Originally Posted by FBinNY

I noted with interest that many of the experienced tourists mentioned shoulders, because I never cared about shoulders and prefer those roads that are too unimportant to bother build any wider than necessary. Actually my favorite roads are the two lane side roads which rarely have shoulders, but also have low enough traffic that drivers have no problem moving across and sweeping past with plenty of room.

As for the walking analogy, you mentioned two extremes, but there's plenty in between. However, it's a poor analogy because the objectives are so different. If they built a bike trail that went someplace, that was otherwise inaccessible, I'd go for that, but smaller roads are as close as we get to that.

I lived in or near NYC all my life and have many ridden tens of thousands of miles in the congested eastern corridor, but very few of those miles are on roads wider than 2 lanes, including trips NYC to Phila, NYC to DC, NYC to Boston or Cape Cod. The roads are there, and though not always the shortest route, not big detours either. It just takes a bit more planning to find very nice roads that parallel the major highways.

Originally Posted by Machka

In answer to the question ...

1) I don't have a problem riding on roads. I like quiet country roads, such as one might find in the middle of Victoria, northern Tasmania or parts of Manitoba, Alberta, and lower mainland BC. I also don't mind wide highways with good shoulders.

2) If you want a look at rail trails and the like, check out this thread which is up to several pages now ...

http://www.bikeforums.net/living-car...paths-etc.html

Feel free to add photos and stories of rail trails etc. that you've ridden and like.