Originally Posted by
johngwheeler
I still have a couple of spots that require caution, and I always worry that a car might not see my hand signals - with obvious dire consequences if they don't!
Signal, but also give cars time to react, and verify that they are yielding if possible. Don't depend on others keeping you safe.
As far as route choice,
I much prefer quiet, not so busy streets to the busy ones. But, it varies. Busy with a good bike lane is ok. Sometimes if I'm in a hurry, I'll try to pick the most direct route through town.
I frequently go through Springfield Oregon that is laid out more or less on a grid, so I try to make my morning and evening rides on different streets. So most of my rides look like a loop & tail.