Originally Posted by
coominya
Yes, one or two who have some common sense.
Road riding can easily become an extreme sport if you want to fly down a mountain at 50 miles an hour on 23mm tires. When someone dies practicing an extreme sport they are not a victim, they died of misadventure. This business of riding on busy roads resulting in death is no different. Stop blaming drivers every time a bike goes down.
Originally Posted by
coominya
You want to prolong your life? Ride where it's obviously safer.
Oh, I finally hit 52 MPH in the city a couple of days ago. It was pretty wild.
But, cycle commuting should not ever be considered an "extreme sport". If it is, then there is something wrong with the community.
That being said, I believe there are safe and not so safe ways to ride on busy roads, and some are safer than others. I have learned to ride where the traffic isn't driving. It provides several benefits.
- If the cars aren't driving on the road shoulders, then it is less likely that one will be hit by a vehicle that doesn't see the bike ahead.
- Less interruption of the traffic flow (how I affect others is important to me).
- No forcing sudden reactions if a vehicle doesn't see the cyclist until late.
Although, I will admit that I also adjust my lane position based on traffic, so I get tired of riding on gravel, glass, and debris, and will pull left during low traffic periods, and move right when I hear/see a vehicle coming up from behind.
And, I carefully consider route choice based on the roads I'll encounter. I'm considering another mini-tour, shortly, and have a choice of 200 miles of freeway, or 200 miles of mostly back roads. The back roads will win by a long shot.