results are in shoulder it is. The sidewalk which no one chose was an interesting choice but as was mentioned you seem to be invisable there. especially to people turning, not to mention there seems to be a lot of "stuff" there, stones, bits of glass etc. One thing I should have mentioned, but would have eliminated the Lane choice is, this is a fifty mile an hour street. Couple that with the speeders and you would be kind of nuts to be out in the lane. with traffic moving that fast some nit wit texting "wha's up" to his friends would be on you in a hurry. But no matter where you ride Stay safe.... happy trails.....................

 

[Sneakers]

with a shoulder as wide as the pic looks you don't need to be taking the lane unless a turn lane is coming and you want to make sure someone doesn't cut you off by turning in front of you or into you.

 

[Andy2302]

I want to change my vote. 50 MPH traffic would send me to the Sidewalk in this scene.

 

[Dos_Ruedas]

Lol, Andy.

Where I ride, the scenery may be nice, but if I ride there is typically little to no burm, no sidewalks and definitely no bike lanes.
Traffic either crawls or buzzes by, depending on the road and driver.

 

[Sneakers]

I want to change my vote. 50 MPH traffic would send me to the Sidewalk in this scene.

I'm sure you're kidding! Geez, I ride all the time on roads where the traffic exceeds 55, don't bother me the least bit.

 

[Andy2302]

I'm sure you're kidding! Geez, I ride all the time on roads where the traffic exceeds 55, don't bother me the least bit.

Hell NO, I'm not kidding. The expansion cracks in that concrete sidewalk are a nuisance but still better than 50 mph distracted drivers. I've seen drivers tapping on their steering wheel mounted iPad weave into the breakdown lane I was occupying. Old guys driving 40 in a 55 but in the breakdown lane to let regular traffic pass totally oblivious I was there (I had to jump off the bike to get myself & bike over a high curb).
I ride in the city all the time, street riding is fun when I can keep up with traffic, have a wide shoulder or reasonable sidewalk. Any road over 45 mph needs a sidewalk or I avoid it. Call me a wimp but any accident at my age would be the end of cycling for me.

 

[Sneakers]

Hell NO, I'm not kidding. The expansion cracks in that concrete sidewalk are a nuisance but still better than 50 mph distracted drivers. I've seen drivers tapping on their steering wheel mounted iPad weave into the breakdown lane I was occupying. Old guys driving 40 in a 55 but in the breakdown lane to let regular traffic pass totally oblivious I was there (I had to jump off the bike to get myself & bike over a high curb).
I ride in the city all the time, street riding is fun when I can keep up with traffic, have a wide shoulder or reasonable sidewalk. Any road over 45 mph needs a sidewalk or I avoid it. Call me a wimp but any accident at my age would be the end of cycling for me.

Your age? I'm 59, you must be way older then me...either that or I'm way crazier then you!!!

Like I said earlier, traffic buzzing by me at 55+ doesn't bother me the least bit...unless all I have to ride on is a white line then that can be a bit nerve racking; I've done that but I try to avoid those roads unless it's a long straight lightly traveled road then it doesn't bother me.

In over 40 years of riding I never had an encounter with a car going over 45 while I'm on the shoulder or breakdown lane that made me want to jumb the curb or ride onto the grassy area to avoid contact; and that's even with semi's zooming past! Not saying it can never happen, but it just hasn't happened to me.

Because I like the adventure I go places only higher speed roads go, I do short distance touring trips on a bicycle, those trips take me on roads where traffic is often exceeding 55, I can't be bothered by avoiding some road or I might as well give up cycling and take up basket weaving...I'm too young to learn how to basket weave!!

 

[Andy2302]

I'm 66 recovering from bypass surgery after 50 years of smoking. I inherited a hybrid from my older sister last fall, riding since March after 30 years of not. I realized while coming home today that I really like jamming in traffic. But the high speed stuff makes me uncomfortable.
What do you ride? Fill out your Cycle Registry.

 

[Buffalo-jon]

And finally..... I rode this route last night and took the sidewalk route just for arguements sake. First of all, the sidewalk isn't that bad! there are not many driveways or businesses for a good long while maybe 8 miles or so. secondly this area is near ralph wilson stadium so the walks are very wide and all handicap accessible at every street.. (ramps). It just goes to show you there is no correct decision that works in every application. But I would say this. If you are trying to go for speed and do not want to stop whenever there is a hint of traffic, stay on the shoulder, and take the lane when necessary. If you are more concerned about safety and don't mind being your own advocate use the sidewalk. but on a sidewalk you have to be prepared to stop at all times. People backing out of driveways along with drivers (as I mentioned before who don't see or don't care what is on the sidewalk) that are turning on to a 50 mile an hour street can be a huge problem. I had 1 guy cominig onto this street look right at me, actual eye contact, and still he bolted out in front of me in order get into traffic. (the gap he was trying to get into must have been closing) from then out i went behind the first car at the intersections. Most Importantly STAY SAFE and do what you are comfortable with. even with that it can get nuts out there....

 

[digibud]

same answer as georgec. I don't understand the question or why somebody would think that is too small a shoulder to use. The curb is even shallow enough that you could run out the side if needed. I ride like that all the time on local roads and even on highways that have no shoulder at all. Some of our longest highways are two lane with no shoulder so to me that would be a great, roomy shoulder.