Does Road Riding Ever Get Less Stressful?

I'm a newbie to road riding (had a MTB years ago and used to ride it regularly on back roads so the traffic was minimal) so as far as actually riding goes, I'm pretty comfortable. Now that I'm riding on more traveled roads, I feel like I'm holding my breath every time a car goes by, and I let out a deep breath when I realize they haven't clipped me. What can I say? I don't trust a lot of the people driving around here. The roads I'm sticking to now don't have lots of traffic, but in my mind, that's just another reason for the driver to pay less attention to the road.

Does it get any easier? Less stressful? Or is there always that little irk that you might get hit from behind? Would a mirror help ease me a bit?

a mirror would help immensely. I am not sure I could comfortably ride without one, I have grown so accustomed.
Also pick your roads and pick your times.

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Also pick your roads and pick your times.

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That's something I'm really trying to be conscious of doing. Until I'm fairly comfy with the new bike, I've been doing a 3 mile loop to the local park and riding 4 miles on the track there (they allow bikes on it). I'm also pretty nervous about picking a road, running into a rough patch, trying to avoid it and realizing there's a car right on my tail too late. It doesn't help 90% of the roads around here are notorious for being horribly maintained!

You might want to ride with a local cycling club to find good roads and good routes.

I second the rear-view mirror suggestion. If you're not doing so already, wear really bright colored jerseys. Yellow, orange, red, and bright pink are good, as well as bright prints. Dark colors make you nearly invisible to motorists, especially if you're riding at certain times of day. Add a rear red blinky light if you ride anytime near dusk. I also think that > 1 roadie riding together are more visible than just one lone rider, so if you have a friend you could ride with, you might feel more comfortable.

Thanks, Tulip. I've looked into a couple and they do have rides Mon and Wed each week. The rides are a little longer than I can handle right now at 15 miles, but I'm getting there. The other issue is the "local" clubs have rides that are about 10 highway miles from me, so their routes really aren't all that close. I'm still looking, though.

I guess I would prefer to not have to drive to ride my bike, ya know? I would rather just get out and go. I don't live in a crazy busy area (it can be when school gets out and such). I plan to do some rides, so the driving to ride is inevitable.

Emily - great points. I've been trying to wear brighter clothes, but I think I need to buy even brighter :) Any excuse to go shopping.

I wish I could find friends to go riding with. :(

I guess I've been road riding for about a year and a half now? Things that used to scare the hell out of me really don't bug me at all anymore. I tend to look at the road ahead and keep track of cars to the side or behind me... So that if there's a rough patch of road, I've got the option of just plain stopping if a car is too close to me. Or I can swing out into the road a bit in advance so that a car coming up behind realizes where I am and can get out of the way. I don't hug the edge of the road like I used to, because that gives me nowhere to go if the shoulder turns to crap... I tend to ride on the white line...

There's a link somewhere on here for bike safely that has some good hints on the common accidents that cyclists get into that may help you.

Cars for the most part seem fairly aware & pretty good about cyclists around here.

There's a highway near me that allows cyclists on it - and while I don't find it pleasant, I don't find it a huge deal to bike up the highway for a mile or two with tractor trailers coming by doing 70 mph... I do stay far into the big wide shoulder on it, however.

CC, where do you live? I'd be happy to go out with you, if you want to meet up somewhere.
Yes, you do get more used to traffic situations. I do things/ride in places that I wouldn't have done 5 years ago. My best advice is be alert, assertive (but not aggressive), and act like the vehicle that you are.

1) Screaming yellow fluorescent vest or top. Blinky lights if you want, too.

2) rear-vision mirror. I like helmet mirrors myself.

3) read this: http://bicyclesafe.com/

4) don't hug the shoulder so much that you would have nowhere to escape to if a car crowded you or turned right in front of you. Give yourself a safety margin of 1-2 feet on both sides, not just one side. Don't be afraid to act like a car and take the lane at an intersection. Never try to turn left from the right road shoulder.

Riding in traffic used to freak me out. Now several years later it doesn't bother me much at all. I think as you get better with your riding skills and begin to be able to predict what clueless drivers 'might' do, you start to feel a little less powerless and scared.

Oh, and to answer your original question...yes, it does get less stressful! Anything done often enough becomes familiar, and with familiarity comes comfort. Doesn't mean there aren't some hairy moments even for experienced cyclists, but if it were constantly stressful and scary, no one would do it!

I do understand your desire not to have to drive to rides. My husband and I can ride right from our house, and it's really nice. I can only do that on the weekends, so once during the week I drive to ride mountain bikes in a local park with a work friend.

Good luck - there are a lot of good suggestions on this thread!

don't be such a purist. until you get up to speed, take your bike for rides in your car. ;):D

There are lots of great suggestions here. Thanks so much everyone!

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don't be such a purist. until you get up to speed, take your bike for rides in your car.

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When I can go more than 12mph for 10 miles, I'm going on a real ride :)

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CC, where do you live? I'd be happy to go out with you, if you want to meet up somewhere.

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I'm near Worcester. I'd love to meet up!!!

ccbloom--You're not alone in stressing over road riding. My college campus is smack in the middle of Cleveland and is near a hospital, so it's quite busy, especially now that school is back in session. Even though I know drivers around here are used to seeing cyclists, and dumb ones at that, it still makes me nervous. The roads are not always well-maintained, I don't know all the streets... I'm also not from the area, so I don't know bike trails, and I don't have a car to get to them even if I did.
We have a cycling club. It's mostly--if not, entirely--guys who like going way too fast for me. I have learned some good ride routes from them. (I just tell them that I can't make it, but I'd like to know the route.)

I just try to make myself as visible as possible and head out early on weekends when there aren't as many cars or freshmen around (because they haven't figured out how to cross streets yet). There are a few neighborhoods around here that I'd like to ride in. Yes, it involves walking my bike across a couple of intersections to get there, but it beats getting squished!

Will PM you about meeting up.