Cattle Grids

freddymercurystwin
freddymercurystwin Posts: 36
edited April 2008 in Road beginners
Hello, what a great forum, my first post so please be gentle! :)
Well, I went for my first ride in about 20 years and took a route round Dartmoor and had to cross several cattle grids. I tried several different approaches, crawl accross, ride accross or just belt accross at max speed, all of which seemed just as uncomfortable and bone shaking. Am I likely to wreck my wheels? What do others do? Or is it best to walk across?

Comments

  • drewfromrisca
    drewfromrisca Posts: 1,165
    dont touch the brakes, straight line and keep the bars loose but not too loose (obviously) keep the weight on the saddle too.
    There is never redemption, any fool can regret yesterday...

    Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!
  • jeffcapeshop
    jeffcapeshop Posts: 30
    depends on the cattlegrid.. there are some near me that are a challenge to get over with a mtb.
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    bunny hop it
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • gavintc
    gavintc Posts: 3,009
    just cycle over it as normal. If you ridden a cobble street, a cattle grid is a dawdle.
  • yogi
    yogi Posts: 456
    Fast and straight. Don't try cornering on them - a mate of mine did it in a mountain bike race - they make very good bike racks - he parted company with his bike, race over!
    http://yogi.terapad.com
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    Medium speed; free wheel; straight line; no braking; stand up. I hate the damn things because the vibration plays hell with my shoulders but that's how I cross them.

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • jeffcapeshop
    jeffcapeshop Posts: 30
    on a similar topic - when it comes to potholes..

    i currently (still waiting on road bike delivery, so this is a ridgid mtb) avoid if possible and lift the front wheel if not - i'm guessing you have to be a bit more careful on a road bike though?
  • synchronicity
    synchronicity Posts: 1,415
    Definitely don't go hitting potholes on a road bike... unless there is a vehicle about to fly past you.
    vertebr.ae | precision braking & shifting
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    jeffcapeshop wrote:
    on a similar topic - when it comes to potholes..

    i currently (still waiting on road bike delivery, so this is a ridgid mtb) avoid if possible and lift the front wheel if not - i'm guessing you have to be a bit more careful on a road bike though?
    you could always go around them
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • Lagavulin
    Lagavulin Posts: 1,688
    No cattle grids around here but I hate level crossings, particularly those with rails not at 90' (or there abouts) to the road.
    2010 Cannondale CAAD 9
    2008 Wilier Izoard
  • freddymercurystwin
    freddymercurystwin Posts: 36
    sub55 wrote:
    you could always go around them

    Trouble is you may as well just walk across 'em, the only way round them is through the adjacent gate type thing which you'd have to get off for too :( Ahh well at least I'm not alone, was just woried my spanking new wheels will blow apart under me! :lol:
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    freddymercurystwin wrote:
    sub55 wrote:
    you could always go around them

    Trouble is you may as well just walk across 'em, the only way round them is through the adjacent gate type thing which you'd have to get off for too :( Ahh well at least I'm not alone, was just woried my spanking new wheels will blow apart under me! :lol:

    He was talking about potholes, not cattle grids.
    I like bikes...

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  • freddymercurystwin
    freddymercurystwin Posts: 36
    redddraggon wrote:
    freddymercurystwin wrote:
    sub55 wrote:
    you could always go around them

    Trouble is you may as well just walk across 'em, the only way round them is through the adjacent gate type thing which you'd have to get off for too :( Ahh well at least I'm not alone, was just woried my spanking new wheels will blow apart under me! :lol:

    He was talking about potholes, not cattle grids.

    :oops:
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    If it is wet, don't risk it, get off and walk. I've had a couple of nasty experiencies on wet cattle grids. Railway crossings can be as bad, but there is a greater chance someone will be watching, in which case you can't possible get off and walk.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • jeffcapeshop
    jeffcapeshop Posts: 30
    sub55 wrote:
    you could always go around them

    i try to do that on my current bike! but it's not always easy, especially if you're moving fast in traffic, they pop out from under cars before you notice them..
  • El Gordo
    El Gordo Posts: 394
    Just relax, go straight, stand up with your weight back and enjoy the buzz. There's no need to slow down. Infact, I reckon faster is better as the speed irons out the bumps.

    I used to hit one at over 40mph at the bottom of Ilkley Moor coming down from the Cow & Calf. No problem at all.
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    "Medium speed; free wheel; straight line; no braking; stand up"

    And that is exactly why crossing 'em is one of the very few times when I "forget" that I'm on fixed again a lot just lately! Neither the freewheel nor the stand up bit seem to gel somehow!

    Nasty things in the wet, especially those with c.4" diameter tubes. Drop a wheel down and it will hurt. If in doubt, walk.
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • KeithG
    KeithG Posts: 1,010
    Very occasionally, you come across a grid on a steep hill. They are very dangerous going uphill as it's easy to spin the back wheel on the polished metal and fall sideways onto the grid, that's dangerous.
    get off and walk over an uphill cattle grid.
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    sub55 wrote:
    bunny hop it
    Are you real?
    so many cols,so little time!
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    KeithG wrote:
    Very occasionally, you come across a grid on a steep hill. They are very dangerous going uphill as it's easy to spin the back wheel on the polished metal and fall sideways onto the grid, that's dangerous.
    get off and walk over an uphill cattle grid.

    in the hilly area my folks live in all the cattle grids tend to be on steep hills, newer ones aren't too bad as they have a fairly wide bars, the older ones tend to have fairly sharp edges which are bad enought on a car...
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I dont have any cattle grids near my area but we do have railway crossing and going over them is bone shaking makes me worry I might be wrecking my bike they are so uneven and the cars are like 1", in york I go down this steep cobble road and have to go down at like 7mph shakes me so much and I worry for the bike.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Don't know about "cattle grids or grates" over there but the ones I've encountered here
    in the states are cause for extreme caution unless you are familiar with the particular
    one you're crossing. I have ridden the Bicycle Tour of Colorado quite a few times which has a few here and there and most of them are nasty. Seems like there are always a few people, each year, who underestimate the danger in crossing one and end up torn up. Have never seen one around where I live(Ohio), but the western plain and mountain states have their share. Slow approaches work best on unfamilar ones.


    Dennis Noward
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    nick hanson wrote:
    sub55 wrote:
    bunny hop it
    Are you real?
    yep i am definately real :evil:
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    sub55 wrote:
    bunny hop it

    Don't try this going uphill though :D
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY

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