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> If you are traveling so fast that you cannot stop at the limits of your vision ... I could stop just fine, I'm worried about the idiots behind me. Taking th

> If you are traveling so fast that you cannot stop at the limits of your vision ... I could stop just fine, I'm worried about the idiots behind me. Taking the moral highground doesn't help if you end up dead in the end. There's a ton of motorhomes, boats and equipment trailers on these roads. Even at 35mph they may not be able to stop in time when they are towing ~15-20k GVW. There's a large difference between being rear ended in a car and rear ended on a bicycle. One is engineered to do everything to keep you alive, the other ends up with you plastered across someone's bumper. The solution is to build these roads to be safe, however riding on them in their current state just makes the roads more dangerous for everyone.

sampo 9y ago
So those roads would require lower speed limits?
- the_gastropod 9y ago
  Most of these kinds of roads do have low speed limits (especially around "blind" corners). The problem is, drivers feel confident traveling at speeds higher than the posted speed limit. Roads need to be designed better so that the speed limits more closely match speeds a normal human would feel comfortable driving. Narrowing lanes is one trick for accomplish this.
  - vvanders 9y ago
    Yeah, it's less speed limits and more that people don't leave proper following distance. Most people leave 1-2 car lengths yet even at 40mph you'd need to leave 3 cars not to be kissing bumpers(40mph = 60ft/sec, 1/2sec reaction = 30ft). I don't brake for small animals on these roads for similar reasons and I've lost count the number of times I've had to dive for the shoulder when someone overruns their stopping distance behind me(which is why you should always keep an eye on your rear mirror in a panic brake situation). Intentionally biking on these roads put everyone at a higher risk of these types of situations happening and a bad outcome for all because of it.
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago
  And then they'd be even more dangerous since you'd have fast cars vs slow cars vs bikes instead of just fast cars vs bikes. People don't follow the speed limits. They optimize for a constant amount of risk. Depending on conditions that's 20-over or 15 under or anywhere between.

sampo 9y ago

So those roads would require lower speed limits?

the_gastropod 9y ago
Most of these kinds of roads do have low speed limits (especially around "blind" corners). The problem is, drivers feel confident traveling at speeds higher than the posted speed limit. Roads need to be designed better so that the speed limits more closely match speeds a normal human would feel comfortable driving. Narrowing lanes is one trick for accomplish this.
- vvanders 9y ago
  Yeah, it's less speed limits and more that people don't leave proper following distance. Most people leave 1-2 car lengths yet even at 40mph you'd need to leave 3 cars not to be kissing bumpers(40mph = 60ft/sec, 1/2sec reaction = 30ft). I don't brake for small animals on these roads for similar reasons and I've lost count the number of times I've had to dive for the shoulder when someone overruns their stopping distance behind me(which is why you should always keep an eye on your rear mirror in a panic brake situation). Intentionally biking on these roads put everyone at a higher risk of these types of situations happening and a bad outcome for all because of it.
dsfyu404ed 9y ago
And then they'd be even more dangerous since you'd have fast cars vs slow cars vs bikes instead of just fast cars vs bikes. People don't follow the speed limits. They optimize for a constant amount of risk. Depending on conditions that's 20-over or 15 under or anywhere between.