Giving up on road

[tjk23]

Here’s the story. Went out for my birthday ride yesterday, beautiful sunny day, couldn’t have been better. Riding along enjoying life. The downside, I lost count of the number of times I got buzzed by vehicles. I really felt like some of them were just trying to see how close they could get to me.
As the ride went on with this happening I just kept wondering why am I doing this. I love riding but it just feels like it is getting more and more dangerous to be out there. Really thinking about going to mountain bikes.
Anyone else having this struggle and how do you handle it?

[unterhausen]

Most of my riding is on my trainer. I only go out on the road for randonneuring. I stopped riding in my mid 30s because of one particularly bad day out on the road, 2 fairly serious incidents in 10 miles. I was just out to blow off steam and instead I came back all pumped up on adrenaline. Quitting was a mistake, but I understand the impulse.

We also have particularly nice gravel near here. Haven't been riding on it recently, which is too bad. And the mountain biking features world-class trails. 4 years ago, I mostly rode gravel and MTB, and that was a really great year.

[William]

I've been there. The last couple of years I've had more and more close calls with people driving distracted on their phones (much more than in the past)...and this from people coming the opposite direction so I saw what was unfolding coming up = hence the term "Close Calls". It's the cars coming up behind me doing the same thing that I won't see coming that is unsettling. I haven't completely given up on road riding but I do find myself more and more on dirt and gravel roads as well as MTB'ing.









William









William

[jimoots]

It’s all in your head.

Take a break, ride some mountain bikes or whatever.

I’ve done it before, you’ll come back to road and fall in love again when you’re ready.

[Mikej]

I made the switch years ago to MTB. Just recently I took to the MUT on my road bike and that is a show in itself. Everybody has ear buds in and wanders all over the path looking at their phones. *** is it with people HAVING to be on their phones CONSTANTLY? Am I just missing something?

[biker72]

My weekday rides are generally 5am-7am or 9am-3pm. Weekend rides are completed before noon. I stay off the major roads...granted more stopping and starting but less traffic.

Dallas and North Dallas are not known to be particularly bicycle friendly. I really haven't had much trouble with cars.

[oldpotatoe]

Here’s the story. Went out for my birthday ride yesterday, beautiful sunny day, couldn’t have been better. Riding along enjoying life. The downside, I lost count of the number of times I got buzzed by vehicles. I really felt like some of them were just trying to see how close they could get to me.
As the ride went on with this happening I just kept wondering why am I doing this. I love riding but it just feels like it is getting more and more dangerous to be out there. Really thinking about going to mountain bikes.
Anyone else having this struggle and how do you handle it?

Where are you riding? No shoulder, lotsa traffic?..Pick your 'battles', is what I do. I don't ride on certain roads, I never ride a road w/o a shoulder..never.

Does that make me a 'second class citizen'? So what, riding a toy..it's not worth it to be 'dead right'...

[weisan]

Here's how I get through this.

First and foremost, I gave up the right to change anybody's behavior. The only person I have direct control and a realistical chance of succeeding on changing is me.

Second, I paused and thought about this for a second and I realized something. For a million years, we, as a species, had been trying to figure out how to live in harmony and navigate through changes and negotiate about self and mutual interests. That's not gonna change any time soon. It's a work in progress. If we look back at our history, we had some major breakthroughs and some really gruesome and major fails, and everything else in between.

Third, back to my first point, I gather a list of things that I can personally put into practice that will increase my odds of success and they are :

A) use my local area knowledge to full advantage.
I know my routes and traffic pattern at different times of the day, all the short cuts, bypass, neighborhood back roads, transits, blind corners, high risk spots.

Equipped with that knowledge, I act or ride accordingly.

B) Variety is spice of life.

I understand that even in my best self and most positive attitude, there's only a certain mamount of $hit I can take in before I start getting mad at the world (which is pointless, go back and read my second point)...so what do I do?

I come up with "options" - some days, I ride solo, other days with a group. Some days, I ride my Road bikes, other days, I get on my gravel bike. Some days I ride in beautiful blue sky with the sun in my back, other days I am out on my fendered bike and riding in the rain, to remind myself, life is not always "good". You can't have everything. You have to learn to roll with the punches, take both the good and the bad. Some days, I take time off the bike completely to give myself a mental break, but I still get my bike "fix" by doing a bit of wrenching in the garage, that's a good time to catch up on maintenance and such.

See where I am going with this?

Choices.

You are in charge.

So take charge.

Life is a box of chocolates.

[redir]

I think it depends on where you live. When I lived in the DC Suburbs I didn't ride a bike, no freakin' way. The roads were built for Ox carts and were only wide enough for two cars in opposite directions, a white line, and the na ditch about 3ft deep. My brother got literally blown off the road by an 18 wheeler that threaded the needle between him and an on coming car. That was enough for me.

But now out here in the mountains I can ride 40 miles and see a half a dozen cars.

So I hear ya. Some places are simply not safe enough to ride a bike.

[veggieburger]

I feel ya.

My solution - be seen. Buy lights for your bike, and not the crummy single-led blinkie ones. Get a cateye or something very bright. With very few exceptions, most people aren't trying to kill you, and the brighter/more obvious you are, the more room people give you. At least in my experience.

If you still feel like you're getting buzzed, change your roads. Find a route with ample shoulder and fewer cars. Also, join a club ride. There's strength in numbers.

And of course, no harm in getting out on the MTB or doing some nice gravel roads.

Good luck, be safe.

[makoti]

... When I lived in the DC Suburbs I didn't ride a bike, no freakin' way. The roads were built for Ox carts and were only wide enough for two cars in opposite directions, a white line, and the na ditch about 3ft deep...

Strangely enough, those are the ones I seek out. It's actually pretty nice riding around here (NoVa). Like anywhere, I imagine, some times are easier than others. I don't do rush hours, avoid Saturday mornings, and overall do ok with it all. My "normal" route puts me on one of the busier roads around here (123/Ox rd), but the shoulder is wide so it's ok.

[Dave Ferris]

I wish we had gravel or dirt roads around here in LA. I see 20/30 even some early 40 somethings riding cross bikes on the trails I'm on my Potts 29er. But at almost 66, being primarily a runner, I'm not going ride a dropped bar bike on those highly rutted trails. I don't have the bike handling skills, especially on the steep descents of 2000' in 3 miles like Beaudry North in the Verdugos by my house..

I hear you though. It was the main reason I spent 9K on the Potts mountain bike as opposed to a road bike 5 years ago.

I have one road route that I ride on my old Litespeed Classic, and I really don't deviate from it. It goes up Hospital Hill on Verdugo, down through the Descanso/ Berkshire area in La Canada to the Rose Bowl and down to Mission at Trader Joes. This area is very popular with cyclists - so people are used to seeing bikes. Whether that makes any difference, it's just better for my peace of mind. And with the exception of a few dicey spots, I generally feel safe. That's basically why I don't deviate from that route.

I refuse to ride out on any major street in LA in traffic. The Valley, Hollywood, across town down to the beach in Santa Monica and back, even Griffith Park-- bwhahaha , forget about it !! I'm just not "into it" enough to risk the consequences.

Yes, I'd change your route. In my 40 years of riding and running on the streets of LA, I've become the Master of side streets. Best of luck and please stay safe.

[Tony]

Here’s the story. Went out for my birthday ride yesterday, beautiful sunny day, couldn’t have been better. Riding along enjoying life. The downside, I lost count of the number of times I got buzzed by vehicles. I really felt like some of them were just trying to see how close they could get to me.
As the ride went on with this happening I just kept wondering why am I doing this. I love riding but it just feels like it is getting more and more dangerous to be out there. Really thinking about going to mountain bikes.
Anyone else having this struggle and how do you handle it?

I mostly mtb, but do my fair share of road rides.
I've experienced this in some of the rural areas I ride outside of Sacramento. Some of these folks just don't want you on their roads slowing them down, want to send a message. I find other rides that are safer.
I used to climb hwy 49 in Downieville CA to get my downhill ride, no more. Too many close calls with the locals, so I shuttle now or sneak on the PCT and ride a short way on 49 to get my downhill run.

[Gummee]

Where are you riding? No shoulder, lotsa traffic?..Pick your 'battles', is what I do. I don't ride on certain roads, I never ride a road w/o a shoulder..never.

Does that make me a 'second class citizen'? So what, riding a toy..it's not worth it to be 'dead right'...

Here in my part of the DC area, there's really no such thing as a road with a shoulder.

I live where the roads are, so all I have to do is pop out the door and I'm in (what was) farm country. I really don't like driving to go riding. Feels wrong somehow. ...so I ride mostly road with some gravel thrown in.

I also have a tendency to ride assertively when I'm on the little country roads that pre-date cars. Seems to help with the unsafe passes.

HTH

M

[dpdan93]

I agreed with picking the best time of day to avoid people and super bright lights. I have the Bontrag. flare R for the rear and in the day you can see it from over a mile away. Once I started using this light 99% of traffic either slows behind or gives tons of space, also a front flashing light for people looking to pull out in front of you.

[Hilltopperny]

I moved out to an area with good dirt and road riding and very little traffic. There are clearly trade offs with living in rural area, but the riding is always good and the locals are usually paying attention to the roads.

Sent from my moto g(6) play using Tapatalk

[Mzilliox]

I hear you so much. Last season i pretty much only rode gravel for a couple months. I had a woman in a minivan full of kids tell me she would run me over next time she saw me on the road. i guess it was the unicorn on my jersey that set her off?

get off the roads for a bit, then when you get back on them, wear super bright colors and really bright lights and own your space. these folks really dont want to hit you, as it would slow down their days and cause some kind of inconvenience for them (i dont for a second think some of them would actually have a problem offing me).

so take a break, dont sell your favorite road bike, and when you are ready, find quiet roads at quiet times.

and Happy Birthday!

[kppolich]

Here’s the story. Went out for my birthday ride yesterday, beautiful sunny day, couldn’t have been better. Riding along enjoying life. The downside, I lost count of the number of times I got buzzed by vehicles. I really felt like some of them were just trying to see how close they could get to me.
As the ride went on with this happening I just kept wondering why am I doing this. I love riding but it just feels like it is getting more and more dangerous to be out there. Really thinking about going to mountain bikes.
Anyone else having this struggle and how do you handle it?

Did you have a rear light?

[corky]

I’ve had sandwiches thrown at me, I’ve had my arse hit with a water bottle wielded by a car passenger, I’ve been spat at, I’ve had cars punishment pass me for some perceived slight, I’ve had cars driving in the opposite direction slow down to shout *unt at me.........

But they will not stop me......

[redir]

Strangely enough, those are the ones I seek out. It's actually pretty nice riding around here (NoVa). Like anywhere, I imagine, some times are easier than others. I don't do rush hours, avoid Saturday mornings, and overall do ok with it all. My "normal" route puts me on one of the busier roads around here (123/Ox rd), but the shoulder is wide so it's ok.

Oh man! I lived just off of Ox road. No way would I ride that. I guess maybe mid day like you say is better. I don't remember a shoulder on that road, at least not going down to Occoquan. I can't remember all the roads now but there were some around Ft Belvoir that I could ride on.

[GregL]

I moved out to an area with good dirt and road riding and very little traffic. There are clearly trade offs with living in rural area, but the riding is always good and the locals are usually paying attention to the roads.
This is my impression as well. Upstate NY has terrible taxes, but it usually provides for roads with wide shoulders. Drivers are generally patient and polite. Other than concerns with drivers distracted by handheld electronic devices, it's a pretty good place to ride road and gravel.

Greg

[bigbill]

In NE Texas, I rode almost daily, 200+ miles a week March through October and 100+ a week through the short days because the NE Texas Trail ran behind my neighborhood. I only had a few close calls and even fewer aggressive drivers.

Now that I'm in NW Arizona, I'm only on the road before dawn on the weekends. I leave the house around 5am with lights and I'm home by 8am. Otherwise it's either too windy or too sketchy with the drivers. There's a lot of alcoholism and drug use around here and they drive cars. Rt66 (yes, that one) has a good shoulder but there are also a lot of drunks heading back to the Hualapai Reservation. I've seen too much to ever want to be on it after around 8am. My riding during the week is off road. I can roll from my neighborhood right on to BLM land with my gravel bike and ride the dirt roads. This weekend I'm going to Flagstaff to build up my new MTB so that will open up more trails for me. Riding on dirt is a little bit of a hassle because of the increased bike maintenance, but I'd like to live long enough to be a burden to my kid.

[onekgguy]

I live in Minnesota where there's typically a shoulder to ride on and where, for the most part, drivers are respectful of cyclists. But like everywhere else in the country/world, distracted driving is an issue that can't be ignored. I purchased a Dinotte tail light (http://store.dinottelighting.com/daytime-red-taillight---daytime-only-taillight--seat-post-seat-stay-chain-stay-or-rack-mount-p188.aspx) several years ago and I simply won't ride without it. I won't waste my money on anything less. I found a long stretch of highway where my brother and I could test how far off it could be seen. He saw it blinking from 3 miles away. Here's a short video (https://youtu.be/f6T78B3U_RY) I made of it.

I still enjoy riding paved roads but I recently purchased a gravel bike and I'm absolutely loving the gravel roads and organized rides on them (video from last week's ride) (https://youtu.be/DB0lUe7cyZk). I had no idea the extent to which gravel roads provide so many more options than paved highways. The only drawback I've noticed so far is the increased potential for encounters with dogs running free who love to chase cyclists. I'm making mental notes of where to expect them as I discover new areas to ride.

I've also gotten into the MTB scene, something I never saw coming until it happened for me. The trails are such a blast even if I do suffer the occasional crash because my skills are lacking.

Kevin g

[cfox]

All of my riding nowadays is with my teenage son, and he is a mtb'er, so the decision was easy for me. I tried riding on the road with him a few years ago and it was too stressful. We live in an area with small, windy, crappy roads driven by busy moms in huge SUVs. Add to that the seemingly endless stream of landscapers bouncing down the road with trailers full of mowers, and road riding just generally sucks these days. The only thing I miss about road riding is the ability to just get dressed and leave the driveway. But other than that, I don't miss it, and I really enjoy the mtb.

[Tickdoc]

Gotta go with your gut on this one. If it’s time to switch to trails or mtb then it’s time to switch.

I got brushed last year and it scared the bejeezus out of me. I still finished my ride (happened about 300 yds from my house) but I was shaken up for a few weeks.

The risk is getting higher and I hate the thought of a ghost bike in my honor, but I love riding on the road.

Sucks.

[William]

Worrying about it is in your head, the actual close calls are not. That's just experience that I have personally found happening more often. We all know what the issue is, drivers being irresponsible with their faces buried in their phones. I actually pay attention to how many cars I see on the road with people on their phones while I'm driving around. It's not uncommon for me to see a string of six to eight cars in a row with people messing with their phones on some roads.

It hasn't completely driven me off the road but it certainly has an effect on how much time I choose to ride on the road.








W.

[cfox]

Gotta go with your gut on this one. If it’s time to switch to trails or mtb then it’s time to switch.

I got brushed last year and it scared the bejeezus out of me. I still finished my ride (happened about 300 yds from my house) but I was shaken up for a few weeks.

The risk is getting higher and I hate the thought of a ghost bike in my honor, but I love riding on the road.

Sucks.

Speaking of gut, my gut tells me in a few years when more statistics are compiled, it will show road riding has become more dangerous. Bike advocates jump on me when I say this, but we'll see. Distracted driving is an epidemic, and its become a new form of DUI minus the consequences to the driver (when caught).

[David Tollefson]

Moreso than distracted driving, I see a problem where drivers feel they have the right to not have to slow down.

[vincenz]

I only ride weekends 5am-9am or weekdays 9pm-11pm. Anything outside of those times I feel I have worse experiences when on the roads. I ride a lot in the dark so bright lights in front and rear with reflective clothing, and radar in the rear gives me more peace of mind. It’s been working for me for years now. Rarely do I stress out now because of people being people.

[illuminaught]

I only ride CX and mtb now... For this very reason... I do ride on the road in between trails, but I try and stick to the roads where it would be difficult or drivers to use their cell phones... Drivers are becoming increasingly irresponsible. 😓

[R3awak3n]

I moved out to an area with good dirt and road riding and very little traffic. There are clearly trade offs with living in rural area, but the riding is always good and the locals are usually paying attention to the roads.

Sent from my moto g(6) play using Tapatalk

same here. I do occasionally ride in roads with a bit of traffic but I have been really surprised at how many cars give me a ton of space when they pass. Usually some bad apples but overall, its been great.

[Hilltopperny]

same here. I do occasionally ride in roads with a bit of traffic but I have been really surprised at how many cars give me a ton of space when they pass. Usually some bad apples but overall, its been great.Yup, I enjoyed the roads out your way the day we rode out there. It's definitely nice to feel safe while riding. I really liked the radar you have as well.

Sent from my moto g(6) play using Tapatalk

[Ozz]

I only ride weekends 5am-9am ....

+1

Get out early when there is less traffic....less traffic means the d!ckheads aren't already pi$$ed off at other drivers when they come up behind you.

[ScottW]

IMO a lot of the buzzing is because many motorists are ignorant of the fact that it's perfectly legal to cross the double yellow line to safely pass a cyclist, and/or they lack the common sense to do so. They act like the yellow is some inviolable force field patrolled by Orwellian drones that will instantly transport them to jail for straying across it. This is less of a problem out on rural roads where drivers are used to going around animals, tractors or whatever else, yellow line be damned.

I live in NoVA but work up towards Frederick MD, and I've started doing some weekday evening rides from my office before driving home. The back roads up there have nicer scenery and far less traffic. Even weekdays 5-7 pm there are portions of my routes where I might ride a couple miles without seeing a vehicle, and the roads that do have some traffic are mostly wide enough that I'm not getting regularly buzzed. It also helps that the roads are slightly curvy and hilly, so drivers are forced to pay at least some attention (can't have their heads buried in their phones without running into a ditch). There are a couple of short sections where the road narrows and I have to "take the lane" but thus far I have not sent any motorists into overt rage.

For me, variety is important. I wouldn't be 100% happy with 100% road, or 100% MTB, or riding the same routes all the time and seeing the same stuff over and over. If you've reached your critical mass of getting buzzed, do MTB for a while, but I couldn't "switch" 100% one for the other.

[mcteague]

At least with narrow roads drivers are less likely to be looking at their phones, otherwise they end up in the trees. Long, straight roads are where I get nervous. That is where they think it is safe to check the phone. Not that safety is ever high on their priorities.

Tim

[pobrien]

I would (again) advocate for the best headlight and taillight you can afford and to wear high visibility colours on your self.

Having the Cyclic lights on top of my DiNotte lights ensures there is a digital record of any misadventures that come my way.

I might get one of the back-looking radar units but am running out of room on my seat post to mount anything else. Having said that, there is always a way.

Buy the best. And keep riding.

[zmalwo]

If you watch those videos about cyclists on Facebook you can find the word "****ing cyclists" from almost every single comment under those videos. I think you are right about the part that the vehicles passed you were trying to push the limit and taunt you. Even tho drivers are operating a 2 ton + vehicle and all they have to do is spend a few minutes of their time, be patient before finding a chance to pass, they still find cyclists irritating and direct their anger from their life failure towards us.

I thought the same thing many many times about road cycling, why am I doing this when I have to risk all the cars passing by, plus cycling is one of the most expensive sports you can do. Maybe one day I will just sell everything I got and say bye bye to cycling because of all this.

[RFC]

Where are you riding? No shoulder, lotsa traffic?..Pick your 'battles', is what I do. I don't ride on certain roads, I never ride a road w/o a shoulder..never.

Does that make me a 'second class citizen'? So what, riding a toy..it's not worth it to be 'dead right'...

Exactly this. There are roads in my area (Shea and Frank Lloyd Wright) that I won't ride. They are essentially freeways without shoulders or bike lanes. When I see cyclists asserting their rights on those roads, all I can think is "Do you think you can win an argument with a bus?"

[Hawker]

Last year GA passed a "Hands Free" law. You can't hold your phone or "any stand alone electronic device" This includes texting, holding a GPS unit or shooting video. They can be used if in a holder of some type..but not in your hands.

They gave everyone a 90 grace period and then started writing tickets. I could be wrong but it seems to have had some positive impact. I still see plenty of people preoccupied with their phones while driving...but I believe fewer than before. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking? I would hope all states would pass this law. People are dying daily by distracted cell phone users.

I've added a second blinky light and now have one on my helmet and my bike.

[jtbadge]

Last year GA passed a "Hands Free" law. You can't hold your phone or "any stand alone electronic device" This includes texting, holding a GPS unit or shooting video. They can be used if in a holder of some type..but not in your hands.

They gave everyone a 90 grace period and then started writing tickets. I could be wrong but it seems to have had some positive impact. I still see plenty of people preoccupied with their phones while driving...but I believe fewer than before. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking? I would hope all states would pass this law. People are dying daily by distracted cell phone users.

I've added a second blinky light and now have one on my helmet and my bike.

CA has had a law like this for a while. I noticed a huge difference in phone-engaged drivers after moving from MO. Still not 100% gone, but definitely better.

[bironi]

Did the O.P. ever say where he or she lived?

[charliedid]

Here’s the story. Went out for my birthday ride yesterday, beautiful sunny day, couldn’t have been better. Riding along enjoying life. The downside, I lost count of the number of times I got buzzed by vehicles. I really felt like some of them were just trying to see how close they could get to me.
As the ride went on with this happening I just kept wondering why am I doing this. I love riding but it just feels like it is getting more and more dangerous to be out there. Really thinking about going to mountain bikes.
Anyone else having this struggle and how do you handle it?

Maybe you need a better route? And go mountain biking too. Remember you can run your face into a tree or worse mountain biking. Just sayin.

[Ozz]

Maybe you need a better route? And go mountain biking too. Remember you can run your face into a tree or worse mountain biking. Just sayin.

don't forget about the cougars!!

[charliedid]

don't forget about the cougars!!

Meow!

[DRZRM]

My regular 20 mile gravel loop (any longer gravel rides start the same way) requires about 5 miles on roads (2.5 each way) to get to where the pavement turns to dirt. It's about all I can take. I have a VERY nice road bike that I almost never ride. It's a mess out there.

[redir]

IMO a lot of the buzzing is because many motorists are ignorant of the fact that it's perfectly legal to cross the double yellow line to safely pass a cyclist, and/or they lack the common sense to do so. They act like the yellow is some inviolable force field patrolled by Orwellian drones that will instantly transport them to jail for straying across it. This is less of a problem out on rural roads where drivers are used to going around animals, tractors or whatever else, yellow line be damned.

.

That's so true. It reminds me a couple years ago when I lived down a stretch of road I normally would never ride on but it was the only road to my house so when commuting to work I had no choice. 45 MPH road with just a very narrow shoulder past the fog line that drivers regularly did 65MPH on. But anyway they paved the road once and for some reason it took them a long time to paint it. So it was pure black tar from edge to edge and it was 3 months of commuting bliss. I never had drivers give me so much room before.

Then they finally painted it and the dumbarse's made the fog line even closer to the edge. Right after that I had my only real altercation with a driver on that road after ten years of living there. A guy in a stereotypical old beat up pickup truck yelled at me pointing to the edge of the road like I belong on that side of the line. He saw my middle finger (I know I know) and immediately pulled over. I thought to myself ok here we go. He came out ready to throw down and as I got closer realized he was well into his 70's LOL. I thought if anything I hope to have that spirit and spunk when I'm that old.

[Ralph]

We're fortunate in the general area I live in that we have a lot of fairly new 12-14' wide paved trails.....that have little use during the week when auto traffic is high. There are some high traffic trail areas with jogging Mom's and strollers, etc.....but it's easy to avoid that. Just finished a hard (for me) 35 mile ride this AM with a group...all on a nice wide smooth almost (except for trike club) deserted trail. Don't mind riding on roads on Sunday AM. And many of our roads have marked off bike lanes...enough so I can plan a ride using them. We don't have mountains around here (it's not flat either), but lots of good riding. Central Florida not like coasts or Disney area. But generally I agree with you. Busy roads with no lane or shoulder no place for me.

[Matthew]

Pretty fortunate where I live to. Sure, we have plenty of A holes around but for the most part we have it pretty good here. Plenty of riders and enough "back" roads to avoid most of the traffic. Most of my routes cyclists are pretty common so I think drivers almost expect to see us. I've tried my hardest to want to MTB more but I honestly prefer the road. The fact I have to drive to the trails, haul my gear etc. is a bit of a turn off. It's fun, but can't see myself ever giving up the road to ride MTB full time.

[Lewis Moon]

If I gave up on the road I think I'd begin to rot. Road cycling is the one aerobic/anaerobic sport I can do directly from my doorstep.
I was thinking about it this morning; my "field schedule" (work at 6AM) has forced me to train very early when there are few cars on the road. While that means I have to be in bed by nine (daughter rolls eyes) it has allowed me to average ~6000 miles per year, stay out of the heat and have afternoons free.
I have lived in the Phoenix metro area since 1967 and have ridden on the streets since 1975. Close passes are a daily occurrence. For the most part I try to ride streets with well defined bike lanes (no MUPs, please), I always have lights and I "take the lane" if I have to (Sharrows). When a Sharrow is clearly marked (Central) 99% of the drivers are pretty darn considerate.
Road riding is such a big part of my life that I couldn't stop without a direct replacement...and MTB means I would have to either car top the bike or ride it on the streets to the trails...

[David Tollefson]

IMO a lot of the buzzing is because many motorists are ignorant of the fact that it's perfectly legal to cross the double yellow line to safely pass a cyclist, and/or they lack the common sense to do so.

And now with the proliferation of "lane correction", the car will fight those who DO have the common sense until they turn on their indicator to make a lane change.

[tjk23]

Just to add some info. I live in a small town east of Charlotte, NC. The roads I ride are a combination of country roads with little to no shoulder, which are less traveled and busier 4 lanes roads with wide shoulders. I had people buzz me of both. I got buzzed while riding the shoulder on the 4 lane with no one in the other lane. The driver crossed into the shoulder with the ever so nice "coal rolling" to follow. I had a driver pass me only to make an immediate right turn which I had to lock the brakes to keep from hitting them.

I agree that a big issue is cell phones, which is only getting worse. I was wearing fluorescent orange with a Bontrager Flare on the back of the bike.

I really don't want to quit riding road, just really frustrated with drivers been more concerned with their phones than their driving. I don't want to be anybody's hood ornament.

[paredown]

I sometimes wonder if part of the problem is that the millennials (and probably before that) did less riding as kids, and likely no riding as teenagers--since no one was riding a bike to school, or fewer were forced by economics to ride a bike in their teenage years--since the family likely had multiple cars and they were driven where they needed to go.

If true--I think that we who ride are foreign to them--there is little empathy derived from experience of riding on the open road, and none for riding at speed. (Doddling along as a kid on a Barbie two wheeler on the cul-de-sac does not count).

Throw in cell phone distraction, bad driver training, a lot more cars and a sense of entitlement--and yes, I think that riding has become more dangerous.

I remember a Brit I met telling me that the same thing was true over there--the generation that grew up in the '50s and '60s who were likely to use the bikes as primary form of transportation, and certainly those who participated in family country rides on Sunday to go picnic or whatever have aged out.

What's left are drivers driving too fast on narrow roads with scant regard for cyclists (or pedestrians for that matter.)

My recent experience on the weekend--barreling down the hill from Harriman Park (prolly 45-ish)--one driver passes me--on an outside, partially blind corner and cuts in--sort of OK; then his buddy follows him, underestimates my speed, and cuts in too close--and then the third idiot follows--almost forcing the oncoming car off the road, and taking me out when he realizes that he has totally misjudged and whips back over...

[Seramount]

change your routes, time-of-day (avoid rush hours), front/rear lights, blah blah...can't add much to common-sense advice.

if it's simply too scary to ride, quit the sport. there's other stuff to do.

[makoti]

Oh man! I lived just off of Ox road. No way would I ride that. I guess maybe mid day like you say is better. I don't remember a shoulder on that road, at least not going down to Occoquan. I can't remember all the roads now but there were some around Ft Belvoir that I could ride on.

It is now 3 lanes + shoulder from Occoquan to the FCPW. North/west of that, it's two lanes & I only ride it midday or Sundays.
Sadly, the roads around the fort are pretty much off limits, now. Damn terrorists. Lost a lot of great riding there & in Quantico.

[Kirk007]

I hate the idea of having to drive to ride and as my major source of aerobic exercise, having to give up road riding would suck. It's not too bad on Bainbridge Island. Seattle's another story although the MUPs like Burke-Gilman trail, if you are smart about timing, are pretty good.

But I also feel a bit dessnsitized to how crappy it often is. A month in France and Italy last summer -- if I could afford it and had a dirt road network handy I'd forget about road riding in the states, go to Europe for a month or so a year and stick to gravel etc. the rest of the time.

[weisan]

I had people buzz me of both. I got buzzed while riding the shoulder on the 4 lane with no one in the other lane. The driver crossed into the shoulder with the ever so nice "coal rolling" to follow. I had a driver pass me only to make an immediate right turn which I had to lock the brakes to keep from hitting them.

tjk pal, I will share with you what I do to avoid those types of situations.

First, I have a side handlebar mirror like this (https://www.amazon.com/Zefal-96018-Mirror-Spin/dp/B001IXKU26/ref=asc_df_B001IXKU26/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309768114180&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7476399354583904085&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028249&hvtargid=pla-442657896438&psc=1) mounted on my bike all the time that allows me to know who or what's coming up behind me from a distance. Also, I have tuned up my awareness of the surroundings and is alert of what's going on around me.

Second, when a car is approaching from behind, as it comes closer say within 20-40 meters, I will stick my left hand out and from my mirror I can see the driver making the necessary adjustment to pass me from a safe distance or sometimes they will just slow down and pass with greater care. If there's incoming traffic from the other side, some will wait behind until it's safe to pass to avoid the typical "all come together at the same time" squeeze.

Essentially what happened there is, I have managed to establish contact with the driver with my hand raise, to make them aware of my presence but more importantly to let them know that I am aware of their presence as well. That reduced or removed the sense of anonymity and also, to acknowledge that I, being on a bicycle, is in a weaker position (which I am) and is requesting that they take extra care to go around me safely...and most decent human beings will do that for us, all it takes is a bit of humility on our part and also an expressed gesture to the driver to cut us some slack.

Fairly straightforward.

And it works.

Sometimes, I don't even need to raise my hand, I just turned my head to the left, and the driver will start making the adjustment.

I always...and I emphasize, always acknowledge when a driver showed me that kindness by giving them a wave behind their rear view mirrors.

If I have the space and I can move slightly more to the right to give the driver more space to pass, I will do that. Because kindness goes both ways.

Oh, you may ask, what happens when the driver don't respond when I raise my hand...I do one or two things. Sometimes, it may just be them taking a bit longer to take notice (distracted with their phone maybe), that's why you want to do this when they are still a bit further out to give them some reaction time, or I just held out my hand longer until they do. If still no reaction, \I stuck my hand further out, kinda "forcing" them to respond -- obviously not so dumb as to keep my hand there if they are going to smash through but so far, I haven't come across a single driver who won't respond to my hand raise or head-turning. None. They all did.

And so with that and what I posted earlier, my rides are incident-free and relatively low stress.

[muz]

And so with that and what I posted earlier, my rides are incident-free and relatively low stress.

I am sorry, but watching your rear view mirror and reacting to each passing car is not what I consider low stress. If there is a lot of car traffic, I would be doing this all day. If not, I would rather take the lane and potentially get a driver upset than be squeezed off the road.

[Dave Ferris]

Don't mean this to sound snarky in any way but sorry to say, and generally speaking, that extended hand in LA will get you more of an acceleration from the already speeding Beemer/Mercedes/ black pickup/ oversized SUV.

People don't give a F*** around here, they're out of their mind !! . :mad:

[weisan]

I anticipated the responses to my suggestions so far.

I know what works for me.

Your decision.

Your choice.

Carry on.

[purpurite]

I gave up on road riding a long time ago. Scared me far too much and I got tired os seeing stories here and other forums of forum guys who were killed by a car or SUV somewhere, leaving kids and a wife without a father. It's not worth it to me.

4 years ago I built up a CX bike with the intent to ride local gravel trails and I have never looked back. Best of off roading MTBs and road riding combined, and I don't fear getting hit by a car anymore.

[AngryScientist]

since i've started riding, my saddle time varies quite a bit. i'm also an avid runner, hiker, rower, surfer, etc etc.

none of us (i dont think) are getting paid to stay in prime race-ready shape, so there is no guilt or whatever to take time away from the road, pursue some other fun activities.

variety is great and keeps the activities i like fresh. i'll never be really excellent at any of them because i dont 100% focus on any one physical activity, but that's OK.

i also do believe we manifest the things we focus on. i feel like if you go out for a ride believing every car is buzzing you, they will. of course the danger out there on the road is real, but sometimes in our head we make it worse.

i guess i'm rambling, but my advice is to not make a rash, black/white decision. take some time off, re-think things and come back with a fresh start when you are ready and see if it's as bad as you remember.

[avalonracing]

I’ve had sandwiches thrown at me, I’ve had my arse hit with a water bottle wielded by a car passenger, I’ve been spat at, I’ve had cars punishment pass me for some perceived slight, I’ve had cars driving in the opposite direction slow down to shout *unt at me.........

But they will not stop me......

Sounds like you live west of Baltimore... like me.
I pretty much can't take a ride without being buzzed a number of times. Often intentionally but screw them. My name is Robb and I ride road bikes... on the road.

[Hellgate]

Eh, I just go ride.

The traffic in Austin is so bad that I pass most of it. Oddly it's safer clogged up than moving.

And for those that will ridicule me, yes, I've been hit three times. Each time in rural Colorado, in the daylight, in a bike lane, not clogged up Austin.

[pbarry]

I sometimes wonder if part of the problem is that the millennials (and probably before that) did less riding as kids, and likely no riding as teenagers--since no one was riding a bike to school, or fewer were forced by economics to ride a bike in their teenage years--since the family likely had multiple cars and they were driven where they needed to go.

If true--I think that we who ride are foreign to them--there is little empathy derived from experience of riding on the open road, and none for riding at speed. (Doddling along as a kid on a Barbie two wheeler on the cul-de-sac does not count).

Throw in cell phone distraction, bad driver training, a lot more cars and a sense of entitlement--and yes, I think that riding has become more dangerous.

I remember a Brit I met telling me that the same thing was true over there--the generation that grew up in the '50s and '60s who were likely to use the bikes as primary form of transportation, and certainly those who participated in family country rides on Sunday to go picnic or whatever have aged out.

What's left are drivers driving too fast on narrow roads with scant regard for cyclists (or pedestrians for that matter.)

My recent experience on the weekend--barreling down the hill from Hariman Park (prolly 45-ish)--one driver passes me--on an outside, partially blind corner and cuts in--sort of OK; then his buddy follows him, underestimates my speed, and cuts in too close--and then the third idiot follows--almost forcing the oncoming car off the road, and taking me out when he realizes that he has totally misjudged and whips back over...

Dang! How are you doing?

[Hawker]

, I've been hit three times. Each time in rural Colorado, in the daylight, in a bike lane, not clogged up Austin.

Whoa! Someone is trying to get your attention! Those of us back East have come to believe that riding in CO is nirvana. You're messing up my dreams.

[Hellgate]

Whoa! Someone is trying to get your attention! Those of us back East have come to believe that riding in CO is nirvana. You're messing up my dreams.And those hits were on the early '80's...

I'd hate to ride there now with the current energy boom and fleets of white buba trucks.

[mj_michigan]

I had two somewhat close calls in the last week, first of this season. The first was a pickup truck cutting a blind corner on a very narrow road. I had less than two feet between the truck and the edge of the pavement to pass, so I swerved and went off the road a little.

The second was a group of cyclists going some 20 to 25 mph, running a stop sign and cutting right in from of me. I was also going about 20-something mph, wasn't paying a lot of attention -- I had the right of way -- so I had to brake hard. I showed my displeasure while standing there waiting for the group to pass and one cyclist shouted "sorry". But I took both events in stride. No harm done and no malice on anyone's part.

[54ny77]

I have this conversation with myself often lately. I literally don't enjoy riding where I currently live (SoCal) so long as I am on road. And no, it ain't in my head. It's because of the laws of physics combined with actual events. If I wasn't a decent bike handler, in combination with luck, there are two incidents in the past 4-5 months in which I'd no longer be posting. Ever. No question about it.

[tigoat]

Yeah I hear you. I have been riding more than 10K road miles annually(mostly solos) in the last few years. In the last couple of years, I have developed a finch (I have a mirror) whenever cars are behind and about to pass me. I don't know what to make of it but I certainly do not enjoy my nervousness out on the road. We do have a bike path but I do not like to get on it unless if I have to. Glad I enjoy indoor riding as that should take care some of the riding. Oh well I might quit riding on the road one of these days.

[Jaybee]

Whoa! Someone is trying to get your attention! Those of us back East have come to believe that riding in CO is nirvana. You're messing up my dreams.

It ain’t. Some great rides with unparalleled vistas, but really it’s the same as any place with a ton of drivers who love their phones.

I’m also limiting my road riding to commuting/grocery trips on my very lightly traveled neighborhood streets and 2-3 mile transits to trailheads where I hit the dirt. There’s so much great trail riding here that I don’t really find myself jonesing for a road ride.

[makoti]

I am sorry, but watching your rear view mirror and reacting to each passing car is not what I consider low stress. If there is a lot of car traffic, I would be doing this all day. If not, I would rather take the lane and potentially get a driver upset than be squeezed off the road.

Agreed. No mirror, no Garmin radar thingy. I ride like there is ALWAYS a car on my left hip. I'm usually correct, anyway.

[Gummee]

tjk pal, I will share with you what I do to avoid those types of situations.

First, I have a side handlebar mirror like this (https://www.amazon.com/Zefal-96018-Mirror-Spin/dp/B001IXKU26/ref=asc_df_B001IXKU26/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309768114180&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7476399354583904085&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028249&hvtargid=pla-442657896438&psc=1) mounted on my bike all the time that allows me to know who or what's coming up behind me from a distance. Also, I have tuned up my awareness of the surroundings and is alert of what's going on around me.

Second, when a car is approaching from behind, as it comes closer say within 20-40 meters, I will stick my left hand out and from my mirror I can see the driver making the necessary adjustment to pass me from a safe distance or sometimes they will just slow down and pass with greater care. If there's incoming traffic from the other side, some will wait behind until it's safe to pass to avoid the typical "all come together at the same time" squeeze.

Essentially what happened there is, I have managed to establish contact with the driver with my hand raise, to make them aware of my presence but more importantly to let them know that I am aware of their presence as well. That reduced or removed the sense of anonymity and also, to acknowledge that I, being on a bicycle, is in a weaker position (which I am) and is requesting that they take extra care to go around me safely...and most decent human beings will do that for us, all it takes is a bit of humility on our part and also an expressed gesture to the driver to cut us some slack.

Fairly straightforward.

And it works.

Sometimes, I don't even need to raise my hand, I just turned my head to the left, and the driver will start making the adjustment.

I always...and I emphasize, always acknowledge when a driver showed me that kindness by giving them a wave behind their rear view mirrors.

If I have the space and I can move slightly more to the right to give the driver more space to pass, I will do that. Because kindness goes both ways.

Oh, you may ask, what happens when the driver don't respond when I raise my hand...I do one or two things. Sometimes, it may just be them taking a bit longer to take notice (distracted with their phone maybe), that's why you want to do this when they are still a bit further out to give them some reaction time, or I just held out my hand longer until they do. If still no reaction, \I stuck my hand further out, kinda "forcing" them to respond -- obviously not so dumb as to keep my hand there if they are going to smash through but so far, I haven't come across a single driver who won't respond to my hand raise or head-turning. None. They all did.

And so with that and what I posted earlier, my rides are incident-free and relatively low stress.
I do something very similar. Sticking the arm out and waving (fingers extended to make sure they see a hand) means I'm a person again, rather than a bicycle. Seems to work.

I'm also assertive when it comes to crests of hills and blind corners. On my westward route, there are a few hills where I'm regularly smack dab in the middle of the lane, The driver coming up behind me will HAVE to be across the DY at the crest of a hill to pass me. That usually stops the unsafe pass.

As I can see it's safe, I'll wave em around, then wave 'thank you.'

Signalling seems to cut down on the animosity, but YRMV

My 'neighborhood' seems to have many more (for lack of a better term) Yuppies 'moving out to the country' and bringing the city attitude with them. Grrr. Used to not be like that, but that's 'progress' for ya.

M

[Matthew]

Did a 40 miler this morning with a buddy. Saw to cars blow stop signs. One while riding the other while driving home. Both were 4 way stops. Crazy. May not see that in a year, saw two in less than two hours. Scary

[45K10]

I gave up road riding last year and don't miss it. I'm full time MTB now.

I have been road riding off and on since I was 13. I have been hit by cars four times over the years, all from behind. IMO the road has become a much more dangerous place since cell phones became ubiquitous. I had two guys I used to race with get killed in Florida over the last five years. They were both run over by someone texting.

All these factors plus the fact that road cycling just plain sucks where I currently live made me decide to give it up. But like mentioned earlier, don't sell your road bike yet take a break go try some different cycling activities maybe you can find your happy place again.

Anyway, good luck and unless you get paid to ride a bike don't stress about it.

[C40_guy]

I felt somewhat more comfortable with overtaking traffic after I started wearing a small helmet mounted mirror many years ago.

But...

I've largely switched over to running, some road, mostly trail, due to two things:


Easier to manage traffic with them coming at me, being able to make eye contact, and to potentially get out of the way more quickly
Having been a bike rider for more than forty years, there's not much really new out there day to day. When I run, just about everything is new...


And we live 1/4 mile from 1100 acres of gorgeous singletrack, some easy, some more challenging, with some opportunities for climbs. Great for MTBing, 'cross riding, running and even XC skiing (when the weather cooperates).

As a "more mature" rider (ahem), I am less comfortable taking risks on either the MTB or the 'cross bike. Part of this is due to the fact that my MTB is a vintage Wicked Fat, and I would expect that a modern bike with more relaxed angles would feel more stable on downhills.

I do miss road riding, and I join a handful of large, organized rides each year...

[tsarpepe]

tjk pal, I will share with you what I do to avoid those types of situations.

First, I have a side handlebar mirror like this (https://www.amazon.com/Zefal-96018-Mirror-Spin/dp/B001IXKU26/ref=asc_df_B001IXKU26/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309768114180&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7476399354583904085&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028249&hvtargid=pla-442657896438&psc=1) mounted on my bike all the time that allows me to know who or what's coming up behind me from a distance. Also, I have tuned up my awareness of the surroundings and is alert of what's going on around me.

Second, when a car is approaching from behind, as it comes closer say within 20-40 meters, I will stick my left hand out and from my mirror I can see the driver making the necessary adjustment to pass me from a safe distance or sometimes they will just slow down and pass with greater care. If there's incoming traffic from the other side, some will wait behind until it's safe to pass to avoid the typical "all come together at the same time" squeeze.

Essentially what happened there is, I have managed to establish contact with the driver with my hand raise, to make them aware of my presence but more importantly to let them know that I am aware of their presence as well. That reduced or removed the sense of anonymity and also, to acknowledge that I, being on a bicycle, is in a weaker position (which I am) and is requesting that they take extra care to go around me safely...and most decent human beings will do that for us, all it takes is a bit of humility on our part and also an expressed gesture to the driver to cut us some slack.

Fairly straightforward.

And it works.

Sometimes, I don't even need to raise my hand, I just turned my head to the left, and the driver will start making the adjustment.

I always...and I emphasize, always acknowledge when a driver showed me that kindness by giving them a wave behind their rear view mirrors.

If I have the space and I can move slightly more to the right to give the driver more space to pass, I will do that. Because kindness goes both ways.

Oh, you may ask, what happens when the driver don't respond when I raise my hand...I do one or two things. Sometimes, it may just be them taking a bit longer to take notice (distracted with their phone maybe), that's why you want to do this when they are still a bit further out to give them some reaction time, or I just held out my hand longer until they do. If still no reaction, \I stuck my hand further out, kinda "forcing" them to respond -- obviously not so dumb as to keep my hand there if they are going to smash through but so far, I haven't come across a single driver who won't respond to my hand raise or head-turning. None. They all did.

And so with that and what I posted earlier, my rides are incident-free and relatively low stress.

This is all very sensible, but I just can't imagine the circumstances in which you're doing it. It could only make sense somewhere out in the countryside, where a car passes you every 5 minutes or so. Where I ride around Austin, traffic is much busier that that. Basically, my entire time would be spent waving my hand, rather than, you know, riding my bike.

[vqdriver]

tldr
i feel ya OP. i pushed thru for a while, but i'm more or less completely off the road now. i do have a local loop i'll do when i want to just cruise, but otherwise i'm either on a trail or playing with the kids. no more meandering all day road rides for me.

[Imaking20]

OP, do you live around Portland? You basically described my ride yesterday. I think I got buzzed more times yesterday than the last 18 months of combined rides since I've lived where I'm at now. Nuts. Taking a pass on riding outside today as a result.

[tv_vt]

Use a rearview mirror. I like the Italian Bike Mirror. Really like being able to see what's coming behind me.

I weave. Intentionally. When cars a little ways back. Be a little unpredictable. If you ride a perfectly straight line, cars/drivers will ignore. Catch their attention by swinging out into the road (when they're back a ways - this is where mirror comes in handy). They'll usually move over if they think you're a nutcase.

[weisan]

This is all very sensible, but I just can't imagine the circumstances in which you're doing it. It could only make sense somewhere out in the countryside, where a car passes you every 5 minutes or so. Where I ride around Austin, traffic is much busier that that. Basically, my entire time would be spent waving my hand, rather than, you know, riding my bike.

True, I do ride on roads where the traffic is much less....but that's by design. :p

[muz]

OP, do you live around Portland? You basically described my ride yesterday. I think I got buzzed more times yesterday than the last 18 months of combined rides since I've lived where I'm at now. Nuts. Taking a pass on riding outside today as a result.

Portland OR? Wow! I did a 600K in Oregon, my impression was "it's like CA, but without the cars!".

[Seramount]

I weave. Intentionally. When cars a little ways back. Be a little unpredictable. If you ride a perfectly straight line, cars/drivers will ignore. Catch their attention by swinging out into the road (when they're back a ways - this is where mirror comes in handy). They'll usually move over if they think you're a nutcase.

if you actually do this, you are a nutcase.

[Seramount]

This is all very sensible, but I just can't imagine the circumstances in which you're doing it. It could only make sense somewhere out in the countryside, where a car passes you every 5 minutes or so. Where I ride around Austin, traffic is much busier that that. Basically, my entire time would be spent waving my hand, rather than, you know, riding my bike.

have ridden just under 30K miles in AUS in the last three years. and yeah, there's simply no way to employ hand signals in traffic, you'd be riding one-handed for the entire time, which is not feasible.

my preferred option is to stick to routes with dedicated bike lanes in quiet residential areas. recently rode Hwy 360 during mid-week for the first time in ages and it was a white-knuckle deal for a good portion of the time. won't be doing that again any time soon...

[Gummee]

if you actually do this, you are a nutcase.

Basic human biology: our eyes are designed to see movement. Since the only direction we can move as cyclists is left and right, that's what we gotta do.

Works for motos too. There's an actual name for it: the drunk cyclist's weave. I use it lots when riding in places with lots of cross traffic.

Continuing in a straight line and the eye doesn't see us. There was an article linked in this very forum a little while back explaining all that and more.

M

[einreb]

I don't ride on certain roads, I never ride a road w/o a shoulder..never.

I've cut down my road riding significantly.

I was struck from behind by a texting-uninsured-distracted driver while on a road with a huge shoulder often ridden by cyclists. The blow was off the front bumper, but lateral force so I went to the side of the road (fortunately not run over) and felt the truck woosh by as I landed. My gps data went from steady 20 to 35+ then nothing.

The memory of flying through the air and thinking it was about to end is haunting. I still enjoy cycling and now make route decisions on some sort of actuarial gut instinct.

There was another person riding with me that was also struck, but he was behind me hit at more of a glancing blow and resulted in fewer injuries. He's been rather clear about the memory of seeing me flying through the air. His road time is also now quite limited.

-B

[sitzmark]

Basic human biology: our eyes are designed to see movement. Since the only direction we can move as cyclists is left and right, that's what we gotta do.

Works for motos too. There's an actual name for it: the drunk cyclist's weave. I use it lots when riding in places with lots of cross traffic.

Continuing in a straight line and the eye doesn't see us. There was an article linked in this very forum a little while back explaining all that and more.

M

Ah ha ... that's why motos weave between lanes and through traffic at 60-70mph+. Knew there had to be a good reason.

[Clean39T]

Portland OR? Wow! I did a 600K in Oregon, my impression was "it's like CA, but without the cars!".

It's a big state. Lots of entitled jackholes in the environs imaking20 and I frequent. Speeding to get to big-box stores on roads that were made for rural farmers..

[choke]

After reading many of these posts, I'm glad that I live where I do. A typical 30 mile ride for me means that I see less than 10 cars.......and most of the drivers will wave to me.

[tjk23]

The funny or not so funny thing about all this. I have been riding the same roads for 14 years. I know a couple thing have contributed to the increase. The town I ride through actually increased the speed limit from 35 to 45 mph, not sure where that rational came from and a huge increase with distracted drivers on cell phones.
I have always told my wife that I felt like riding heavier traveled roads with shoulders make me feel safer. My thinking was that drivers will not get as close if other cars are there to witness it. Now with the advent of coal rolling I feel like the people doing it want others to see them. It's a warped world we live in.

[mastaliu]

I ride here in NOVA / DC area. It has gotten so crowded, but I know where and when to ride to limit my risk. One key is to have workarounds for certain sections of road, intersections that are dangerous or sketchy. One thing that I've noticed is that drivers do not respect bike lanes in suburban areas. They just view them as part of their lane.

The future doesn't look good for road cycling without some policy interventions and bike lanes/shoulders/infrastructure are not the only solution.

Regardless, I'll stay on the road. I never took to mtb/cx/gravel, so I'll keep telling myself that my experience will keep me alive.

Good luck and be safe.

[DCilliams]

Maybe pool noodles will help

https://qz.com/1620913/the-best-cycling-hack-is-a-pool-noodle/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=qz-organic&fbclid=IwAR34pvdTnYnt3ZBQPjBMAnMOH4NcETfSiiL9jfbxU vFADqivq9EyomwFZs4

[vincenz]

Maybe pool noodles will help



https://qz.com/1620913/the-best-cycling-hack-is-a-pool-noodle/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=qz-organic&fbclid=IwAR34pvdTnYnt3ZBQPjBMAnMOH4NcETfSiiL9jfbxU vFADqivq9EyomwFZs4



I just saw this and though how brilliant it is. It may look silly, but I bet it works.

[peanutgallery]

Car bait no more

Be safe out there in the wilds that pavement presents

[makoti]

I just saw this and though how brilliant it is. It may look silly, but I bet it works.

My first thought was "How does that feel when they get close enough to hit it? Are you going to be pushed off balance?"

[pobrien]

I could see using the pool noodle on open highway areas where you are very alone on a bicycle. I mounted a touring flag to my rear pannier when riding from Vancouver to Kamloops with a friend at University in 1985 or 1986.

We used them as the Fraser Canyon roads are narrow and were full of heavy traffic back then. I think the pool noodle would have been better but I don't think they even existed back then.

I would feel fine with a pool noodle on a highway ride for sure. I would also use lights front and rear though hard to keep them charged through a long day on the highway.

Great idea. thanks for sharing it.

[peanutgallery]

Are you serious ? A pool noodle

That'll learn 'em

I could see using the pool noodle on open highway areas where you are very alone on a bicycle. I mounted a touring flag to my rear pannier when riding from Vancouver to Kamloops with a friend at University in 1985 or 1986.

We used them as the Fraser Canyon roads are narrow and were full of heavy traffic back then. I think the pool noodle would have been better but I don't think they even existed back then.

I would feel fine with a pool noodle on a highway ride for sure. I would also use lights front and rear though hard to keep them charged through a long day on the highway.

Great idea. thanks for sharing it.

[93KgBike]

There's an Almanac of Highway Free Travel waiting to happen.

[bigbill]

I commuted in the PNW and I used a piece of wooden dowel zip tied to my rack that stuck out 2' on the left with reflective tape and a Superflash on the end.

[oliver1850]

Where are you riding? No shoulder, lotsa traffic?..Pick your 'battles', is what I do. I don't ride on certain roads, I never ride a road w/o a shoulder..never.

Does that make me a 'second class citizen'? So what, riding a toy..it's not worth it to be 'dead right'...

Don't come to ride in my area. Only shoulder within 10 miles of me is deeply grooved. Guess you might be able to ride a fat bike on it.

[type2sam]

Maybe pool noodles will help

https://qz.com/1620913/the-best-cycling-hack-is-a-pool-noodle/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=qz-organic&fbclid=IwAR34pvdTnYnt3ZBQPjBMAnMOH4NcETfSiiL9jfbxU vFADqivq9EyomwFZs4

I actually ran into sort of the opposite today. Came to a stop sign with an SUV beside me, at the end of a narrow bridge downtown. I let the SUV go first, and quickly realized that one of the kids in the back seat has his window open and has a curtain rod extended 3 feet out the window, pointed in my direction.

Managed to swerve right and get the whiskey tango foxtrot out under my breath for fear of corrupting a child.

Driver was oblivious.

Back to the thread...I tend to link together dirt segments with a little road as possible these days. Any road that Google Street view hasn't covered yet is typically good. I've also invested in a Light & Motion VIS180.

[C40_guy]

if you actually do this, you are a nutcase.

I find that edging out into traffic, and then moving back towards the shoulder as the car gets close, gives me a bit more margin when they actually pass. I use a mirror to see where the car it.

Might look like I'm swerving, but I'm not. I tend to take a line in the lane, and then give up most of the lane at the last minute. It tends to force the car to swing wide...

And by the way, the state of nutcaseness is pretty much a requirement for membership here. Remember, we are the lunatic fringe, when it comes to bikes...

[Dave Ferris]

Moreso than distracted driving, I see a problem where drivers feel they have the right to not have to slow down.

This X 100. 40 years of running and riding on the streets of LA - and besides the distracted driving with the phones - I don't ever recall seeing more people simply not slowing down when they see you, in addition to the excessive speeding. I know it's not my imagination, or an old guy rant, that's it's considerably worse now.

Even coming up to stop signs/lights, making a turn, when the road narrows , in a zone where's there's signs posted for tree trimming or construction.

It's like they're all hyped up on Red bull or something. Out of control, out of their minds !! :mad:

If my trail wasn't a 2000' climb in 3 miles and more stress on my patella tendinitis aka runner's knee coming down, my feet would never touch the street. Same with my bike.

[beaverstuff]

I find that edging out into traffic, and then moving back towards the shoulder as the car gets close, gives me a bit more margin when they actually pass. I use a mirror to see where the car it.

Might look like I'm swerving, but I'm not. I tend to take a line in the lane, and then give up most of the lane at the last minute. It tends to force the car to swing wide...

And by the way, the state of nutcaseness is pretty much a requirement for membership here. Remember, we are the lunatic fringe, when it comes to bikes...

This last March 16, wearing international yellow from shoulder to ankle, and riding correctly on the right side of the road, I was rear-ended by a car. Luckily i'm on this side of the sod, with some abrasions and soft tissue damage to me. My bike (lucky bike) suffered only a broken rim; the tube & tire were still inflated! I wish I could inflate my shoulder. Gonna need surgery.
There's an expression: "dead right". You can be both riding correctly and be dead.

[paredown]

Dang! How are you doing?

No, I'm good--I was expecting the third idiot to pass so I was already on the brakes--and getting ready to bail if I had to...