Originally posted by Palafo
Re safety, I confess that I broke my thumb popping up onto a sidewalk, a little bump threw me. I was barely moving.
I agree that the safest place (in general) is a smooth, straight line which allows you to be seen. This is the way planners build roads for cars; this is what bicycles need, even more so, because they are far more sensitive to rough pavement.
I believe that the only way to get equal treatment is to use the same roads.
Where I live, there is a "bike route" that looks really great on the map. But it hasn't been resurfaced in about 200 years. Even if I take the center of the curbside lane, I am forced to weave constantly around potholes and bumpy areas.
Obviously, this "bike route" was designed by Goofy on Mickey Mouse's day off.