coffeesnob

On wooden bridges I always see these posts sticking up in the middle of the path. What purpose do they serve?Seems to me to be hazardous.

blakcloud

livedarklions

Also, a monument to Marcel Bolard, inventor of the structural impediment.

Berg417448

If you don't put those up then you might get this:

https://www.bicycling.com/news/a2361...-on-bike-path/

Doctor Morbius

They put those up because people are a lot dumber than they look.

livedarklions

Because sometimes the middle finger isn't enough.

I-Like-To-Bike

Especially hazardous to people, who can't see what is right in front of them. Blind cyclists better beware!

coffeesnob

Maybe so, but when hitting a pretty good clip going downhill they are dangerous. If they are installed to keep cars off of them then why arent they on the other parts of the path.

MattTheHat 

It's to protect a bridge that isn't load-rated for an automobile.


-Matt

livedarklions

Right, maintenance crews will sometimes take trucks onto bike paths legally. The one in the picture looks like it's there to keep such service vehicles off of the bridge.

The worst placement of these things is in a shady spot at the end of a curve. You can be almost on top of them before they become visible.

JohnDThompson 

You need to pay attention and ride at a reasonable speed on bike paths.

Because wooden bridges on bike paths aren't designed to support the weight of a motor vehicle.

Skipjacks

THIS!

If you hit a 4 foot tall non moving object with your bike, that's no one's fault but your own.

You are responsible for where you steer your bike.

If you hit the pole because you were looking down at the ground, that could have just as easily been a person you didn't see.

wipekitty

I don't mind the poles so much. Some of ours have giant boulders instead. Those get scary at the bottom of a hill or when one is trying to ride with a trailer.

CliffordK

Blame it on the city for not posting a low bridge warning.

CliffordK

The posts are called Bollards. And they can be a major pain for people pulling trailers.

I don't think I've bumped many, but I find them terrifying to go between.

There was a photo in another thread where a cyclist hit a poorly marked one in the middle of a shady patch on the bike path.

There are some up the McKenzie that are set narrow enough that a bike carrying panniers might have troubles. And, if one was pulling a trailer, it would have to be disconnected and lifted over the top.

livedarklions

I've never hit one, but I've sure seen ones where you could be going a reasonable speed and not see it before it was too late. One of the things people don't take into account is the tendency of other traffic to screen upcoming obstacles from view. You combine that with going from bright sun to shade, going around curves, and bollards that aren't painted to stand out from the background, these things can be dangerous at 10-15 mph.

I know I'm ultimately responsible for keeping myself safe from the effects of bad design, but that doesn't mean people shouldn't be warned about it.

Troul 

at least they use identifiers on the objects rather than leave it natural wood color...

rebel1916

Terrifying?

CliffordK

Depending on the bike, trailer, and bollards, I may only have a couple of inches of clearance, and hitting the bollard could mean stopping the bike cold (again depending on the trailer).

I usually take the bollards slow.

I did have a temporary barricade that reached out and grabbed the quick release on my trailer, I think. Bang... STOPPED.

I've flipped my trailer at least 3 times.

Once hiting a really bad curb cut.
Once hitting a curb dividing a turn lane.
Once hitting a pothole.

honcho

Bollards / poles on bike and multi-use paths usually allow enough room for bikes pulling trailers, trikes and tandems to pass without risk. Chicanes, such as the ones on the bike/pedestrian paths alongside some bridges practically force tandems, trikes and bikes pulling trailers to stop and walk through the obstacle. I understand that there are more than a few cyclists that will fly down paths like endangering anything slower on the path. We were able to navigate the chicanes in Montreal without dismounting our tandem. In France, we encountered a couple of gates put in place to prohibit vehicles but allow pedestrians and cyclists where the opening was barely as wide as our handlebars. I might have tried to ride through on a single but I deemed the risk too high to pilot a tandem through the opening.

This site at the link below has examples of UK obstacles.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cy...on-cycle-paths

Picture below is a chicane on one of the bridges in Montreal

dedhed

https://abc7chicago.com/news/man-dri...es-gps/395218/

FBOATSB

The paths in my town have removable bollards similar to this so police/rescue/parks dept maintenance trucks can unlock and drive down them. If I ever hit one on a bicycle and didn't get badly hurt I don't think I would ever admit it.

tcs

Here in Parts Unknown the authorities require path bridges and footings to be able to bear the weight of a police cruiser and an ambulance. Yeah, this raises the co$t of building paths.

HerrKaLeun

We have one on a tiny bridge that is after a downhill curve. In addition it has gravel in front of the bridge. Only a matter of time before an accident. It also is sketchy to ride around ice patches when such bollard is added. I imagine trailers, tandems etc. will have even harder times.

That bollard is just a square 1.5" steel type less than 3' high. It would be safer if it was taller and wider and in warning color to see it better. I never measured that bridge, but may be only 5' wide, maximum 6'. So no reasonable car could cross it anyway. But less than 3' on each side creates a challenge.

tyrion

Those poles are for trials riders to jump up on.