First off Today

[jowwy]

Was riding into work along the cycle track - was going down hill, swung a left to go over the bridge and bang, back end didn't like the wet metal gridding filled with gravel and off i went

Road rash all up my left hand side, left arm and quick fire shifters all smashed - rest of the back doesn't have a scratch - led in the gravel for a few minutes saying ouch to myslef, then got up and rode the remaining 10 miles into work.

feel a bit sore and stiff now and still have to ride the 13miles back uphill home

 

[ianrauk]

Got to watch out for metal grids.. lethal things.

 

[jowwy]

Its the first time i've cycled in that way so just didn't know it was there

 

[DougieAB]

Ouch, hope you are ok! Only ever pass over metal covers in a straight line especially if wet. You won't make that mistake again!

 

[HLaB]

Ouch indeed!

 

[jowwy]

Yeh i'm good - road rash is a tad warm on the leg, but i'll live - when i go to work i found out of a mate that i had taken the wrong cycle track anyway - was on the lower route, should have been on the upper route - Rookie mistake indeed and has now cost me shillings in new shifters

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

Costly in more than one way then - but still mobile which is good.

 

[MrJamie]

Ouch

Is this more a road bike thing, a skinny tyres thing? Ive heard a few times of roadies losing a wheel on a metal grid and a couple of videos, sometimes very slow, sometimes high speed. My hybrids got 38mm M+ and *so far* ive been fine cornering in the wet, gravelley trails, cutting sharp corners over mud etc and can drift a little and collect it like a MTB. This kinda thing worries me about a road bike and makes me think maybe cyclocross would be better/safer for me.

Hope you and the bike get better quickly

 

[2Loose]

No MrJamie, it is a slippy metal grate type thing.
My 2.2" knobblies are just as affected by metal tramlines, grates etc as my other thinner tyred bikes, especially when the metal is wet.

 

[MrJamie]

Thanks for infos

 

[jowwy]

Lucky for me it was on the hybrid bike with 37mm tyres - gear levers all checked and they all still work ok - just the plastic numbers all cracked off.

It was a metal grid over the top of a bridge then filled with gravel - but obviously over the years the gravel has been kicked and washed away, leaving just the grid - foggy and wet conditions and off i came.

Got road rash the hurts like hell - but rode home all ok.

 

[2Loose]

In the dry the grates and things need watching, but in the damp, rain or fog then they can be a disaster area if they are ridden over at any lean angle or turn.
I can appreciate that you didn't spot it until it was too late jowwy Hope your gravel rash fades fast...sudocrem works very well for me!