Originally Posted by
Barrettscv
Wide shoulders & low speed limits with low traffic volumes are the best.
Wide shoulders & moderate speed limits with low traffic volumes are second best.
Wide shoulders & low speed limits with moderate traffic volumes are third best.
Everything else is going to be problematic.
Not my experience at all. In my opinion, everything you listed above is excellent (moderate traffic volumes might actually be better than low sometimes, since drivers tend to pay slightly more attention). Most other things are quite workable and even comfortable. The only really loathsome scenario for country riding is fast dense traffic on a narrow shoulderless road. Even Forester admits that can be unrideable.