Avoidance. With bulletproof tires, the last step in eliminating flats forever is to avoid road hazards and debris that can damage tires. I find, for cyclists, that the edge of the road is generally the most hazardous, with poorly maintained pavement and road debris. This is where broken glass and other debris tend to collect. Fortunately, most state laws recognized that cyclists should ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable and safe.
Confused about what that means? Me too. While I am not a lawyer and I’m not giving legal advice, here’s how I understand it. The right side of the roadway is generally marked by a white line on the right side of the road. The pavement to the right of that white line is the safety shoulder.
Even though it is tempting to ride on the shoulder as far away from the flow of traffic as possible, it sometimes puts a cyclist at risk. I do ride on the shoulder when it is safe, however, I will also move into the roadway when I judge that the road conditions make it safer for me to do so.
Ken Whittaker