You are exactly right, Tygab - Around Burlington is much more bike-friendly. I live in the back-woods of Central VT and more often than not, get into little verbal sparing with my neighbors about whether bikes have a 'right to be on the road' - and let me tell you, most people give me and my biker friends a very hard time about 'sharing the road'. A friend was almost killed by someone in a truck hitting him on the road (the guy was drunk) and there have been several deaths- there are complaints galore....The constable kind of shrugs and says 'well, maybe you shouldn't ride'....like that's an option.
But I did my trainer last night, while watching the rain come down....and maybe I will get in a ride on the dirt roads on my mountain bike tonight, although it is supposed to rain again.....I think I just need an attitude adjustment! Or a bottle of wine....
The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew--and live through it.