Bicycling in so. california
 

My husband would like to rent a bike in the Carlsbad area while we are there. How safe is the bike lane on the main roads in Carlsbad and vicinity. Are there any biking trails in the area?

Many, many people ride bicycles safely in San Diego County. This web site should give you some ideas:

http://www.efgh.com/bike/

The website Barbara provides has some very good info & links in it. I want to point out that your concern of the safety of bike lanes is a bit misplaced. That stripe of white paint does very little to keep motor vehicles off the lane or to protect cyclists. The best protections one can take it to equipt oneself with good bicycling skills, good mechanical equipment and a good helmet. I have no idea how much regular cycling your husband does nor his level of expertise driving a bicycle. But I have seen many many people who get on a bicycle in some vacation area who ride on the wrong side of the road and ignore traffic signs and signals and many other things ... having never learned how to drive a bicycle properly: like a car. But if your husband is a "club rider" or regularly commutes to work by bike, then most likely has acquired good skills.

Find the book "Effective Cycling" by John Forester in your library or bookstore. It should be required reading in every middle-school phys ed class. Another good book, and a lot shorter, is John Allen's "Street Smarts".

I think rb is overreacting a bit- but that said, I'd highly recommend that your husband skips the bike lanes and just rides on the biking only paths (as listed on above link), since I'm assuming your husband wants to rent a bike as recreation and not a form of transportation.

I've found it to be safer, easier, and usually more scenic/fun.

Have a great time:)

Thanks for the info. My husband rides several times a week on local roads in southern MA. and NJ. He does get out there quite early in the morning before he goes to work and rides anywhere from 10 to 20 miles depending on route taken Not a serious biker but certainly familiar with biking rules and protocol.
My concern was the amount of traffic he might encounter in CA compared to what he is used to. Of course he does not know I am asking about this, as he would think I am paranoid. Just a concerned and loving wife.

If your hubby is cycling like that then he can prohably handle most area traffic. No offence towards his skills or your concerns; I know neither of you.

I have bicycled from LA to Boston twice, have lead a number of rides and worked in bicycle education projects for both children and adults. Some bicyclists are horrendous and their own stupid practices are of greater peril to them than any nearby traffic is. Ride the dedicated paths too, but unlike the safety of them that "mooselywild" assumes, please know that statistics show there are more crashes per rider-mile on those dedicated paths than on the road. Why? People become complacent, with an "I don't need to be careful, there's no cars here" type mentality.

I'm sure you will both have a great (and safe) time!

Huh- I don't become complacent on bike only trails....mystified as to why
some one would be. <shrug>

But I've been biking since I was a small child- I know my limits and basic etiquettes. And if you have a few bad accidents/wipe outs as a kid, you learn real fast what not to do:)

Main reason I suggested your hubby stick to bike only trails- some drivers who don't bike have a real sense of entitlement- like my teen sister and friends.....VERY hostile drivers, and that's not even counting sheer stupidity (So. CA seems to have more than it's fair share of angry/nervous/snotty drivers)

And having another biker run into me vs. a SUV going 45mph in a 30mph zone? Sorry, no competition:)

Now we agree, mooselywild. I wasn't questioning your skills, just the suggestion that trails are safer. I don't know why so many people get so complacent either; maybe because too many think of bicycles as toys instead of a vehicle.

I especially agree with your assessment of some motorists' sense of entitlement and others' stupidity.

So let's lay down our swords, OK?

If ediemay's husband wants some good cycling, he might want to look into local bicycle clubs in the area. Clubs come in all kinds of varieties: the racers, the touring types (both long and short distance) and the casual "stop and smell the roses" variety. The link provided above may help, but you could also check local club websites found at www.bikeleague.org and www.adventurecycling.org Club riding can be fun both due to the cameraderie and the fact that you're doing "rider-tested" routes. And they often go to some great mostly unknown sites you'd never read about in a tourguide.

Maybe YOU'LL want to get a bicycle too, ediemay!

:) Wasn't aware we were wielding swords in the first place....Sorry if I came across a bit abrupt- I think I need more coffee (iced!)

And the "toys" bit- holy smokes, those people need to use a bike as a source of transportation more, vs. "fun". That would solve the problem....

And, yes, ediemay, maybe you will want to get a bike as well- biking is addictive:)

Cooooaaastin' down the bike trail- wind whippin' through your hair.....

Oh, and rb? From LA to Boston? TWICE?? Kudos, man. That's unbelievable!