I bet you never ride my "trail"
 

Hi all. I'm an 18 y/o college student riding around Columbia, MO on a 1999 Diamondback Viper. I may get into BMX (we have a dirt track and a skate park, I hear) ...but for now...

I RIDE IN DRAINS!!!

Yes, yes, if you know what I'm talking about, hold your applause; If you're confused, imagine: when a city is built, all the creeks in the area don't just go away, they're put in tunnels. Plus, even more tunnels need to be built, or else water that would normally just sink into the ground would sit on asphalt streets. Thus: drains are born! And of course, the kicker for me (and you too) is that since drains are built to suck down the hugest storms, but they rarely have to, they often have just an inch or two of water. Great to ride in!

Don't worry kids, it's safe, clean fun! Go in drains (with a bike)!

whoa......how do you manage to get in? don't sanitation workers catch you?

When I was a kid, we rode up a storm drain for a few miles. Went through two tunnels in the dark even. Got to the very end we were surrounded by nice horse property. And the water we were standing in was mostly horse urine.

So let's hear it for riding in drains! And welcome to the forums. :D

nah, I've never been caught. I did almost run into public works engineers once, but my headlamp was dim enough that they didn't see me at distance.

Best way in is an outfall, where it flows into a creek.

I have friends in columbia. And I've gone urban speulunking in KC drains. I could see how they'd make for good cycling. For now I think I'll keep it superterranian.

And by the way, no one catches anyone in drains. It's not like they set up alarms on the manhole covers and cameras throughout the drains to "catch those darned kids". Matter of fact, I don't even know that there are laws against being in the drains. Other than the fact that it CAN be dangerous if you lack common sense, I see nothing wrong with it.

Sounds like something I might say about my ex, in Forsyth...

I hope it's safer in Columbia, MO than it would be here in the Pacific Northwest. And more than a few people have made mistaken assumptions about the Los Angeles River, too.

Keep safe, and welcome to BF!

East Hill

I hope you check the weather forecast before you take a ride in the drains.

you bet. "When it rains, no drains." ;)

A buddy of mine manages a drain pipe mfg plant here in NJ. A couple of guys were parking on the property and riding their BMX bikes in the pipes. One day, my buddy saw their car, and had one of his guys pick up a massive pipe with one of thier loaders and block in the car. Pretty funny. There was a brief discussion about unauthorized entry, liability, possibility of "accidentally" flattened cars, etc. Just be safe, especially sudden downpours, and potential for asphyxiation due to unauthorized discharges to the system. Oh, and come up with a screen play on your exploits. Maybe something like Goonies. Or a South Park episode.

Aside from the sudden-storm risk, I used to walk around in drains when I was a kid. They were big square concrete tunnels with an inch or less of standing/running water usually--but the water grew VERY slippery algae in it.
Depends on your locale I suppose.
~

QUIT FOLLOWING ME AXON!!

Hi,

I rode my Trek in a drain when I was in Tennessee. I started out in a creek bed, and then I saw a square culvert on the right. There was half an inch of water in it at the time, but the "high water mark" only was about four inches anyway.
The drain went under an Interstate Highway, which was good because there was no other way to cross the highway.
Like That Forum Guy said, this drain too ended in a horse farm. I wonder if the water was horse urune.

I rode that drain two or three times while I was in Tennessee, it was more than a mile round trip. I didn't ride on the horse farm.

Yeah... LA river... BAD.... they land space shuttles there.

It would appear you're following me, actually. Welcome to BF.