Originally Posted by Allister
Avoiding traffic has never been a high priority for me. In fact, I reckon that the heavier the traffic is, the safer it is to cycle.
I've noticed the same thing. More witnesses seems to be a guarantee of less trouble in these parts. My biggest issue with bike paths is the fact that so few of them actually go anywhere -- and those that do tend to go to places that I rarely have any need to visit (or any interest in visiting). It's rather difficult to get a decent ride on the same 200 metre stretch of concrete. Even then, it's still a question of dealing with any number of pointless deviations that go nowhere.
Then of course, there's the safety issue. On most bikepaths, the treatment at intersections is such that one is better positioned to deal with them by simply remaining on the road in the approach. Not to mention all the other obstacles that seem to crop up on these things relentlessly such as overhaning branches, massive cracks in the concrete, huge dropoffs on the edge of the path that have a nasty habit of tripping tyres. It's much safer to just stay on the road.
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That is all.