I was a cat 1 racer and still ride about 2500 miles per year — and I don't like riding in the road. It's dangerous and nutty (we can't keep drivers from hitting each other much less keep them from hitting bicycle riders without 4000 lb steel cages to protect us). I have a very strong preference for protected bikeways (ideally built to Dutch standards but there are just about zero of these in the U.S.) and nearly always choose these unless they are quite bad. I try to pick routes that avoid the worst roads and junctions and take advantage of protected bikeways whenever possible.