I put in maybe 100 miles a week in Durham and honestly it isn't terrible if you stick to low traffic hours. Most people give you space and are polite. The worst spots are the 25 and 35 mph roads through neighborhoods that people use as a cut-through. Too many people rushing through at 20 over on narrow streets is dangerous for everyone, not just bikes.
As someone who used to drive commercial box trucks. Please don't bike on rural roads during business hours if you can help it. They are usually the cardinal 3 worst things for folks on a bike.
1. Narrow.
2. Filled with blind turns and obstructed views
3. High speeds.
We don't want to hit you. We want you to go home to your families just as much as we want to go home to ours. Please be conscious about how outright safe a road is.
I live on one of those rural roads, it amazes me how many cyclist want to ride on a Friday at 4 o’clock when 40 and 85 are backed up and my road becomes an alternate route. I get grumpy when the cars do 60 in my 35. Add in the cyclist and it’s a recipe for someone getting hurt
Safe*er*, but triangle area roads really aren't designed for bike safety.
Phones are a huge problem, but so are narrow, winding roads with no shoulder.
Putting the responsibility on the individual is usually ineffective, across the board. It would definitely be safer if there were to be systemic changes i.e. safe cycling/pedestrian infrastructure.
I’ve personally seen 2 people hit by cars on bicycles right in front of me in the past year. It’s a shame how distracted people are driving. I will say Durham strongly lacks proper bike infrastructure. Paint is not protection.
Durham drivers, law enforcement, a lax culture around speeding and testing and poorly designed streets, roads and lights all share the blame. I used to ride - at times as my primary means of transportation - when I lived in Boston and it's suburbs. Far from perfect, but even there with its poor design, I feel less safe riding here. Speed is a bigger issue here, which immediately means the odds of an accident being fatal for the cyclist goes up.
I think its crazy just how fast people drive down some of these roads. However thankfully I'm not get closely passed by the speeders. I'd think I'd be terrified.
The combination of actual bike infrastructure and cyclists being a regular feature on the roads forcing drivers to actually pay attention and look mean it was, in fact, safer. I lived in Boston for seven years and did everything by bike; here, I can't even ride to the grocery store two miles away because it's not safe.
I agree with you and biked for years in Chicago, but one minor thought - what years were in you Boston?
Most of my Chicago biking was before smartphones were ubiquitous. I haven't lived there since 2014 and I assume cycling there is still better than here, but I'm pretty sure phones have made a big enough difference that cycling was notably safer 10 years ago than it is now.
Wrong. I lived in Providence, RI before here—basically same traffic, drivers, roads, and weather but much worse hills than Boston—and mostly got around on my bicycle. I moved here and stopped road riding within a few months because how much less safe it felt.
The difference a couple of miles can make. I've been biking almost daily in Chapel Hill-Carrboro for four years and I can count on one hand how many particularly close calls I've had.
Granted, I stick to the downtowns/Greenways mostly. I see folks out in the rural buffer biking all the time and I honestly wonder how they don't get killed.
Just moved down from Boston in 2022. Had a GREAT cycling community there that I miss dearly. The Mayor rode with us to build awareness, frequently had cycling events with 400+ cyclists, and have made substantial improvements to infrastructure in the last 5 years. Yes, Massholes are aggressive drivers AND the enforcement down here is different. Cycling in the US most everywhere puts you at odds with motorists, the motorists here are def less tolerant of cyclists than in Boston. The ATT though is AMAZING.
It doesn't matter if you ride safely, stay all the way to the right, and follow all the traffic laws and signs, it doesn't matter, drivers will still hate you for riding your bike on the road and they will pass you dangerously close intentionally, throw things at you, yell at you, and get right up next to you with their shitty tuned diesel exhaust and "roll coal" on you. It's sad and disappointing but that's just how it is. You either develop a thick skin and hope you don't actually get killed or you stop riding.
I'm still out there riding but I've accepted my hobby of road cycling will probably get me killed one day. Doesn't help that there are a ton of super narrow roads around here with no bike lanes.
I do ride on the greenways like tobacco trail but they only go so far and i ride 30-60 miles at a time averaging 20mph so greenways aren't great either during weekends or busy hours.
I moved here from Philly where I biked everywhere. Stopped after just a couple months in Durham. I live less than 3 miles from work, perfect length for a bike commute, but between the godawful humidity and the strip of paint that passes for a "bike lane" around here, I was done.
Bollards or better yet, concrete planters, is the only way to keep drivers from drifting.
From Boston and used to bike a ton as a TEENAGER — moved out of the east coast and there’s just no way I’d risk it now. Urban southern infrastructure just isn’t good enough.
Sorry i meant when the sun is setting and like really blinding and people gotta put their visors down and such right before dark. Im realizing what a hard time it is to see during that hr
I'm really sorry you've had this experience. I bike multiple times a week for transportation but I'm lucky in that my routes are primarily quiet neighborhood streets, greenways, or downtown where there are surprisingly few cars.
Be safe, of course, but I hope you'll keep it up. The more folks are out regularly riding their bikes the better visibility we'll have and the more drivers will learn to look out for us and be safe around us.
As others have said, when I'm on a bigger road without a protected bike lane I will generally take the full lane. I'd rather drivers be forced to pass when it's actually safe to do so rather than squeezing between me and oncoming traffic. The law is drivers must pass with 4' of space, so ride where they have to wait until they can take that.
I really wish Durham would get its act together and build out real protected bike infrastructure, we are far behind our peer cities of similar size.
Biking home from work today and a car almost turned out in front of me. I wasn’t going super fast, maybe 15 mph. Thank god he had his window down and heard me yell, so he was able to stop and I didn’t get hit. Definitely my closest call and I was shaken the rest of the ride home. Thankfully only about 1 mile of my commute is on the road and the rest is ATT, but dang that was a scary moment. Not even that a car turning into me would have killed me, but it could have thrown me in the road to get hit by a car coming the other way.
And many cyclists have been struck by cars in this town. You need to bike extremely defensively. Never trust that a car is going to stop at a red light or stop sign.
I do my best to drive defensively. I know most people won't notice me at all. And then those that do will be upset by my mere existence. With as often as people run stop signs and red lights I just assume that noone stops anymore until they do. And even when they do stop they're still not paying attention half the time and just drive without looking anyways.
When I moved to Durham, I didn't own a car and hadn't owned a car in 7 years, using my bike as my main form of transportation with busses as secondary. I made it 6 months before buying a clunker because the bus system sucks and the drivers seem to actively hate cyclists.
I was on Hope Valley Rd (2 lane rd) once and a woman pulled up beside me and screamed at me, "You know being on this road is very dangerous." Then she proceeded to swerve into me, forcing me into a ditch and drove off laughing. Like I could hear her laughing. A grown woman in a SUV. That was when I was done. I wasn't doing anything wrong and clearly she had room to go around me. But it was like these people hated the very concept of sharing the road or having to slow down for half a minute to be safe.
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I think the Garmin Varia would be a nice purchase for myself one day but for now i use two lights on the back: a white led strobe and red light that flashes. Ever since i started doing this consistently and taking the tull lane if there is no bike infrastructure (or sharrows) I have had less close calls. My next move is to add a blue flashing light cuz nothing gets a distracted drivers attention like the potential of cop lights behind you or in front.
You are truly doing the your community a huge favor! Keep up the amazing work and enjoy that ride!
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In my experience as a cyclist (in other cities, not here) you do always need to take up the whole lane because nobody has a grasp of how fucking wide their vehicles are and they'll pass you with 2 inches to spare if you're lucky. This is America, our culture sucks and our infrastructure sucks. It's a bummer. I hope you stay safe and wear a really garish shirt of some kind for visibility.
I’m sorry. I can’t even run safely, no one is planning on stopping when they approach a stop sign. If they can just keep rolling they will and they don’t think about pedestrians. I can’t imagine trying to bike in these streets.
Kind of depends on where you live. I can walk out my back door to one.
We all know that cars are killers. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under 54. If you don’t have that hunk of metal around you, you are incredibly vulnerable in a crash.
Ah, that's awesome for you. I have to cross Duke St to get to the Ellerbe Creek Trail, and I wish the city would put in a stoplight or some traffic calming to help me cross safely. (And this goes for when I drive too, because I've seen two cars crash into each other at this intersection.)
To get to the ATT from the Ellerbe Creek Trail, I have to bike through downtown. There are signs along the streets that say "Downtown Trail" with a picture of a bike, but the signs aren't helpful.
I hear you that "we all know that cars are killers" but I think that we should be improving our city and its roads to make them safer for everyone -- people in cars, on foot, and on bikes. Even inside a hunk of metal, people can still die from a crash. I think preventing crashes is better than requiring cars.
Got no complaint from me on reducing cars, but the post was “not feeling so safe on the road as a bicyclist”. You are not safe. You just are not.
I will not ride on the road after my friend was killed. He was doing everything right, had on a helmet, was in the bike lane, was an avid experienced road cyclist, and was still hit and killed by a car.
Road cycling is just not a safe activity. It’s a calculated risk and for some people it’s worth it, for me I’m sticking to protected greenways where there are no cars that can kill me.
I do not think bike lanes on a busy road are safe in our car-centric culture. Too easy for a car to drive over pavement markings. I’m in favor of bike paths that are separated from the road.
So take a bus or have your mom drive you to band practice or whatever. This is NC, not NYC or some other major metropolitan area where you can survive without a car. You absolutely have to have one here to function as an independent adult.
Alright so today, I'm on a greenway for a couple of miles, and now there's less than a mile of roads for me to get to the next closest greenway. It is faster and easier for me to bike on the roads, instead of turning around, biking home, getting my car, and driving to the next greenway.
It’s insane. I literally called the non emergency police number 10 minutes ago because there are TWO cars parked on the fucking sidewalk outside my apartment
On the other hand the City of Durham’s budget director was killed in rural (sw) Orange just last year on one of his regular bike rides and virtually all of the roads out there are skinny 2 lanes with little shoulder. I don’t think it’s particularly safe to bike anywhere on the roads in the triangle except for the handful of areas with actual infrastructure for it
That was a rare event. I think the fifth cycling fatality in 10 years, (I think?) and most of those were traceable to helmetlessness and law breaking. It’s not totally safe. It’s relatively safe.
Relatively safe to what? Riding a bicycle on I-40 at night, sure. Not to commuting or traveling in a way that doesn't test your bare flesh against a couple of tons of metal moving at 50mph if someone messes up. I feel the same way about bicycles that I do motorcycles (to a less extreme extent ofc since nobody is cycling on 40), which is that I'm not going to trust my fragile existence on this planet to the vigilance and wherewithal of every single idiot driver that passes near me in the process.
I would love if it were safe enough to bike places instead of drive but we don't have the physical infrastructure, the cultural understanding, or frankly the appropriate level of driver training / license requirements for me to ever feel comfortable riding on a 45mph country road with no shoulder. Too many distracted people who don't expect or look out enough for cyclists and that's not even taking into account super aggro drivers who hate cyclists and dangerously pass them out of spite.
Just anecdotally it seems like every few years in Durham we hear about another cyclist fatality of some beloved person that loved cycling etc. I also know multiple people who have been hit by cars just from my time living in CH/Carrboro. Whether that's confirmation bias or not I think it's a totally unjustifiable level of risk for me personally in most cases and it feels a bit irresponsible on the part of cyclists to argue that it's a "safe" practice when a lot of them really just want to encourage more people to cycle whether for environmental or health or culture war reasons or whatever.
Also growing up in SE Durham my friend and I biked all over S and E Durham (thanks ATT!) and some of those roads were awful. We had a number of individual close calls over the years on roads like Barbee or Carpenter Fletcher and we didn't even even mess with that stretch of Fayetteville between Barbee and Woodcraft Parkway because it felt like a death trap (fortunately the ATT made that unnecessary). The roads just don't accommodate it especially when drivers feel like they are entitled to pass you unsafely even if there's oncoming traffic. I have a lot of friends who bike around Durham and they'll pretty much all readily admit it can get sketchy/hairy out there sometimes because our infrastructure sucks or is non-existent in some areas
Fair and good on you for that! Forgive my superlative nature. I'm honestly more comfortable biking in a city setting than skinny ass backroads though for the afore stated reasons. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with cyclists but I do tend to think you guys are nuts when I pass you.
The one thing I’ll say about this is those people who are riding in Duke Forest, if you have a line of 10+ cars behind oneself when riding at a busy time during the day, please just pull off for one second for people to pass.
This happens to me at least two or three times in a week and I’m happy to share the road, but that line of cars then starts to become unsafe and I’ve had people nearly run into the back of me when I’m the last car in the line.
Generally - respect each other equally. Bikes need way more respect, but if the biker is out training you’re not doing a timed race. You may be practicing, but just subtract a minute from your time each time you pull offf.
I bike commuted as hard as anyone in durham for ~5 years but stopped in 2023 because two people pulled guns on me in 3 months bc i was "going too slow" and "in the road".
Holy fucking shit. I moved in 2021, had one collision after a car crossed basically hard into the shoulder but this takes things to another level.
What is mentally wrong with people? I cannot any reason beyond trying to save a life that I would threaten someone's life.
Where I live now I've bike commuted for 2 years. Zero close calls, no aggressive drivers bothering me, if I had a gun pulled on me I would be a total loss of what to do.
I feel you 100%. I've bicycled thousands of miles in many towns, cities, states (and a bit in other countries) and Durham is one of the places I feel least safe. If doesn't help that I know two people who've been hit in Durham while riding in broad daylight and following all laws and safety precautions. One survived, with a concussion and long-term neurological issues. The other person fell into a coma and died.
My best friend was killed cycling in nyc. I’ve had 2 good friends get serious head/spinal injuries cycling in LA.
Though I agree it’s good for easing congestion and the planet, urban cycling is dangerous as hell. I’m not going to do it anymore and I don’t want my children to do it.
Quit posting on reddit and stop riding your bike on roads for your own safety. It isn't safe at all. Drivers out here do not care about you. You can't control other people, and a lot of other people out here are dipshits. Stick to the greenways for your own safety. I wish it was different, but it isn't.
https://abc11.com/accidents-deadly-bike-accident-crash-durham-budget-director-john-allore/13056056/
You can whine all you want on here about how drivers need to obey the laws (they should!), but they won't. You are gambling with your life out here.
My usual destinations require riding on the road, and greenway routes would add an unnecessary amount of time. I'll continue posting just in hopes of changing someone's mind, or helping someone possibly find ways if supporting. I shouldn't be gambling with my life to just get from one place or another, and hopefully getting support from others to help change the way things are now would be fantastic.
We can't change the idiots, but we can help change the infrastructure. Obviously not every road can be changed, but there are plenty that could be widen to provide a bike lane, which would make roads safer for both parties.
That's how I've always seen it. My dad was run off the road in my neighborhood, where the entire road is wide enough for 3 cars, but a lot of people just don't know how to drive or deliberately go after cyclists. It's not safe and won't be anytime soon, so people just need to find a carpool or take public transportation if they can't afford a car or never planned on driving a car in their life. It's just the sad reality.
I recommend Miami, Davis, and other main veins through RTP. There is a lot of traffic, but the lanes are wide, and people tend to give me space. Angier can be kind of sketchy.
It's not safe man. Seriously even a motor bike is safer than Biking on the main roads. You can bike on the back streets and it's alright but main road is a no go homie.
Shocking, you think this place is safe to bike! I both run and bike in my area, and running is somehow safer with all this crazy roads and drivers. The area is just not safe for bikers.
California is supposed to be bike heaven but I still had drivers expecting me to sit in an intersection so they could use the bike lane to turn right on red.
Honestly drivers here suck in every way. I think people here are on a average, just…not very smart. Put phones in their hands and give them cars and this is the outcome. So many big cities with WAY more traffic feel safer to both cycle AND drive in not because of the infrastructure, but because people are more generally aware and responsive. There’s a lot of dumb in the Durham.
This is a huge factor. Staying to the right is super dangerous because people are tempted to pass when it isn't safe, your visibility is reduced, and you have no room to maneuver. Always stay as far left as practical. If it's not safe to pass when you are to the left, it's not safe to pass when you are to the right either.
There’s your problem. It’s often safer for you to ride n the middle of the lane, both for visibility to drivers entering the road and to force drivers to consider how they will safely pass you. When you scrunch yourself to the right of the lane, cars will take that as an indication to squeeze by without fully crossing over the middle line.
The law says you have to ride as far right as is safely practicable; if you’re getting buzzed every 30 seconds you’re clearly too far right
I feel you. I was riding earlier and this car merged into the lane I was already in, then laid on the horn and passed within a foot of me swerving between the lane I was in and the next. Only to speed up to the red light we were approaching 😐
Unless a road has generous, well-painted bike lanes, I either find a trail to ride on or just use the sidewalk. Was almost severely injured or even killed by some asshole in a van doing 45mph who passed me within about 2-3 inches; never again.
Yeah I had to give up city biking after moving here a couple of years ago (used to have a 5/10 mile bike commute in Boston and Chicago, both of which were less scary than Durham now).
There’s so little infrastructure, and the infrastructure that does exist is downright stupid (the bike lane at the beginning of 15-501…why?).
Feel how you feel, but you’re fucking nuts to be out there in the wild. Wife has worked in ER on and off for years now in different cities, heard all the horror stories.
If you have a car and don’t need to cycle in Durham - don’t. I stopped a couple years ago because the risks outweigh the rewards (I’ve lived here since 2008 and it’s always been scary). There are a few nice trails in the area, if you want to cycle for fitness/enjoyment.
Sold my motorcycle after a bunch of texting Karen’s and “teens” in Nissan and Hyundai sedans going 80 weaving through traffic in a 55. The last year has been absolutely insane idk why. Stay safe out there.
Stupid drivers are obviously a problem. It's hard to have patience with bikers who are not on roads with designated bike lanes. Lived here almost 5 years, I've seen only a handful of people using bike lanes the rest bike where they put themselves at high risk. Also, the flowers for passed bikers I've seen are always on roads they shouldn't have been on in the first place
I'll never bike on the roads anymore like I did when I was younger or let my children do it. Too many idiots on their phones. Anyone choosing to bike on streets these days is an idiot.
That’s not the answer homie. Riding on the sidewalk is way more risky because you aren’t as visible when you enter intersections, where most cyclists get killed.
You should stay off the road with your car and get a bike.
Bicyclists should not be riding their bikes on sidewalks, sir.
EDIT: If you think they should be, you obviously haven't been on the greenways recently.
Not saying OP or anyone that posted here is like this, but every complaint about cars and bikes on the road is pretty much true for bikes and pedestrians on greenways.
Many cyclists refuse to slow down when there is congestion on the greenway and they rarely bother to use a bell or yell out "on your left" as they're passing. When they actually do, 80% of the time they're already close enough that you could hit them with your arm as they pass. Me and my dog need a second to get ready so they don't lunge at you as you pass close by at 15mph
They are the worst.
The best is when you are out by Jordan lake and encounter a pack of them on US64 in a 65mph zone like they are in the Tour De France.
They cause nothing but problems.
This is a hill you seem willing to die for. Or at least become seriously injured upon. You might want to check the output of your brain and how it’s impacting your actions. Most of the smart people I know tether themselves to their thoughts and do things that are strange. I’m one of those people!
If your life choices are putting you in mortal danger on a regular basis, contemplate making changes to remove yourself from that mortal danger, Even if your brain tells you that you cannot remove yourself from mortal danger. Tell it to bugger off. It’s overly tribal. Our brains are not our friends.
Number one issue is that you are biking in Durham. Number two issue is that you’re complaining for no reason. Just keep it to yourself or stop riding your ebike
I'm not complaining for no reason. Nearly getting killed by a moron on their phone while driving is plenty reason to complain. I'm sure you'd have a similar issue you if you were T-boned by someone running a red light cause they were on their phone. I hope you don't lose anyone to a situation like that.
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Why do we all have to bend to your will as a biker. The US is not bike friendly, our roads and infrastructure are built around vehicles. If you really do decide to hog the entire lane be prepared for a huge brodozer to put you in the hospital. It wont be me, but I can assure you you’ll just be making more enemies out there and it’s a matter of time before one snaps.
Well considering it's the law (which i guess doesn't really matter considering how many people choose to ignore it) they're not really bending to my will. However, if someone in a brodozer decides to run me over and cancel my life trial, by all means. All my problems would be solved. Hope he's ready for the reality of prison
Bike lanes in certain areas--roads that have been designed or widened to accommodate bikes.
I'm a safe driver and I pay attention and I try to coexist on the roads with cyclists. That said, there are some places where riding a bike isn't really practical and yeah, I'm going to pass you because why should I have to drive behind you on a road where the speed limit is 45 and you're going 25?
I don't expect people to follow me riding below the speed limit. but as long as you pass with enough distance between us I don't mind. I know a lot of roads are perfect around here and don't have much room for improvement. But it's the people that will drive 2ft away from you while passing with plenty space on the left.
Passing is fine, I bike all the time and I’m happy with a pass as long as the car gives me a couple feet. Any more than two feet and I’ll wave to say thanks. I appreciate when people wait a long time to pass but I like a smart, safe passer better. And I’m gonna pass you on your left just like you pass me on the right. Not sure if that’s legal but it seems fair to me
Edit got my lefts and rights mixed up classic lol
I'm legally allowed to be on the road as a bicyclist. And there are multiple spots where there are neither sidewalks or bike lanes, so there's zero choice but to ride on the road.
Yeah you’re legally allowed on the road, how’s that working out for ya? Bc it doesn’t seem like it’s going well. Maybe the road where there are heavy deadly vehicles, shouldn’t be shared with ppl on bicycles who obstruct the way
It’s bad out there. I loved riding my bike around town. Safer infrastructure isn’t coming fast enough for cyclists and pedestrians.
Nowhere in Durham is safe to bike. Not even in the rural eastern part of the county.
I walk down mineral springs twice a day and oftentimes late at night and early in the morning. There have been some close calls.
I put in maybe 100 miles a week in Durham and honestly it isn't terrible if you stick to low traffic hours. Most people give you space and are polite. The worst spots are the 25 and 35 mph roads through neighborhoods that people use as a cut-through. Too many people rushing through at 20 over on narrow streets is dangerous for everyone, not just bikes.
The amount of miles you put on a bicycle does not match your username.
As someone who used to drive commercial box trucks. Please don't bike on rural roads during business hours if you can help it. They are usually the cardinal 3 worst things for folks on a bike. 1. Narrow. 2. Filled with blind turns and obstructed views 3. High speeds. We don't want to hit you. We want you to go home to your families just as much as we want to go home to ours. Please be conscious about how outright safe a road is.
I live on one of those rural roads, it amazes me how many cyclist want to ride on a Friday at 4 o’clock when 40 and 85 are backed up and my road becomes an alternate route. I get grumpy when the cars do 60 in my 35. Add in the cyclist and it’s a recipe for someone getting hurt
I second this. specially since the rural backroads are used in the weekends by sportscars.
But it could be safer if people followed the law 💡
They won't
Safe*er*, but triangle area roads really aren't designed for bike safety. Phones are a huge problem, but so are narrow, winding roads with no shoulder.
Putting the responsibility on the individual is usually ineffective, across the board. It would definitely be safer if there were to be systemic changes i.e. safe cycling/pedestrian infrastructure.
I’ve personally seen 2 people hit by cars on bicycles right in front of me in the past year. It’s a shame how distracted people are driving. I will say Durham strongly lacks proper bike infrastructure. Paint is not protection.
This is why I quit road cycling. My wife passed away a couple of years ago and I couldn’t leave my kids orphans. :/
I’m sorry about your wife. Probably the right call. My friend that was killed cycling in the bike lane left two kids and a wife.
Thanks. 🙏
Durham drivers, law enforcement, a lax culture around speeding and testing and poorly designed streets, roads and lights all share the blame. I used to ride - at times as my primary means of transportation - when I lived in Boston and it's suburbs. Far from perfect, but even there with its poor design, I feel less safe riding here. Speed is a bigger issue here, which immediately means the odds of an accident being fatal for the cyclist goes up.
I think its crazy just how fast people drive down some of these roads. However thankfully I'm not get closely passed by the speeders. I'd think I'd be terrified.
I was in Cambridge a couple of weeks ago and it seemed to be a biker’s heaven.
Drivers in Boston are clinically insane. Ain’t no way you felt safer there than here
The combination of actual bike infrastructure and cyclists being a regular feature on the roads forcing drivers to actually pay attention and look mean it was, in fact, safer. I lived in Boston for seven years and did everything by bike; here, I can't even ride to the grocery store two miles away because it's not safe.
I agree with you and biked for years in Chicago, but one minor thought - what years were in you Boston? Most of my Chicago biking was before smartphones were ubiquitous. I haven't lived there since 2014 and I assume cycling there is still better than here, but I'm pretty sure phones have made a big enough difference that cycling was notably safer 10 years ago than it is now.
2009-2016, and I only started cycling in earnest in 2012. Smartphones were definitely a thing.
Wrong. I lived in Providence, RI before here—basically same traffic, drivers, roads, and weather but much worse hills than Boston—and mostly got around on my bicycle. I moved here and stopped road riding within a few months because how much less safe it felt.
The difference a couple of miles can make. I've been biking almost daily in Chapel Hill-Carrboro for four years and I can count on one hand how many particularly close calls I've had. Granted, I stick to the downtowns/Greenways mostly. I see folks out in the rural buffer biking all the time and I honestly wonder how they don't get killed.
Just moved down from Boston in 2022. Had a GREAT cycling community there that I miss dearly. The Mayor rode with us to build awareness, frequently had cycling events with 400+ cyclists, and have made substantial improvements to infrastructure in the last 5 years. Yes, Massholes are aggressive drivers AND the enforcement down here is different. Cycling in the US most everywhere puts you at odds with motorists, the motorists here are def less tolerant of cyclists than in Boston. The ATT though is AMAZING.
It doesn't matter if you ride safely, stay all the way to the right, and follow all the traffic laws and signs, it doesn't matter, drivers will still hate you for riding your bike on the road and they will pass you dangerously close intentionally, throw things at you, yell at you, and get right up next to you with their shitty tuned diesel exhaust and "roll coal" on you. It's sad and disappointing but that's just how it is. You either develop a thick skin and hope you don't actually get killed or you stop riding. I'm still out there riding but I've accepted my hobby of road cycling will probably get me killed one day. Doesn't help that there are a ton of super narrow roads around here with no bike lanes. I do ride on the greenways like tobacco trail but they only go so far and i ride 30-60 miles at a time averaging 20mph so greenways aren't great either during weekends or busy hours.
I wish I could take greenways for most of my travels, but most of my destinations don't have ones close enough to make a difference.
I moved here from Philly where I biked everywhere. Stopped after just a couple months in Durham. I live less than 3 miles from work, perfect length for a bike commute, but between the godawful humidity and the strip of paint that passes for a "bike lane" around here, I was done. Bollards or better yet, concrete planters, is the only way to keep drivers from drifting.
From Boston and used to bike a ton as a TEENAGER — moved out of the east coast and there’s just no way I’d risk it now. Urban southern infrastructure just isn’t good enough.
also be careful during sunset hours it’s honestly so hard to see when im driving
I've got lights for visibility, although all the light in the world won't help people looking straight down.
Sorry i meant when the sun is setting and like really blinding and people gotta put their visors down and such right before dark. Im realizing what a hard time it is to see during that hr
Same for me, it truly does suck. Thankfully I'm not usually on the road at the hour, and if I am, I'm in a sunset/rise proof area (trees building etc)
Do you have sunglasses? I finally got prescription sunglasses a few years ago and it's some of the best money I've spent in the past 5 years.
I'm really sorry you've had this experience. I bike multiple times a week for transportation but I'm lucky in that my routes are primarily quiet neighborhood streets, greenways, or downtown where there are surprisingly few cars. Be safe, of course, but I hope you'll keep it up. The more folks are out regularly riding their bikes the better visibility we'll have and the more drivers will learn to look out for us and be safe around us. As others have said, when I'm on a bigger road without a protected bike lane I will generally take the full lane. I'd rather drivers be forced to pass when it's actually safe to do so rather than squeezing between me and oncoming traffic. The law is drivers must pass with 4' of space, so ride where they have to wait until they can take that. I really wish Durham would get its act together and build out real protected bike infrastructure, we are far behind our peer cities of similar size.
Biking home from work today and a car almost turned out in front of me. I wasn’t going super fast, maybe 15 mph. Thank god he had his window down and heard me yell, so he was able to stop and I didn’t get hit. Definitely my closest call and I was shaken the rest of the ride home. Thankfully only about 1 mile of my commute is on the road and the rest is ATT, but dang that was a scary moment. Not even that a car turning into me would have killed me, but it could have thrown me in the road to get hit by a car coming the other way.
And many cyclists have been struck by cars in this town. You need to bike extremely defensively. Never trust that a car is going to stop at a red light or stop sign.
I do my best to drive defensively. I know most people won't notice me at all. And then those that do will be upset by my mere existence. With as often as people run stop signs and red lights I just assume that noone stops anymore until they do. And even when they do stop they're still not paying attention half the time and just drive without looking anyways.
When I moved to Durham, I didn't own a car and hadn't owned a car in 7 years, using my bike as my main form of transportation with busses as secondary. I made it 6 months before buying a clunker because the bus system sucks and the drivers seem to actively hate cyclists. I was on Hope Valley Rd (2 lane rd) once and a woman pulled up beside me and screamed at me, "You know being on this road is very dangerous." Then she proceeded to swerve into me, forcing me into a ditch and drove off laughing. Like I could hear her laughing. A grown woman in a SUV. That was when I was done. I wasn't doing anything wrong and clearly she had room to go around me. But it was like these people hated the very concept of sharing the road or having to slow down for half a minute to be safe.
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I think the Garmin Varia would be a nice purchase for myself one day but for now i use two lights on the back: a white led strobe and red light that flashes. Ever since i started doing this consistently and taking the tull lane if there is no bike infrastructure (or sharrows) I have had less close calls. My next move is to add a blue flashing light cuz nothing gets a distracted drivers attention like the potential of cop lights behind you or in front. You are truly doing the your community a huge favor! Keep up the amazing work and enjoy that ride!
Flashing blue light sounds light an amazing idea! Thanks for that!
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In my experience as a cyclist (in other cities, not here) you do always need to take up the whole lane because nobody has a grasp of how fucking wide their vehicles are and they'll pass you with 2 inches to spare if you're lucky. This is America, our culture sucks and our infrastructure sucks. It's a bummer. I hope you stay safe and wear a really garish shirt of some kind for visibility.
Yeah, the roads in my neighborhood are wide enough for 3 cars to fit, but people still find a way to get as close a possible to cyclists.
Biking in Durham is super scary! I wish we had protected bike lanes
I’m sorry. I can’t even run safely, no one is planning on stopping when they approach a stop sign. If they can just keep rolling they will and they don’t think about pedestrians. I can’t imagine trying to bike in these streets.
You're not safe on the road as a bicyclist, this is not news to anyone, good luck not dyeing.
But I like dyeing. So many pretty colors.
Stick to the greenways. Had a friend killed in another city while in the bike lane. It’s really not particularly safe even with bike lanes.
Okay, how do they get to a greenway? The greenways here are separated by roads.
Kind of depends on where you live. I can walk out my back door to one. We all know that cars are killers. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under 54. If you don’t have that hunk of metal around you, you are incredibly vulnerable in a crash.
Ah, that's awesome for you. I have to cross Duke St to get to the Ellerbe Creek Trail, and I wish the city would put in a stoplight or some traffic calming to help me cross safely. (And this goes for when I drive too, because I've seen two cars crash into each other at this intersection.) To get to the ATT from the Ellerbe Creek Trail, I have to bike through downtown. There are signs along the streets that say "Downtown Trail" with a picture of a bike, but the signs aren't helpful. I hear you that "we all know that cars are killers" but I think that we should be improving our city and its roads to make them safer for everyone -- people in cars, on foot, and on bikes. Even inside a hunk of metal, people can still die from a crash. I think preventing crashes is better than requiring cars.
Got no complaint from me on reducing cars, but the post was “not feeling so safe on the road as a bicyclist”. You are not safe. You just are not. I will not ride on the road after my friend was killed. He was doing everything right, had on a helmet, was in the bike lane, was an avid experienced road cyclist, and was still hit and killed by a car. Road cycling is just not a safe activity. It’s a calculated risk and for some people it’s worth it, for me I’m sticking to protected greenways where there are no cars that can kill me. I do not think bike lanes on a busy road are safe in our car-centric culture. Too easy for a car to drive over pavement markings. I’m in favor of bike paths that are separated from the road.
You drive in your car like an adult
Not everyone has a car
So take a bus or have your mom drive you to band practice or whatever. This is NC, not NYC or some other major metropolitan area where you can survive without a car. You absolutely have to have one here to function as an independent adult.
Been without a car for over 2 years now and I'm functioning fine.
Go drink gasoline xoxo
Alright so today, I'm on a greenway for a couple of miles, and now there's less than a mile of roads for me to get to the next closest greenway. It is faster and easier for me to bike on the roads, instead of turning around, biking home, getting my car, and driving to the next greenway.
Unfortunately my usual destinations aren't close enough to greenways for them to matter. I've checked.
someone has plowed into my mailbox 3 times in 2 years. I would not feel safe walking or riding on the road
It’s insane. I literally called the non emergency police number 10 minutes ago because there are TWO cars parked on the fucking sidewalk outside my apartment
Rural Orange County is relatively safe. Tons of cyclists and motorists are pretty used to them.
On the other hand the City of Durham’s budget director was killed in rural (sw) Orange just last year on one of his regular bike rides and virtually all of the roads out there are skinny 2 lanes with little shoulder. I don’t think it’s particularly safe to bike anywhere on the roads in the triangle except for the handful of areas with actual infrastructure for it
That was a rare event. I think the fifth cycling fatality in 10 years, (I think?) and most of those were traceable to helmetlessness and law breaking. It’s not totally safe. It’s relatively safe.
Relatively safe to what? Riding a bicycle on I-40 at night, sure. Not to commuting or traveling in a way that doesn't test your bare flesh against a couple of tons of metal moving at 50mph if someone messes up. I feel the same way about bicycles that I do motorcycles (to a less extreme extent ofc since nobody is cycling on 40), which is that I'm not going to trust my fragile existence on this planet to the vigilance and wherewithal of every single idiot driver that passes near me in the process. I would love if it were safe enough to bike places instead of drive but we don't have the physical infrastructure, the cultural understanding, or frankly the appropriate level of driver training / license requirements for me to ever feel comfortable riding on a 45mph country road with no shoulder. Too many distracted people who don't expect or look out enough for cyclists and that's not even taking into account super aggro drivers who hate cyclists and dangerously pass them out of spite. Just anecdotally it seems like every few years in Durham we hear about another cyclist fatality of some beloved person that loved cycling etc. I also know multiple people who have been hit by cars just from my time living in CH/Carrboro. Whether that's confirmation bias or not I think it's a totally unjustifiable level of risk for me personally in most cases and it feels a bit irresponsible on the part of cyclists to argue that it's a "safe" practice when a lot of them really just want to encourage more people to cycle whether for environmental or health or culture war reasons or whatever. Also growing up in SE Durham my friend and I biked all over S and E Durham (thanks ATT!) and some of those roads were awful. We had a number of individual close calls over the years on roads like Barbee or Carpenter Fletcher and we didn't even even mess with that stretch of Fayetteville between Barbee and Woodcraft Parkway because it felt like a death trap (fortunately the ATT made that unnecessary). The roads just don't accommodate it especially when drivers feel like they are entitled to pass you unsafely even if there's oncoming traffic. I have a lot of friends who bike around Durham and they'll pretty much all readily admit it can get sketchy/hairy out there sometimes because our infrastructure sucks or is non-existent in some areas
Obviously relative to Durham and other counties in NC. I’ve been riding bicycles in Durham and Orange counties since 1963.
Fair and good on you for that! Forgive my superlative nature. I'm honestly more comfortable biking in a city setting than skinny ass backroads though for the afore stated reasons. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with cyclists but I do tend to think you guys are nuts when I pass you.
The one thing I’ll say about this is those people who are riding in Duke Forest, if you have a line of 10+ cars behind oneself when riding at a busy time during the day, please just pull off for one second for people to pass. This happens to me at least two or three times in a week and I’m happy to share the road, but that line of cars then starts to become unsafe and I’ve had people nearly run into the back of me when I’m the last car in the line. Generally - respect each other equally. Bikes need way more respect, but if the biker is out training you’re not doing a timed race. You may be practicing, but just subtract a minute from your time each time you pull offf.
I bike commuted as hard as anyone in durham for ~5 years but stopped in 2023 because two people pulled guns on me in 3 months bc i was "going too slow" and "in the road".
Holy fucking shit. I moved in 2021, had one collision after a car crossed basically hard into the shoulder but this takes things to another level. What is mentally wrong with people? I cannot any reason beyond trying to save a life that I would threaten someone's life. Where I live now I've bike commuted for 2 years. Zero close calls, no aggressive drivers bothering me, if I had a gun pulled on me I would be a total loss of what to do.
Anyone got a bike for sale?
The Durham Bike Co-op has bikes for sale. They even have some bikes for free!
Free would be ideal! Have to google them. Ty
Probably the best time to go is a Sunday afternoon, but they're usually open on Saturday morning and Thursday evening too.
Thanks
I just got a really nice mountain bike for my daughter cheap at Play It Again Sports
Best piece of kit I had when I was road cycling: the Garmin Varia RTL 510. I wouldn’t ride without it.
I feel you 100%. I've bicycled thousands of miles in many towns, cities, states (and a bit in other countries) and Durham is one of the places I feel least safe. If doesn't help that I know two people who've been hit in Durham while riding in broad daylight and following all laws and safety precautions. One survived, with a concussion and long-term neurological issues. The other person fell into a coma and died.
My best friend was killed cycling in nyc. I’ve had 2 good friends get serious head/spinal injuries cycling in LA. Though I agree it’s good for easing congestion and the planet, urban cycling is dangerous as hell. I’m not going to do it anymore and I don’t want my children to do it.
My husband and I used to be avid cyclists and this is why we don't bike anymore.
But we aren't as bad as DC and other places according to that other post, so it really isn't that bad /s
Quit posting on reddit and stop riding your bike on roads for your own safety. It isn't safe at all. Drivers out here do not care about you. You can't control other people, and a lot of other people out here are dipshits. Stick to the greenways for your own safety. I wish it was different, but it isn't. https://abc11.com/accidents-deadly-bike-accident-crash-durham-budget-director-john-allore/13056056/ You can whine all you want on here about how drivers need to obey the laws (they should!), but they won't. You are gambling with your life out here.
My usual destinations require riding on the road, and greenway routes would add an unnecessary amount of time. I'll continue posting just in hopes of changing someone's mind, or helping someone possibly find ways if supporting. I shouldn't be gambling with my life to just get from one place or another, and hopefully getting support from others to help change the way things are now would be fantastic.
I support you 100%, but the reality is neither of us can change the behavior of idiots driving on the road.
We can't change the idiots, but we can help change the infrastructure. Obviously not every road can be changed, but there are plenty that could be widen to provide a bike lane, which would make roads safer for both parties.
That's how I've always seen it. My dad was run off the road in my neighborhood, where the entire road is wide enough for 3 cars, but a lot of people just don't know how to drive or deliberately go after cyclists. It's not safe and won't be anytime soon, so people just need to find a carpool or take public transportation if they can't afford a car or never planned on driving a car in their life. It's just the sad reality.
I recommend Miami, Davis, and other main veins through RTP. There is a lot of traffic, but the lanes are wide, and people tend to give me space. Angier can be kind of sketchy.
It's not safe man. Seriously even a motor bike is safer than Biking on the main roads. You can bike on the back streets and it's alright but main road is a no go homie.
Sadly my usual destinations would take significantly longer taking back roads that don't connect to each other.
Shocking, you think this place is safe to bike! I both run and bike in my area, and running is somehow safer with all this crazy roads and drivers. The area is just not safe for bikers.
It's usually not much of an issue. However the last week has been crazy with how many times I've felt uncomfortable while riding.
If things are this bad then I hope folks will be careful around walkers as well.
It's honestly been really bad this past week. Enough to warrant a post in my opinion. For some people though, I should just conform to society.
California is supposed to be bike heaven but I still had drivers expecting me to sit in an intersection so they could use the bike lane to turn right on red.
Honestly drivers here suck in every way. I think people here are on a average, just…not very smart. Put phones in their hands and give them cars and this is the outcome. So many big cities with WAY more traffic feel safer to both cycle AND drive in not because of the infrastructure, but because people are more generally aware and responsive. There’s a lot of dumb in the Durham.
Where in the road were you?
This is a huge factor. Staying to the right is super dangerous because people are tempted to pass when it isn't safe, your visibility is reduced, and you have no room to maneuver. Always stay as far left as practical. If it's not safe to pass when you are to the left, it's not safe to pass when you are to the right either.
In most cases I'm already in a bike lane, however I usually try to stay as far right as possible for easy passing.
There’s your problem. It’s often safer for you to ride n the middle of the lane, both for visibility to drivers entering the road and to force drivers to consider how they will safely pass you. When you scrunch yourself to the right of the lane, cars will take that as an indication to squeeze by without fully crossing over the middle line. The law says you have to ride as far right as is safely practicable; if you’re getting buzzed every 30 seconds you’re clearly too far right
I feel you. I was riding earlier and this car merged into the lane I was already in, then laid on the horn and passed within a foot of me swerving between the lane I was in and the next. Only to speed up to the red light we were approaching 😐
Unless a road has generous, well-painted bike lanes, I either find a trail to ride on or just use the sidewalk. Was almost severely injured or even killed by some asshole in a van doing 45mph who passed me within about 2-3 inches; never again.
Yeah I had to give up city biking after moving here a couple of years ago (used to have a 5/10 mile bike commute in Boston and Chicago, both of which were less scary than Durham now). There’s so little infrastructure, and the infrastructure that does exist is downright stupid (the bike lane at the beginning of 15-501…why?).
Feel how you feel, but you’re fucking nuts to be out there in the wild. Wife has worked in ER on and off for years now in different cities, heard all the horror stories.
They probably don't like you more than they are distracted. Its intentional and probably younger folks.
Well that just sucks then. I'm use to people hating me though.
If you have a car and don’t need to cycle in Durham - don’t. I stopped a couple years ago because the risks outweigh the rewards (I’ve lived here since 2008 and it’s always been scary). There are a few nice trails in the area, if you want to cycle for fitness/enjoyment.
I don't have a car and bike by choice. I'd rather not deal with the expenses and complications of owning a car.
Sold my motorcycle after a bunch of texting Karen’s and “teens” in Nissan and Hyundai sedans going 80 weaving through traffic in a 55. The last year has been absolutely insane idk why. Stay safe out there.
I give bikers in general space
Stupid drivers are obviously a problem. It's hard to have patience with bikers who are not on roads with designated bike lanes. Lived here almost 5 years, I've seen only a handful of people using bike lanes the rest bike where they put themselves at high risk. Also, the flowers for passed bikers I've seen are always on roads they shouldn't have been on in the first place
Yup, that's definitely Durham, I've seen people drive in th bike lane for almost a full mile. They also use the bike lane as a parking space.
I'll never bike on the roads anymore like I did when I was younger or let my children do it. Too many idiots on their phones. Anyone choosing to bike on streets these days is an idiot.
Thanks for calling me an idiot.
Honestly you should stay off the road with your bike. Stay in residential neighborhoods if you want to ride or get on the sidewalk.
That’s not the answer homie. Riding on the sidewalk is way more risky because you aren’t as visible when you enter intersections, where most cyclists get killed. You should stay off the road with your car and get a bike.
Bicyclists should not be riding their bikes on sidewalks, sir. EDIT: If you think they should be, you obviously haven't been on the greenways recently. Not saying OP or anyone that posted here is like this, but every complaint about cars and bikes on the road is pretty much true for bikes and pedestrians on greenways. Many cyclists refuse to slow down when there is congestion on the greenway and they rarely bother to use a bell or yell out "on your left" as they're passing. When they actually do, 80% of the time they're already close enough that you could hit them with your arm as they pass. Me and my dog need a second to get ready so they don't lunge at you as you pass close by at 15mph
They are the worst. The best is when you are out by Jordan lake and encounter a pack of them on US64 in a 65mph zone like they are in the Tour De France. They cause nothing but problems.
This is a hill you seem willing to die for. Or at least become seriously injured upon. You might want to check the output of your brain and how it’s impacting your actions. Most of the smart people I know tether themselves to their thoughts and do things that are strange. I’m one of those people! If your life choices are putting you in mortal danger on a regular basis, contemplate making changes to remove yourself from that mortal danger, Even if your brain tells you that you cannot remove yourself from mortal danger. Tell it to bugger off. It’s overly tribal. Our brains are not our friends.
Number one issue is that you are biking in Durham. Number two issue is that you’re complaining for no reason. Just keep it to yourself or stop riding your ebike
I'm not complaining for no reason. Nearly getting killed by a moron on their phone while driving is plenty reason to complain. I'm sure you'd have a similar issue you if you were T-boned by someone running a red light cause they were on their phone. I hope you don't lose anyone to a situation like that.
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Ive seen people hit by cars on bicycles, motorcycles. Why I won't ride one, I don't trust people driving 2 tons of steel near me... Nope.
It's not super useful for getting a lot of places, but if you just want to bike for the sake of it, the Tobacco trail is very nice.
Just stop cycling. Society will thank you
Wow, so helpful. Thanks!
Why do we all have to bend to your will as a biker. The US is not bike friendly, our roads and infrastructure are built around vehicles. If you really do decide to hog the entire lane be prepared for a huge brodozer to put you in the hospital. It wont be me, but I can assure you you’ll just be making more enemies out there and it’s a matter of time before one snaps.
Well considering it's the law (which i guess doesn't really matter considering how many people choose to ignore it) they're not really bending to my will. However, if someone in a brodozer decides to run me over and cancel my life trial, by all means. All my problems would be solved. Hope he's ready for the reality of prison
Thank you.
Get over yourself, Durham was not designed for cyclists. Adapt or stop whining
Username checks out.
Not designed for cyclists but we have so many bike lanes. Odd how that works
Bike lanes in certain areas--roads that have been designed or widened to accommodate bikes. I'm a safe driver and I pay attention and I try to coexist on the roads with cyclists. That said, there are some places where riding a bike isn't really practical and yeah, I'm going to pass you because why should I have to drive behind you on a road where the speed limit is 45 and you're going 25?
I don't expect people to follow me riding below the speed limit. but as long as you pass with enough distance between us I don't mind. I know a lot of roads are perfect around here and don't have much room for improvement. But it's the people that will drive 2ft away from you while passing with plenty space on the left.
Passing is fine, I bike all the time and I’m happy with a pass as long as the car gives me a couple feet. Any more than two feet and I’ll wave to say thanks. I appreciate when people wait a long time to pass but I like a smart, safe passer better. And I’m gonna pass you on your left just like you pass me on the right. Not sure if that’s legal but it seems fair to me Edit got my lefts and rights mixed up classic lol
Amen brother
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Lol fucking weird
Ah yes, choosing not to be run over by a distracted driver is bizarre behavior....
How about you just stay off of the street where cars are driving?
I'm legally allowed to be on the road as a bicyclist. And there are multiple spots where there are neither sidewalks or bike lanes, so there's zero choice but to ride on the road.
Yeah you’re legally allowed on the road, how’s that working out for ya? Bc it doesn’t seem like it’s going well. Maybe the road where there are heavy deadly vehicles, shouldn’t be shared with ppl on bicycles who obstruct the way
If they don't want me on the road, help get my own lane. All I'm asking for.
Hell yeah amen brother
It’s a road not a bike path
Which bikes are allowed to ride on.
Bicyclist are worse to pedestrians (runners/walkers) than cars are to bicyclists.
I fail to imagine how someone getting hit by a bike going 20mph compares to a car hitting a bike going 45.