Cattle grids

[matticus]

Whatever happened to the advice to travel only at a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see to be safe? Nobody is being forced to ride into bike damaging or injury inducing features at speed and exercising some caution is all that is needed to avoid the self-inflicted consequences.

Sorry if this upsets you at a deep moral and ethical level: but the long-standing convention in most of the Western World is to fix safety issues on our highways and byways. [the detail is somewhat more complex than that - but that's the general principle!]

Broken Stuff is usually a prime candidate for such repairs.

 

[figbat]

This is one where wheel size could be a significant factor. I'd take it on on my 29er hardtail, but no way on my Dawes Kingpin! I'd probably think twice on anything with narrow tyres too.

 

[I like Skol]

[the detail is somewhat more complex than that - but that's the general principle!]

The detail is indeed much more complex than that, but the wrongly and unfortunately widely held belief that 'my safety is someone else's responsibility and my mistakes are always somebody else's fault' is a result of that long standing convention assumption.

I taught my kids to cross the road when it is clear and safe to do so, not when the green man is illuminated. It's a lesson for life, think about it!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I detest them, but fortunately I rarely encounter them where I ride. I can only think of a couple. Often there's a gate at the side so I sometimes pull over and use that.

 

[figbat]

I taught my kids to cross the road when it is clear and safe to do so, not when the green man is illuminated. It's a lesson for life, think about it!

I use the same principles at traffic light controlled junctions or other situations where signs or convention afford you 'right of way'. I still check - a red light does not physically stop a vehicle from proceeding, neither does paint on the road or a roadside sign. You're working on trust in other people's ability or motivation to comply - no offence but I don't trust you.

 

[matticus]

.. the wrongly and unfortunately widely held belief that 'my safety is someone else's responsibility and my mistakes are always somebody else's fault' is a result of that long standing convention assumption.

But nobody said (or wrote) that! The quote you criticised was simply:
"... so could be dangerous if unaware"
There is a danger there - it can easily be mitigated by rider care (or prior knowledge). Both are true.

(Do you actually think that roads should be built with dangerous defects? I'm glad you're not in charge of any Highways maintenance or construction!

I'm now visualizing your house; a maze of missing floor-boards, bare live wires, unlabelled chemicals ... ;-) )

 

[Ian H]

There was one in the New Forest. Shiny and well-maintained, but in two sections on a widish road. The central gap was just wide enough to fit a 25mm tyre. We came across it at around 3am* and one rider found the gap.

*Bonus points for guessing the event.

I have never had a problem with them. Look for the smoothest cross point, cross at right-angles to the bars. In the wet ensure you have enough momentum to coast across, especially if it's uphill.

 

[I like Skol]

But nobody said (or wrote) that! The quote you criticised was simply:
"... so could be dangerous if unaware"
There is a danger there - it can easily be mitigated by rider care (or prior knowledge). Both are true.

(Do you actually think that roads should be built with dangerous defects? I'm glad you're not in charge of any Highways maintenance or construction!

I'm now visualizing your house; a maze of missing floor-boards, bare live wires, unlabelled chemicals ... ;-) )

Jog on nobber!

 

[Cycleops]

It’s not the cattle grids that are a hazard here but the cattle themselves.

 

[matticus]

It’s not the cattle grids that are a hazard here but the cattle themselves.

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Even *I* am not daft enough to ride into those: travel only at a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see to be safe! Ok kids?

 

[Cymro74]

I'm pretty sure that my regular crossings of grids weakened my wheels and led to broken spokes on my road bike. There are four grids on my favourite coastal loop in Vale of Glamorgan that I do a few times a week. Changed to stronger wheels with more spokes and not had any problems for a couple of years now.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I did see sheep rolling across cattle grids many years ago. Smart buggers.

 

[ColinJ]

I did see sheep rolling across cattle grids many years ago. Smart buggers.

They were doing it on Marsden Moor, not far from here...

 

[Dogtrousers]

My mum's dog learned, quite late in life, to walk across them. Took great concentration moving one leg at a time.

 

[T4tomo]

My mum's dog learned, quite late in life, to walk across them. Took great concentration moving one leg at a time.

Those guide dogs have a wicked sense of humour