I'm having difficulty with a road on my commute which is causing significant doubt about continuing to keep commuting by bike.
I've worked here since 2012 and have cycled to work throughout that time but haven't ever ridden a full week very often, three days a week is about my average. I'm trying to increase my riding and the obvious answer is to increase to 5 days. Which I have managed this week much to my own satisfaction.
There is a country road just at the end of my ride in, on which our industrial park is located. It's about 4 miles long, wide in places, too narrow in others, runs through a village and the speed limit varies from national at the bottom end, 30 in the village and 40 up to my work. It's almost completely straight and is therefore a natural race track. It's completely normal to see traffic overtaking in the 40 straight at me, close passes happen on a daily basis and I fear for my life. Watching my heart rate monitor is an entertaining by-product.
I can cut out the road almost entirely but that is a three mile detour through quiet country lanes which in summer time are a joy to ride but in winter flood quite significantly and are often impassable, at least in the dark some of the traffic slows down a bit on the main road. Adding three miles each way to my commute means an earlier start and a later return home. Three days a week this is acceptable but every night is tiring.
The half way option takes me into some other lanes which I usually use but these are badly potholed, covered in sand and mud and really badly flood in the winter. I ride a pretty sturdy bike so don't worry too much but it still results in having to use two miles of the main road.
I tried riding in a more positive position on the road this morning with scary consequences. I can ride in the gutter (it's been recently resurfaced) but that just encourages close passing so I don't really know what to do.
I've ridden this road for 6 years now and am not sure what's changed, it's either getting more dangerous or I perceive it to be as I get older.
Will petitioning the local government for a proper cycle lane or connecting the villages with some off road paths stand any chance whatsoever??