The funny thing about two lane rural roads in Texas with 8-foot wide shoulders is that motorists commonly use the shoulders at speed, to pull over and let faster traffic pass them on their left. It's just part of the Texas driving experience.
So Chipseal has a valid concern for his safety cycling on those shoulders. OTOH, he's probably inviting some redneck in an F-150 to pass him on the right using the shoulder if he insists on taking the lane all the time.