I cannot drive for 6 months after my last seizure. They are controlled now, but it is what it is and I have to wait the time to get my license back… if that even happens as I have had the wait restart more than once. I have to bike this route daily. This is the only part that isnt either very mellow country road or with a bike lane. I am confident on my bike…. but I am not sure if I am making the right choice on this stretch and would love feedback. There is no shoulder only ditch. People often go 40km over the speed limit so pass me at 80-100km an hour when it is really a 60 zone. I have livestock I need to get to daily otherwise I would not bike this stretch.
Anyways, currently I do not take the lane. I get at least one person aggressively passing, honking and yelling at me each time I ride. The only time I havent is when its 10pm at night. I do see other cyclists though minima;l but we really are not welcome on this road. Should I take the lane? I have had to use drive ways as an exit strategy before when a pick up tried to squash me so I am hesitant to ride more in the road. This stretch is wild and I would love to hear from others who commute on what the best strategy is.
by Acceptable_Worker_98
4 Comments
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Maybe this will help, this is the weekly heatmap in this area. The closer to yellow / red the more popular the roads are for cyclists
Might be a good application for the pool noodle mounted to your rear rack to give folks a visual “3 foot buffer”. I’ve seen othe similar solutions, like a fiberglass rod with a flashing light or some such on the end.
Some folks have suggested wearing a conspicuously mounted helmet camera might reduce close calls.
Knowing this road and how heavy both 8th and 16th are used as commutes for drivers, I would not take the lane.
I have witnessed and heard about absolute lunatics on this road and shit they do to pass slow drivers let alone a cyclist.
Man 8th/16th would be a nice place to put in a MUP off the road.
Weirdly when i have a trailer with chicken feed in the back people actually pass me properly. My future projects to improve the getting squished percentages as someone who also has to go up an 80km/h road is to get a flagpole and put on aome 9f those Japanese fish windsocks and one if those handlebar extensions but affixed to my back rack so the bike always looks wider (i was going to affix keychain plushies to it as well :p).
I think the base concept should be to influence cars that they have to actually go past you in the other lane, that if they try to slip past you at an unsafe passing distance their cars going to get damaged if youre forced into one of these roads. Though im unsure how bad the traffic where you are is.