Quote Originally Posted by luvmyguys View Post
I know safety is 99% common sense
I don't agree with this. The League of American Cyclists teaches two things that are completely counter-intuitive: stay off sidewalks, and ride at least an arm's length (or more) from the edge of the road. The narrower the road, the more assertive (toward the middle) your lane position. This is based on statistics of bike wrecks. "Common sense" dictates that we ride on sidewalks and hug the edge, get as far from those cars as possible. But statistics shows that the opposite keeps us safer.

I advise you to sign up for Traffic Skills 101, if you can find a class offered in your area. That will increase the options of roads you feel comfortable on. You might even consider using your bike to run errands, or commute. You might never have to drive to ride your bike again.