Quote Originally Posted by emily_in_nc
...and move across the pond. Being an avid cyclist is so depressing to me at times, living in the southeastern part of the US, where the SUV is king, and there aren't even shoulders on the roads. My husband and I biked to the farmer's market and then the natural foods market on Saturday for groceries (filled up his four panniers and both our rack packs), and we were such a minority. I'd love to be in the majority for a change and live in a place where cycling is just expected and doesn't label you as a freak. Where I live, biking to run errands is virtually unheard of. People drive down to their mailboxes in the rural south! Emily
Emily-

I have to second this! my DH and I also biked to the farmers market and whole foods on Saturday and on the way home (with both of my panniers full to bursting of fruits and veggies, plus a b-day present for my grandmother) had another one of those annoyingly bad car experiences. The guy weighed about 350 pounds and was driving into bojangles in a huge car. He stopped, blocked our lane of the road, leaned out of his window and screamed at us to "ride somewhere else." Ahhh...the land of fast food and big cars/SUVs. Won't keep me off my bike for a half a second but these things happen with great frequency around here. *sigh* Time to start dreaming of the Netherlands too.