eaglesandcycling

I did a solid ass ride yesterday (with my gravel bike) and almost got hit by a motorcyclist who passed me probably going over 125mph, on a normal road. Insanity. This is exactly why I DO NOT own a road bike! I do love the road bike speed and the look of those bikes but screw riding on roads 100% of the time out on my rides. It’s simply WAY too dangerous and scary for me. This is why i decided on a gravel bike instead. That way i can ride in the woods, forests, trails, small dirt/gravel roads, quieter ****tier paved roads, etc. Of course i have to ride on normal roads here and there but i avoid it as much as possible. man, i just don’t get how road bike dudes/women risk it, hours at a time out on only roads. just my random rant...

Badger6

I think it depends on where someone lives...also road choice is critical. But, as for the fun on gravel, it is different than road riding, but no less so. Nothing quite like bombing down long gravel descents and climbing a huge hill (or mountain) and taking in a stunning natural panorama.

mstateglfr 

Yeah, general traffic danger is a commonly cited reason for riding gravel instead of paved roads. Everyone's risk tolerance and perception is different, so its great that there are so many types of surfaces we can use for cycling.

AlmostTrick

Riding on secluded gravel roads and trails where no-gooders can prey on others with little fear of being seen or caught carries risks too. Some of us feel safer on semi busy / busy roads.

eaglesandcycling

interesting. what do you mean? like being attacked by people? where do you live??

10 Wheels

You need some growing up.
Try riding with Trucks.

OR

eaglesandcycling

lol.. **ck no

10 Wheels

Sharon has 200,000 Safe Miles on Her LEGS

AlmostTrick

Right. I don't believe it's dangerously common in my area but can and does happen.

Regarding your dangerous motorcycle buzz did you see it coming? Were you maintaining space to your right to glide into so you could increase your safety buffer? If no to either then I consider that a failure to properly take full responsibility for ones safety.

billridesbikes

My scariest time with my bike doesn't involve traffic. It was riding downhill on a rarely traveled gravel trail. I must of hit a soft spot, or rut, or rock, to this day I really can't remember. I flipped over the handlebars and lay on the ground unconscious for 5min? 10min? again I really don't know. When regained consciousness my helmet and face where covered in blood. Luckily I made it back, I must have looked really bad because cars kept stopping to ask if I was OK when I got back to town. I never really rode my MTB alone again. Not sure if any cars would stop for a cyclist fallen on the road these days, but I'm hoping the odds are little better.

mstateglfr 

99 out of 100 the complaint is that roads are dangerous due to distracted drivers vs gravel and singletrack is dangerous due to ne'er-do-wells jumping out and attacking you.

On rural roads and singletrack I am more concerned that a deer will error when running and impale me. Seriously, that is what I fear more than being hit by a car and for sure more than being attacked.

AlmostTrick

They are.

Agreed that animals are a bigger threat than distracted motorists. Especially on my morning commutes in the dark. And it doesn't even need to be a deer. (which I see often) A raccoon or any other small animal crossing into ones path at just the wrong time would be more than enough to cause a major wreck. As for human attacks, they are certainly more common in secluded areas, and for good reason... lack of witnesses. My workplace fired a guy a few years back when it became known that he was convicted of rapping a teen on a quiet trail. I doubt he ever tried this on a busy street.

shoota 

You've obviously never had a gun pulled on you by a redneck in a truck...

mstateglfr 

No that hasnt happened to me. Thatd for sure be something that stuck with me for a long time.
A couple years ago someone rolled coal at a stop sign, that was both pathetic and the most confrontational a car has been with me.

Pulling a gun = me needing new bibs

shoota 

Yeah it wasn't fun. Rolling coal is a common thing around here unfortunately.

eaglesandcycling

wth does 'rolling coal' mean?? lol

shoota 

eaglesandcycling

haha. nice..yah, im in Europe (im American though). that American redneck type doesnt really exist here Euros have their own special type of rednecks but US rednecks are very special!!

shoota 

Yeah man US rednecks are a real special breed.

mdarnton

For all of the fear that people have for Chicago, apparently city thugs are better citizens than rural rednecks. I've never been threatened here.

mstateglfr 

I grew up in the north and northwest suburbs and as an adult have ridden countless miles in the north, west, and southwest as well as downtown on the north side.

Can't say I ever felt unsafe at any point.
But I've ridden thousands and thousands of gravel miles in rural IA and also haven't ever felt unsafe.

I really hope a gun being pulled out of frustration on a cyclist is something that only one poster can claim. That isn't something that should happen anywhere in any situation. What the hell, thats insane.

shoota 

Iowa doesn't really have rednecks like Oklahoma does. I can't imagine feeling unsafe in Iowa tbh. I don't know of anyone else that has had this happen but I've heard plenty of other weird stories. Anyway, I guess my point is that when someone says they feel safer on busier roads I can totally understand that.

Squeeze

I donated my old and well-worn road bike to a bicycle co-op in 2019 because I live where gravel trails are everywhere and I was tired of being limited to pavement on 700x25 tires. I rode it on gravel sometimes, but it wasn't as fun as the mountain bike was on gravel, so I bought a Cross Check to replace the Allez. Now I can head out on a weekend morning with no particular destination in mind and ride road, gravel, and off-road trails without thinking I'm on the "wrong" bike.

Thankfully, I was motivated by fun instead of fear.

Noonievut

I own both a road and gravel bike. I do ride the gravel bike on paved roads to get to 'gravel', when it's wet out and I trust the gravel bike more, and in the winter. If I didn't use the gravel bike on the roads at these times I would probably ride outside only 70% of the time I do now.

Regarding safety on roads, my strategies and thoughts (I use a combination of as many of these as possible):
- use a really bright tail light; sometimes a safety vest if dark out
- mainly riding alone, as far to the right as safe; only ever ride with one other person and we're both on the same page re: safety
- a street where I live has a 40-50k limit and bike lanes both sides...this is my road out of town, and then it's primarily country roads (still have to be careful though)
- ride when it isn't busy (very early in the morning, lunch time on a weekday, after dinner); choose routes based on time of day and avoiding busier routes is priority #1
- look back when clear and safe ahead of you (if a bunch of cars coming, or a truck or something--which is rare--pull over, stop, ride on sidewalk (that's for busier roads)
- stay relaxed, smile and enjoy the ride!

bonsai171

In my area that is a concern too. Invariably there are more loose dogs running around, which increases the possibility of being bit. The area is somewhat rural, and the police is run by the county which services multiple towns, so it may take a while for the sheriff and animal control to show up if there is an issue.

Dave