Originally Posted by
folder fanatic
Why put up with that if you have other options? I don't know about you, but most people (some sooner, some later) who want to cycle give up after a spell of forced detours to avoid heavy fast traffic, daydreaming drivers, poor roads, and too much traffic. The statistics appear to support this even in supposed bike orientated communities like Portland OR. It is sad but true.
From what I've seen, you get the cycling experience you expect.
There are some who seem to have a lot of close calls on the road. When they talk about cycling, they talk about the challenges and the dangerous drivers they encounter. Others in the same area have the occasional bad experience and seldom talk about dangerous driving or hazardous roads.
If I'm going to ride safely, avoiding the worst of the bad streets and behaving myself on other streets, I will expect a positive experience on the roads. Or, if convince myself the roads are dangerous, I'll experience bad drivers.
Yes, there are some risks, but I also am able to take measures to ride safely. That's just as true in my small town here as in much larger, much busier cities where I've ridden.