For me it has to be the potholes once I get into manhattan. The cabs, boxtrucks, even wandering pedestrians were scary when I first started but I'm quickly realizing the gotham city pavement can be really brutal when your running 700x25's.

If it were me, I'd consider running lower-pressure wider tires. I know it's not as fast, but your fillings tend to stay in your mouth that way.

I always thought the scariest part would be cars, but for the most part, I know what the cars are going to do, and they aren't as scary as I thought they'd be.

The part that can be scary is all the pedestrians on campus when I leave work. It's a college campus so there are TONS of people walking around when I leave and I never know who will walk out right in front of me, who will stop in the middle of the street when they see me coming, etc.

The scariest part of my ride last summer was the attack goose that refused to step off the bike path.

I thought about it. But it's only the last 1/4 mile. I'm working on a detour though. If I go up a few more blocks, and ride longer on the avenues I'll be okay.

The scariest part for me are amateurs. Drivers and peds who are regular commuters know how things go, but occasional visitors -- tourists, people in town on business, whatever -- aren't used to the multi-mode traffic mix, the unpredictability, and the things you need to do to go with the flow. I have no worries riding along Huntingdon next to the Mass Pike offramp and have a bus come off the ramp alongside me -- that driver and I both know what we're doing and we'll sort it all out before the next light. It's the family from Connecticut in town to see the Red Sox that terrify me.

There are scary parts about commutes?

Scariest part is getting into work and realizing that my food stash is GONE!!

The scariest parts are dogs and their owners walking into traffic AND parents pushing strollers into traffic w/o looking.

I also ride through the University of Texas on my way to work, and am often distracted by the college students... but maybe for different reasons...

My scariest part is through what they call here the "S" Curves, its an area that curves back and forth very quickly, has a couple on/off highway ramps, no sidewalk and a minimal bike lane.

It's suppose to be a 30 MPH zone but almost all drivers are doing 50-60 and very often cross into the bike lane because their speed exceeds the necessary navigation to get through the curves.

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a route to get around it with out adding miles to my commute, but am still looking and intend to try a few once the weather is better.

A flat tire with 5 minutes to get to class.

Scariest part of commuting is taxi drivers who almost run you over.

skunks....darn critters have been jumping up all over the place lately.

I keep encountering field mice...

Things have been a bit quiet on the commuting front lately. Just the way I like it.

I actually like the little critters - skunks, opossums, etc. After a while, you get to see them, and expect to see them. I'm a little sad if one doesn't show up one day.

Highway interchanges... 700x23's are a tad tough at times, but the interchanges are the worst.

I try and avoid UCSD for this same reason...

I don't mind seeing em, it's the spraying part that gets dodgy.
Let's see how much you like skunks when:

A. One sprays you because you surprised it
B. You gotta pass 2-3 dead carcasses on your route....mmm what an aroma!

Why is it they always seem to be out in force this time of year?

People ask me about this and are usually suprised when I don't say "downtown." Downtown is one of the easiest parts since traffic is "calmed" because of the lights and other traffic. I can zip through, keeping up or passing traffic. The worst part is Marginal Way E during/after a heavy rain. The roadway is in horrible condition and huge puddles form, covering the northbound bike lane and the southbound shoulder. One cannot see where the grates, potholes, cracks, old RR tracks, gravel, car parts, glass, once a computer, bolts, screws, pieces of wood, mudflaps and whatever else is under there. The other day I moved to avoid one of the huge puddles, which then covered up a hole. I hit it so hard I thought I had popped BOTH tires - but nope. Bike made it through ok, and I was lucky I didn't crash in front of the vehicle behind me. Which reminds me I have to complain to the city AGAIN about this route. Oh, and now the Port warned users of this route that we can expect more trucks (18 wheelers) backed up along this roadway starting next week due to new Port ID regulations. Fantastic!

A healthy fear and/or respect of the myriad of hazards on the way just helps keep me alert and connected, but rarely really scared...I think the scariest part of the whole commute has to be entering the parking lot and realizing that I have to stop riding and start dealing with management and customers.

Potholes, kids on their bikes, forgetting something important like underwear when I arrive at work.

Gas, the price of a can of beans

driving texters.

quoted for truth...

Only one thing truly scares me on my daily commute through the mountains by bicycle or motorcycle.

With no shoulders or bike lanes, dense tall vegetation right to edge of the lane and 40+ mph down hills, this is my fear…..


The ubiquitous Santa Cruz Mountain Forest Rat

Cops, they never use thier blinkers.