Shared Paths or Road.

[leximack]

i use a combination of both and really just depends on what sort of riding i am doing at the time and what i feel like.
The paths are great for relaxing and just enjoying the morning air, but if i want to go hard and work the legs then i use the road, but luckily for me 99% of the roads i use have a dedicated cyclelane so its good either way.

Don

[Mububban]

I much prefer riding on the road, for me riding from Greenwood to Nedlands, I find the bike paths really twisted and convoluted for my crap sense of direction

However I stick to the paths now to avoid getting squished, my wife worries and I've had so many close calls, I'm prefering getting mildly lost rather than almost hit on a daily basis (as I saw happen to a familiar female commuter get knocked down by a taxi last Friday).

[trailgumby]

There was one woman talking to her girlfriend, the pair taking up the entire width of the path, both sides of the centre line. Woman on right heard my call "passing on the right", turned around, looked at me, refused to budge. "Pedestrians have right of way" as I slowed down to walking pace and took to the grass to go around.

Quick comebacks always elude you when you need them, but I believe the appropriate response is "Courtesy is free".

Thanks, I'll use that if I have the presence of mind. Better than my first response, which is less courteous.

[thepeddler]

I much prefer riding on the road, for me riding from Greenwood to Nedlands, I find the bike paths really twisted and convoluted for my crap sense of direction

However I stick to the paths now to avoid getting squished, my wife worries and I've had so many close calls, I'm prefering getting mildly lost rather than almost hit on a daily basis (as I saw happen to a familiar female commuter get knocked down by a taxi last Friday).

Hope the female commuter was ok?

It can be a bit dicey on the roads. I was cycling on the road down to work in Fremantle one morning on the road from Sorrento to Trigg. A guy in a four wheel drive and a great big oversize boat on a trailer almost took me out. I had to jump of the road on to the footpath. Scared the crap out of me. Lucky I was on the old CRX4, wouldn't want to jump kerbs on the new bike.

I agree that the northern freeway path is very convoluted, luckily the ride to Fremantle is a bit more straight forward. Though I do take a detour through Cottesloe just to check out the view.

[nickobec]

Given the choice between 8km shared paths or 5km of quiet roads to freeway. I take the roads, far smoother surfaces, safer intersections and quicker.

Before the new back roads, the last 2km where down an interesting bike path at 35kmh+ descent over rough concrete, twisty corners, lots of overhanging trees and crap on the path. Really got your blood pumping on winter mornings in the dark.

Next 34km is on the shared path along the freeway from Thomas road to the City. Can't complain great path unlike our north of the river counter parts.

Once I hit the city it is roads, it just works better for me, not quite the crazed urban courier, but far more aggressive than I am in downtown kwinana, but there the car drivers are real cowboys.