BTW, my own approach to bicycling includes minimizing the risk of injuries in traffic by practicing specific things away from other vehicles, bikes and pedestrians.

I know from experience most of my collisions, falls and near misses occurred when I was fatigued. I don't want to be so fatigued in traffic or on the MUP that I can't react in time to situations that I could avoid if I were fresh.

Usually that meant riding below my threshold. But that meant going too slowly for comfort in some traffic situations. I find cruising around 15 mph to be a reasonable speed for most traffic. That seems to give drivers a better sense of how to respond to cyclists.

But to maintain that speed over distance I had to push myself beyond my comfort zone in training. If I'm exhausted from a hill climb, a moment's inattention or slowed reflexes could mean the difference between a collision or a near miss with an inattentive driver turning across our path.

I can't do much to improve my reflexes. But I can do a little to improve my stamina so I'm better prepared for surprises on the road or MUP.

That helped during Sunday's ride when an unleashed dog darted in front of me on the MUP, and later when a distracted driver turned across my path. If either had occurred a year or so ago when my conditioning was poor a collision might have occurred.