Riding Utah Roads - Death Traps?

[The Borg]

Ok, I moved to Utah from Colorado. I'm telling you, Colorado has to be one of the most bike friendly places I've ever lived.

Here in Utah, it seems that 1 out of 4 drivers are rednecks and they see how close they can come to you while you're riding as far to the right as you possibly can.

Utah does not have a lot of road with bike lanes or wide shoulders. Where there are no shoulders, do you all ride on the sidewalks? Or, have you found that drivers will ultimately, be somewhat civil and give you space (not my experience so far).

I have been here about a year and a half and if my memory serves me correctly, there have been a few people killed while riding and even my boss has been hit (twice...and now never rides).

Suggestion for riding in Salt Lake? I want to drive in half way from Utah County, and then bike the rest of the way.

[MikeWaters]

I don't know about riding in SLC.

I personally have decided not to ride alone on trafficked roads. Too many deaths and accidents. And I have other options. Laps around a large lake (10 miles). Or a 20 mile biking trail.

Your best bet, if you are going to ride on these roads, is to ride with a group. That's my opinion.

I know others here are a bit more cavalier.

[Quisqueyano]

I ride in Salt Lake and Utah couty all the time. I find that some people are jerks and like to scare you. So you need to get ice water in your veins. When they yell, ignore them. If they get too close, curse their soul. But keep your eyes on the road. Make sure you are wearing bright colored clothes and leave the ipod at home. pay attention to your surroundings. In other words, use common sense. I ride well over a hundred miles a week and have never been hit. Or even had a close call. The cases where people have been killed are split evenly between rider and driver error. The more miles you have behind you, the less likey you are to be hit.

[The Borg]

Where do you ride...in Salt Lake and in Lehi. I am also in Utah County...but don't know of many places to ride...

Thanks.

[MikeWaters]

I would also invest in a rearview mirror that attaches to your handlebars or your helmet.

The more populated the roads are, the more your risk level approaches that of a motorcycle. In other words, it is significant risk, but one that many are willing to take. I know of many motorcyclists that have never been in an accident (I was one of them for 3 years). Of course I know many that have.

[Quisqueyano]

Originally Posted by The Borg

Where do you ride...in Salt Lake and in Lehi. I am also in Utah County...but don't know of many places to ride...

Thanks.

My usual routes in utah county take me up pat the Micron pant and up American Fork Canyon.
I do a lot of mountian biking as well. I do that west of utah lake in the hills there. There are miles of dirt roads there. I also really like the traverse ridge rode into SL county. It makes for a long slow climb and a great descent.
My office is by the mouth of big ctwd canyon. So i ride the canyons, wasatch blvd and surrounding areas.
If you are interested, I amalways looking for someone to ride with. My roadie needs some work right now. But I mountain bike a lot.

[The Borg]

Originally Posted by Quisqueyano

If you are interested, I amalways looking for someone to ride with.

Thanks Q.

I've made most of those rides as well. I'm definitely NOT a professional rider or anything, but would certainly be game for a riding bud. What kind of pace do you try to hit for your average etc...if you're a serious rider, I may be too slow, and wouldn't want to hold you back.

[SteelBlue]

Here's my opinion. My understanding is that you are allowed to take as much of a lane as needed to ride safely. I occasionally have to ride a road with no shoulder and when I do, I take up enough of the lane that a car cannot pass me. If there are no shoulders and you hang all the way on the white line, they'll try and pass you and that's where things get unsafe.

Now, I don't ride for long stretches on such a road. Luckily, my commute to work involves roads with a decent shoulder. But as long as traffic isn't steady (iow, a car can use the opposite lane to go around you) you can ride safely on a no shoulder road. If a road with no shoulder has heavy traffic, I won't ride it.

[creekster]

I have ridden for a long time. I have been hit by a car (entirely not my fault) and sent to the hospital. I commuted daily in SLC between Murray and the Capitol building for a little over a year (except in bad winter weather and on a few other occassions). Utah has a slightly higher redneck quotient, IMO than some p[laces, but not its not unduly dangerous. Be prudent, be safe, plan and think ahead ALL THE TIME, expect cars to do somethignb stupid, and take the lane if you need to to be safe (per Steelblue's post). And wear a helmet.

I have been shouted at, thrown at and spat at while on my bike; I have felt the irresitible press of moving sheet metal against my leg milliseconds before being launched skyward due to the impact; and, I have field tested the utility of a Bell Helment as a barrier between my cranium and zasphalt. Thus, I do not take these safety issues in a cavalier way. Ride as much as you can and, if you are samrt, you will probably not be killed. You might be, but probably not.

[Archaea]

I echo many of the sentiments already expressed here.

You can ride reasonably safely despite the apparent dangers. I have ridden in Utah, surprisingly with the incident of rednecks yelling vulgarities.

I have been hit by cars in Nevada on two occasions. Neither time was my fault.

The key to safety is defensive riding. Anticipate when cars are likely to cut your off, or to cause you to T-bone. One of my accidents arose, while I was descending, and a car cut across a line of cars into my lane of traffic. I had insufficient time to brake and no alternative route, neither left nor right. Being in Vegas, I frequently ride in heavy traffic. I will also concur it is safer to ride in groups.

I concur that one should occupy the lane of traffic, if it is necessary to ride safely.

Be prepared for the unexpected.

Always, ALWAYS, Always wear a helmet. I exist today because I wore a helmet. The paramedic told me, I'd be dead but for my helmet as I was catapulted seventy-five feet across the pavement, landing on my head.

Be prepared for some road rash. If you don't want it, don't ride.

Use Hand signals while traversing the road. You need to grab the attention, via eyes of the motorists. Don't assume they see you, because sometimes they see right through you.

In dark, use lights, especially rear lights. Front lights are important but require charging so don't forget.

Either use the road lane, or stay as far to the right as you can possibly ride. In Vegas, we frequently ride two to three abreast.