Originally Posted by
lighthorse
My first preference is that the road have shoulders to ride on never mind the traffic count.
I tend to agree, but... Worse than no shoulder is one with a really lousy surface. It is miserable to ride on and drivers get mad if there is one and you don't.
On another topic, not related to your post... I generally prefer to avoid most "bike paths". There are some nice ones like the ones near Breckenridge and Frisco Colorado, and maybe some in Oregon, but in general I would rather ride on the road.