Bald Paul

Plan out a route, determined to get out and back home before it gets too hot, and then you see this:



Oh well, our ride just got a little longer. Good thing we each brought extra water bottles!

skidder

I live in Orange County, California. Sometimes I think its called 'Orange' County due to the never-ending cycle of construction projects constricting the roadways (and MUPs) and being marked off with orange traffic cones/traffic 'deliniation' devices. Almost makes me want to sign up for a gym membership (almost, but I never have).

Iride01 

Signs like that might be just for motor vehicle traffic. Did you ride down there and check it out personally? You might just call your states DOT or whomever is responsible for it and ask if it's closed to bicycles and foot traffic. But being a bridge, maybe none of us would want to risk it anyway nor they might not want the liability.

12 or so years ago, we had a 7.5 mile section of the Natchez Trace closed for more than a few months while they repaired a embankment slide that threatened one lane for about a 200 foot section of road. Sign said "Road Closed". But all of us on bikes ignored it. Later they eventually changed it to "Road Closed to Motor Vehicles". While the repairs where in progress, they fenced off part of the far lane in the actual construction area just for cyclist to use.

I've been hoping for another embankment slide to happen ever since!

Bald Paul

Yup, sure did. The sign was at the intersection with Cardinal Lane. We rode down the hill to where the bridge normally crosses the creek. The whole surface was torn out. Back up the hill and turned onto Cardinal Lane. Of course, there were no signs telling you where you should go, so we just sort of meandered around until we managed to get back on course on the other side.

rsbob 

Was planning on doing a 52 mile round trip on my MTB. I climbed a mountain pass at 3000’ and started my return trip at mile 30 when I ran into this and had to backtrack.

burrlamb

At least you got a warning sign. i suppose if you're out for a workout you could enter and see it the road is actually closed to bikes.

bblair

Yes, this has happened to me many times, so I can give you guidance based on years of experience:

• Proceed anyway. You can always claim you didn't see the sign.
• Walk across the bridge under construction or cyclocross down and over the creek. You can clean your shoes when you get home. Same for looking for ticks.
• Blame they guy that came up with the route. If it's you, blame ignorance and offer to buy drinks at the end. This works especially well if there is no bar or coffee shop.
• Talk about how last time you saw a sign like this it was fine. Alternately, how you went 10 miles out of your way. Make sure to complain about the DOT and how they should have put up a sign 15 miles back.
• Obey the sign like a weenie and turn around with your tail between your legs and ride back up the hill. The extra training will make you stronger.

reverborama

On the other hand, sometimes good things happen. A section of road near me has been closed all summer -- annoying for both car and bike rides. Last week I was going by and the Road Closed sign was off to the side. I wandered in and I was probably one of the first 10 cars to drive the new stretch. They were still painting the lines. I went back that evening on the bike and they widened the road with bike lanes for a good stretch that was a bit sketchy before. Whew!

rsbob 

Toward the end of one of my favorite 30 mile loops is a steep climb (at least for me) of 12% which crests and drops me down another mile to the start point. Two Sundays ago was riding the route (the construction has been going on all summer) and climbed 3/4s of the way up and saw the damned ROAD CLOSED sign. It even stated ‘to pedestrians and bicycles’. I said, screw it, and rode up the last pitch to the construction area which was just about completed with no personnel around since it was Sunday. So I disobeyed the signage and had an easy time going through the zone and finished my ride without a one mile detour which involved losing my climbing gain and having to climb another steep area. Disobedience never felt so good.

staehpj1

I have done that lots of times on tours. I pretty much always managed to get through. Fortunately the times when it was totally impassible I usually was able to find that out before proceeding. I have gotten my feet wet in creek crossings at times, crossed iffy bridges, and so on.

I have also ridden through construction after the crews went home for the day. Other times and places when there was construction the crews had a shuttle that hauled us.