Giving up on road

[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.

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[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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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]

Originally Posted by makoti

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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 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 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). 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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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. 😓