Originally Posted by
RLSchell
Concerning my route, I've spent unbelievable hours scanning Google maps, driving and biking to seek alternate routes to avoid heavy traffic. I have found a few shortcuts through developments with low speed roads, but that only helps a little. Between my home and work, I have to cross an Interstate highway (I-95) and a busy state highway (NJ Rt. 33). There are only a few points to do that safely (overpasses and lights, respectively) and those crossings dictate which roads I can take to and from. The busiest, narrow road I travel doesn't even have sidewalks should I be inclined to use them. The few dedicated bike paths and trails that exist around here are in the opposite, more rural, direction from home. In NJ, they put bike trails where they might be fun or scenic to ride, but not useful to commuters in most cases.
I can identify with this.
Be wary about using Google maps and the like though. They're useful but give a distorted concept of distance. A loop away from the direct route can look horrendous on the map even though the additional distance is only minor. Distance is a funny thing.
The only effective way to scout a route is by bike. Watch other cyclists - you'd be amazed where they disappear and where they take you. Take the time now and then to investigate even the most daft looking options. Remember that you're on a bike and don't need to follow traditional roads or paths. One short cut I know that unfortunately doesn't go where I want, is a narrow strip between a railway fence and a retaining wall - years ago, some cyclist pushed through and long useage has established it as a route. Another I know of is essentially a gap in a hedge, 10 ft of mud track and a kerb hop. A third cuts across a playing field, through a strip of bush and over a set of railway lines. You'll find none of these on maps and they aren't immediately obvious on aerial photos, you really only discover them when you see someone using them. Often the improvements come not in time or distance saved but in less traffic or a different traffic flow - safety can be an intangible thing at times.
There's probably room for the thought that if you stop tinkering with your route, you've stopped thinking about the ride and probably stopped thinking about what's happening around you.
Another option that I use is to drive to a point and ride from there. This allows me to avoid a particularly dangerous part of the route. When I was getting back into commuting at the start of this year, I was highly stressed with what else was happening in my life and didn't need cycling to make it any worse. I approached this by driving well away from the direct route which was inefficient as far as car useage goes, but dropped me at the end of a bike track. This meant that I had a safe and stress free ride into the city, which is what I needed at the time. I am now back on a more direct route which involves a lot of playing in the traffic, but it's efficient. Even so, I'm avoiding a really nasty bit of multi-lane road and a steep, long hill on the way home by driving to the end of them and cycling from there. Commuting doesn't mean you have to ride all the way.
Richard