Commuting - swimmin' with the sharks (fast narrow roads)

I'm moving 19+ miles from work, and hope to ride in, at least some days. The most direct road is a 2-lane with narrow or sometimes nonexistent shoulders, on which commuters drive fast. (Boston area: Rt 117 from Maynard to Waltham, then on to Cambridge.) Have people successfully commuted on fast narrow roads? Or are they best avoided even if it adds a couple of miles?

I'm moving 19+ miles from work, and hope to ride in, at least some days. The most direct road is a 2-lane with narrow or sometimes nonexistent shoulders, on which commuters drive fast. (Boston area: Rt 117 from Maynard to Waltham, then on to Cambridge.) Have people successfully commuted on fast narrow roads? Or are they best avoided even if it adds a couple of miles?

i'd avoid them if possible. i commute 3 miles on a road with no shoulder and a 45 mph speed limit. so that means they do about 60 there. i'm alright so far. but it's only been a couple months. maybe i'll be hit and all my worries will be over soon? :D

I'm moving 19+ miles from work, and hope to ride in, at least some days. The most direct road is a 2-lane with narrow or sometimes nonexistent shoulders, on which commuters drive fast. (Boston area: Rt 117 from Maynard to Waltham, then on to Cambridge.) Have people successfully commuted on fast narrow roads? Or are they best avoided even if it adds a couple of miles?

sounds nerve racking. i wouldn't have the stomach for something like that. whatever you do - make sure you're visible. will you be doing this at night as well?

sounds nerve racking. i wouldn't have the stomach for something like that. whatever you do - make sure you're visible. will you be doing this at night as well?

I always wear hi-viz yellow, and have good lights--but I dunno about using this route at night.

I'm moving 19+ miles from work, and hope to ride in, at least some days. The most direct road is a 2-lane with narrow or sometimes nonexistent shoulders, on which commuters drive fast. (Boston area: Rt 117 from Maynard to Waltham, then on to Cambridge.) Have people successfully commuted on fast narrow roads? Or are they best avoided even if it adds a couple of miles?

Most likely, those folks who have NOT successfully commuted in such an envoironment can NOT respond!

About 5 of my 15 mile commute is on a road like the one you describe; two lane, no shoulder, 45 mph. The ride to work isn't bad since I leave early enough to miss the traffic however the ride home is a little exciting. Maybe the roads I ride (Union Cross, Sedge Garden, and Kernersville in case you're familiar with the area) aren't as heavily traveled but the traffic is generally pretty understanding and understanding. I haven't had many problems. I think I've become used to the cars.

Give it a shot and see how you feel. Make sure your insurance is up to date first.

Dave

I've ridden on those sort of roads at times. Actually, I didn't find them that bad. The good thing about commuter drivers is that they rarely have the time to stop and harass you. The most important thing here is to be assertive. Claim as much of the road as you feel you need, and hold a consistent line.

I used to drive on a twisty mountain road with a 50mph speed limit with college students and tourist drivers all over it. It is a 4-lane road which is highly traveled. It isn't as bad as you'd think it would be. I got a glasses mirror and that helped everything 100%. That route was only 6 miles either way. Now I take the 10+ mile route on the Blue Ridge Parkway which has much more elevation gains but has less people on it and is nicer. I much rather add some more distance of enjoyable riding than saving some time with the more irritating route. On the days you need to save time you can always take the more busy route like I do. Peace.

I used to drive on a twisty mountain road with a 50mph speed limit with college students and tourist drivers all over it.

Winding mountain roads are by far the best places for riding. They force drivers to slow down like nothing else (with the possible exception of gridlock) can. I look at the way people behave on the straight roads on the coast around here, and long for the winding mountain roads of Tasmania's west. Stupid/incompetent drivers have a delightful habit of ending up dead in such places.

My commute into the "city" is on 45MPH two lane road. None of the rural part of my commute has shoulders. This is the longer route. The more direct route (2 miles shorter) is almost perfectly straight, no shoulders, and has several blind hills.

My advice. If a different route adds a couple of miles its a small price to pay for a more enjoyable commute. If thats not possible, then follow the advice from previous posts above.

I have a two or three km of narrow straight fast rd near my work. Fortunately there isnt much traffic on it. so when cars pass me they usually have no trouble pulling over to the other side. Just take the space you need, and if there is a car coming in the other direction take a bit more.