Originally Posted by
ralph12
There is a portion of my route to work that sort of confounds me. I don't really know which part of the roadway is better to ride in. This is a 4-lane urban road, where drivers are usually going about 45 MPH. There is a paved shoulder. However, it varies in width from about 8 to 3 feet, and has a LOT of driveways behind it. What I lately have been riding in the traffic lane, and pulling off to the shoulder to let faster traffic pass (without stopping), then going back in the lane when it's clear. Also, this shoulder turns into a freeway on-ramp further down the line. I always merge into the traffic lane before this happens. Fitting a road of this description, where and how would you ride?
Sounds good to me.
Some people might say if the shoulder is good enough when people need to pass, it's good enough when they don't, so just stay there. Baloney to that, I say. When fsdt (faster same direction traffic) is present, they act as a shield and make riding in the shoulder safer than it is when fsdt is not present (especially due to the driveways). So, it makes sense to do what you do: ride in the traffic lane when fsdt is not present, temporarily move into the shoulder when they are approaching and present, then move out again after they pass. A mirror helps a lot to do this.