I work from home and road ride at lunch most days.  Today, I noticed a biker go by the house as I mounted and started out the driveway.  He was a young guy, mid 50s, moving at a really good clip south on Shearers road.   Within a quarter mile a lady passed me and swerved right in front of my tire to turn right onto Faith Road.  Shaken but moving on, about a quarter mile further I come up on the aforementioned biker lying in the road in front of Food Lion, his bike broken in half with the front wheel and handlebars wedged between the bumper of a mail carriers' Jeep.  Two young ladies (in cars) and I pulled up at the same time and checked on the biker (and mail carrier) and called 911.  He was dazed but OK and very happy to be alive.  I left before the ambulance arrived and continued on my loop through Davidson.  Three times before I finished my ride I was ambushed by "gappers."  A gapper is a motorist headed in the same direction as the biker who "shoots the gap" between the biker and an on-coming car in the other lane headed in the opposite direction.  Often, the car coming in the opposite direction runs off the road to avoid hitting the gapper.  Happens a couple times every ride.

All that to say this...I'm a reluctant roadie for the sole purpose of keeping in shape so I can do what I really love on the weekends...Mountain Biking!  Days like today make me question if it is worth it, but as soon as I get on the trail I forget about the gappers, near misses, insensitive drivers and the "could'a beens."   I tell people that I found the Fountain of Youth... on a mountain bike.  I'm not ashamed to say that it makes me feel like I'm ten years old again.  I've tried to explain it to my wife on several occasions, but its just something you have to experience.  We're so fortunate to live in a place that has the best trails in the country.  Kudos and Thanks to the Trailblazers!

Road riding?

F-150.

OP do you ride in the middle of the lane or do you hug the right side of the lane?  I see far too many bicyclists hugging the right hand side which encourages assholes to split the lane w/ the biker.

If you are going to ride on the street.... then act like you belong there and ride in the center of the lane.

Totally follow everyone's comments and agree. 

Moved to Charlotte 6 years ago . My biking suffered. Hated road riding with the lack of a shoulder and too much traffic. Not worth keeping a road bike for an only opportune ride being Sunday mornings before church crowd lets out...Then its chaos no matter where you go.

Wife and I both sold roadie equipment shortly after moving to the area. Bikes had a good dust covering from not being used. Hate having to drive to trails all the time, but its really the actual safe option.

Now have a beach cruzer and a SS banger for green way cruzes... Stay away from the highways.

I've thought long and hard about where to ride in the lane.  A DOT study says that riding 1/3 into the lane from the right is the safest (as Chosen* & Yellow* mention).  BUT, their study was based on hypothetical line-of-sight type situations and did not include actual driver attention/reaction, impatience, prejudice, road rage, phone distractions, etc.  I've decided to ride as close to the white line or outside as possible.  I figure that I'd rather trust the ability of an inattentive/unskilled driver to not hit something (me) than pi$$ off someone who may do only God knows what in a rage.  

I do have two blinkies on the rear and one on the front.  Also, agree w/Chosen&Yellow, when in town and at intersections I move to the center of the lane and take my place with other "moving vehicles" and use good hand signals.  SNA... good point about the cameras.  A quick review of the video will show who the hit-n-run perp was.

Can't wait to hit the trails - LNSP on weekends!

Riding on the white line leavers YOU no option if things do get close. I do move over for drivers when it is clear, but I'm also all about helping them make good decision when it comes to my safety.

You guys are way braver than I am.  I'm thinking about a Crux in the near future.  Nice knowing I can drop off the edge of the shoulder should I need to.

JEDDUH01 wrote on 10/17/13 at 2:21pm:

Did the same thing. Sold the road bike shortly after getting smacked by a sideview mirrior. All I have now is a 29er and a beach cruiser. Probably ride the cruiser more on greenways and railtrails

sager wrote on 10/18/13 at 11:23am:


I think that's a fine idea.

sager wrote on 10/18/13 at 11:23am:


Considering the distances and impediments to safe riding that exist on local roads as well as the speed in which this society operates, regardless of a bike friendly culture I think it's a stretch to think that most folks would seriously consider the bicycle as a means of transportation.

sager wrote on 10/18/13 at 11:23am:


Yep, that's obviously a better option than riding in traffic.

But then again that's recreation. For most, not a serious consideration as a means of transportation to replace the automobile until gas hits $10 a gallon, a better road biking infrastructure is available, etc..

I think the best was when I got buzzed/cutoff by a guy on Rea Rd with a road bike on his bike rack. Like dude you of all people should know what that feels like!