I practice VC anytime I am on the road, I feel I am much safer when I do so. I will, however, take back roads or a bike path if there is one available often just to avoid the added noise and stress associated with riding in traffic. Though, in Knoxville, there really isn't much in the way of bike paths and since the city is laid out in such a FU'd fashion, it's not easy to get around without taking some main roads.
