fthomas

Last week I road to work and took the short route - 7.2 miles. Nice ride except half of it is on a road with a posted speed of 45mph and NO SHOULDERS - None, zip, nadda. On the way home on a 2.0 mile stretch I looked back and there was a mile of traffic piled up behind me. So, I pulled over and got a drink to let them pass. Just after getting back on the road a School Bus passed me a kid threw a bottle out the window at me. Missed, but hey come on! Reported the bus to the district the next morning!

The drivers would pass me without pulling over with little to no clearance for on coming traffic. Dodge those mirrors!

My other choice is longer - 10.5 miles, which is not a problem for me. It is following major thoroughfares and there is a giant shoulder, many right hand turn lanes and of course the numerous feeder streets. The posted speed is 55 mph and people drive like idiots around here.

So, what would you guys choose?

I vote for the major thoroughfares.

Quartz

We have a "green belt" around Ottawa, which really is a brilliant idea; big chunk of land owned by the NCC that no one can build anything in. Lots of forest and fields in the heart of our city. But, all the roads the travel through it are, by definition, arterial roads.

I have the option of spending a lot of time on an 80km/h single lane undivided highway named Carling (with a terrifying plunge through a train underpass, where there's barely enough room for two cars to travel in opposite directions. There's a little sign that says "Do not pass cyclists", but that doesn't stop people from trying to overtake you in the oncoming lane. One of these days I'm going to be showered in BMW shrapnel as I pass through that tunnel.) Carling is actually marked on the NCC map as a major cycling route, prolly because of the wide shoulders. Unfortunately these shoulders are full of what one co-worker described as "man eating pot holes". Last year a road crew came out and "patched" some of the pot holes, but now it looks like some sort of magma has cooled down either side of Carling, leaving something I wouldn't want to walk on, yet alone cycle over.

There is a MUP which (mercifully) bypasses the train overpass. It's actually a very nice ride, but if I take it I have my option of turning left onto Carling a long ways from any lights or cross walks (aside from one just on the other side of the train underpass... grrr), or I can go a few km out of my way, and I get dumped onto March rd, which is three lanes in either direction, divided, with a speed limit of 80 but everyone drives 110. March has a bike lane, but for some unfortunate reason the mad Kanata city planners decided to make it so the right hand lane BECOMES the turn lane at every intersection, so I continually have to shift out into crazy fast traffic for a bit in order to hop from one segment of bike lane to the next. I only have to do this a couple times to get to work, but then, I only get to get run over once.

I personally take the Carling option, and take my lane when I pass through the underpass (I get a lot of honks and yells, and I've only gotten screeching brakes once). On the way home, it's a right hand turn onto a dead-end road to get to the MUP, so I do that.

Quartz

Oh, I guess I should give you an answer to your question.

How long do you spend on the street with no shoulders?

I'd likely go with the shouldered highway, myself. I always worry about crazy road raged drivers when I take a lane for any length of time.

JeffB502

I'm assuming the 45mph is 2 lanes each way separated by a double yellow or dotted single yellow line depending on whether passing is legal or not. On this type of road, I would be riding in the center of the lane, making it impossible for people to pass me when there is oncoming traffic. If there is a point where it would be safe for a vehicle to pass me, I would pull into the right tire track and wave them by. The main point to enjoying this type of road as a cyclist is...if it's unsafe for them to pass, don't let them.

I have a similar road I have to ride on, but the speed limit is 55. Luckily I only have to ride on it for about half a mile or so, but usually it's into a 15mph or so headwind. I take the center of the lane trying my hardest to maintain 10mph or more. When I see a vehicle approaching in my rear view mirror I ensure they're either slowing down or giving plenty of room as they pass if the oncoming lane is clear. If I see them starting to pass when it would be unsafe, I give the "slow down" hand signal and take a little more of the lane. This has always stopped bad things from happening, although I have been honked at a few times. Like I said above, once it's safe I move over to the right tire track and wave them on. Haven't been run over yet, and alot of the traffic on this road is 18 wheelers with drivers that don't know exactly where they're going.

However, if I had a choice, I'd much rather ride on a 65mph freeway with a wide shoulder than the 55mph 2 lane road with no shoulder.

CBBaron

Don't you love suburbs/xurbs
I prefer the multi-lane roads.
My commute is much safer. Mostly 4 lane or wiiide 2 lane roads with 35MPH limits. Traffic is light enough that vehicles can usually easily move to the next lane to pass. I take a lane to ensure they have to change lanes to pass.
I just have to avoid the gangs and drug dealers.

Craig

Eggplant Jeff

See now I'd say the opposite. My old commute had around a mile of 45 mph 2-lane no shoulder. I just stayed in the right tire track... and most of the time it wasn't an issue. Cars would pass even on a double-yellow (I.e. no passing zone) but the point is that because I'm taking the lane, they move way over. I very rarely had 'em buzz me very close.

Frankly if you had a mile of traffic backed up behind you, that's a hell of a polite area. I wouldn't sweat it.

I definitely wouldn't take the higher speed limit road with more intersections, even if there's a shoulder. Crossing an intersection from the shoulder is asking for trouble IMHO.

chephy

I'd say it depends on how wide the road itself is and how much traffic there is on it. If it is narrow AND has no shoulder AND there is a lot of traffic (so that it is very difficult to pass a cyclist), I'd try to avoid that road. I've been on roads like this and it's NOT pretty. I know the advice about taking the lane and not letting them pass when it's not safe... the problem is that you can ride on such a road for many miles and there won't be a single safe passing opportunity. I try to avoid such roads at all costs.

acroy

I'd say the wide one with shoulders.
Big issue with narrow roads is one driver may come up and swerve around you, but what about the guy right behind him who hasn't seen you yet? really worries me, esp if you live in an area (like i do) where bikes are rare.