where you ride

[tch]

Recent experience in a charity ride and looking at the "got pulled over" thread has me thinking: would I ride as much as I do -- or even at all -- if I had to deal with some of the conditions others ride with full time?

On this charity ride, the last 10 miles were on a long uphill section, no real shoulder. Cars were buzzing by at 60 mph on their way to Memorial Day picnics. Many of them skimmed by closer than the approved 3' or else gunned their engines obnoxiously as they passed. I couldn't STAND it; I almost waved for the sag wagon just to get out of the traffic. When I got to the end, other riders were commenting on how much better the traffic was this year as opposed to last (Yow!).

In the thread on getting pulled over, Volant writes about narrow roads full of traffic with no shoulder, so difficult that traffic has to back up behind single riders.

Yuck. In my life, I regularly ride 25-40 miles on paved country roads and see maybe 20 cars going my way during the whole ride. Yesterday, I was cruising through state forest land and came across a black bear ambling down the abondoned road towards me.

Would I ride as much if I had to deal with the adverse conditions some of you do? I dunno. My hat's off to you all and your determination to ride.

[Lovetoclimb]

I have grown up riding in SW Ohio (Dayton, Cincinnati, surrounding countryside) as well as Northern Alabama for a brief 9 month stint. One of my teammates and I regularly ride 15 miles each way to work and use it as training mileage. Many people at work often ask me the questions such as:

Do you ride on the motorway?
How do you deal with the traffic?
Does your car not work well?

And in our efforts to increase the # of commuters, especially for people who live 5-10 miles from the office, we try to be as helpful as possible. (Of course not, don't think too much about it, and my car works perfectly fine though I wish I could bring myself to selling it).

I honestly can not remember the point where I became comfortably numb to the traffic around me, and I have ridden in some hectic places (downtown Nagoya Japan, Chicago, Deep Alabama countryside) without concern. My approach that seems to keep me at peace is if I do get hit and the lights go out, I went doing something of pure love and ecstasy. Bleak, I know, but at 25 years old, with no desire to have kids and my plans to get further education and do service work, I am enjoying it all as much as I can, hopefully raising awareness for bikers and drivers alike in the world.

[fiamme red]

If you think your roads are bad, imagine riding on these:

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2006/11/most-dangerous-roads-in-world.html

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2006/12/dangerous-roads-of-world-part-2.html

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/03/most-dangerous-roads-of-world-part-3.html

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/08/dangerous-roads-of-world-part-4_06.html

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/12/worlds-most-dangerous-roads-part-5.html

(Courtesy of Jobst Brandt, who posted these links on r.b.t.)

http://lh3.google.ca/abramsv/R2hqkkKUaEI/AAAAAAAABJI/pk0XQdh9XL8/s800/1265136615_17c3d83aac_o.jpg

[johnnymossville]

Sometimes I think about how different it would be trying to train (not just riding) in a place like NYC and how fortunate I am to have some steep hills and country roads with little traffic. I guess it's a matter of just doing it and making the best with what you are given. Every place has it's pluses and minuses I guess.

My commute kinda sucks depending on the time of day I ride the route to/from home/work, but I always figure it could be WAY worse.

[flydhest]

Interesting question. I commute everyday in downtown DC with traffic and the like. Many, many people think that's crazy, but I kind of like and am used to it. What I hate, however, is riding through dense suburbs with high-speed traffic, lots of traffic lights, and lots of density of cars. If that was all I had to ride in, I might reconsider. We're kind of lucky here in DC to have a couple of routes out of the city to the more low-key suburbs that you don't have to worry about it enough if you know the routes and go at the right time.

[cosmonaut]

Interesting question. I commute everyday in downtown DC with traffic and the like. Many, many people think that's crazy, but I kind of like and am used to it. What I hate, however, is riding through dense suburbs with high-speed traffic, lots of traffic lights, and lots of density of cars. If that was all I had to ride in, I might reconsider. We're kind of lucky here in DC to have a couple of routes out of the city to the more low-key suburbs that you don't have to worry about it enough if you know the routes and go at the right time.
That sums up my thoughts. I also commute through DC traffic every day, and the traffic/city commotion just become part of the experience.
Picking good routes through trial and error is key.

[Ken Robb]

[QUOTE=

were on a long uphill section, no real shoulder. Cars were buzzing by at 60 mph on their way to Memorial Day picnics. Many of them skimmed by closer than the approved 3' or else gunned their engines obnoxiously as they passed. I couldn't STAND it; (Quote)

Welcome to my world. The popular Coast Route from Del mar to La Jolla includes the Torrey Pines Grade. I'm grinding up at 7mph while cars whiz by at 65-75mph and I hate it so much that it keeps me from riding that route as much as I'd like. There is "the inside route" for those in the know. It's the old highway now closed to through auto traffic so it's much nicer as far as that goes but it's steep enough that I need at least a 28-28 or 30-32 low gear to make the climb. I loved riding The Finger Lakes area for lovely roads w/little traffic on visits in July and again in October but then, that was nearly the end of the riding season so I have yet to find Cycling Eden. :)

[snah]

If you think your roads are bad, imagine riding on these:

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2006/11/most-dangerous-roads-in-world.html

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2006/12/dangerous-roads-of-world-part-2.html

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/03/most-dangerous-roads-of-world-part-3.html

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/08/dangerous-roads-of-world-part-4_06.html

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/12/worlds-most-dangerous-roads-part-5.html

(Courtesy of Jobst Brandt, who posted these links on r.b.t.)

http://lh3.google.ca/abramsv/R2hqkkKUaEI/AAAAAAAABJI/pk0XQdh9XL8/s800/1265136615_17c3d83aac_o.jpg

Here in Indy, got nothing that compares to any of these and we're certainly not the traffic equivalent of Chicago, DC, LA, etc, but myself taking one of the busier streets along the northside of Indy, gotta say you just get used to the traffic. For me it's not the cars, pickups or semis that bother me as much as the traffic lights. You get used to it simply for the love of riding.

[JMerring]

Sometimes I think about how different it would be trying to train (not just riding) in a place like NYC and how fortunate I am to have some steep hills and country roads with little traffic. I guess it's a matter of just doing it and making the best with what you are given. Every place has it's pluses and minuses I guess.

My commute kinda sucks depending on the time of day I ride the route to/from home/work, but I always figure it could be WAY worse.

training in nyc is actually quite easy. the cp loop is a great 6 mile loop with some elevation change. do it early enough and you can avoid the people that make it impossible to 'train' there after around 11 am. for longer rides or more climbing, there's plenty just outside the city. i moved down to atl from nyc a few years ago and for quite some time lamented the lack of good riding down herein the south.

[merlinmurph]

On this charity ride, the last 10 miles were on a long uphill section, no real shoulder. Cars were buzzing by at 60 mph on their way to Memorial Day picnics. Many of them skimmed by closer than the approved 3' or else gunned their engines obnoxiously as they passed. I couldn't STAND it;

Yup, that would drive me nuts, too. Thats' the scariest type of riding, IMHO.

I'm definitely spoiled now, riding 25 miles west of Boston on lightly travelled roads. Most of my weekday rides are at noon, so there's even less traffic than usual. If I head east into denser areas, especially on weekends, I don't enjoy it as much at all - too nerve wracking. Comes down to what you're used to.

I often think about how much I would ride if the conditions weren't as nice as they are now, and I think flexibility is key. All you need is one good route that avoids the crappy sections, and you're all set.

[Lovetoclimb]

Had a nice reminder of what I dislike the most during this morning's commute: while grinding up a solid 20% grade in the final mile climb out of the river valley, a typical Northern KY scenario presented itself. Loose dog, angry as all hell, accelerate hard to approx (15 mph) while yelling NO! at the dog.

Results? = heart-rate was elevated the rest of the climb despite it leveling out to 10-12% and my teammate learned that I will gladly turn on the boosters leaving him to deal with the nuisance animal!

Seriously though, those dogs have guidance systems to rival a Patriot missile, they know exactly the course to intercept you on!

[rugbysecondrow]

There are great routes where I live, but one of the most popular due to it being a triathlon route, is aweful. Traffic buzzing, little to no shoulder, the suprise Spring potholes hidden in the shadows. There are people who only ride these routes because A), they are training, B) they don't know any better.

I will do these routes only when I have a race coming so I can mentally prepare for and visualize the race, but I don't like it. I have great routes that really allow me to get lost.

[Nil Else]

Couple of relevant articles though from tri POV:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Features/Stayin_Alive_-_Rural_1353.html
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Cycling/Stayin_Alive_-_Urban_362.html

[Ray]

Interesting question. I commute everyday in downtown DC with traffic and the like. Many, many people think that's crazy, but I kind of like and am used to it. What I hate, however, is riding through dense suburbs with high-speed traffic, lots of traffic lights, and lots of density of cars. If that was all I had to ride in, I might reconsider. We're kind of lucky here in DC to have a couple of routes out of the city to the more low-key suburbs that you don't have to worry about it enough if you know the routes and go at the right time.
Yup, urban riding is no problem - you take your place in traffic. Cars can't get that much speed up from block to block anyway. You're just another vehicle. You have to stay aware, but its pretty safe if you know how to interact. Very little speed differential is the key - you and the cars are going pretty similar speeds a lot of the time.

Rural riding is heaven because there are so few cars and you can just space out and enjoy the scenery and know that you'll hear any approaching traffic in plenty of time to move over. And if the road is curvy (as most of the ones I ride are), its pretty safe because the cars aren't going all that fast, you can pretty much haul ass and, again, the speed differential isn't that great.

Suburban riding SUCKS. Drivers are in a hurry, spacing between lights is huge so they have time to get up a lot of speed. There are curb cuts EVERYwhere and traffic turning into and out of them. There are multiple lanes to negotiate if you have to turn and "taking the lane" in the face of 50mph traffic is a suicide move. Its to be survived if you have to do it. I find nothing enjoyable about it. If you design wide enough curb lanes, THAT part can be OK, but you're still contending with too many unpredictable turns. No redeeming qualities.

Areas that think they're still rural and want to continue to pretend by not providing adequate infrastructure are the worst. Narrow rural roads, waaaaay too much traffic, people getting pissed and impatient and pulling all sorts of stupid stunts to pass and shoot lights and ignore signage. Riding uphill on a narrow road with LOTS of traffic sounds like this kind of situation. Terrible. Often, these jurisdictions think they're being helpful by putting "share the road" signs up. You should not invite cyclists to think its safe to ride in those situations! The brave/stupid ones who have a lot of experience will ride there when they don't have better options - I've done it myself. Nobody else should.

I used to plan facilities to help people deal with this stuff. I more or less gave up. Where you need 'em the most, they're the hardest to get and don't work that well anyway - a bike lane on a big suburban road generally only partially solves one problem out of many, and if there was room for a bike lane, that wasn't the biggest problem to begin with. Where you can get 'em, they're only slightly necessary (more for psychological reasons than anything) and don't really improve the situation that much. Philly is building bike lanes like crazy and its good because its getting more people out on bikes, which is the real key. But if those same number of people would come out and ride WITHOUT the bike lanes, they'd be even safer and it would work better. Life is full of the Catch-22's.

Don't get me started. Ooops - too late. :cool:

-Ray

[WadePatton]

Recent experience in a charity ride...
Would I ride as much if I had to deal with the adverse conditions some of you do? I dunno. My hat's off to you all and your determination to ride.

the op describes my experiences too. i hate the trafficky roads of the club rides and the charity rides.

i don't have to deal with that at home. be safe out there folks.