Road vs Park riding

[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!