Route of commute

[automatic_jon]

What are the thoughts here about choosing a route? My current route isn't very satisfying, short bit's of poorly maintained road surface interspersed with shared use paths.

My favoured route was somewhat spoilt for me during the summer by someone driving through me on a roundabout in such a fashion that I was lucky to walk (or stagger, con-cussedly) away from, she also killed my bike.

Now my choices seem to be to stick with the unsatisfying but (relatively) safe 'cycle route', try the (urban) dual carriageway which I have used before but always end up with an articulated lorry sat on my right shoulder or the busy and poorly maintained A road/high street which adds another 50% distance to my ride. While the distance would be nice from a fitness point of view I'm testing the limits of punctuality as it is. And the challenge of the bottom of the M275 (although it's not actually a motorway at this point) would be satisfying certainly but being pushed across by buses and artics every morning could get tiresome.

Some thoughts and opinions if you would?

 

[Arch]

I think I'd rather be unsatisfied than scared, or dead. I'd probably go with your current route.

Although it might be worth trying to lay the ghost of your old route - is there anything you could do at that roundabout to prevent or at least lessen the risk of re-occurance? If not, consider how many times you used it without being driven into - if the ratio is high enough, try and give it another go (easy for me to say, I know).

In the end, it's down to which route gets you to work and back with the least stress. You can always use the weekend for riding for fun and challenges...

 

[cyberknight]

+1 Arch

Currently i am having to take another route with street lights involving half awake lorry drivers .
My normal country road commute is just to dark and cant splash out on a light powerful enough.

If you have a safe route then use it better dead bored than just dead.

 

[HJ]

I would also recommend reading chapter 9 of Cyclecraft which has lots of useful information about riding in busier traffic and how to deal with roundabouts.

Also get a set of really bright lights if you can, they are well worth it, even for day time riding in traffic.

 

[neslon]

I would also recommend reading chapter 9 of Cyclecraft which has lots of useful information about riding in busier traffic and how to deal with roundabouts.

Also get a set of really bright lights if you can, they are well worth it, even for day time riding in traffic.

+1 for day time running lights. I was done last week, at midday in good visibility. If I had switched the lights on I reckon it might have made a difference (Dinotte 200 + Fenix L2D)

 

[Tynan]

I leave my lights on all the time, they're rechargeable so why not?

 

[automatic_jon]

Thanks guys, I might well stick with the slow route for the time being as new lights or that shiny book are outside of my financial ability right now. (Illustration: I have £3.75 to last a little over a week, this is the usual state of affairs) But I will look into better illuminating myself at some point.