Originally Posted by gwd

I'm sorry that it is the price of gas that seems to be making car people talk to me more about alternatives to car driving. Some are so timid about biking and understandably claim that it is "too dangerous where I live". Saturday I went out in the suburbs and scouted a bike to work route for a timid friend. From a car perspective, and from google earth it looks like there is no safe route. But I found some overgrown paths, some sidwalks and, when I spotted a pedestrian overpass I knew I had it. One thing that helped me was to watch for people who look like immigrants riding cheap bikes and to look for the places where the grass is worn. The route I found has only two sections of single track the rest is on sidewalks or what Norther Virginia calls bike routes. I try to explain about riding on sidewalks being less safe than the road and watch for driveways but with the way traffic is out there I'm pretty sure my friend will stay off the street. The last word from my friend was "Thanks, when I ride the bike to work I'll skip the visit to the gym."