Originally Posted by Keith99
One question. Would it work to take the exit and then the corresponding onramp. I have only had a couple of this kind of situations where I have ridden but find that it is a good alternative if at all feasable.
There's very little biking space once on the off-ramp but typically the cars are slowing and you're able to get into the flow a little more easily. I've gone straight through once but usually use the method described above. I have taken the off-ramp to get onto Bee Caves Road, turning left at the light at the bottom of the exit. Here I get into line with the cars in the "outer" left turn lane (that can also go straight through and back onto 360), signal my intent to turn left and then hammer when the light turns green because there is NO bike lane under 360 for about 100 yards on Bee Caves. Once I hit the shoulder/bike lane again I catch my breath and continue the ride.
I know a lot of people cringe thinking about riding on a road with cars approaching 70 miles an hour but my guess is that if you're hit by a car doing 35-40 you might be as bad off as being hit by one going 70. Granted you have a better chance of being hit at a lower "net" speed (i.e. car doing 35, you doing 25, relative impact speed 10mph) on the slower roads but I think the wide shoulder, high speed road is safer than the narrow shoulder, mid-speed road. In Austin, there are almost no wide shoulder/bike lane, low speed (25 mph) roads.