Originally Posted by Helmet Head

Indeed, some stress can be good.

But I also think the stress associated with the processing required while riding "mentally integrated", as with any activity, lessens with practice and experience. Situations that used to stress me out on my commute when I first started doing it don't bother me at all anymore (and haven't for years).

I think bike lanes hinder the natural progression from stressful integration to low-stress integration by allowing the unitiated to travel in blissful ignorance riding in a "mentally segregated" state. It's like never removing the training wheels, or trying to learn to swim with a life jacket on.

By seeking to avoid stressful integration, whether it's riding in bike lanes on bike laned streets, or curb hugging and sidewalk cycling on unbikelaned streets, cyclists keep themselves from having the opportunity to make progress towards advanced and low-stress integration.