How do you tackle a cattlegrid?

Simon Cole · Post by **Simon Cole** » 16 Sep 2007, 7:10am

The ones up here are smooth and frequent.
Also, what is your advice on what to do when they are wet?

diapason · Post by **diapason** » 16 Sep 2007, 8:22am

I know that many people just ride over them, but I always wimp out and walk them. There are quite a few around here (Exmoor & Quantocks). We've also got a lot of old style railway level crossings here too. I ride them - slowly - but someone recently took a very nasty tumble on one and ended up in hospital.

N

BTW - Did you get your bike?

GeoffL · Post by **GeoffL** » 16 Sep 2007, 9:09am

It depends on the type of grid. The ones with flat plates on the top of most of the slats, perhaps with the first or last few just vertical 10 lb plate, I'll just ride across rain or shine. However, I make sure that I ride across at five to ten mph at right-angles to the direction of the slats, freewheel across, and don't steer until both wheels have cleared the grid. If I can't make 5 mph (e.g. because it's on a steep hill), I'll walk across.

Now those grids with tubular slats are a different beast altogether. I heard somewhere that a new type of grid was being tried out - one with rollers instead of normal slats. So I distrust cattle grids with tubular slats and use the "animals and horse-drawn vehicles" alternative.

Of course, you have to approach with caution any cattle grid you don't already know until you've assessed its state of repair etc. and I wouldn't ride across one with bent or missing slats.

HTH,

Geoff

Post by Si » 16 Sep 2007, 11:20am

if downhill or flat then i often unweight (bunnyhop without the wheels leaving the ground) the bike as I cross the grid (at right angles to the slots).

If uphill or going slow then just ride on over them at right angles to the slots like any other bit of road (unless it's the roller kind, in the wet and going up hill then I may walk for fear of wheel spin and getting foot stuck in grid during dismount).

But on the ones round here (I normally have to negociate two to get out of town) one has to be careful of the spaced between the grid sections: these run the direction that the bike is travelling and are just the right width to trap a 25mm tyre!

Simon Cole · Post by **Simon Cole** » 16 Sep 2007, 5:33pm

Thanks for the help. I could have made a big mistake if I had not have asked.

DaveP · Post by **DaveP** » 16 Sep 2007, 5:34pm

Slowly and dead square. Most of the ones I have seen recently havent been too bad - flat topped slats not too far apart - but some older "designs" which might still be around used tubes with effectively larger gaps, and frankly its not worth the discomfort of riding across, especially if your bike is loaded up.
If its wet take more care and consider having a foot free, and if its dark, walk - you might not see the protruding branch...

mr riff raff · Post by **mr riff raff** » 16 Sep 2007, 6:26pm

Disagree with the slow option. I try to spend as little time as possible going over them.
Straight on though is 100%.
Surely rubber tyres have more grip going over them than trying to walk with plastic/carbon soled cycling shoes?

eileithyia · Post by **eileithyia** » 16 Sep 2007, 9:23pm

Also disagree with the slow option, too slow and you can be "bounced" off, happened to someone I know, a leg down the gap is not funny.
Right angles and keep a reasonable pace up. If it is dark and I do not know the state of it I will get off and walk.

hamster · Post by **hamster** » 17 Sep 2007, 2:17pm

I just aim to go as quickly as possible over - no steering / braking, unweight / lift the front wheel slightly when hitting the grid.

I reckon the dangerous bit is anything that involves steering input.

glueman · Post by **glueman** » 17 Sep 2007, 2:47pm

Never steer, never brake, always pray.
My old training route had a flat topped grid with loose, sliding bars, If you braked it went with you. Wouldn't trust round ones under braking either. The sheep round here have sussed them out anyway, they roll over on their backs.

byegad · Post by **byegad** » 17 Sep 2007, 7:37pm

Flat out, but I'm on my suspended recumbent trike

orangechimp · Post by **orangechimp** » 18 Sep 2007, 12:53pm

as fast as possible. makes it smoother as well.

towedhaul · Post by **towedhaul** » 26 Sep 2007, 4:32pm

glueman wrote:The sheep round here have sussed them out anyway, they roll over on their backs.

Well there's your answer. Copy what the locals do!

dkmwt · Post by **dkmwt** » 26 Sep 2007, 6:39pm

byegad wrote:Flat out, but I'm on my suspended recumbent trike

When I did my sponsered ride across Dartmoor there was loads of cattle grids. I tried the flat out way and found myself sliding sideways a bit (I'm also on a suspended recumbent trike). So for safety I take them a bit slower. As for uphill, I try it hoping that I don't wheelspin to much. This only when it's raining (when isn't it). When it's dry I just keep going.

nigel_s · Post by **nigel_s** » 26 Sep 2007, 7:13pm

There's a pair of cattle grids on a local sustrans path which is a testament to shoddy and ill thought out design typical of so-called traffic free cycle routes everywhere. Its narrow and one of them requires you to steer away from a curved fence whilst still on the grid. Quite dangerous, especially for the low-skills of cyclepath riders. Thankfully there are adjacent gates one can use.

When I complained to sustrans about it the response was that it was built to British Standards, and wouldn't listen to anything I had to say.

The standards are wrong, then.