Cattle grid accident..advice always appreciated.

[Sellyb]

I thought I would share my story about a recent accident involving cattle grids. I have ridden over these things quite a few times since they were installed locally in sussex a few months ago. I find it is best to get some speed up, otherwise the vibrations feel as though they could do damage to both the bike and the person riding it, although I wouldn't say I go at silly speeds, I would guess about 12mph on this particular day.
However, last Saturday morning, it was drizzling with rain, and the bike just skidded from under me going over the cattle grid, and I ended up lying in the road trapped underneath my bike.
I ended up in a & e, luckily nothing was broken, but I am now on crutches, unable to walk, awaiting an mri scan. I reported this to the local council, who advise they have been testing the surfaces on this particular grid. My father's friend also skidded about a foot a couple of days ago over one of these locally in his van.
I wanted to warn people of the dangers of these things, but would also be grateful for advice from cattle grid bike pros!! Surely any road user on wheels should be able to cross these things safely. Otherwise there are a lot of gates to stop and open!

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Eeep! Get well soon!

 

[ianrauk]

Sorry to hear of your accident. Hope it's not too long before you are well and back on the bike.

Myself. I would cycle over a cattle grid at far less then 12mph. I would take them at a much slower pace.
The vibrations won't damage a bike or yourself.

 

[Rob3rt]

There have been a number of threads on riding over cattle grids recently. No doubt this will turn into another several page long thread full of theorising and analysis of what is essentially a very simple thing (people on the internet have a field day analysing things, how about we discuss techniques for avoiding splash back from a urinal), just ride over the thing!

 

[black'n'yellow]

Apart from riding on sheet ice, wet ironwork is probably the most unsafe surface for two-wheeled vehicles of any sort and there is no safe way to ride them. The best you can hope for is to ride them at speed (ie ideally a bit quicker than 12mph), ride over them straight, fully upright and unweight the bike as much as possible. Unless you are sure you can do all that, then it is safer to walk either over them, or round them.

Provided the appropriate triangular 'hazard' grid signs were present, then there's not much more the council can do either, to be honest. Best wishes for a full recovery....

 

[green1]

I always avoid putting my front wheel on ironwork, either by swerving around it or doing a wheelie. Lose the back wheel and you still have a chance of keeping it upright, lose the front and you have no chance.

 

[Crackle]

Any speed is fine, I had to regularly ride over one going up a hill and that was a deer grid, they're even wider. Centre your weight on the bike, keep your grip firm but flexible and let your legs and arms take the vibration, don't lock them, hit the grid perpendicular, not at an angle, don't go over in the same track a car might take as often the road is worn just before the grid and it makes a hollow there, look at the other side, not at the grid and either roll over it or if you need to pedal, pedal evenly with some pressure, don't sway the bike from side to side.

 

[numbnuts]

Get well soon

 

[Night Train]

GWS, I hope nothing is badly injured.

I tend to cross cattle grids slowly, standing slightly on the pedals, and square onto the grid bars, as if negotiating any difficult or slippery surface. Arch prefers to walk, and I don't blame her. A trike is safest but keep your head off the headrest.
Some grids are easier to cross then others. The ones that are round tubes, with wide gaps are more risky IME.

I don't much like driving over them, in the car, either. I tend to lift off the accelerator a little as I passover them so that I am not accelerating, or if I am braking I will do all my braking before the grid and then cross the grid before braking or accelerating after it.

 

[jugglingphil]

I agree with Crackle and Night Train.
It's important you approach grid so you go over dead straight, I prefer to stand on pedals (unweight) and let momentum take me across. This isn't possible uphill, in which case I stay seated and ease over pedalling slowly.

GWS hope the MRI doesn't show up anything nasty.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

During the tour of Britain some of the pros had nasty falls on local cattle grids (crown point burnley), on the ones local to me there's sometimes a gate at the side that says 'horse and carriage'.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I prefer to stand on pedals (unweight)

just to be clear - standing on the pedals is not the same as unweighting the bike....

 

[MattHB]

God hope you get well soon. I hate grids, we have so many around here,

 

[CopperCyclist]

I always avoid putting my front wheel on ironwork, either by swerving around it or doing a wheelie. Lose the back wheel and you still have a chance of keeping it upright, lose the front and you have no chance.

You don't have much chance saving a rear wheel skid either if your front isn't in contact with the road!

Don't pull a wheely, just push your weight backwards. Slid off the seat and hold yourself just behind it, arms outstretched (but not completely locked out). This puts your weight over the rear wheel and away from the front. I'm guessing it's what the poster above meant by unweighting the bike.

 

[Banjo]

Lots around here.I usually go over at about 10 or 12 mph trying not to brake or push hard on the pedals as you go over.

I dont do any fancy weight shifting just ride normally without any sudden movements.Dont hit it at an angle or you WILL come off.