Originally Posted by
Xcrunnr08
As of right now i am nervous in traffic because i am a noob to this. I would assume as i keep riding i will get more and more comfortable in traffic.
This is true to an extent.
Riding a bike is a physical skill, and it's not just a matter of balancing while you hold the handlebars. On my bike (which has fairly stable handling), it takes a pretty large twitch or wiggle or lean to affect the steering. This is good, because it gives me margin for error. It's plenty *capable* of tight handling, but it is most responsive to good form... if I lean into a turn, I get a tight turn. It feels unstable if I try to make a tight turn with a pedal down to the inside. Switch things so the pedals are parallel to the ground, and the turn feels better. Do a clunky noob turn where I'm trying to stay straight up, and I get a *very* wide turn. Do idiot noob wriggling on the saddle, and the bike stays pretty stable. Do a half stand, or go into a butt back descent, and things get *very* responsive right quick. Make a seated descent, and I don't build speed very fast, and have much calmer steering. (well aside from the potholes... I often take descents the responsive way so I'm less tempted to brake, and so I can dodge potholes better... which is the bike pushing me towards good form again.)
When you're jumpy around traffic, it's dangerous to have a bike that's more responsive than you can handle. If the steering changes with every twitch, it leaves you feeling more stressed, and it's very easy to make a mistake. Depending on what noob mistakes you're making, it might be that 90% or more of your reaction to traffic is due to your tension, and your unfamiliarity with bike handling. Getting into an accident because you were oversteering is not much fun.
Part of why everyone suggested a more touring oriented bike is because they're still plenty responsive and fast. But a good one has the calmer response of my bike, so the bike helps you learn good riding form. Hitting 35mph on my bike is no big deal... most any bike can do it on a downhill without pedaling. The fast that matters IME is how fast you get *up* hills. And the slow speed handling of going uphill is an area where a new rider really benefits from a stable bike.