floridamtb

Do you avoid them? Do you take the sidewalk? What do you do? I hate them personally, I've had a few close calls on dry grates. Here in south Florida you can't avoid, well you can but it's not easy. I've finally learned which bridges have the concrete tire strips so I'll ride so I cross them or I've been taking the sidewalk. Why they would build bridges and put some with strips and others without is beyond me.

indyfabz

I try to carry enough speed to coast.

Homebrew01

If the grates are what I'm thinking they are, slick metal cross hatches, then that sounds like a rare situation where the sidewalk is a valid option.

79pmooney

Sidewalk, bigger and grippier tires or ride like you are on slightly rutted ice. Many years ago, I crossed a bridge of about a 1/4 mile of metal grate in a race. It started raining an hour before we got there, first rain in a month. I literally rode it like it was ice. Hairy. We were passing cars. The trick was to choose long in advance which side to pass on. One, I chose the left side because the ride in front of me was going right. Good choice. He went down.

This was long before heart monitors and I wouldn't have looked down at it anyway, but even though we weren't going very fast, I am sure my BP was pegged! Winter training consisted of (for me, in New England) riding on ice at times. Came in handy.

Ben

Sy Reene

Maybe go faster so that you're across the grate before bike has time to be deflected? I.e. Similar to how a small pothole feels worse in a car hitting it at 10mph vs 60

79pmooney

Years ago I did a night time disorganized ride in Portland. We rode over the metal grate Hawthorne Bridge. Mid June but 50s adn raining, I was so cold I was shivering, riding my (now retired) Team Dumpster, a fix gear that rode like a very quick steering '70s race bike. The grating buzz amplified my shivering. Wild.

Ben

caloso

We have lots of those down in the delta. They can be superslick when it's wet. If there's any moisture at all and you have the option to get on the sidewalk, I would do that. If not, try to be as loose and smooth as possible. Super light grip on the bars and a steady cadence. Try not to shift or brake, just steady pedaling, loosey-goosey on the bars.

Seattle Forrest

Sidewalk or another route if there's any choice. And because it's a city with streets in a grid, there's always another choice. But I can only think of two bridges that are grated like that (Fremont and University), they both have good sidewalks for bikes. One has a bike counter on the western sidewalk. Those grates are slick as ice if there's any water on them.

FLvector

We have a few in our area that are metal grated crossings, not bridges with any elevation. I don't have any problem when dry. However, even though they are very flat they can be super slick when wet. As mentioned, try to be relaxed and smooth with your pedaling, or just coast if its short enough. I don't like the feeling of drifting, but as long as you don't over correct you shouldn't go down. In my case, the option is to go over the grated section or go another route.

WhyFi

With involuntarily clenched buttocks.

mprelaw

I call it riding across a cheese grater where you are the cheese. That means I approach it very carefully, and use the sidewalk if there's even a hint of moisture in the air. Morning dew can be as bad as rain.

If there's an easy way around it, I avoid it in the first place.

Another "pro tip": walking the bike across the grating in road cleats isn't the greatest idea you'll ever have, either.

bobwysiwyg

You would love the left lane of the Mackinaw Bridge.

nondes 

The few "grated" - type bridge decks around here are treated with some sort of sandpaper/grippy material and I don't worry about them. My problem is with a couple of wooden bike trail bridges that have been rebuilt with lightly textured steel plate decks - they cool at night then have heavy dew on them that lasts for several hours even on summer mornings. I don't know what they were thinking when the bridges were designed but I'm always careful to hold my line and cadence when I use them.

Kopsis

Fortunately most of the newer spans here in the Tampa Bay area have gotten away from the metal grates, but there are a few holdouts that can't be easily avoided. Tire width, pressure, and compound can make a big difference. I wouldn't want to cross one on anything less than a 25c and I'll run the tires a little soft if I know I'm going to encounter one. Sticky compounds with supple high TPI casings also help. They may flat more often than Gatorskins, but I'll take the flats over going down on a bridge grate any day.

In terms of technique, ride the line where the car tires roll. The grate in the middle of the lane often has a light coating of motor oil and other car fluids that makes it treacherous when dry and pure evil when damp. Carry enough speed so you can soft pedal and still maintain your momentum. If you slow down to where the bike needs much steering input to control, you're in trouble. Ride like you're riding on sand (something Floridians understand much better than riding on ice). Soft grip on the bars and just let the bike go where it wants to go. If you feel it sliding around a bit, don't fight it.

SnowCYYCling

LMAO nice one

italianstallion

I use to just sprint across them, completely unaware to the dangers they create. Now I avoid them or ride carefully across them.

jaxgtr

very carefully and quick.....just let the front wheel drive itself with a light tough on the bars. I don't like doing it, but on occasion, it is needed.

floridamtb

Best answer yet!

joejack951

I used to cross a short bridge with metal grate decking twice a day on my commute. Only almost went down once when I wasn't paying enough attention and started my left turn too early while still on the slight-wet-at-the-time grating. I never had any trouble when dry but when wet I'd always find a point to focus on on the other side of the bridge and concentrate on maintaining a straight line through one section of grating. I'd get my practice by riding the same way in the dry. Drifting from one section to the other is reminiscent of riding in rutted ice as has been pointed out and takes careful correction to avoid going down. Best to avoid it.

LesterOfPuppets

I kinda treat 'em like riding in shallow sand or snow. Push your weight back a little. Let the front end float a bit. You'll drift some but don't try to over-correct and you'll be fine. Just kinda suggest a forward direction to the bike, don't force it.

Oh, and don't look down if you have even the slightest vertigo!

timmbo

I have crossed the same 3 bridges by me, each a little different, and each I have been just fine on. I may slow down a lot more if they are wet. I guess best advice is proceed with caution until you get a good look and "feel" for what you are crossing over.

Doug28450

I dial it up to 400 watts and use the approach to the bridge as a ramp to jump over the offending steel grating.

Lazyass

Just roll over them, never even thought about it. Cattle guards are another matter.

Dan333SP

I'm from Miami and there were a couple drawbridges exactly like what you describe that I'd cross while headed out to Miami Beach on my bike. Never went down, but I'd clench up every time just thinking about what that grating would do to your skin if you did crash. Definitely light hands on the bars. I prefer to keep my hands in the drops on bridges because it gives me a more secure grip if needed.

I wrecked on a narrow wooden bridge here last year because my front wheel found a gap between two planks and I was holding the tops, so the bars jerked and I didn't have time to react. I think if I'd been in the drops I could have had a chance to steer out of it.

kc0bbq

Luckily, the only grated drawbridge I have to cross often has some sort of fiber impregnated rubber sprayed on the (narrow) shoulders. Not sure why they did that, probably to give road workers a good footing or something.