I have concluded that, FOR ME, bicycling is supposed to be fun and a form of relaxation and meditation. I have enough other stresses in my life to not add any more, and watching for cars, being buzzed by busses, trucks and whatever, attenpting to compete with other bicyclers to see who is "fastest", competing with others to see who has the latest technology - and subtly showing the results of my accumulated $$$ to brag to the rest of the forum about how many goodies I have collected, and other - TO ME (likely not you, but TO ME) activities that INCREASE my stress level are verboten. I avoid doing them like the plague.

So, I find the peaceful way for providing that critical relaxation I need given the nature and built-in stresses I already have and find trails and routes that have the least stress (again FOR ME) for my bicycling relaxation and exercise. I try and travel the simple path of life in this endeavor, and spend my "stress time" on issues I consider critical such as approproate and timely services for individuals with disabilities and the like.