Riding To Different Places

I've been off a bike for years and have a 7 month old bike, named "Scout", who takes me on adventures. I have ridden more in 7 months than I have in probably 25 years! I have realized that I definitely have a bike riding "comfort zone". Even places where I feel confident driving in a car, where I know my way around, seem daunting for some reason. I have excellent bike maps of my community, use Google maps for bike routing, etc. There is no reason I should be timid about riding to places, but I am. Of course, I know to take side streets, streets with dedicated bike lanes, multi user paths, etc. Riding my bike to new places seems "scary" to me. I wonder if I'm the only one???

I have a big adventure planned out today with my DH (he doesn't know where we're going), and it will involve a ride to the transit station, taking our bikes onto light rail, riding over the Hawthorne bridge, Springwater corridor to "Cartlandia" (you can see on facebook). Cartlandia is a newly open area of food carts & bike friendly services along the major Springwater Corridor multi-user path. Se we're going there for lunch.

Even though I've got it all mapped out, know exactly where I'm going, etc., I'm a little anxious about it and I think it's because I've never done it before.

So...thoughts? Do you have a biking "comfort zone"? If so, do you strive to stretch that zone and get out more?

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

Do you have a biking "comfort zone"?

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Not really, but I'm not a new rider so I have no business answering anyway :p BUT I wanted to say that I do get slightly queasy if I have to DRIVE somewhere new, as I'm a fairly new driver (3-4 years now, but drive less than once a week). Funnily, the roads I usually bike are the ones I'm totally cool about driving, even if they're the rush hour monsters. As long as I can curb the impulse to give hand signals and bunny hop pot holes ;)

And I wanted to add that I think being a bit anxious is a good thing, it means you're a responsible person who realizes that riding a bike is neither like driving a car nor like walking, and you need to be awake and attentive.

Have fun, sounds like a cool outing!

Hi There in Oslo! So I see it can go both ways in regard to comfort zones. I know things will be just fine, but still, you know what I mean.
I really like seeing things via bike vs car because on bike you are "in" the environment, and in a car I feel insulated/isolated.
I'll post how it went when we return. ;)

Also, I just donated to this great Kickstarter project Portland By Bike in which they're making a pocket sized guide to Portland for bicyclists. Check it out-- I'm not sure when it will be done, but I do know that their project was funded!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...oun?ref=search

I feel the same way. A lot of it has to do with the fact that the way I go by car isn't the way I would go by bike. Plus here there is a lot of construction that makes the feasible bike ways not as safe as I would expect (they are putting in a light rail system about 12 blocks north of me, so pretty much every road/MUP/trail system is under construction or blocked or walk-your-bike-only and I never know what to expect).

I've gotten in the habit of doing trial runs to places on weekends when I don't actually need to get anywhere in a hurry. That way if I run into a route that should be safe but isn't, I have time to find another way to get there.

I'm the same way. Whenever I travel new places by bike I'm always a bit nervous/anxious. I think it's just- like you said- are "in the environment" and more vulnerable.
It's gotten better over the years and I've found that I'm less nervous/anxious than I was when I first started riding for transportation. I think the more you do it, the better it gets. And it's a great confidence builder for me when I make a trip/do an errand by bike that I wasn't sure I could.

How did your trip go?

I'm geo-spatially challenged --I don't have a good sense of direction.

Nevertheless I went exploring again today..except I get messed up in the head when I get away from bike routes that wind into the valleys and underpasses here.

Due to lots of rain in past few days, river levels are quite high now and have flooded sections of the route. So I had to get to street level and road to bike around, explore.

As long as I see certain landmarks to help myself, I eventually get somewhere.

Do tend to want to know in advance if there any highway interchanges ahead so that I don't end up in the wrong lane...

I get anxious when riding in unfamiliar places, even if I am with people, and the riding is not challenging. I like to know "where" I am and am not one to just "explore." Well, I might be OK with that in my local area, but generally, I need to do a ride once before I am OK. My sense of direction is pretty good, but it's like I have a need to "feel" where I am. It sounds weird and I am pretty sure it's a mild form of agoraphobia. I am the same if I am in an unfamiliar place on foot. I do travel, though and now I know to just ignore it and eventually I feel fine. For a long time, I would just be in a bad mood and snappy in the beginning of a ride, mostly with my friends or my DH (not on bigger group rides) until they figured out to just leave me alone until I got over it. So now I just keep it to myself and meditate if I feel anxious.

Well, I'm finally back. Rode a total of 27.55 miles, average speed was 9.9 mph & max. was just over 18 mph., & I burned 1,046 calories (riding only).My DH suggested getting off the MAX (light rail) about 6 stops prior to where I had planned and ride down one of the less busy streets to the waterfront to the bridge we had to cross. I agreed since I knew we'd get there quicker, but I had to look at our map first to see "bike friendly" downtown streets. There was such a street, but it was one way going in the opposite direction. We ended up taking a street with cars parked on both sides and no bike lanes. At first I was p*ssed off at all this, then it became fun going down those downtown hills with very few cars behind me! I told myself that if cyclists can ride in streets in NYC, then I could certainly do it in downtown Portland on a Sunday!
So we made it to "Cartlandia" & since it just opened there were only 3 food carts so far. One was still waiting for inspection, but there are spaces for 32 food carts, there are bathrooms, a bike tire pump, tents with tables/chairs, etc. Here are a couple of photos:

Nice, sounds like you and DH had a great first experience ride! Is Cartlandia along the north-south or east-west Springwater Corridor?

Congrats VV, sounds like you two had a great ride! Sorry but I can't relate to being anxious on rides to new territories. I love riding a new and unfamiliar trail and the sense of adventure and exploration. The only time I might be a wee bit anxious is if the area is remote and I am riding by myself and it's later in the day and I haven't seen another person in a half hour or so, that can get a little bit spooky. Otherwise, I am never happier than when I am going on a ride to a place I've never been before. First rides are so pristine for me, I love the sense of "what lies around the next bend."

@radacrider, Cartlandia is where Springwater crosses SE 82nd Avenue just on the right next to the path. So that would make it east-west I believe, vs n-s by the Willamette.

@Bike Writer, I do love your sense of adventure. I would say I'm adventurous, but I feel better when I have a specific "plan" of where & how to get there. There is something to be said about the freedom and willingness to let go and just explore.

I cut my riding teeth (as an adult) on one particular side of town. While I've ridden all over the city, I feel safest in my old stomping ground. Two years ago, I moved south of the city, to an area that's fairly rural and a little bit sketchy in parts thanks to loose dogs and fast pick up trucks. It makes me far more nervous to ride around home alone, and I find myself more anxious than I'd like. But that said, I've also ridden pretty comfortably in other states and am generally game to ride most anywhere.

Sounds like it has potential. My daughter lives in Portland so will share your post. I don't mind checking out new places but if I can, I look at the topo map first. We did a ride on the edge of Zion's National Park with our touring gear once that climbed 5,000 feet in elevation in 20 miles to a dry camp, looking back I am glad we did it but at the time I was questioning the wisdom of no advanced research.

I seem to be the outlier here.

I see a road going off over a hill and wonder where it goes. So I put foot to pedal and find out. I have discovered some wonderful routes, places, shortcuts, eateries, and fun doing that.

I guess I have no fear of getting lost, or something. My father would take us up to the top of a mountain on horseback when I was (much) younger and then have me lead us home. We took some "scenic shortcuts" at times, but we always made it back. It was a good lesson.

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Originally Posted by Bike Writer

Congrats VV, sounds like you two had a great ride! Sorry but I can't relate to being anxious on rides to new territories. I love riding a new and unfamiliar trail and the sense of adventure and exploration. The only time I might be a wee bit anxious is if the area is remote and I am riding by myself and it's later in the day and I haven't seen another person in a half hour or so, that can get a little bit spooky. Otherwise, I am never happier than when I am going on a ride to a place I've never been before. First rides are so pristine for me, I love the sense of "what lies around the next bend."

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+1

This is me to a "t". As long as the area is safe, I love the discovery of a new road or place to ride and the sights along the way. I like not knowing exactly what is coming up ahead (within reason, of course!) Often when I ride roads familiar to me, I'll turn on a road I've never ridden before just to check it out. DH is more likely to just take the same route he knows over and over.

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Originally Posted by MomOnBike

I see a road going off over a hill and wonder where it goes. So I put foot to pedal and find out. I have discovered some wonderful routes, places, shortcuts, eateries, and fun doing that.

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Me too! True, I sometimes get myself into some sticky situations (e.g. going down hills I have to walk back up), but it's always an adventure. I often feel safer on a bike than I would in a car in some of the... less savory neighborhoods near my house.

That being said, I'm less likely to be willing to deviate from a plan on rural roads (if I've never taken them before), because I'm such a city person at heart; I always feel isolated in a scary way.

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

+1

I like not knowing exactly what is coming up ahead (within reason, of course!)

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This.

Thats so true, i wouldnt really want to have to ride my bicycle on the major highways to get around town. The distance and going up the hills on the way back home is always a tough trek. I tried out my friends electric bicycle, and it gave me a great boost, but it is even more unsafe because of the speed. There has been an introduction in bike lanes around, but the problem is they stop and start, and then all of a sudden lead you back onto dangerous roads again.

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Originally Posted by alice

Me too! True, I sometimes get myself into some sticky situations (e.g. going down hills I have to walk back up), but it's always an adventure. I often feel safer on a bike than I would in a car in some of the... less savory neighborhoods near my house.

That being said, I'm less likely to be willing to deviate from a plan on rural roads (if I've never taken them before), because I'm such a city person at heart; I always feel isolated in a scary way.

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Since my whole cycling history has been in cities, crowded and traffic thick cities, I find for rural roads that are far out of town, I need to know in advance where I am going. Especially the highway interchanges, etc. Of course these are cities are over 1 million people.

For instance I moved to a city I am new and still have not cycled out to the edges of city because I know darn well the cars get faster and there are highway interchanges. There are unpleasant areas of urban sprawl ..what this city is getting notoriously famous for.

Where I am, the city (Calgary) is close to 1 million people and it is growing fast.

so I have to go with another cyclist first to get out to the edges so I feel comfortable on my own.

Its exciting to hear about the adventurous nature of those who pedal to see what's "over there". I guess I didn't make it clear in my initial post that I have already been down every one of these streets and to these locations, only by car or foot. I just have never ridden my bike there, so it was no surprise to me what I would find. It's just that things are different on a bike because you're "out there" uninsulated. I love the wind on my face ane, especially, the smells! On a bike I am very big about planning safer routes than vs by car. Roads that I know by car seem very different by bike.
Hope that explains better.
Thanks all for continuing to share.

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

On a bike I am very big about planning safer routes than vs by car. Roads that I know by car seem very different by bike.
Hope that explains better.
Thanks all for continuing to share.

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This.

I'm in a suburb about 20 miles north of a major city. It's a 'nice' area, lots of money... and no sidewalks, bike lanes, or bike paths outside of the two township parks. Roads that I don't think twice about driving down definitely make me stop and think before thinking about maybe taking a bike trip down them. The first few times I was on the (somewhat) busy road that runs in front of our neighborhood, I was extremely nervous. I'm getting a little better about riding that one, but it's going to take some gut-gathering to get out onto other roads on my bike.

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

Roads that I know by car seem very different by bike.
Hope that explains better.
Thanks all for continuing to share.

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Yes entirely different by bike than car! You see and notice so many different things by bike, including smells :)

Rural roads can be an adventure in more ways than one. In big city downtown traffic cars often move at lower speeds due to the congestion. Out here, once you get away from the small downtown, cars whiz by at dizzying speeds regardless of whether the road is paved or gravel. Last year I had a car pass me on a gravel road that was going in excess of 65 MPH, it's so easy to slide out of control at those speeds on that kind of surface. Once you get outside of town on one lane roads the average speed is 60 and the only available space for a bike is on the edge of the road so cars are driving by within inches. I try to stick to the paths and trails.

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Originally Posted by jamijo

This.

I'm in a suburb about 20 miles north of a major city. It's a 'nice' area, lots of money... and no sidewalks, bike lanes, or bike paths outside of the two township parks. Roads that I don't think twice about driving down definitely make me stop and think before thinking about maybe taking a bike trip down them. The first few times I was on the (somewhat) busy road that runs in front of our neighborhood, I was extremely nervous. I'm getting a little better about riding that one, but it's going to take some gut-gathering to get out onto other roads on my bike.

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I'm in a similar situation--15 miles north of a city, no sidewalks or bike lanes. We do have a really nice rail-trail, though. The speed and density of traffic around here, and the fact that people here aren't that used to seeing cyclists is why I don't like road riding around here. I stick to the rail-trail or my neighborhood roads. (The rail-trail is probably why no one around here is used to seeing cyclists.)

When I lived in Cleveland, I had no choice but to ride on roads, and I learned a lot of the streets around my apartment that way...after getting lost a few times. The traffic density was a lot higher, but I went out in the evenings and weekend mornings and it wasn't bad. Speeds were slower, they're gradually getting better at putting in bike lanes, and drivers and pedestrians were used to seeing cyclists because of the university.

I live within 10 minutes of farmland (by car) and a lot of cyclists ride the rural highways. No Bike lanes and lots of gravel & stuff on the side of the road. That doesn't interest me at all. I much prefer city riding, because there are always side streets or busy streets that have dedicated bike lanes. I find that out in the country there just aren't that many options about how to get somewhere. I guess there are pros & cons with each. I just get nervous at the thought of cars/trucks whizzing by me going 55 MPH! :0