Road vs Park riding

[Thorn]

I use my bicycle not only for recreation and exercise, but also for transportation, so being chased off of the roads would mean being chased into a car for me, which I consider to be unacceptable....

+1

Our local bike fed likes to quote that mile for mile travelled, the bike is safer than the car. My bike is my transport. I'm on the road for the long haul.

[buffybike]

I understand the concerns of the OP. Having two young kids and already having been hit by a car once, I can certainly empathize with having to decide whether or not road-riding is worth the risk. But, for me, the pros (health, happiness, quality of life) outweigh the cons (risk of injury or worse). Nowadays, when I buy a jersey, it's in a "neon" color and I try to stick to roads with little traffic and lots of other cyclists. Just like driving, though...you do your best to be careful/visible/vigilant, but there's always a risk as you have no control over other drivers. The next-best thing we can do is to attend local planning meetings and advocate for safer cycling. I used to live in a city with a really organized bike advocacy group--they attended all the local planning meetings, lobbied local and state officials and had a huge impact on getting more bike lanes, an awesome mountain bike park and other bike-safety features incorporated into our city. Use your voting power to demand safer conditions for cyclists--it works!