Commuting - Which route to choose???

I'm going to begin biking to work soon and have a couple of different routes to choose from, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. I'm just not sure which one would be best.

Route-1 is a very busy highway. The commute would be about 11 miles one way, and the road has very wide shoulders.

Route-2 is a not-so-busy country road that also goes between the two towns and would be about a 13 mile commute one way. However it has very little or no shoulder at all. About 3 miles of this route would also be on a busy highway with large shoulders.

So the question is. Do I take the busy highway with lots of room to ride or the not so busy country road with no shoulder? The country road, I'm guessing, has about 1/8 - 1/4 of the traffic that the busy hwy does.

Thanks,
Dustin

Here's how I choose routes. Go out on a Saturday morning and actually ride both of them. That way, you'll get an idea which route best suits you. Of course, if you still can't decide, you could always ride both of them (one on the way to work and the other on the way home).

I guess it depends on the width of the country road with no shoulders and how busy it is. Will people be able to get around you easily. Not to long ago, I made the mistake of riding a should-less, busy route 139 in Quebec, and it was the single worst biking experience this summer. Got run of the road by trucks twice.

I tend to like smaller roads because they have less traffic and usually far more interesting profile, tight curves etc. Something to keep you awake in the morning:).

But do what ChrisL suggests and try it out. In addition to initial Saturday check I would try both routes during my normal commute hours. That way you'll get better idea of the traffic.

--J

If the shoulders are relatively clean and ridable, I would opt for that. I don't mind riding highways without shoulders, but given the choice I will go for shoulders.

Yes, try them both. I have several different routes that I take. Also, don't fail to consider that due to traffic patterns and things like needing to turn left in heavy traffic, your preferred route to work may not be the same as the preferred route home. My morning and afternoon routes differ for those reasons.

Dave

My advice is to try different routes at different times. Find which one is the easiest for the times you are not feeling 100%. Find another which is more scenic for when you have some extra time.
I find that variations in my route keep me motivated.

I would also look into expanding your horizons. Are there any 20 or 30 mile routes with all back roads and low traffic?

I like the wide shoulders myself. I commute on a very busy highway, but the shoulders are so wide I could almost share them with a car. I have to commute about 4 miles on a country road with absolutely no shoulder. I haven't had any trouble, but I start out extra early 6:00 am to get a jump start on all the traffic. Just make sure you can be seen!