View Poll Results: You are riding along and come upon a downed power line. What do you do?
Ride over it. The rubber tires/tubes will protect you.
3
3.09%
Play it safe and bunny hop it.
7
7.22%
Carefully step over, while carrying the bike.
9
9.28%
Turn around and change route, it’s much too dangerous to risk.
59
60.82%
Stop and move the line to the side, so no one gets hurt.
2
2.06%
Other
17
17.53%
Voters: 97. You may not vote on this poll
Downed Power Lines
11-09-20, 11:25 AM
#1
Tortoise Wins by a Hare!
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Downed Power Lines
You are riding along and come upon a downed power line. What do you do? (answer poll)
11-09-20, 11:30 AM
#2
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If I were riding and saw a downed power line, responding to a poll would not be one of the options I considered.
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11-09-20, 11:54 AM
#3
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Depends on whether or not there is a chance that another pole will come down and lift the lines while I cross them. But I'm pretty sure I will find another route. Perhaps just to the side of the first one (i.e. go through a field or whatever).
11-09-20, 12:12 PM
#4
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You forgot an option: "Grab the power line and move it off of the road."
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11-09-20, 12:22 PM
#6
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What kind of question is this? I don't understand the sense of it.
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11-09-20, 12:24 PM
#7
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Stop, get off the bike, and call 911. Duh!
Oh, and stay there to warn others until help arrives.
Oh, and stay there to warn others until help arrives.
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11-09-20, 12:28 PM
#9
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What if as i ride up to the downed power line I see an alien lurking in the bushes to the side of the road? I mean, since we are discussing common cycling situations ......
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11-09-20, 12:37 PM
#10
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11-09-20, 12:42 PM
#11
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Oh, Illinois. Got it.
11-09-20, 12:58 PM
#13
I'm the anecdote.
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"Overhead power transmission lines are classified in the electrical power industry by the range of voltages:
- Low voltage (LV) – less than 1000 volts, used for connection between a residential or small commercial customer and the utility.
- Medium voltage (MV; distribution) – between 1000 volts and 69,000 volts, used for distribution in urban and rural areas.
- High voltage (HV; subtransmission less than 100,000 volts; subtransmission or transmission at voltages such as 115,000 volts and 138,000 volts), used for sub-transmission and transmission of bulk quantities of electric power and connection to very large consumers.
- Extra high voltage (EHV; transmission) – over 230,000 volts, up to about 800,000 volts, used for long distance, very high power transmission.
- Ultra high voltage (UHV) – higher than 800,000 volts."
https://youtu.be/k3NWaJ2qPeg
*Don't know why vids aren't embedding right now.
Last edited by FiftySix; 11-09-20 at 03:27 PM. Reason: video embedding broken
11-09-20, 01:03 PM
#14
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Duh. Bunny hop it.
Bunny hopping live power lines is what makes cycling enjoyable, but don't tell a certain someone. Let him figure it out for himself.
Bunny hopping live power lines is what makes cycling enjoyable, but don't tell a certain someone. Let him figure it out for himself.
Last edited by indyfabz; 11-09-20 at 01:07 PM.
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11-09-20, 01:06 PM
#15
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Powerline Down
On my way to work one morning before dawn and rush hour, I saw fire trucks with bright flashing lights at an intersection where I normally turn right. I assumed there had been a crash, so I moved over to the sidewalk to skirt the blockage.
I had to stop suddenly because I then saw a cable laying on the sidewalk. It ended up the intersection was blocked due to the powerline being down, and the emergency personnel were focused on motor vehicles and did not see me approaching.
What I learned from that was a) those bright lights make it really difficult to see what is going on and b) I shouldn't assume I know what is going on.
My practice now when there are emergency lights is to dismount and walk around the area with caution.
I had to stop suddenly because I then saw a cable laying on the sidewalk. It ended up the intersection was blocked due to the powerline being down, and the emergency personnel were focused on motor vehicles and did not see me approaching.
What I learned from that was a) those bright lights make it really difficult to see what is going on and b) I shouldn't assume I know what is going on.
My practice now when there are emergency lights is to dismount and walk around the area with caution.
11-09-20, 01:12 PM
#16
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This has happened to me twice. First time the lines weren't dead, so I went around in the woods. Second time they were dead, so I just walked over them. Someone that was on the same ride and had passed by earlier had fallen because of the wire.
11-09-20, 01:21 PM
#17
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I actually got stopped by a NJ park ranger during a 2018 tour. A tree had fallen down up ahead and taken down a power line along a road in a state forest abutting the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. There was no practical detour. I hung out at a nearby river beach for close to 2 hrs. before the power company finally arrived and shut off the power. The ranger let me pass, but I had to thread my bike with 4 panniers through the limbs and leaves of the downed tree. I will try to remember to post a photo when I get home. The cool thing was that, after I reached my campground, which was only a couple of miles beyond the fallen tree, I saw a bear cub as I was riding back to my campsite from the shower.
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11-09-20, 01:41 PM
#18
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Being from Wisconsin..I can see how this question might be a challenge to someone from Illinois..
All kidding aside..I'd be proactive and put the powerline back up and out of the way.
All kidding aside..I'd be proactive and put the powerline back up and out of the way.
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11-09-20, 02:15 PM
#20
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I'd stop, call 911 and stay on hand 'till they got there to keep others away (keeping well clear).
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11-09-20, 03:05 PM
#21
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I'd "McGyver" some sort of inverter device, pinch-connect it to the power line and use it to recharge my phone, my GPS, my electronic shifter and my portable boombox.
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11-09-20, 03:11 PM
#22
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As for power lines, rubber tires, carbon wheels, carbon frame, seat post, and bars, what's the issue?
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11-09-20, 03:11 PM
#23
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11-09-20, 03:12 PM
#24
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