Is it safe to ride a road bike a far of the shoulder of the road as possible?

I am concerned about weather or not I will be able to commute on this road.

There is a road I have to ride down and cars go atleast 45 and there is like NO room on the paved part of the road for me to ride without getting run over. My question is would I be able to safely ride a GIANT OCR on the side grassy,gravely,sandy part if I need too. Or will I just spin out and crash? Should I get a cyclocross style bike instead?

Thanks

Just FYI I am a League of American Bicyclist certified bicycling instructor and have been riding a bicycle in traffic for over forty years with only one crash with car

First lets deal with your fear of getting hit from behind. Statistically getting hit from behind comprises less than 10 percent of bicycle motor vehicle crashes and these are usually at night or on rural roads. Obviously I not saying it doesn't happen it is just unlikely. You are more likely to crash with a car crossing your path than from behind. If you don't already use a mirror, you should start. It will help you keep an eye on traffic coming up from behind.

For your road position you should be riding at least 18"-24" from the edge of the pavement. This will keep you far enough into the travel lane to force motorists to pass you safely (encroach into the adjacent lane) If you ride too close to the edge of the pavement the impatient motorist is less likely to wait for a safe opportunity to pass you safely and more likely to try and squeeze past you in the same lane.

As Intrepid said riding in traffic takes some getting used to but if you can find a better route use it. I have three different routes to work that vary in length, and by the amount of traffic I have to deal with. My least used route is the most direct but it has the most amount of traffic.

Lastly, the course that I teach is available online as downloadable video at www.learntobicycle.com. I suggest you check it out it covers road position, making left turns and roadside repairs, minor maintenance, clothing, and more.

Learning how to ride in traffic will benefit you far more than getting a new bike.

from my experiances, I would likely lose it, but i don't know. My roads are pretty bad, you may be alright.

I have a Giant OCR. With the 25mm Michelin tires that came with the bike, I have ridden on the shoulders and/or grass from time to time without a problem, as long as it isn't too rough.

It takes some time to get accustomed to riding with high speed or heavy traffic. You should be able to stay on the pavement even though there are cars coming up behind you. Legally, you have as much right to the road as they do. But, you don't what to be "dead right." Is traffic so heavy that they can't pass you safely?

HTH

stay off this road..your well being is at stake

You could just buy some cyclocross tires for your bike. 700x30's and maybe even 32's should fit. Confidence and skill will come with experience.

Maybe you should try to find a quieter road. But if you do continue to use this road or any other dangerous section of road, remember that it is much safer if you "take control" of the lane, ensuring that you give yourself enough room to swerve toward the shoulder if you need to. Also if you ride more central in the lane on a hairy section it will discourage any motorists from trying to squeeze past you, putting yourself and other road users in a dangerous situation.
The driver might get a little angry because they have had to wait for 10 seconds behind you, but at least you wont be put into the dirt. Remember to always smile and wave at any car drivers who yell or honk at you.

You have right to that road so does every cyclists In Ohio we have this so made it LAW !