Cattlegrids

Schoie81

Hi guys,

Not particularly new to cycling, but very very new to Road Bikes. Might sound like a daft question, but whilst i'm happy flying over cattlegrids on my MTB with fat tyres at 50psi, I'm feeling very uneasy at the thought of tackling them with the skinny tyres at 100psi on my road bike.

Is it ok? Will it shake my bike to bits? Should I fly over them, or take it steady?

Sorry if it is a very stupid question....

Safcstuie

Unleash the bunnyhop, if there are on downhills, if not make sure you stay seated if you hit them climbing/on the flats.

StefanP

Don't unleash a sprint at any rate, you can just ride over them fairly normally though. Take extra care in the wet though

Calpol

I was pretty nervous of these and shamefully used to get off and walk however on the MK sportive there were quite a few so I just went for it. It was no drama whatsoever. My technique was (downhill) stand up, pedals level and coast over nice and straight. Uphill, stay seated and keep pedalling a nice even cadence, hold a straight line. Bike doesn't shake too much and its over in the blink of an eye.

Gweny

I always try to go over them at a perpendicular angle- apart from that I don't take much notice of them. I've never had a problem even in the rain with them.

markhewitt1978

Did cattlegrids a couple of weeks ago with my roadbike for the first time - yes they are somewhat bouncy, but otherwise ok. But I only went across because the cyclist in front of me did so and I was trying to keep up. If I was on my own I'd be tempted to walk it.

lotus49

Gweny wrote:

I always try to go over them at a perpendicular angle- apart from that I don't take much notice of them. I've never had a problem even in the rain with them.

That would be my advice. They are fine but do make sure you are crossing at right angles to the bars, particularly in the wet as they can get very slippery.

Also watch out for the sheep that tiptoe along the edge. Sheep may look stupid but some of the ones round here have figured out that the bars usually don't extend all the way to the side so they tiptoe along the edge to sneak across quite successfully.

NITR8s

Get off and walk. You will be fine 99% of the time going over them, but that 0.01% is not worth risking. I have seen people come off on these too many times. I would rather lose a couple of mins on ride and make sure I finish.

drlodge

Cattle grids aren't as bad as some level crossings!! Just ride over them straight, and may be stand on your pedals too.

peddlingmadness

Must be because of where I live but, its never occurred to me to do anything apart from ride straight through. I've got to be honest I've never seen anyone get off and walk across. If I had I'd be asking them if they were okay or had a puncture or any such thing. Each to there own I suppose, just do what feels right.

farrina

I personally have only experienced problems with cattle grids when the bars have been damaged in someway or the road surface adjoining them is defective. Bunny hop is last resort to avoid issue but possibly not recommended at speed! They can be a bit of a pain when climbing as you have to put on a bit of a spurt to cross them.

As you might expect probably best to be cautious of any that you don't have local knowledge but cannot recall ever walking across one in 35 years of cycling.

Personally I find the unexpected gate on a fast descent much more alarming (along with suicidal sheep/lambs).

Regards

Alan

Headhuunter

If you slow down, cattle grids are worse, both in a car and on a bike. If you slow down on the bike there's more chance that the wheel will get thrown out of alignment. Just hit them at normal speed, raise your backside slightly off the saddle and loosen your grip on the bars, use your core muscles to hold the bike straight. You could perhaps try putting 1 knee on the top bar for steadiness. This allows the bike to vibrate/pivot around the bottom bracket and stops the vibrations knocking it out of alignment as it goes straight across the grid. I've always done this and never had a single problem...

dee4life2005

What about crossing them on a +10-15% gradient ? One around me like that ... it's fine in the dry, but a no go in the wet unless you can get up to about 12mph going up a hill that steep (so you can freewheel across it) - not easy, and kind of knackers you for the steeper section further up where it ramps up to 25%.

Headhuunter

dee4life2005 wrote:

What about crossing them on a +10-15% gradient ? One around me like that ... it's fine in the dry, but a no go in the wet unless you can get up to about 12mph going up a hill that steep (so you can freewheel across it) - not easy, and kind of knackers you for the steeper section further up where it ramps up to 25%.

Yeah I should've mentioned that you should always coast across cattle grids. If it's on an incline my advice would be to try to build up a head of steam before the grid and then coast... It's the only way. You're more likely to knock the bike out of alignment if you're heaving on the pedals whilst crossing the grid and if it's wet then you DEFINITELY don't want to be pedalling...

ilm_zero7

Pah ! you should try Camel grids - you would stop and get off if you are wise

shmo

I've been off on a steep uphill cattle grid that had wider than usual spacing between the bars. Backwheel just slid out and I went off sideways, it was raining too. Not recommended because my bottles fell out into slurry under the grid! Had a bit of a phobia of uphill grids after that but agree that it's all about hitting it at speed. If it's really steep and you're grinding at 40rpm I'd probably get off.

city_boy

dee4life2005 wrote:

What about crossing them on a +10-15% gradient ? One around me like that ... it's fine in the dry, but a no go in the wet unless you can get up to about 12mph going up a hill that steep (so you can freewheel across it) - not easy, and kind of knackers you for the steeper section further up where it ramps up to 25%.

I recently rode up Winter Hill in Lancashire for the first time and came to the first of several cattle grids on a 10% section. Being a little unsure I got off and carried the bike. I then had to make several attempts to get going and clip in on 10% (which seem to amuse the MTBers no end as they sailed past!)

I just rode over them after that!!!

team47b

ILM Zero7 wrote:

Pah ! you should try Camel grids - you would stop and get off if you are wise

photos needed, please include pictures of camels

I would have thought walking over a cattle grid in road shoes would require more skill than riding over them :shock:

Hoopdriver

NITR8s wrote:

Get off and walk. You will be fine 99% of the time going over them, but that 0.01% is not worth risking. I have seen people come off on these too many times. I would rather lose a couple of mins on ride and make sure I finish.

I agree. I don't race and so come across them only while touring, but I just don't see any percentage in taking the risk. Yes, 99% of the time if you take them perpendicularly you will be fine, but if things go pear-shaped you will be in a world of pain and with a wrecked bike. Why risk that for the sake of a few seconds? Especially if you are just riding or touring?

city_boy

team47b wrote:

I would have thought walking over a cattle grid in road shoes would require more skill than riding over them :shock:

You're right. Thankfully I had the leg and core strength from weight training to cope.
Mmmmmm.......that's got me thinking....I'm back off the the Squats and Leg Presses thread...

andrewjoseph

this slight risk of falling on a grid, is it greater than the risk being hit from behind due to the sudden braking? or worse than the risk of slipping in cleats, on each step!

the only time i walk over cattle grids is when the gate is shut. i hate trying to walk on them with mtb cleats.

even riding uphill you can be over the grid in a second,

the risk of skidding on a deisel patch is much greater than slipping on a grid.

arran77

Never had a problem with them on the road bike but I went for a complete ball of shite on the MTB this morning going over one, went to make a turn just after the cattle grid, started to turn on the thing and then ate gravely track just afterwards

Schoie81

Well its a while since I posted this but finally tackled a cattle grid (well, not surprisingly, two in fact) yesterday, not because I've been avoiding them particularly, just that its the first time I've come across them. As others have said, they were pretty much a non-event. Slowed down a little over them, and lifted off the saddle as I went over them and all was fine.

roger_merriman

Most are fine, have some on some sustrand cycle routes that have a number to keep sheep in/out fine even at low speeds. Most are fine downhill blink and you miss it. Up hill a bit of care the rear doen't spin

MichaelW

Some have grids have flat tops, other use tubes. The tubular ones are particularly dangerous and slippy.

navrig

MichaelW wrote:

Some have grids have flat tops, other use tubes. The tubular ones are particularly dangerous and slippy.

Not if you go straight over at 90 degrees, don't turn, take your weight through your knees (out of saddle) and don't touch your brakes. Simplesssss.

The thing to watch out for is the grids which have two plates running at 90 degrees to the grids. I've heard of people trying to ride along the plates and coming a cropper.

cougie

Horseshoe pass in Wales has them going up and down. I've been over hundreds of times with no drama. They sound much better at 40+ than they do at 10mph going up though !

dennisn

I would say that when coming up to a grid that you're unfamiliar with, a little caution(slowing down) might be in order. At the very least to asess the correct way to go over it or whether to avoid it completely. Only fools charge in.

Headhuunter

dennisn wrote:

I would say that when coming up to a grid that you're unfamiliar with, a little caution(slowing down) might be in order. At the very least to asess the correct way to go over it or whether to avoid it completely. Only fools charge in.

Trouble is if you slow down too much cattlegrids are far more dangerous than is you simply lift off the saddle, relax your arms, allow the bike to pivot around the BB and keep the pace fairly high

MickTheMove

go over them at a nice pace, keep straight with feet level whilst standing on the pedals, after a while they will be more of a distraction than a worry.

dennisn

Headhuunter wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I would say that when coming up to a grid that you're unfamiliar with, a little caution(slowing down) might be in order. At the very least to asess the correct way to go over it or whether to avoid it completely. Only fools charge in.

Trouble is if you slow down too much cattlegrids are far more dangerous than is you simply lift off the saddle, relax your arms, allow the bike to pivot around the BB and keep the pace fairly high

So you're saying that if you come up on a grid that you've never encountered you'll just keep an even tempo and not pause to really take a good look at it? You're a trusting soul.