Hard Shoulder Habitat

By John Anderson

In the US, the hard shoulder is where cyclists go when there’s no alternative route or bike path to your destination. Hard shoulders occur on interstates (think motorways) and State highways (think A roads/dual carriageways). Cyclists are allowed – at your own risk.

Hard shoulders are all of a similar design with a white line separating the traffic from the hard shoulder and a rumble strip just within the hard shoulder itself. The size of the hard shoulder can vary from road to road. On smaller roads there is no hard shoulder at all but these tend to have less traffic and are generally favoured by cyclists. 

Today we found ourselves on the hard shoulder of the highway for the whole journey. We were separated from the fast moving traffic by approximately two feet. 

In general, the hard shoulders are clear of the litter we often see in the UK. Littering appears prevented by a combination of the adoption of highways and responsibility for cleaning up by philanthropic groups/individuals. (Something maybe the UK should consider doing), and to a different culture. This does not mean to say they are hazard free. The roads contain a great number of trucks  (preferred vehicle for Americans – think pick up truck on steroids with no exhaust  muffler), in addition to what we would call articulated lorries. They clearly spill their loads on a regular basis. The hard shoulder is littered with retraining straps bolts and other material which should be keeping their cargo intact. The straps remain but the cargo has disappeared. 

There is also the expected collection of items which have humans as intermediaries, such as hats, sunglasses, scarfs, pillows, blanket, blankets, toys etc. 

We’ve also come across a variety of discarded knives. tools and a significant collection of roadkill. It appears that everything from a small chipmunk up to a deer tends not to win a game of chicken on these roads. Interestingly for me there are a large number of birds which maybe is not completely unexpected but does seem an unusual sight. Snakes unfortunately like to bask on the tarmac where it is very warm and consequently there are a large number of dead and squashed ones as we cycle past. 

There are two things that the cyclist dread. The first of these is in an abundance on the hard shoulder –  remnants of shredded tyres. These are laced with fine strands of metal which embedded themselves in our tyres passing seamlessly through them to rupture the inner tube in at least one place. 

The other are Goatheads–small very sharp and penetrating seed-carrying spiky things dropped by the “puncture vine plant” (really!). Famous for causing bike tyre flats but not found on the hard shoulder too often. 

Unfortunately neither is a new Shimano shifter, so I’ll plod on doing C2C USA on my new ‘fixie’ single speed steed making light of the hard shoulder habitats but always on the lookout for goatheads, tyre wire and a new shifter!