Originally Posted by
do-well
The related questions are: Do you consider the availability of a shoulder in route design? And, also, as a tourer, do you take roads, specifically in relation to speed limit, that you may not take if you were out for a weekend ride?
No.
1) I don't design my routes ... they just happen.
2) The types of roads I ride in my local area vary widely, just like the types of roads I may ride in other parts of the world.
Originally Posted by
do-well
Seems that many people have talked about using roads with high speed limits and how the presence of a shoulder removes them from the traffic lane. On my rides (not tours), I just avoid such roads as I get very uncomfortable when, say, being passed by a semi doing 60 or 70 mph.
Sometimes those roads are the best choice. If you've got a decent shoulder to ride on, there's really no reason to avoid those roads. You're likely safer there than on a road with no shoulders and a slightly slower speed limit.
Originally Posted by
do-well
There also seems to be a difference in opinion regarding options a cyclist has in terms of where to ride. Or maybe people are just using the phrase "take the lane" differently. It seems that one can ride in the shoulder, ride to the far right part of the lane, or, finally, take the complete lane. Even when a shoulder is present I tend to ride as far right as possible while still in the actual marked lane. While I don't consider this "taking the lane," I do consider it riding in the lane as compared to riding in the shoulder. I'm not wanting this to go down a road that could get the conversation moved to A&S.
"Taking the lane" is for turns that cross a lane of traffic (left turns in places like North America, right turns in places like Australia). "Taking the lane" is not for riding down a highway. Get out of the way of the traffic. If you've got anything like a halfway decent shoulder or bike lane or whatever, ride on it. No sense putting yourself in danger or angering the drivers.
If you're a strong "take the lane no matter what" advocate, you might want to take it to A&S. I think most of the rest of us ride in a way that makes sense at the time.
Originally Posted by
do-well
I've just been struck, when reading different threads, by the regular comments I see regarding the presence of (or lack thereof) and quality of (or lack thereof) shoulders for certain routes. At the most basic level, I'm trying to get at how touring riders think about and use shoulders as it doesn't seem to match how I use them on non-touring rides.
There are regular comments about shoulders in
THIS forum?? I can think of maybe two threads in the last few years about it. I guess maybe I haven't paid attention or gone searching for them. It's not that big a deal, and as I said before ... I ride the same way when I'm in my local area as I do on a tour as I do on a randonnee as I do on a 24 hour race ....
Originally Posted by
do-well
So I guess I'm wondering if people ride in the shoulder, when they do/when they don't, why they ride in the shoulder, what's the benefit of a shoulder being there even if you don't ride in it, etc.
Here's a pictoral guide for you ...
When cycling on a road like this, I ride on the shoulder.
When cycling on a road like this, I might ride on the shoulder if there were traffic, but if there was nothing out there, I might move over into the lane a little bit.
On a road like this, I'll ride as close to the white line as possible, sometimes on the white line, although I may drift into the lane a little bit if there is no traffic.
On roads like this ... I'll ride in the lane, but as close to the left shoulder as possible.
On roads like this, which are essentially one slightly wide lane, but not wide enough to be two lanes, I ride wherever I feel comfortable until a car comes along and then I move over as close as possible to the left shoulder.
