The question is: are steel grate bridges actually dangerous, or am I just paranoid?

One leg of my ride to the train station gives me the choice between a half mile along the towpath of the Delaware and Raritan Canal, or a mile of rather rural roads, on which there is little traffic but the few cars go too fast. I usually take the canal; scenic and quiet, and gives me interesting wildlife stories to tell elsewhere on this forum. But now we're getting to the mud season. Last week we had snow, which froze to a rutted mess, which thawed to rutted mud over the weekend, and now it has two inches of fresh snow on it. So the road becomes attractive. The problem is the road goes over a small bridge, which is a steel grate. It's one lane wide, and no more than 20 feet long, but my tires slide all over the place on it, especially when I ride my folding bike with its 16" wheels. That bridge scares me, especially when it's wet; I slide around, and it feels like I'm going to fall. I never have, but I hate it with a passion bordering on paranoia.

What do you think, are my fears justified?

Edit, now that I'm going that way, I see I underestimated. That bridge is more like 40 or 50 feet long. Nasty.

I hate steel grate bridges on a warm, dry, summer day. Just sayin'.

I live in Chicago. We have a lot since two small, easily bridgeable rivers go through the entire city. They don't last long, maybe 50 feet. I just slow down to maybe 10 MPH when it's wet out. A couple are terrible and I go maybe 5 or less when wet when I cross those. I never have fallen yet. Don't try to change direction much on them. Knobby tires are terrible on them, but as far as slicks go, the fatter ones are better.

Steel bridges suck almost as bad as the water below.

If it's only 20 feet long...perhaps walk it?

Ugh, I hate steel grate bridges. My commute takes me along a little toe path that has one of these bridges and no matter what the conditions I always come close to wiping out. They are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians alike (I've fallen just walking a little too quickly across one of these things on a damp/icy day). I have often wondered what their benefit is; I'm assuming that they are easier to maintain than a wooden or concrete bridge. I recall seeing one steel grate bridge somewhere around here that had rubber matting over it to allow for better traction.

Yeah, sounds like we're agreeing on the fear and loathing... but has anyone actually fallen? Could it be we're overreacting?

Personally I find the idea of falling on a cheese grater somewhat disturbing:

I have gone down on wet steel grating before...I would get off and walk.

Aaron

wooden plank and steel grate bridges are terrible, even on dry days.

Oh, I have a wooden plank one too, but there's no getting around that one. It's noisy and nasty, but doesn't freak me out like the steel grate one.

I have gone down on steel deck bridges especially in the winter with studs. That was ages ago though and there aren't many down here. Heck when I had to drive over one it was freeky enough i seemed I always had the right tread pattern that my car would just wiggle a little all the way across.
I wish they had one in place of this underwater bridge/road thing? I mean it's is running water a few inches deep with alot of gaps on the crossings surface.

well, I guess it depends on if the bridge is designed for pedestrian or 18wheeler weight.
pedestrian steel grate bridges around here have warning signs for cyclists to dismount.

I have a fairly long steel grate vertical lift bridge I need to cross every day. I use the walkway when it's wet or icy out. It's kind of nasty even when dry. With skinny tires the expansion joints are a real hazard.
This particular bridge has the equivalent of studs (little steel nubs sticking up). It would really suck to go down on those. My advice would be to walk it if you are slipping all over the place.

Yes. Steel grates, steel plates, and wood are all treacherous, especially if moisture is involved. No, you are not overreacting. Walking the 20' is great advice if you aren't certain. In Portland we have steel grate bridges that are often wet. I find that if I'm *very* gentle as I cross (no turns, light grip on the handle bars, gentle even pressure on the pedals with medium to high-medium cadence), it's only nerve wracking to cross: the wheels will do a constant dance a few inches side to side while I'm on the grating. If there is ice, mud, or leaves, all bets are off and I avoid or walk it.

There's a grated bridge crossing at the start of the STP and a couple riders went down as I was nearing it last year. I opted to head for the sidewalk, which is not steel grate.

Memorial Bridge, from Kittery ME to Portsmouth NH is a steel grate bridge. Signs posted say "Bicyclists MUST walk bikes on sidewalk." Confusing--I've rode it and had a car driver yell that I have to be on the sidewalk. Bridge personnel enforce the walking on the sidewalk thing--one day I was riding the sidewalk (no one else on it) and got yelled at. When I asked if I could use the road/grate, answer was, "Go ahead, but I've seen a guy break his leg doing that."

On dry days, it's spooky. On wet days... the one time I tried it (28mm tire @ 100psi), I think it was only luck and momentum that kept me from going down in traffic on a narrow roadway. We did it on a tandem (1-1/4" tire at 100psi) ... once. Unless I'm riding solo on a dry day, I will not ride over steel grates.

yikes...that brings back a memory: in '83 I rode from Sacramento to Point Reyes in one day, slept on the beach in a little sleeping bag I brought, and the next morning set off for home via the bay area. By 2 pm I was still trying to get out of San Fransisco to Oakland and decided, for better or worse, to just bolt over across the Bay Bridge (ignoring signs and good sense). The steel was pretty sketchy to ride on, particularly trying to race across before I got hit or ticketed, but then I ran into the second expansion grate - my front tire was just narrow enough to drop in down to the hub and I went sailing over the bars...no injuries, but one ruined wheel and an everlasting dislike of steel. I ended up taking a cab to the greyhound station and then a bus home.

Wooden plank bridges with the planks lying in the direction of travel can trap your wheels between the planks. Otherwise these bridges are uncomfortable, but not dangerous unless you try any sudden manoeuvres.

No matter what your vehicle; bicycle, motorcycle, even a car; steel grate bridges feel like you are out of control. But as most have noted, I have never gone down. By the way, the feel worse on a motorcycle than a bicycle.

I do ride them daily and they are fine, but I found out that tire choice definitely has to do with it. IRC Metro Duro's were horrible and made me feel like my back wheel was slipping sideways all the time. Vittoria Randonneur Pro's are somewhat better, but not when the pavement (or tire is wet).
However, my Schwalbe Marathon Supremes don't seem to care: Dry, wet, snow, they take it all without the squiggly feelings that the other tires had. This tire seems to have a surface compound that provides a lot of grip in all conditions, but doesn't slow you down. Best tire I have ever had
Duppie

(https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...5&postcount=23)

I've never had to ride a bicycle over one, but I gotta say, I once rode over the Mackinac bridge on a motorcycle, and I spent the entire passage on the steel grate lane on purpose. 180 feet over the water, it was like flying when I looked down! Lots of fun.

So, the consensus is that steel grate decking on a bridge is NOT GREAT.
(Unless you are on a motorcycle looking down.)

AKA: ford.

When I lived in Portland, I frequently rode over the steel grate of the Morrison bridge. It ain't that high, but it's still a RUSH. Never wrecked. I've ridden on plenty of poor surfaces, so don't feel threatened by steel grate. It would only suck if you hit it unexpectedly!