Q about the Humber Bridge

[KnittyNorah]

I've been wandering about flat places on cycle.travel/map and google street view, looking for somewhere interesting-but-fairly-flat for a short break later this year.
How high are the barriers on the cycleways across the Humber Bridge? On street view they don't look very high at all, and artificial heights can scare me if I don't feel the barrier is 'enough'. Especially with wind ... oddly, 'natural' heights don't scare me at all.
If I go anywhere round that area, I'd like to cycle over the bridge, just to do it really no other reason - but not if the barriers are as low as they appear to be on street view - I'd have to get the bus!

 

[craigwend]

It’s 1.165m high, below the 1.4m minimum parapet height for bridges used by cyclists set out within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, and below the 1.3m minimum for bridges used by pedestrians where there are likely to be windy conditions, which is clearly the situation for a bridge over 2 miles long spanning
https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/humb...s 1.165m high, below,2 miles long spanning an

 

[DCLane]

They're not high, but high enough and if you're concerned it's wide enough so you can keep away from the edge. I really don't like heights and the only time I've been concerned was south-bound on LEL when it was blowing a gale.

 

[craigwend]

Cycled over quite a few times even in very strong wind and never felt like I'd fall off the bridge...
You'd have to fall over / down - erm upwards and over?
Never heard of anyone falling over by chance

 

[Glow worm]

I've been wandering about flat places on cycle.travel/map and google street view, looking for somewhere interesting-but-fairly-flat for a short break later this year.
How high are the barriers on the cycleways across the Humber Bridge? On street view they don't look very high at all, and artificial heights can scare me if I don't feel the barrier is 'enough'. Especially with wind ... oddly, 'natural' heights don't scare me at all.
If I go anywhere round that area, I'd like to cycle over the bridge, just to do it really no other reason - but not if the barriers are as low as they appear to be on street view - I'd have to get the bus!

i rode across it in September on a pretty windy day (they closed the east side due to winds) and it was fine. Great fun in fact. Here’s a couple of a pics I took on the day which show barrier height. The path is plenty wide enough to stay well away from the barrier if you feel uneasy.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Thanks for the pics, I needed to see something like that to put the height of the barrier into context.
It really isn't very high is it. About the same height as the barriers on the bridges of the lanes which cross over the M55 and M6. With all that cold muddy water underneath - a long long way underneath ... I'll have to think about it, but with my folder it's easy enough to get a bus I suppose.

 

[ColinJ]

I don't like heights but have never felt worried when crossing the bridge. We usually do it in both directions on the annual Humber Bridge forum ride. I wouldn't want to lean over the barrier but don't mind cycling along about a metre or so back. You can get at least 2 metres from it as you can see in this picture...

PS Of course, if you are as tall as @Soltydog (in white CycleChat jersey) having a barrier that is below your hips might be more concerning!

 

[KnittyNorah]

It’s 1.165m high, below the 1.4m minimum parapet height for bridges used by cyclists set out within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, and below the 1.3m minimum for bridges used by pedestrians where there are likely to be windy conditions, which is clearly the situation for a bridge over 2 miles long spanning
https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/humber-bridge-banning-cyclists-and-pedestrians-instead-investing-save-lives#:~:text=It's 1.165m high, below,2 miles long spanning an

Ooooooh that is TOO LOW ... creepy and scary! Next time I go over one of the M-way bridges round here, I'll try to remember to take a tape measure with me to measure the height of the barriers on these piddly little country lane bridges over the M-ways.

 

[Glow worm]

Completely understandable having concerns. The folder gives you options if you don’t fancy it as you say, and after all it’s about enjoying the ride and certainly not being anxious. Glad the pics were helpful.

 

[cougie uk]

Fantastic that you can cycle across. The new bridge to Wales didn't bother with a cycle path - you can do the road but it's a fast road.

 

[KnittyNorah]

I don't like heights but have never felt worried when crossing the bridge. We usually do it in both directions on the annual Humber Bridge forum ride. I wouldn't want to lean over the barrier but don't mind cycling along about a metre or so back. You can get at least 2 metres from it as you can see in this picture...

View attachment 628081

It does look fairly wide at least. Is it shared with peds or separate? It looks as if peds are walking on it in your pic; I don't fancy having to steer near the edge to get round a bunch of walkers taking up the width! I might just have to consider pushing my bike across IF I decide not to catch a bus ...

 

[Specialeyes]

Totally get where you’re coming from @KnittyNorah! The rational part of your brain thinks “well you wouldn’t worry about that barrier if it were by the side of a dual carriageway on flat ground” but the other part of your brain is worried about having a brainfart and somehow careering over the barrier: freak gust of wind, impromptu experiment in how far you can lean over, high-speed swerve to avoid a seagull etc etc. I rode across the Golden Gate with my daughter on a tandem and was like jelly the whole way. Similarly on the London Eye, albeit without the bike!

 

[ColinJ]

It does look fairly wide at least. Is it shared with peds or separate? It looks as if peds are walking on it in your pic; I don't fancy having to steer near the edge to get round a bunch of walkers taking up the width!

Shared. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend sprinting down that path and swerving round pedestrians! Just take your time, and hug the inside line of the path. The pedestrians will just stroll round you. If you find the one-in-a-million who won't, just stop until they walk past you.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Shared. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend sprinting down that path and swerving round pedestrians! Just take your time, and hug the inside line of the path. The pedestrians will just stroll round you. If you find the one-in-a-million who won't, just stop until they walk past you.

Haha I sprint nowhere - I cycle at the approximate speed of a tired, overweight jogger whose shoes are too tight - and the only time I've swerved since I got my bike was when a rather large swan rushed at me apparently determined to commit swanicide by sticking its head through my spokes ...

 

[KnittyNorah]

part of your brain is worried about having a brainfart and somehow careering over the barrier: freak gust of wind, impromptu experiment in how far you can lean over, high-speed swerve to avoid a seagull etc etc

Exactly!
My primitive hind brain asks me 'what if you stop dead and somersault head first over the bars ...' to which my rational brain retorts 'don't be daft!' but then my other brain reminds me that if 'something, anything' fell off my bike and got caught in a wheel, that I might indeed stop and get dead. My rational brain knows perfectly well that 'something catching in the wheel and stopping me dead' is much more likely to happen when I'm merrily riding along paths and tracks through the woodland and parks near my home, but it still doesn't block out the vision of the somersault over the handlebars - and into the water!