Question for you urban area roadies

[Owlie]

How do you go about finding long rides? Riding around here is rather limiting because there's a traffic light every 500 feet or so and I hate the traffic density.

[chicagogal]

I go north out of the city, into the 'burbs, and the more rural areas in WI. Basically, eight miles of picking my way through traffic and traffic lights gets me out of Chicago city limits, and the "real" riding starts from there.

I just try not get frustrated with the city part of my routes, and just think of it as the commute to the ride starts and don't even count those miles (they are pretty useless anyway!)

[OakLeaf]

It's been a while since I've been urban, but even in our small town there are limited routes to get out of town.

Is there a bicycle map or posted routes? Are there bike paths you can use? Does the city have a bicycle/pedestrian coordinator? (Columbus has all three.)

Or, try the clubs - even if you don't choose to ride with them, you can learn the routes they use to get out of town.

[Catrin]

My bike rack has served me well in this department. There just is not a safe way for me to ride from home at my current skill level, so I don't even try to do so. I AM, however, moving in a couple of months to an apartment from which I can ride to the country :)

[ccnyc]

I do the same exact thing as chicagogal except I'm in NYC. I do the 8 "junk miles" to get outta town, but it's worth it. Now I just ride over the George Washington Bridge into NJ and NY or take the subway to the top of the Bronx and ride into wonderful, hilly, Westchester County, NY.

Join a local bike club. Before I did I spent many, many weekends going around in circles in Central Park, NYC. I did a couple of rides with a bike club to show me the way to the less trafficked roads.

When I had a car I used to drive over the GWB, to avoid the junk miles, and start my ride in NJ.

[bmccasland]

There's either the levee bike path OR, load bike in car, drive, unload and then ride. The local bike club does organized rides into rural areas, or a variety of charity rides plus the MS-150 training rides gets me most of the "country" miles that I want.

[Owlie]

I really wish I had a car up here, because there are some nice bike trails (a few rail-trails and the Erie Canal Towpath). There's a shared-use path, but as the part closest to me goes through a really bad part of town (shame, because the park is beautiful), it's "use at your own peril".

I have my rack with me, and BF and I have been looking at a car-sharing program, so we might be able to take advantage of some of these trails. I do have some of my undergrad institution's club's routes (and I've sent an e-mail asking for more), so we'll see. I'm modifying them as much as possible to avoid a thoroughly terrifying intersection. People who live here find it confusing! I also have a 20-mile route that a charity ride here uses.
(Well, it's actually 15, but my riding to its start point makes it 20.)

[Biciclista]

sounds like your question is dependent on a specific location. we can leave our house in a major metropolis and in 5 miles, we are surrounded by tree cover and there are trails and roads that can take us in many directions. So it really depends. often we take our bikes in the car to a starting point because of time constraints, but it is not necessary.

[Owlie]

sounds like your question is dependent on a specific location. we can leave our house in a major metropolis and in 5 miles, we are surrounded by tree cover and there are trails and roads that can take us in many directions. So it really depends. often we take our bikes in the car to a starting point because of time constraints, but it is not necessary.

In a way, I guess. I'm in a very "landlocked" area (older suburb), so I've been debating whether to suck it up or see about the car thing.

[shootingstar]

Owlie, hope you find some decent long routes for regular cycling. Can appreciate the terrifying, confusing intersection if it is an impediment.


We live downtown in high density areas with traffic lights....but we also live near some decent bike routes with lanes and paths. We actually live in a perfect area where it is possible to design a long route that runs through quiet residential streets, near park areas, etc. Getting out to the "country", the closest would be parks in the centre of metropolitan areas that have interconnected bike paths which hook into on-road bike routes throughout the city.

I have cobbled together several different interlinking routes of 100 kms. in our area and still be cycling within metropolitan city borders where about 70% of the route avoids high volume road traffic. It does help that my partner is a cycling advocate who understands quieter areas/safer sections for route planning --both for Vancouver and Toronto.

I also lived in Toronto suburbs near very busy roads, intersections, but cycled into a huge ravine park bike greenway system that connected over 5 different parks and also took one into downtown with high density. I avoided 50 traffic light intersections when reaching downtown from my home.

This is why I am not critical of MUPs: if you use these routes early in the morning and know lower-peak use times, they are wonderful.

Getting out to real country in Toronto (minus the waterfront) meant at least cycling for 1-1.5 hr. from its centre before reaching "country". But this was not necessary if one understood the city's bike route network.

[OakLeaf]

I feel for people who live in Columbus, actually. When I was in school, it was only like five miles to "out of town" to the west, the shortest way. Now it's complete urban sprawl at least another 10 miles from campus.

[PamNY]

Could you occasionally use a car service or taxi, just to give yourself a break? It sounds expensive until you compare it to owning a car.

Also, public transportation can work, but I'm sure you'd be doing that if it were an option.

Walking a bike across difficult intersections can make your day brighter. Sometimes I do it if there's ridiculous traffic, or police activity.

[crazycanuck]

Can you ride the side streets (I know in North America most cities have alleys behind the houses & that's not what i'm referring to..). For example, on one ride I can beat the wind and ride nicer hills by going in three streets into the residential area. The street I require to connect everything isn't hard to get to and all's well at the end. It's a nice area & haven't encountered too many bogans driving.

? Does that make sense?

I have no clue about how safe those side streets are in your city.

[tulip]

One of the main reasons I bought my house was it's proximity to great riding roads. Something to consider for your next move, perhaps. I'm in the city limits because I hate suburbs, but just a few miles from country roads. And a few miles from downtown, too. Best of both worlds.

[malkin]

Head out of town. There are country-ish roads and on Sundays the industrial roads are good too. During the week they're loaded with big big trucks.

[marni]

find the shortest route out and learn to put up with traffic- nota bene avoid school zones and school starting hours. Sometimes you just have to stick it out and do it. I have to ride 10 miles to get past traffic lights, school zones, shopping center parking lots and heavy traffic to get out to where I can ride. I just don't count those 20 miles in my statistics.

[Groundhog]

Owlie, did you do a google search?

I found this: http://www.touring-ohio.com/central/columbus/columbus-bike-trails.html

and this:http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/MultiModalPlanning/bicycle/Pages/default.aspx

and this: http://www.ohiobikeways.net/columbus.htm

My hubby plans our trips using bikely.com, mapmyride.com and the "bike" option on Google Maps. It's a bit tedious for me.

I found a great book on bike routes for my Puget Sound area at Borders or B&N. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Biking-Puget-Sound/Bill-Thorness/e/9780898869439/?itm=2&USRI=biking+puget+sound It is the best book ever. Maybe they have one like it for your area. The author specifically took streets with low traffic, scenic vistas, parks and does a sort of switch-back route to the top of Seattle's killer (for me at least) hills. Check your LBS (local book store :D ).

You could also check the local REI or ask at your LBS (local bike store :D ).

[OakLeaf]

You could also check the local REI or ask at your LBS (local bike store :D ).

Our local REI is in Pittsburgh. Don't think they'll be much help. ;)

[Groundhog]

Our local REI is in Pittsburgh. Don't think they'll be much help. ;)

Sorry! Didn't take time to look it up.

[Owlie]

Well, I got a TON of emails from my uni's club. They've been trying to get a collection of routes for some time, and next year's president (who lives in my building) has been putting together a booklet thing for new members of routes of 25-75 miles.

I'm actually in Cleveland, so I have to go pretty far out to find roads. I did in fact play with Google, which is how I found the bike trails. One of the local clubs also has maps online, with varying degrees of legibility. They're just not routes I'm comfortable with at my current skill level. :o

[tulip]

Just a thought--when I lived in DC, most of my riding was urban. I certainly count those miles. Miles is miles is miles, and time in the saddle is time in the saddle. You might not get your heart rate up for a consistently long time, but they are still miles. I don't consider my urban rides junk miles, just different miles. I can add some sprints and work on my bike handling.

[shootingstar]

Just a thought--when I lived in DC, most of my riding was urban. I certainly count those miles. Miles is miles is miles, and time in the saddle is time in the saddle. You might not get your heart rate up for a consistently long time, but they are still miles. I don't consider my urban rides junk miles, just different miles. I can add some sprints and work on my bike handling.


I agree with tulip. I guess I'm abit lost in all this: there are easily hills to build into a person's ride right in our city and one is not surrounded by much car traffic. Of course, to get to these neighbourhoods means going through busy intersections. Shrug.

In Toronto, it took one over 1 hr. to cycle from the mid-part of city to get into the "country"/rural area. I only went cycling out in the "country" when it was a planned "trip" with someone else or group. That amounted to several times per year. Otherwise it was just easier for me to invent a 100 kms. within the city for solo riding which I did ..

Toronto gets 1 million people pouring into the downtown core every business day. I was entering and exiting out of this for about 20 min. before I cycled into less congested, but still some traffic before finally into a greenway area then out into the suburbs where I used to live.

Also if one is a car driver...is not to think like a car driver and typical car driving routes, but think more like a cyclist where a bike can pass through areas for a few minutes, but it would be illegal for a car.

It would be worthwhile to look at some of those difficult-to-read bike routes and see if you can borrow parts and cobble something together.

But then, I don't know where you live Owlie. Both Vancouver and Toronto have natural greenways, some of which have been deliberately reconfigured for cycling. Took years to join up certain routes. Years.

[PamNY]

I can add some sprints and work on my bike handling.

Just be careful about the sprints (this is a general comment, not directed at you, Tulip). My birdwatching area is on the greenway route out-of-town so there is a high percentage of aggressive, too-fast cyclists who can't wait to escape the crowds.

I understand how they feel -- when I'm not stopping I feel the same way. But areas with strollers, wheelchairs, etc. require caution.

[tulip]

Just be careful about the sprints (this is a general comment, not directed at you, Tulip). My birdwatching area is on the greenway route out-of-town so there is a high percentage of aggressive, too-fast cyclists who can't wait to escape the crowds.

I understand how they feel -- when I'm not stopping I feel the same way. But areas with strollers, wheelchairs, etc. require caution.

I was thinking more along the lines of one red light to the next. They are always red, aren't they!? Owlie, if you have a greenway heading out of town, you could use that, but I gather from your description that you don't have one that leads anywhere. MUPs aren't great for getting your heart rate up because of the Multi-Users, like PamNY describes. You have to be very careful about dogs on leashes and babies in strollers and the like. That's one of my main problems with MUPs for cycling--they just aren't good for cycling (except when they are empty). Bicycles are vehicles. Pedestrians are not. They don't mix well.

[PamNY]

I was thinking more along the lines of one red light to the next. They are always red, aren't they!? Owlie, if you have a greenway heading out of town, you could use that, but I gather from your description that you don't have one that leads anywhere. MUPs aren't great for getting your heart rate up because of the Multi-Users, like PamNY describes. You have to be very careful about dogs on leashes and babies in strollers and the like. That's one of my main problems with MUPs for cycling--they just aren't good for cycling (except when they are empty). Bicycles are vehicles. Pedestrians are not. They don't mix well.

Yes, going to red lights should work if there's not too much traffic or too many jaywalkers.

Regarding MUPS, I think they are fine if cyclists can accept going slowly on the crowded part. It probably is good for bike-handling skills and it can be fun to interact with people. But that wasn't the original question.

[indigoiis]

My commute takes me from country roads into a small city in 28 miles, and back at night. Although part of it goes through what most people would "technically" consider bad neighborhoods, I have learned a lot about the areas around the city by riding through them. I often find that while they may look scuzzy and downtrodden they are often culturally rich, and people begin to know you the more you ride within their community. Some of the best food in our city is where I ride and in the morning, the smells of all the different ethnic breakfast restaurants is heavenly. Would I venture into the same hood after dark on foot? Maybe not, but during the morning or evening commute, it is a busy micro metropolis. The lights give me a moment to pause, consider traffic, look around me, and experience the city. Being a non-city dweller, it is experience I lack, so I gulp up every bit I can! ;)

[Fredwina]

I'll also agree with Tulip - to a certain extent miles are miles. Luckily most major street where I live have bike lanes.

[nscrbug]

I'm with the rest of you on the "miles is miles" thing. I count EVERY darn mile I ride...and why shouldn't I? Heck, some of the "worst" miles come when I'm on the MUP heading back home from a long ride on the weekends. It's crowded with all sorts...runners, walkers, strollers, tricycles, rollerbladers, dogs, you name it. At times I feel like I'm barely moving trying to maneuver my way through there...but in the end, I absolutely still count those 6 miles.

[tulip]

Yes, going to red lights should work if there's not too much traffic or too many jaywalkers.

Ah, yes...a big difference between NYC and DC. DC is a city teeming with people who thrive on authority and regulations, so they don't jaywalk very often. The tourists, well, they are a different story.

[PamNY]

Ah, yes...a big difference between NYC and DC. DC is a city teeming with people who thrive on authority and regulations, so they don't jaywalk very often. The tourists, well, they are a different story.

Ah, that reminds me of my friend from DC who visited a few years ago. We encouraged him to use our guest Xootr to tour the neighborhood, but he worried that scootering around the World Trade Center site was too frivolous.

We convinced him that it was just urban transport and perfectly okay.

[marni]

Just a thought--when I lived in DC, most of my riding was urban. I certainly count those miles. Miles is miles is miles, and time in the saddle is time in the saddle. You might not get your heart rate up for a consistently long time, but they are still miles. I don't consider my urban rides junk miles, just different miles. I can add somn bikinge sprints and work on my bike handling.

I was careless in my " don't count the urban miles" comment. They certainly do add distance to the ride, but since the only access out I have has a stop sign every block for the first 4 miles (lots of opportunities to unclip) and several stop lights in the next three miles, I use those portions of the ride as a separate laps and consider it a warm up and cool down. Its the long stretches once I get out that I count as speed or cadence miles and use it in logging my personal aatats and goals.

Urban riding is a whole different animal than out in the country fields and texas prairie riding.