Originally Posted by
outwest5
A lot for a new roadie to take in.
I don't feel comfortable out there with the cars. I see others doing it, usually the ones in a pack, but I am still timid. I generally ride up on the sidewalk and wait there. I know- it's wimpy. How can I call myself a roadbiker when I do that? All the sidewalks have cutouts, so I don't have to get off the bike to get up on the sidewalk. I am inexperienced. Cars make me nervous because I am a nurse. I see the aftermath of bike versus car. It is never pretty. I don't want to be one of them.
My favorite rides are on the dedicated bike paths because there are NO cars. I am also very careful going by blind driveways. I have even been known to ride the sidewalks on particularly busy streets that lack a bike lane. It is legal to ride on the sidewalks in California, but I understand it isn't allowed in some states? Luckily, most of the streets around me have bike lanes. Many even have exclusive bike lanes outside of the car parking lane. Those are the absolute best because I know the cars can see me well, I don't have to veer out of the lane to go around a parked car and they are free of road debris and tree roots because they aren't on the edge of the street.
YES! You were very lucky, thank goodness. Thanks for the reminder. In the mean time- I will continue to be a wimp when it comes to cars. Sidewalks are cool.
This goes off-topic and is even worse because I am going to put a small shadow on something you enjoy, but forewarned is for-armed. Look at the photo you posted of what you call "the best". See that white van and yellow truck ahead? The bike lane is about five feet wide. Those vehicles have doors that will take up about three and one-half of those five feet. You are between one and one-half and two feet wide. When those doors open (just as you go by, at least someday), where will you go? You can either smash into the door, attempt to squeeze past or veer left to avoid it. The first option will ruin your bike and may give you a small boo-boo (bad). The second option will sometimes work and sometimes leave you on the ground in the roadway to the left of the bike lane (very bad), the third option will sometimes work and sometimes leave you in the path of a passing car (very, very bad).
I'm not saying bike lanes are bad, just that you need to be aware of the hazards of those that are commonly called "door-zone bike lanes". If you can't confirm that there is no one in the parked car/truck who may open their door into you, you should leave the bike lane and ride in the next lane to your left. (Cyclists are allowed to leave bike lanes even in mandatory use states to avoid hazards. A potential "door prize" is a well-known hazard.) If the lane next to the bike lane isn't wide enough for you to share it with a passing Hummer (14 feet is the standard cut-off) you should "take the lane" by riding towards the center of the lane. Many cyclists use mirrors to help them safely merge into the next lane in these situations, but you should always do a direct visual check as well.
If you already knew about all this, then good for you; that puts you ahead of 99.9% of American traffic engineers. Have fun out there, it only gets better with practice.