Cycling/Commuting FROM Davis Square

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I know many people commute FROM Davis TO day jobs elsewhere in the vicinity so I'm hoping this question will be deemed on-topic:

If you were to commute from Davis to the Back Bay/Copley area, what route would you take? Anecdotally, do you consider this to be a beginner, intermediate or advanced commute in terms of road savvy required? What sort of comfort-is-a-priority-but-price-is-less-of-a-concern bicycle would you recommend for a commute like this?

I suppose I could have posted to b0st0n but I'll admit that I prefer the less-snarky waters of davis_square when seeking advice/opinion.

Comments

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

You've already got tons of good advice, but here's my $0.02:

* Many roads feel intimidating because you're sharing the road with fast-moving traffic, but are safe to bike as long as you're behaving predictably and obeying the rules of the road. There's a big difference between feeling unsafe and being unsafe, but it's hard sometimes to tell the difference.

* I'd probably take the same route several other people have mentioned: Elm to Mossland to Beacon/Hampshire to Broadway to the Longfellow to Charles.

* That said, I'm comfortable with urban cycling and am okay with navigating the Charles/MGH rotary on a bike, but I think it would feel pretty intimidating for a newer cyclist. Ron's suggestion of Hampshire to Windsor to Mass Ave. to the Harvard Bridge might be easier. Try them both and see which one feels less perilous.

* For the return trip, the Harvard Bridge will almost certainly be easier. It is an unbelievable pain in the ass to get from Copley to the Longfellow on a bike. I haven't found a route that is both legal and efficient, and almost always take the Harvard Bridge and then take Mass Ave the rest of the way.

* Some of these roads have bike lanes on them. You're not required to ride in the bike lane, ever, no matter what anyone says. If you do choose to ride in the bike lane, be very careful not to ride in the "door zone" -- you're far more likely to get "doored" by someone opening their car door carelessly than you are to get run over by a driver trying to pass. Keeping out of the door zone usually means riding at the very leftmost edge of the bike lane.

* Ron's a great guy and I dearly hope that his habit of riding the wrong way on one-way streets doesn't turn out badly one day.

Good luck! I hope it works out for you!

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Also: I second the recommendations for the "Bicycling Street Smarts" pamphlet mentioned above, and for a MassBike basic cycling safety class if you're still feeling uncomfortable with urban cycling.