I am in Los Angeles. Not a very experienced rider. We're allowed to ride on sidewalks here and many streets have wide sidewalks that arent so congested.

For those of you in LA, what do you really think about riding in the streets on very busy streets such as Wilshire Blvd., La Brea, Vermont, Sepulveda? One answer is to take streets recommended on the LA Metro bike map (such as Venice Blvd that has a bike lane, of course) but often times the most convenient route would be a very busy street such s the ones I mention above. Are you really riding on Vermont blvd or Sepulveda Blvd or Sunset Blvd. or Hollywood Blvd. and taking a lane? Do you do it routine without any increased concern or stress or do you avoid it and look for less congested routes?