Cattle Grids

mitchgixer6

Had my first experience with cattle grids today. Bottled it over the first and walked over, another 3 I rode over very slowly. Any standard approach to cattle grids I should be aware of?

Cheers

SBezza

I stand up and keep the bike vertical and let the bike roll over them, though I don't go over them very often.

Just be very careful in the wet I would suggest.

shmo

Always go over them as fast as I can..

I absolutely hate grids on an uphill gradient. There's one near here on at least a 15% with rounded bars and huge gaps in between. Ended up on my ass going over that in the wet. Had a probia of it ever since.

Also hate ones with missing bars or where the ground has sunk leaving a nice ridge, pinch punctures ahoy.

cougie

They have them on the Horseshoe Pass in Wales - i hit those at 40mph going down - not a problem. Uphill - always hit them straight on.

hamstrich

I find that either really slow or really fast is best... at more moderate speeds the vibrations from grids can to really resonate through the frame and can turn your bones to jelly!

I suppose the ideal way to tackle a grid is to bunny hop over it - but that takes a little practice

Dave-1992

i hit one every single time i go for a ride (we got one at the bottom of our drive)
just stand up out the saddle and do nothing drastic with steering or brakes. unless you hit it at a rediculous (sp?) angle then you'll roll over it no problems

LittleB0b

I always try to get a good look at the lay of the land as i approach to check if its sagged anywhere - and where the nicest exit point is (no gravel or grass) - then keep the bike straight ahead.

We seem to go over them quite a bit - but then we always seem to be on some moor in the middle of nowhere. I'm more scared of the actual cattle.

andrewjoseph

Try not to turn at all, so line yourself up so you don't need to turn. don't brake, keep upright, keep a moderate speed on uphill grids, keep your pedaling smooth.

Best tip, don't look at the grid, look beyond it to where you want to be.

mitchgixer6

Cheers guys, plenty of good pointers as per usual. I had to go over one on a major downhill, and had to slow from about 35mph. Don't know if I'd have the bottle to hit it at that speed! Maybe after a bit more practice... Must admit the sheep are alot more unpredictable than the grids!

whyamihere

Stand up, bend your legs and arms to soak up he vibrations, lean slightly back, don't touch the brakes and keep it straight. Hit them perpendicular to the bars.

I bloody hate them.

woodford2barbican

I go over them every day on my commute, 4 times in all. I just hit them sitting down of with seat clamped between thighs, I don't pedal and make sure that I hit them dead straight. When it is wet I take extra care.

One bloke I talk to now again bunny hops them at 25 mph!

Nutter.

Mr_Cellophane

Only one near me and it has never bothered me. The CP just carries on and this is a 40 mph road

http://tinyurl.com/c5427w

batch78

Out the saddle, straight and fast.

I have bunny hopped them but do not attempt unless your sure you can make it, very enbarrising when others are present, on an mtb manualling is best, not tried it on my road bike though.

nferrar

Yeah I generally lift the front wheel when going over them (at speed) but I'd slow right down and ride over gingerly if it was one with wide gaps (or on a bend).

bobtbuilder

As mentioned before, faster rather than slower is the answer, and keep a straight line. If you hit them quickly, it's more of a rumble than hitting each individual one (much like the cobbles in Paris-Roubaix, I guess!). I also stand on the peddles if I'm hitting them at speed, as it lets me takes the jolts in the knees, rather than in my undercarriage!

Headhuunter

As fast as possible is always the best way, either in a car or on a bike (unless there are broken bars or ridges etc). The slower you go, the more you are affected by vibrations and the more likely you are to be thrown off. Raise yourself up off the saddle and keep your weight back and central over the bike allowing the bike to pivot about the bottom bracket over each bar also taking weight off the steering mechanism.

2tired2ride

If I'm on my hybrid I just bunny hop the whole thing (at speed) is on road bike take at speed and sit down, if your going fast enough you dont need to stand up.

itboffin

2tired2ride wrote:

If I'm on my hybrid I just bunny hop the whole thing (at speed) is on road bike take at speed and sit down, if your going fast enough you dont need to stand up.

I'm all for the bunny hop method but if you miss judge the distance and land on the grate surely it would be game over big time.

Last week or perhaps it was the week before I rode around the New Forest, now the local auth around there have a real thing about cattle grates, I lost count the number of times we crossed over them, generally very unpleasant and def not something any man should do sat down.

Feltup

Bunny hopping is good at speed because the faster you go the lower the hop needs to be get the airtime needed to clear the grid. If you know the front wheel is going to clear it but not the back wheel then just put more weight on the front of the bike on landing (but not too much) than on the back. The best grids are the ones with the thin flat plates which run perpendicular to the bars. If your balance is good then you can ride along the plates and it is smooth as the road but you can get a bit of a kick if you drop off the side.

I tend not to bunny hop below 30mph. Slower speeds without the handy plates mean standing up and letting the bike pivot around the BB with just enough force on the handlebars to keep them tracking straight.