I've pretty much decided, for now, to not ride on the road. There have been so many serious bike accidents in the area in which I normally ride lately. I know a couple of the cyclists and they don't ride like idiots (the last one was hit by a state trooper who didn't look when he came off the interstate)! This decision makes me a bit sad as riding in the park feels confining after a couple of laps - but I don't pretend that I am bulletproof on the road - or is that "hit-proof".
On the other hand, this park is the same place I go to trail run, so perhaps I can make some connection between the two so it won't feel so much like riding in a beautiful treadmill. There is a steep hill, though not all that long, pretty scenery, and yes, traffic to dodge. However the speed limit is much lower :) It seems a shame to limit my lovely custom bike to park riding, but of course there are other parks I can ride in and a couple of MUTs that I can hit - as long as I plan my ride during low-traffic times. The Monon in particular gets VERY congested - I would rather be on the road during those times. To be clear this isn't mountain biking, sadly, but pavement riding.
There will likely come a time when I feel safe enough to ride outside of the park, but for now this feels like a relief. Have others here made the same type of decision? I won't stop riding, and if this is what I've got to to do to feel safe then so be it.

