Old 09-16-14 | 04:44 PM
  #165  
Camilo
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Originally Posted by genec
OK ...rumble strip covers only about 1/2 of the shoulder and might actually act as a "barrier" to MV, thus providing some protection to the cyclist....
As to the quoted text above - I definitely feel better on a shoulder with rumble strips. I do believe it would give an audible warning for wandering cars, not only for me, but to the distracted driver him/herself.

My personal opinion, after watching some of the video, is that the rider was not riding "as far right as practicable", and therefore guilty of an infraction. I didn't watch the whole video, but there's no way I'd ride in the lane on a road like that with a perfectly rideable shoulder as shown on the parts of the video I watched, in which the rider was in the lane and not the shoulder. That, to me, there is no evident reason for it and it's selfish and unwarranted.

On the routes I ride, I ride a variety of high speed highways, some divided, some with nice wide shoulders, some with narrower shoulders, all pretty normal in terms of debris and gravel, etc. I usually ride a skinny tired bike (23mm tires) and don't have problems with the occasional debris and gravel. I don't expect to ride on a perfectly clear shoulder.

Everyone's riding situation is different and I don't intend to project my habits and comfort level onto anyone else. But I've been riding in urban, suburban and rural roads and highways since the 70s. I ride the shoulder whenever it's available, even if it's not in great shape. It's just something I feel comfortable doing and a habit I have. I don't have any problem taking the lane when on a road that doesn't offer an alternative and/or when I have to make a turn, etc. But just to avoid a dirty or rough shoulder, nah.

Debris and occasional glass? big deal, it's part of riding on the road. Look ahead, and steer your bike around and through it. My bike tires, even the "commuter" with 32 mm tires are very narrow, and with attentiveness, foresight, forethought, and the ability to actually react to road conditions by steering the bike, I could easily avoid nearly all of the debris and gravel on that shoulder. And, the stuff I can't avoid, well if glass like that automatically punctures your tires, you've got the wrong tires for commuting. And I usually ride lightweight bikes with 23mm "racing" tires and rarely, if ever get a flat riding dirty shoulders on busy highways. With the commuter with heavier, tougher tires, change that to "never". Again, not telling anyone how to ride, but I've been riding roads like that for over 40 years, and just can't agree that the lane was FRAP in the portions of the video I watched.

Last edited by Camilo; 09-16-14 at 05:06 PM.
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