Drain covers + Rain =

[Cheule]

I was cycling home from work this morning, enjoying getting drowned in the seemingly never ending rain, when I noted a bit of debris in the road (looked like a shattered plastic pipe of the sort used in plumbing). With that I swerved to avoid it, just as my back wheel was turning over a drain cover. Not the sort with the slats by the side of the road, one of those round ones with square studs on. Needless to say the combination of Rain and metal was too much for my poor back tyre and I could feel, almost as if in slow motion, the back end of the bike coming away from me.

Fortunately a split second later, the back wheel was back over tarmac and I just managed to regain control in time

Be careful out there peoples.

 

[ianrauk]

yup, they are lethal when wet

 

[gaz]

Im amazed to see so many people zig zagging through them, as long as you aren't out of the saddle accelerating or changing direction, then you will be find going over them.

 

[Origamist]

Cornering is your real problem with drain covers - I change line to avoid them in that situation.

I'm not sure how far they got with the proposed anti-slip treatment I flagged up last year...

 

[Cheule]

Im amazed to see so many people zig zagging through them, as long as you aren't out of the saddle accelerating or changing direction, then you will be find going over them.

To be honest I was that preoccupied with avoiding the shattered plastic ( it was strewn over a 40ft length of road ) that I forgot about the drain cover. That'll teach me

 

[Simon_m]

I hate them, that's why i tend not to ride in the rain. There are so many bits of metal in the road for my jounrey home, itsa deth trap. One touch and the bike goes from under me. Not sure if i need better tires or not, I dont think it makes much difference as the width of them is so small anyway.

Bike's first MOT tomorrow.

 

[Moodyman]

Drain covers are only worth avoiding if they're raised or lowered sufficient to cause bike damage.

Otherwise keep your front wheel straight and ease off the pedalling. This is also the way to ride over ice.

 

[Simon_m]

tried everything, now i just advoid them, kinda hard at times when at speed and cars swerving all over the place. Also the same as that blue sh*t thats been painted on the roads, gloss paint!

 

[Hockeynut]

I take it tram lines are just as dicey?
I have some on my route, but haven't done it in the wet yet.

 

[Origamist]

I take it tram lines are just as dicey?
I have some on my route, but haven't done it in the wet yet.

Even more so. Try to traverse them at 90 degress and take it slow.

 

[2Loose]

I take it tram lines are just as dicey?
I have some on my route, but haven't done it in the wet yet.

Yes indeed. Even worse.

Wot Origamist said. Even better, take a different route. If your tyres can get into the grooves beside the rails, it will do. If it is wet and you turn across them at a shallow enough angle, you will slide the front wheel out and fall.

 

[battered]

+1 here, watch for level crossings at an angle too. The rails take a polish, get a bit of water, road dirt and a bit of grease from a train or tram on them and it's very easy to drop into the gap between the rails and fall.

 

[Tynan]

as long as they're flat and level = not bloody often