sknhgy 

I read threads where cyclists are fighting with cars on busy roads, cars get backed up, riders get buzzed and cussed at. To me that doesn't sound like fun. I ride for fun and enjoyment. I personally won't ride on a road if there is too much traffic.
Why would anyone do that?

david58

Because if I didn't I couldn't ride - I have to climb on busy roads to get where I need to go. Not as fun as out in the country, but it's how I get to ride.

gbiker

Sometimes there's just no getting around it, whether in the heart of downtown, or the road up Mount Evans.

PhilWinIL

When I ride into Springfield from our place -we're about 8 miles north of town- the only road that crosses the Sangamon River near us is IL Route 29. Fortunately it has a wide paved shoulder now. The greatest problems along there are blown tires that land on the shoulder and/or road kill. There is a county road that crosses the river but it is much further west and would triple the riding distance.

So far when commuting to work I have not had any problems along 29. The most important thing to me is to be seen. I always wear a bright shirt or vest and use lights front and rear depending on the time of year.

The Sangamon Valley Trail, which just opened west of town will eventually cross the river over the old B & O RR bridge, about 2 miles west of our house. The plans are being worked on now, but the funding of the construction is anyone's guess!

DnvrFox

Here you go:

Mr. Beanz

We live at the foothills so we either drive down on weekends to the trail where we can get in 60 traffic free miles or we ride up into the hills and mountains on lightly traveled roads. Sometimes we may only see 10 cars. I used to ride in town at night to avoid traffic but lately, the traffic seems to be heavy even at night.





Our trail is 60 miles round trip. Not the skater, stroller, dog walker, jogger mess many make trails out to be. If I can get 60 miles in but have to slow down for 10 seconds 3 times during my ride for a jogger, doesn't bother me at all.

LesterOfPuppets

I ride on the freeway emergency lane so cars don't get backed up.

velocycling

We live in a society where people are second class citizens. Sad state...

Northwestrider

Simple need. I've ridden on the edge of a freeway for very short distance as there was no alternative.

Dale_S

I have no choice but to ride in the lane when leaving the house, or coming back to the house. The road is 6 lanes, posted 55 MPH, no shoulder, and if the CHP sees you on the narrow sidewalk, they will stop you, tell you no riding on the sidewalk in the County area. One side of the hill is 8% grade, and the other side is 7%, so if your going up hill you are going way slower than traffic, the road is not straight, and they placed those nice planters as a center divider with tall plants to limit visibility even more. CHP does not enforce the speed limit, just riding on the sidewalk due to complaints, so traffic is really going 60-70 MPH. I hate riding there, don't want to be the next bug splat on someone else's windshield.

ro-monster

My bike is my transportation. If I need to go somewhere, and a busy road is the only feasible route, then I'll be riding on it. I'd prefer not to deal with so much traffic, but sometimes there isn't another option.

chasm54

Why would anyone not? I live in not-very-big city, but it part of a larger conurbation. There are about 1.2 million people living within a 10 mile radius of my house. I ride everywhere. It's no problem. Occasionally drivers are idiots, but it's occasional. And the dangers are vastly overstated. Cycling is very safe, even on highways.

I spent several weeks riding in Canada and the States earlier this year. I was amazed at how little traffic there was on most of your highways, compared with what I'm used to in the UK. HTFU.

libero

To get to the other side

raymeedc

Because that's where some of us live, obviously.

Deltarebel

There is a difference between not having a choice and having a choice. Sometimes there is no way around it. BUT, if there is, common sense should kick in.
Earlier this year I was driving into Little Rock from the west. Traffic backed up in my lane. After awhile I found out why. Guy on bicycle riding in right hand lane. He had plenty of other routes to ride on. But he chose to ride down Hy 10/Cantrell and back up traffic. Wanted to stop car, drag him off bike and deliver swift kick to rear end. Because that was what he was. A Horse's rear-end!

jezmellors

To get to work. If your attitude/technique is right it's safe and even fun.

Artkansas 

To get to the other side........ of town.


I grew up riding major streets in Florida. So I have a pretty thick skin when it comes to traffic.

Artkansas 

There's room enough on Cantrell for both cars and bikes. I can't judge about his riding.

What other routes would he have to ride on? The bike path? Markham? 12th Street? Asher? 65th Street? Baseline? None of those are especially close by, nor would they get the cyclist to his probable destination of Hillcrest. Any alternatives require miles of hills. I think I sense a bit of gasoline-fume-induced road-rage.

CraigB

Some of you must have a different definition of "freeway" from mine. Where I grew up, freeway = interstate, and that's not legal, regardless of what part of it you're on.

z90

To get to work. If you ride in a city, pretty much all the roads are busy. Often, you'll be the one passing the cars .

Metal Man

As do the cars, plain and simple.

stapfam

We have a few busy roads round here and most of them have a cycle "Friendly" lined off section- or a separate bike path. On my 30 mile trip from work to home there are bike lanes on the roads in Brighton on the busy main road out of town. Or there would be if cars were not parked on it to save shoppers from walking too far. Then on the busy A27 there is a separate bike path alongside the road---So why Do I see the odd idiot cyclist riding on this busy section of road in Rush Hour? Beats me.

Then a bit further on and still on the busy A27 the road narrows- still a laned off area for cyclists but then it suddenly stops. No sidewalk- narrow section of road and a curve in the road. Rarely see cycles here except for serious riders in single file and eyes in the back of their head. And it is like that for 10 miles or so.

Britain is getting more Cycle conscious and bike lanes and separate tracks are springing up all over- but sometimes necessity means you have to fight with the traffic.

jezmellors

I've never seen a cycle lane/path following the same route as a road that i wanted to use in preference to the road, even in busy conditions.

alicestrong

In Los Angeles swimming with the sharks is just part of it all...

DnvrFox

Wrong, wrong, wrong

Continuous misconstruing of the facts and too many "Urban legends" on this issue.

In many, many parts of the country traveling by bicycle on interstates (i.e., I-25) is entirely legal. There are hundreds of miles of bicycle-allowed freeway lanes, including about 100+ in Colorado.

Simply stated, if there is no other decent way to get from point A to point B, then freeway travel by bicycle is allowed. In much of the remote west, the Freeway (interstate) is the only decent way (or in some instances, the ONLY way).

I.e., Pueblo to Trinidad in CO.