I ride down a sidepath which is 8' wide and vegetation is cleared 6' away from either edge. Still I see guys on their road bikes (and even one particular geezer on a recumbant) riding peacefully on the shoulder of this 55-65 mph four lane highway. I tried it one day and was extremely uncomfortable, not to mention being buffeted when the larger vehicles would scream by. No thanks, cycling is supposed to be a form of recreation for me.