Cattle grid accident..advice always appreciated.

[davefb]

Super ouch, huge GWS

FWIW there's only one cattle grid I encounter with any regularity, it's HERE on Sheep House Lane in Rivington.

Now if I'm going up Sheep House and the gate to the right is open I will go around it that way, if not it's dead straight and a steady pace.

If I'm coming down then speed would be in the region of 25-30 mph, and after years of doing it I've decided that speed is the best way to tackle this particular one.

TBH though it always makes my balloon knot go 1p.....50p.....1p.....50p.....1p.....50p.....1p.....50p, every time I do it

Although I doubt after your experience you'll be hitting many cattle grids at speed!

why does that look flat ? it's anything but ( nice cakes just round the corner though ! )

thats pretty much the most likely one i'd hit and tbh, only ever think "go straight/careful" and I'm on the hybrid not a racer...

mind you , can't think i've ever gone across in that bad conditions..

Get well soon sellyb

 

[Shadow]

I had to google cattle grid to find out what it was, since we don't have them here. I think I would be quite nervous with them!

Bizarrely, they are called 'canadian gates' in france!

Take care Selly and hope you are riding again soon.

 

[arallsopp]

Next to no fun on the 'bents. I ease right up, drop to the slowest speed that I can roll across without the risk of needing to pedal, unclip, line up, and pray. Thus far its worked, but its never comfortable. The flat ones are better than the round ones, but none are fun. I once spent a sleep deprived and dark evening coming down a mountain road knowing there were cattle grids dotted around. City boy done bad. Those who knew to watch for the fences at the side of the road were passing me at about 3 times my pace

Hope you get well soon.

 

[Teuchter]

Sounds like bad luck. Best advice is the same as for any other wet metal road furniture... keep it straight and level when crossing and for cattle grids, plenty of speed helps too. Had one of these right across the bottom of my street when I was a kid and don't remember ever having problems cycling over it then despite it often being pretty wet (this was in Shetland). Maybe you need a Raleigh Grifter!

 

[Bromptonaut]

Bad luck Selly - GWS.

As others say wet iron is lethal. Was daft enough to chance 50m over rain soaked car park decking in July. Instinctive dab of brake for separation from other traffic and bike just went from under me. Fracture to neck of femur, pinned under GA, 6 nights in hospital and 6 weeks on crutches.

Previously I'd have crossed a CG at right angles. Not sure I'd have the nerve any more.

 

[recumbentpanda]

I copy the sheep round here: Lie down in front of the grid, then roll across. Unfortunately, I then have to go back for the bike . . .

 

[albion]

Never head a cycling problem with grids.

Whilst my tyres have never been narrower than 32mm I always ride cross 'straight as a die' at a reasonable speed (12mph maybe).
Any slower and there is chance of handle bar movement causes a dangerous front wheel lateral force.

Now walking across is a different story.

 

[SidF]

I would like to add my experience. A couple of weeks ago, I was on a road bike tyres at about 90 psi and went on an organised ride. I went over a cattle grid in the Brecon Beacons at about 15 mph on a damp day. The bike flew sideways and smacked me into the road about 4 metres past the grid. My helmet cracked but stayed in one piece and saved me from a possibly very serious head injury. I landed on my hip and couldn't really move. Fortunately, some mountain bikers appeared very quickly and helped me off the road after checking that my back was OK. A passing car took me to A&E( no mobile phone signals at all where I had the accident) where I was found to have a couple of fractures in the Acetabulum, the part of the pelvis that is the socket of the hip ball and socket joint.
I can only conclude that I must have had the brakes on as we were starting a long and possibly quite fast descent, which together with the water on the bars and the fact that the bars were the round ones and not square, meant that the front wheel locked up and lost all stability. I have crossed grids many times and never even had anything like this happen. It will be while before I try riding over one again!
My injury isn't really painful but I expect to be on crutches for another 8 to 10 weeks.
I have been told that some organised rides have marshalls on cattle grids because of the problems they can cause. Can anyone on here confirm this?

 

[byegad]

I'm amazed you guys take these so fast. I have always taken then very slow in the dry and on foot, via the gate in the wet. Since I started to ride recumbent trikes with 20" wheels I take them even slower even if I could be descending at 30+mph. I can't fall off and a slide on wet rails is no big issue so I now ride them in the wet too.

I come across them whenever I'm riding the North Yorks Moors, Yorkshire Dales or in the rural West of County Durham so have a healthy respect for the damage they can do.

 

[Glow worm]

[QUOTE 2693955, member: 9609"]

Most of my regular cycle routes involve crossing grids, but I don't honestly know what I do, I guess I slow down and stand on the pedals but not really sure. My route this afternoon will involve 4 so I must take note.[/quote]

Depends on the type of grid for me. Obviously the ones that have smaller gaps are the easiest for riding over. There are a few beasts around Holkham Hall in Norfolk that are frankly almost unrideable.

I did learn once though, that cattle grids are really handy when you are being chased by a large dog!

 

[amir]

Hope you have a good and quick recovery.

I had a fall after a cattle grid at the end of June. It seems to have been caused by a pinch-flat coupled with a badly damaged wheel and possibly fork damage. I cross the grid fairly quickly probably around 20mph. Some way after the grid, going downhill I lost control of the front wheel. I was shipped off to A & E - 2 nights in a ward, 2 weeks off work and 6 weeks off the bike. Just starting to get my fitness back now.

So I am now quite nervous around cattle grid and if in doubt would go over on foot or slowly.

 

[fossyant]

Bunny hop them. ...

 

[nickyboy]

Bunny hop them. ...

Went over 3 of them on the climb to Axe Edge from Longnor yesterday. All on 7% uphills. Bunnyhopping at 8mph wouldn't do me much good

 

[RedMG]

Riding around East Lothian I had always taken them quite slowly, but did the Etape Pennines yesterday and realised you could go faster over the ones there as the design is different, they appear to have rounded rails on them, where as Scotland's seem to have sharper edges. This made probably a 10mph difference I would say, and the experience was much smoother in the Pennines.

Back to the nasty Scottish cattle grids for me next weekend...:-(

 

[derrick]

They have recently put the iron ones down in Epping forest, i came across one at speed going down to the Robin Hood roundabout, you need to hit them straight do NOT touch the brakes and you will be alright, now i know were they are i cross them a lot slower, a stupid material to use on roads, hope your okay.