Living Car Free - Arterial fun
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Last night I was taking a nasty arterial road and remembered that there is a good side to them. As the packs of cars pass you at 45-50 mph (35 mph posted speed) they suck you along so your speed bumps up with each pack. You almost feel like you're surfing the waves of cars. I'm not sure if the speed is worth the fumes.
unterhausen
06-09-09, 08:59 AM
I've had the same experience. One time I was out exploring and got onto a 55 mph road with no shoulders. The traffic wasn't so bad, it was a little too much for me to enjoy riding though. But I did enjoy the artificial tailwind.
noisebeam
06-09-09, 11:07 AM
This is how most of my riding is. Definitely a boost, but not cumulative. Maybe 1mph, 2mph from trucks/buses. Arterial roads overall save 5-10min per trip vs. backstreets w/stops and no side-draft, plus that is where businesses are located.
IbikezLA
06-09-09, 11:24 AM
I don't think I go any faster, because I force them to go around me, but is fun to be on main streets. I feel like I'm swimming with the whales.
chriswnw
06-09-09, 04:56 PM
I've started using arterial streets more frequently in Portland, as many of the bike boulevards have warped/uneven pavement and too many stop signs. There are a few good bike boulevards with limited access for automobiles, very few stop signs for cyclists, and reasonably smooth streets -- if they designed more of our bike boulevards like this, I would use them more frequently. Although I'm not terrified by arterial streets, I'd much prefer a route with fewer cars, provided that it's fast. Seeing one car rear-end another on an arterial that I sometimes use gave me pause -- although I realize that getting rear-ended is one of the least common accidents for cyclists to experience, I'd hate to be one of the few.