Living Car Free - Biking to work - need help

Hi everyone. I have started a new job close to my home (4.5 miles) and would really like to start commuting to work (depending on weather, etc) on my bike. Most of the ride would be pretty easy, as there are either bicycle lanes or side-walks, but the last mile of the trip is on a 2-lane road, going uphill (or downhill, depending if I am coming or going), with no side-walks or bike lanes. What should I do? Is it acceptable / safe to ride to the side of the road? What are your thoughts? What have you done in this situation?

Thanks,

Welcome to BF.
Your first Goal in riding anywhere is To Be Safe.
It takes some time to get used to traffic.
Each road and intersection has its own perimeters toward safety.
Try riding with a more experience cyclist in your area.

Try the ride on a low traffic day for a test.

Yup, safety is #1. I'd advise running lights day and night, using mirrors, and most importantly, spending time reading maps to see if you can find less-trafficked routes. For me, the fewer cars I share the road with, the better.

I certainly agree that safety is key. Unfortunately, there are no other routes that will let me avoid this specific road (Google Maps rocks). Riding on a low-traffic day is a good idea, I will try it this weekend. Thanks!

Study the problem area and get really familiar with it. You may discover something helpful like a footpath, a back way, or parking lots that interconnect somehow. The Satellite View of Google Maps is very useful, especially when you can get out on weekends to explore for alternate paths. Sometimes you can't find an alternate path, but often enough you can.

If it makes the difference in you being able to do the commute, you can also consider an electric bike. An electric boost could help with a difficult traffic situation.

Speed of "Road"? Highway speeds? Amount of traffic?



I'd advise running lights day and night

I first read this as running stop lights not "using lights". :)

Let's see it on Google Streetview, then we can give you more specific advice.

To answer your question, yes it is acceptable and safe to ride a bike in a street with other traffic. If ther is a paved shoulder, you can ride in it mostly.

If there is no paved shoulder, ride in the same righthand traffic lane as the cars. Ride in the same direction as the cars. Follow the same rules as the cars. If you know how to drive a car in traffic, there isn't much more to riding a bike in traffic.

Many cyclists like to ride in about the right tire track created by the cars. With experience, you'll learn the "best" part of the lane to ride in. Don't ordinarily ride in the gutter or on the very edge of the road.

How to Not Get Hurt by Cars (http://bicyclesafe.com/)
Safer than Driving? (http://www.raisethehammer.org/index.asp?id=617)
How to Ride in Traffic (Ken Kifer) (http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/traffic.htm)

Here is the link (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Hammonds+Ferry+Rd+at+Nursery+Rd&daddr=514+Progress+Dr.,+Linthicum,+MD+21090+(Traffipax)&hl=en&geocode=%3BFZ1qVgIddxdu-yHE40WiIfVw1Q&mra=cc&sll=39.2208,-76.668885&sspn=0.008545,0.016565&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16) to the google map - street view is not available, though satellite is. The blue route - specifically from the intersection of Hammonds Ferry and Nursery to Digital Drive is the problem area. Don't know how helpful this will be.

I believe the speed limit is 40mph, and the traffic is not heavy in the mornings - though after work, the traffic becomes a deadlock, which is a good thing, I suppose.

I'd suggest finding a bike course to take to give you confidence riding on roads (generally you'll want to stay off the sidewalks!) Also a rearview mirror can be very helpful.

For the two lane road if the lanes are wide you can ride to the side. But make sure you are far enough out to avoid debris without having to swerve back and forth. If the lanes are narrow you want to encourage the traffic to pass you as they would any other slow moving vehicle on that road - onto oncoming traffic when there is a dotted not solid yellow.

The mirror can help you see if people are moving left around you or not. If you've left yourself sufficient room you can swerve right to avoid someone that isn't going out far enough.

There's about 500ft of sparse trees between your destination and the parking lot at Old Hammonds Ferry Road. Perhaps you can use that as a shortcut. Even with a road bike, you can walk that distance pretty quickly.

There's about 500ft of sparse trees between your destination and the parking lot at Old Hammonds Ferry Road. Perhaps you can use that as a shortcut. Even with a road bike, you can walk that distance pretty quickly.

Looks like a creek runs through there though....

I would use Vehicular Cycling technique along Nursery Road. Ride in the right tire track, maybe even the left tire track. Get a high-visibility yellow jacket/vest, lots of bright blinking lights and take the lane. I suggest talking to ChipSeal (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=80716) (see his blog here (http://www.chipsea.blogspot.com/)); he rides on roads that bad and worse. He can probably give you some good advice.

The more you use off-road short cuts and alternate routes, the longer it will be before you feel adequate to ride in traffic. My suggestion is to learn to handle traffic first, then get a kick out of finding the scenic routes and shortcuts.

In my experience, which is considerable, learning to ride in traffic is the single thing a carfree cyclist can do that will most expand his/her horizons.

There's about 500ft of sparse trees between your destination and the parking lot at Old Hammonds Ferry Road. Perhaps you can use that as a shortcut. Even with a road bike, you can walk that distance pretty quickly.

There almost looks like a series of winding footpaths that might go between the parking lot and your building. I'd check that out.

Are there other cyclists who travel down West Nursery?

What's the traffic like? It looks like a quiet industrial side road, which could be quite busy at rush hour, but you might not find it bad if you arrive 1/2 hour early... Someone suggested trying the route at low traffic. That's an excellent idea. I'd recommend doing it several times just to gain some confidence.

There almost looks like a series of winding footpaths that might go between the parking lot and your building. I'd check that out.
I'd second that idea. If it were me, I'd spend a few lunch hours walking around outside and sizing up the footpaths in the area (if of course that's allowed).

Here is the link (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Hammonds+Ferry+Rd+at+Nursery+Rd&daddr=514+Progress+Dr.,+Linthicum,+MD+21090+(Traffipax)&hl=en&geocode=%3BFZ1qVgIddxdu-yHE40WiIfVw1Q&mra=cc&sll=39.2208,-76.668885&sspn=0.008545,0.016565&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16) to the google map - street view is not available, though satellite is. The blue route - specifically from the intersection of Hammonds Ferry and Nursery to Digital Drive is the problem area. Don't know how helpful this will be.

I believe the speed limit is 40mph, and the traffic is not heavy in the mornings - though after work, the traffic becomes a deadlock, which is a good thing, I suppose.

I looked at Nursery Road at full magnification, and it looks okay. There doesn't seem to be much of a shoulder, but the lanes look pretty wide, and, judging by the amount of development along the road, I imagine that the only times where traffic gets really heavy is when everyone is driving to or from work, and even then, since there is room to pass, you're golden. It's just a matter of getting used to the sound of cars coming up from behind and passing you. If it's any comfort, getting hit by a car coming up from behind is the rarest type of bike/car accident. If you make yourself visible and ride in a predictable manner, you're safe. Riding on sidewalks is actually a lot more dangerous, statistically.

I find that a rearview mirror is critical for this kind of riding. I mount a tool mirror on the side of my helmet and it lets me keep on eye out for cars coming behind.

Lots of good suggestions here.

May I recommend taking a League of American Bicyclists Road 1 course. The cost is nominal and I think it will teach you what you need to know to ride on the streets and help you feel comfortable and safe on the road. This link (http://www.bikeleague.org/cogs/resources/findit/?courses=1&instructors=1&state=MD&submit.x=36&submit.y=1)will take you to the LAB site and the list of instructors for Maryland. You can find the one closest to you and let you contact them to find out when they will be teaching a course next.

You also might want to look at http://bicyclesafe.com/ which has some good tips on avoiding accidents.

And take a look Bicycling Street Smarts (http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm)