Originally Posted by
bkjames00
Let me just say that this is such an insightful and thoughtful post. Very helpful. It's good to hear from someone who recognizes that my wife's concerns are valid. I also think they are valid in that I can't control what an idiot driver does. That really is her argument. She trusts me, but not others and that's what scares her.
As for relocating, that simply isn't an option. I've got two kids, I live in a great school district, and quite frankly, I can't afford it.
Something I thought of today was finding someone who is an experienced biker and have them run the route with me. I would imagine that if this person had concerns about the route and the traffic, then that would tell me that I'm taking some significant risks. If an experienced rider is concerned then maybe I'm being naive.
It's like looking in a mirror...
Honestly, so far, you're doing everything right. You invested in a decent front light that can be used day or night, multiple rear lights (redunancy) is a smart move back there, you've been commuting for a couple of weeks and undoubtedly been tweaking your route a bit since you started. You've identified certain areas where your confidence levels are low and implemented things, like the lights and taking to the sidewalk/grass at times, to minimize any potential risk to yourself.
Though you've probably already done so, have you tried using Google's Bike option to plan your route? Sometimes it can reveal an option that may tack on another mile or so, but without as much stress as your current route.