Fast Streets W/Bike Lane or Side Streets?

[Catrin]

Mr B. is in southern Indiana, though he can be in Indy in about an hour. Indianapolis has arterials, of course, but not many like he described in Sarasota. Generally speaking they are two lanes (each direction)'with lots of lights. There are a few with three lanes each way but typically anything more is one of our four interstates. I can only think of a few exceptions in the city - I build travel model simulations of the area in my job.

My trainer has been riding all of his life and couldn't be bolder on road or mountain bike, and has told me that urban riding in Indianapolis isn't like other places he has lived - he thinks the lanes tend to be more narrow. We do have bike lanes, but few outside downtown and most roads don't have a shoulder, not a real one, and often are filled with cr*p though I imagine that is the case in most areas. Thankfully the Mayor just announced plans to really increase the number of bike lanes in the city this year - by next spring we will have quite a few more miles of lanes

Hmmm, no wonder I prefer my country roads!

[westtexas]

It must be nice to even have bike lanes as an option. I don't think I've ever seen any in my town. I wonder if the town where I move to on Monday will have any? Luckily I have two weeks before I start work to figure out a good commuting route so I can make bike commuting a real possibility for me. Even if there aren't lanes though, traffic doesn't bother me. I cycled on busy streets in Berlin, Germany one summer (although admittedly they are a lot more bike friendly there than they are here in Texas) and didn't die, and since then... I just take the lane a lot, act predictably, signal, wear visible clothing and look like I mean business.

[Becky]

I just take the lane a lot, act predictably, signal, wear visible clothing and look like I mean business.

This.

[skhill]

As all my close calls with cars in the past year have come when I was using a bike lane, my tendency now is to avoid bike lanes and use side streets. The way they're laid out in my town is not very smart-- you're often in the door zone of a lot of parked cars. Also, there's no prohibition of parking in or otherwise blocking bike lanes here. So it's side streets a lot of the time, or taking a general traffic lane whenever I don't feel the bike lane is safe, which is most of the time.

But the conditions in every city are different, as are folks' risk tolerance...

[indysteel]

Mr B. is in southern Indiana, though he can be in Indy in about an hour. Indianapolis has arterials, of course, but not many like he described in Sarasota. Generally speaking they are two lanes (each direction)'with lots of lights. There are a few with three lanes each way but typically anything more is one of our four interstates. I can only think of a few exceptions in the city - I build travel model simulations of the area in my job.

My trainer has been riding all of his life and couldn't be bolder on road or mountain bike, and has told me that urban riding in Indianapolis isn't like other places he has lived - he thinks the lanes tend to be more narrow. We do have bike lanes, but few outside downtown and most roads don't have a shoulder, not a real one, and often are filled with cr*p though I imagine that is the case in most areas. Thankfully the Mayor just announced plans to really increase the number of bike lanes in the city this year - by next spring we will have quite a few more miles of lanes

Hmmm, no wonder I prefer my country roads!

I don't disagree with your trainer, but by the same token, I've ridden from either downtown or Broad Ripple to nearly every other side of town without too much difficulty. There are ways to do it that avoid the worst of the high volume arteries; you just gotta know where to go. I was fortunate in that I was taken under the wing by a group of cyclists who know their way around the city by bike. Now, these routes aren't necessarily great from a commuting standpoint as they zig and zag quite a bit, but from a recreational standpoint, they aren't bad.

[Catrin]

I don't disagree with your trainer, but by the same token, I've ridden from either downtown or Broad Ripple to nearly every other side of town without too much difficulty. There are ways to do it that avoid the worst of the high volume arteries; you just gotta know where to go. I was fortunate in that I was taken under the wing by a group of cyclists who know their way around the city by bike. Now, these routes aren't necessarily great from a commuting standpoint as they zig and zag quite a bit, but from a recreational standpoint, they aren't bad.

All he was saying was the lanes were more narrow than in other places he has lived - and that is an interesting combination with distracted drivers. He does ride locally, I am the one avoiding more urban traffic

[jessmarimba]

I commute on side streets with bike lanes. The major arterials between my home and work all have bike paths alongside the roads, and they scare me. "real" cyclists ride in the roads there but I'm not fast enough. I prefer side streets.

[nscrbug]

Where I live and ride, there are no roads with designated bike lanes. There are a few roads that are designated as "bike routes", but there are no marked lanes for cyclists...so you're just out there with the traffic and have to be careful.

I don't have much of a choice when it comes to riding on the roads. I've done it now for 3 years and have gotten to the point where I'm comfortable and not afraid of traffic. I ride on roads where speed limits range anywhere from 25 - 55mph, and most have nothing but a 1.5 foot "shoulder" (if you want to even call it a shoulder)...some have no shoulder...just a white line and the end of the pavement. I just make sure that I'm always visible, signal my intentions, and like another poster said...look like I mean business and belong out there.

In my area, there are so many stop signs, traffic signals, and busy intersections, that you literally can't go even a 1/2 mile before you have to stop. Taking side streets would be even worse, as every side street in these neighborhoods has a stop sign at every block. It would take forever to get anywhere if I stuck to using only side streets. Unfortunately, I don't have all the time in the world to ride...so I have to make the best of the time that I do have and that means riding some busy, congested, and often dangerous roads. I'll take my chances and hope for the best.

[Velocivixen]

I enjoy reading everyone's answers to this.
I'd say I'm not afraid of bike lanes on busy streets. I actually giggled as I rode on the busy street, in the bike lane, cars/trucks wizzing by at 45 mph, AND I was riding up a huge, steep hill and I'm still in "2" in the front!
Thanks everyone who shared.