Road Safety?

[jlnc]

I am trying to add a few extra miles to the route I ride in my neighborhood area. There is a road nearby that is about 3.5 miles long, flat and shaded. Sounds nice, right?? It is a little 2 lane road, I think the speed limit is 45 mph, but I could be wrong on that, but it gets a fair amount of traffic at almost all times of the day and has no shoulder at all. So, if I ride on it, any car that comes up behind me will not be able to pass unless the other lane is totally clear. I still consider myself a beginner, but I have gotten more comfortable riding in traffic, signaling, following the rules of riding in traffic, etc. But I still get a bit nervous if a car is behind me because it can't pass. I wouldn't say the drivers on this stretch are aggressive or anything...just normal traffic. So, I am trying to decide if I should try it. Do you believe 100% in "share the road", or do you think there are some times where a cyclist should just say, this isn't a great idea and stay off that road?

[Velocivixen]

If you're a beginner (I too am a beginner), I'd stay off this road if there is no shoulder for you to get off onto. Just not worth it. If it's between you and a car the car will always win regardless of who's really "right".
Could you do other routes?

[laura*]

So, if I ride on it, any car that comes up behind me will not be able to pass unless the other lane is totally clear.

They will pass anyway. If the other lane isn't clear, they will squeeze past you without crossing the center line.

[Antaresia]

Trying it once probably won't hurt; if you find it too scary/frustrating you can decided to not do it again for a while. Cars might try to pass you anyway if they think there is enough room for them & you in the lane, so don't ride right on the edge. Take a bit of the lane so there is room for you scoot over to the right if you think a car is passing just a little too close.

I'm a beginner too and have traveled similar roads, but the traffic in my city is pretty aware that bikes belong on the road.

[OakLeaf]

I think it depends on sight lines. With tens of thousands of miles under my belt, and as a committed vehicular cyclist, there are roads I don't ride.

You say the road is flat ... is it also straight? If so, and if there's really no alternative, I would go ahead and ride it, being sure to take the lane. If it's curvy so that traffic behind you might not see you well in advance, and oncoming traffic might not see a car in their lane trying to pass you, I'd just stay off it.

[jlnc]

Thanks for the responses...I was just wondering if I was being a big chicken. I think I am going to drive the road again and scope it out a little bit more closely. It's good advice to take some of the lane. The road is totally straight, so at least drivers could clearly see around me. Maybe I'll try it on a Sunday morning or late evening.
Just trying to add a little variety to my rides, and there aren't a ton of options right near my house....

[westtexas]

I say you should try it at least once. I ride on roads with no shoulders with 45+ mph traffic regularly. But I pretty much ALWAYS take the lane. There's so much trash up against the curb anyway and fixing flats is hard and annoying, so I like to ride just to the right of center (this is legal in Texas as the law does not clearly define a zone for cyclists to be in, just as far to the right as is "safe", which in my interpretation is just right of center and a few feet from the curb - but I would check your state laws).

I used to get really nervous but after a while you realize the vast majority of cars are trying not to hit you. And after all, most drivers need a lesson in patience anyway

[grey]

I ride in remote parts of N. GA and most all I have are 2-lane, shoulderless, winding, hilly roads. I usually stay more toward the middle of my lane until I see a car behind me, I move over to make it easier to pass but I want to be sure they saw me.

As an oddity, I got much more clearance from drivers once I had the super bright DiNotte blinking light on the back of my bike.

If I ride alone, I also wear a super bright yellow or orange jersey.

Just keep your cool, and watch your back. Most drivers do not want to hit you.

[jlnc]

So, I went on my regular ride tonight, and realized that the road I ride almost every week barely has a shoulder either! Duh! I guess I was so concerned about this other road since I've never ridden on it before. I'll probably give it a shot in the next few weeks. Thanks for the advice!

[Melalvai]

If you ever have to do a left turn off of that road you are describing, scan, scan and scan again! It's easy to mis-judge how fast a car is coming up behind you, think you have plenty of room and that they have plenty of time to see you & slow down for you, only to discover that they saw you but decided to pass you instead of slowing down for you. That makes for an ugly left turn situation.

Keep an eye out for right-hooks too, where someone roars past you only to practically slam on their brakes, cut you off and turn right, right in front of you.

[grey]

Keep an eye out for right-hooks too, where someone roars past you only to practically slam on their brakes, cut you off and turn right, right in front of you.

Ooooohhhhhhh I HATE those! I almost went flying right into someone thanks to that. She didn't think how fast I was going.

[OakLeaf]

I ride in remote parts of N. GA and most all I have are 2-lane, shoulderless, winding, hilly roads.

Me too.

The key word in the OP was "fair amount of traffic."

The rural roads I ride in Ohio have maybe 15-20 cars per hour. The roads I stay off are the same in terms of narrowness, lack of shoulder, and lack of sight lines, but they're more like 2-3 cars per minute in each direction. There would be no way for a car to pass me safely before the next intersection - which, two or three miles in bike-years is six to 12 minutes, which really is significant in "real" time (unlike the few seconds that some cars will shove past you to save).

And, because of the lack of shoulder, there would literally be no way for me to allow cars past no matter how many were stacked up behind me - dismounting would involve a tumble down the hillside, a minimum of scrapes, a probability of poison ivy, and a likelihood of sprains and/or bike damage.