There is a huge metal plate just lying on the road at an angle. It is just about 12 inches from the far most curb (dirt in this case). Hitting either one with my road bike will most likely == 1 Road Hazard, 0: FordFasteRR.
Notice, there are no signs, markers, barricades, even simple safety cones to indicate that this plate is there.... From one side, I can tell that there is a hole beneath it, but I can't tell how big... This has been here for about 2 weeks in the same unsafe condition...
Should I contact the city road manager? or should I contact a local paper? Whats the best route to take here? (No Punn intended).
Here is what I have to deal with ... North West corner of Dixie HWY and McKinley. :eek:
Really does not look that bad. If it were raining it might be dicey...
nova
curious have you looked under the plate? This doesnt look like something the city has put there instead it looks more like something that fell off some ones pick up when they were headed to the scrap yard.
Edit never mind i didnt see where you said was a hole under it.
Call the city and ask about it though.
RonH
In Georgia they use large metal plates like that to temporarily cover holes dug in the road. I'd rather hit that than a huge hole (3' across, 3' deep).
That also use them to cover the asphalt patches after filling in the hole. In this case the cover is on the road for several days. :crash:
timmhaan
i'd call. a cyclist was just killed in NYC traveling over plates like that. according to the news reports he lost control of the bike and was struck by a truck. they can definitely be dangerous.
Wulfheir
I have one in my alley directly infront of my garage door covering a gaping hole in the ground until the utility company has a chance to fill it. Standard practice for road construction. However, there should be a beacon beside it, some kids probably stole it and put it behind their drum kit so they look 'ghetto' when they play for others, that's what we did.
genec
The fact that it is at an angle to the road is of particular concern... hitting that angled steel with your front wheel is just about a guarantee that your wheel will be turned. These things should be laid square to the roadway, so you can hit the edges perpendicular.
Better yet, a bit of soft asphalt fill should be put all around the edges to soften the blow of the sharp edge.
At a very minimum there should be something marking it... if nothing more than one of those orange sawhorses and or some cones.
The street doesn't look that busy, so in the mean time I would ride well outside of it.
I have to cross a series of these every day I commute... there is a construction zone just outside of my office (in all directions, actually) and these plates have been in place for well over 2 years. They are particularly bad when wet, as they become quite slipperly.
They don't seem to bother car tires much and motorists just speed over them... but I have to slow way down before hitting the edge and since is is also a single lane, I have to convince the motorists to slow down too... for reasons they don't understand.
My suggestions... avoid it if you can (go wide), call the city and complain about the angle and lack of markings.
fordfasterr
I have e-mailed the director of Streets and Highway Division.
I sent him all of the pictures in a zip file. I have communicated with him in the past regarding dirty bike lanes in this city... He was responsive to the e-mails, but nothing was really done about the dirty bike lanes... they are just badly designed and the street sweepers can't really get the debris off of them... they just brush it from the road into the bike lanes and riding through there is a sure guarantee of getting a flat..
Who knows, maybe the city is in cahoots with the local bicycle shop !!!!!!
Monoborracho
Go around it. Call the city and ask about it. Cease and desist making a federal case of it, no one put it there to hurt you.
acavengo
That plate is the city being lazy and/or cheap. They likely put it at an angle b/c it allows them to cover the hole with just one plate, but the right thing to do is to put two or more plates there, running in line with the road so that you do not have to hit it at an angle. Also, as others suggested they should put some asphalt in front so as to minimize the impact on a bike when heading into the plate.
genec
What I have often wondered about these plates is why they can't chamfer the edge... break that sharp corner all the way around so it is not such an abrupt edge to cyclists and even car tires. The plates would still work, and would still butt up to another plate just fine.
Just this one little detail would help us a bit.
N_C
curious have you looked under the plate? This doesnt look like something the city has put there instead it looks more like something that fell off some ones pick up when they were headed to the scrap yard.
Edit never mind i didnt see where you said was a hole under it.
Call the city and ask about it though.
You wouldn't take a plate like that to a scrap yard. Not one that has not been used yet, especially with the current cost of steel right now. Very expensive at the moment.
The best option is to call the city & ask if the plate is supposed to be there. If it is they should put a sign that says plate or something to that affect. If not I they should remove it.
supcom
curious have you looked under the plate? This doesnt look like something the city has put there instead it looks more like something that fell off some ones pick up when they were headed to the scrap yard.
Edit never mind i didnt see where you said was a hole under it.
Call the city and ask about it though.
I'd like to see you try to lift it.
supcom
You wouldn't take a plate like that to a scrap yard. Not one that has not been used yet, especially with the current cost of steel right now. Very expensive at the moment.
The best option is to call the city & ask if the plate is supposed to be there. If it is they should put a sign that says plate or something to that affect. If not I they should remove it.
That plate is intended to be there. It's a commonly used method to temporarily cover a hole. The plate is about an inch thick and would require a forklift or crane to move. I often see these in Dallas amd either just be careful not to slip on them or go around. It's no big deal and certainly less risk than the potholes and longitudinal cracks that I regularly deal with. You do need to watch where you ride, right?
FLBandit
Looks to be worth 6 or 7 bucks at the scrap yard!
Brian Ratliff
I'd call the city. These plates are only supposed to be temporary; like for a week max. They are dangerous in the rain; I one time did a full slide in my car going across one of these plates covering a hole. If they are not going to move it, at least ask if they could put asphalt around the edges.
fordfasterr
That thing has to weigh at least 2-300 lb... lol considering its length and width, it would be very hard for a single person to move it around... lol
straightedge
Looks like there is plenty of room to pass it on the right. It looks like a one way street, so you can probably ride on either side, at least you can here. It really shouldn't be a problem going over it as long as you take the weight off of your front wheel or pop it up just a bit. I would definitly rather have to deal with those than potholes.
genec
Looks like there is plenty of room to pass it on the right. It looks like a one way street, so you can probably ride on either side, at least you can here. It really shouldn't be a problem going over it as long as you take the weight off of your front wheel or pop it up just a bit. I would definitly rather have to deal with those than potholes.
Don't hit it at an angle... even pulling up your front wheel... it is too easy to have your wheel twisted by the edge or to slip on the slick metal surface... either way, you are going down.
nova
Looks to be worth 6 or 7 bucks at the scrap yard!
Steel type scrap is at $150 per ton at the moment i should know ive been loading up enough of it in the last 2 or 3 weeks. Avaraging about 10 bucks a hour lol. Would love to take a load of those plates in the dump trailers in all at once.
2manybikes
Around here that's normal . It's a big sharp dangerous thing in the road, so what ?
That's not normal there? You just go around it. If there is something in the way so you can't go around it stop and walk your bike if you have to. After the first ride you know exactly where it is, so you should be expecting it. I ride over things like that with my 216 gram 700x23 tires. Get your tire travel direction perpendicular to the edge and go so slow you can just balance, unweight each wheel as you go over, no pinch flats. No problem, even in the rain if you slow down just ride over it.
sbhikes
Those things can be dangerous to hit on a motorcycle, too. A lot of times I see them with asphalt piled up around the edges so the bump isn't so sharp.
CommuterRun
Those are used all the time in ongoing road construction/repair. How hard could it be to plane down the edges and non-skid the tops of these things?
It's just a matter of time before a city/county/utility gets sued for causing a bicyclist or motorcyclist to crash.
pedex
looks like an incredibly minor inconvenience on a deserted road, nothing even worth mentioning really.......I deal with worse everyday
mechBgon
You should accelerate with at least 400 watts for 20 seconds, then bunnyhop the whole thing :)
;)
Seriously, I'd call too, to raise some awareness with the road crews about the hazards of laying those things out at an angle. They're very slick when wet, great way to get the city sued.
fordfasterr
it is a mild obstruction......
but the worst part is the fact that there are no signs, no barricades, not even a flashing light to warn people that its there...... when I'm going through there at 25 mph it is hard to move out of its way when it just pops up out of nowhere on me !!!
pedex
city wont get sued if it has the standard indemnity clause built into its revised code or ordinances, road use is almost 100% use at your own risk or peril, part of being a responsible user of the road is dealing with road hazards
CommuterRun
That could be, I haven't looked it up.
But it doesn't sound right if the hazard is something they placed there. Wouldn't this also protect someone if they painted a bunch of bricks gray and placed them in the road?
I-Like-To-Bike
it is a mild obstruction......
but the worst part is the fact that there are no signs, no barricades, not even a flashing light to warn people that its there...... when I'm going through there at 25 mph it is hard to move out of its way when it just pops up out of nowhere on me !!!
Cycling conditions must be mighty fine in Fort Lauderdale if a cyclist can reasonably expect to find a flashing light, sign or barricade guiding them around every obvious and unhidden obstacle in the street.
pedex
That could be, I haven't looked it up.
But it doesn't sound right if the hazard is something they placed there. Wouldn't this also protect someone if they painted a bunch of bricks gray and placed them in the road?
yep
here locally unless the city has had wrtten notification of a hazard 48 hours prior to an incident, they are covered.........someone here had a car get swallowed by a sinkhole in the road, and the city wasnt responsible, road usage is use at your own risk or peril, as it should be
nova
You should accelerate with at least 400 watts for 20 seconds, then bunnyhop the whole thing :)
;)
Seriously, I'd call too, to raise some awareness with the road crews about the hazards of laying those things out at an angle. They're very slick when wet, great way to get the city sued.
Lol ever sue the city and win? Its quite rare heheh. Though i do know one person who has sued twice won twice and has a 3rd suit in progress.
Bikepacker67
Better yet, a bit of soft asphalt fill should be put all around the edges to soften the blow of the sharp edge.
Call me crazy, but can't they just make these metal plates bevelled????
of course, then we'd have to worry about the moron DPW's putting it on upside down! :eek:
2manybikes
Call me crazy, but can't they just make these metal plates bevelled????
of course, then we'd have to worry about the moron DPW's putting it on upside down! :eek:
They would have to carry and handle a huge plate with a sharper edge like a knife. Not good. No way to grab the edge safely, it's dangerous even as a square edge.
They sometimes build up the edge with pavement around here. It's ok.
Bikepacker67
They would have to carry and handle a huge plate with a sharper edge like a knife. Not good.
Not true.
Bevel both edges but one more then the other, so the "edge" would be shaped like 1/4 round molding.
FLBandit
Steel type scrap is at $150 per ton at the moment i should know ive been loading up enough of it in the last 2 or 3 weeks. Avaraging about 10 bucks a hour lol. Would love to take a load of those plates in the dump trailers in all at once.
Man, I'm only getting $3.25 per hunded pounds. That's not even half your price.:( I do a good bit of scrapping myself. A steel plate that big would definately catch my interest. Anyway, as far as getting around it on my bike, I like the 400 watts and bunnyhop idea! Now if only I could generate 400 watts!:eek:
2manybikes
Not true.
Bevel both edges but one more then the other, so the "edge" would be shaped like 1/4 round molding.
Sure that would not be as bad as a knife edge, but anything you do to reduce the surface area on the edge just makes it easier to cut off your foot or hand if it gets dropped or even slides sideways on something. It's just safer to build up the edge with tar. With something that heavy safety is a constant concern. At some point it could need to be pushed or slid by hand a little. Some big towns will have a lot of those being handled at any one time. In my small nearby city there are plenty of them.
Building up the edge with tar in place is not too much work. That's what they actually do anyway. They don't bevel the edges. It's not a new thing.
fordfasterr
I rode to work today on the same road, the thing is still there, no signs, no reply to the e-mail from the other day...........
nova
I rode to work today on the same road, the thing is still there, no signs, no reply to the e-mail from the other day...........