|
|
Post by "Big Guy" on Mar 16, 2008 15:05:39 GMT -5
I wanted to give a warning to all the new riders here about one of the most dangerous things you'll encounter on a scooter... RR TRACKS! For the most part, slowing down will keep you from busting your frame on them, but what I wanted to share are those more unusual situations where you don't cross them at a 90 degree angle. Tracks can be an inch or more above or below the road, both creating a dangerous situation. While most tracks can be crossed at a 90 degree angle, this is not always the case. There are times where the tracks are in the middle of the road and run parallel to it, such as the trolley tracks here in New Orleans and San Francisco. Okay, now picture yourself heading toward me in the rain and you need to make this left turn! I can't tell you how many motorcycle riders have dumped on this corner!  Now, this is downtown Gretna, LA. The tracks RUN RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, and they actually move from left to right! You cannot avoid parallel crossing them at one point. This is yet another street that takes down bikes every time it rains!  Look closely at the picture and not only are there the tracks to deal with, but there's also uneven roadway on BOTH sides! Please, if you're a new rider, trust me! RR tracks (and any metal surface) can take you down, especially in the rain! Be careful out there! -Rich |
|
|
|
Post by sting on Mar 17, 2008 8:35:45 GMT -5
You couldn't be more correct. Early one morning I checked the temperature before going to work, and because it was 35-40 degrees I thought it was safe. The temp of the tracks lags behind and stays icy even though it's already 40 on the street.
|
|
|
|
Post by einism on Mar 17, 2008 11:16:14 GMT -5
we have them here in portland to, never went down on them, I think going down on them on a bicycle years ago made me very respectful of the tracks.
|
|
|
|
Post by "Big Guy" on Mar 17, 2008 11:55:28 GMT -5
I remember about a week ago driving through Gretna (the second pic) a kid on a 10-speed got his front wheel stuck between the track and the pavement and blocked the road. Two guys helped him get it out.
I have never had that happen to me on a bicycle, but imaging if that kid was going faster? He would have sailed over the handlebars!
I'm not sure why the city doesn't do anything about it. These tracks are really dangerous to children and MC riders, but they also have 4 or 5 trains a day come through, so perhaps they just can't find the time... who knows.
|
|
|
|
Post by magnaman on Mar 17, 2008 18:18:07 GMT -5
Here in NY, as in other places we have three things that you must watch for in the road...
1. pot holes, not just little ones, but many larger than the wheels on any scooter.
2. steel deck bridges, some with stop lights on either end so you have to stop on the decking while heading down hill. Extra fun when it's wet.
3. Tar snakes. These are the soft tar they squirt out of wand to fill in the many cracks that are left behind after the repeated freezing & thawing of the road while covered with road salt. They are not suppose to put them in the tire lanes, but they do anyways. In the warm season they turn into soft, mushy, slick strips.
Oh yeah, and don't forget about painted or taped lane stripes and cross walks. Especially when wet. Even the morning dew makes these slick.
|
|
|
|
Post by "Big Guy" on Mar 17, 2008 21:08:59 GMT -5
Dude, I remember in NYC (I grew up there) all of the metal plates everywhere in the streets! I don't know what they were for, but New Orleans has them too. You should see the potholes and streets in New Orleans! They can literally swallow up a scooter, especially since the storm...
|
|
|
|
Post by xmirage2kx on Mar 20, 2008 8:57:56 GMT -5
I have only been riding a few days so far, but here in Utah I have found some major things to watch for (in my own riding, and through talking with others).
1. Potholes. They are so bad here a surburban could fall in and get stuck.
2. Gravel. UDOT just sprinkles it all over the road for extra winter time traction, so maybe by june most of it will be swept up.
3. Road work. Metal plates in the road, tar strips, torn up roadway, etc. You almost need an enduro instead of a scooter.
4. Road seams. Between intersections, driveways, store entrances, city changes, etc. The road will almost instantly vary up to 8" (usually 2-5"). I am sure this is for water runoff control, but many cars have issues with the varying elevation between any 2 sections of road let alone scooters. Try pulling into a walmart. You go from the road, drop 2" into foot wide section then back up a 5" curb to get into the parkinglot. A car tire will usually span this gap with no problems, but it swallows a scooter tire whole.
|
|
|
|
Post by "Big Guy" on Apr 12, 2008 17:13:41 GMT -5
Okay folks, see the picture above of the tracks turning left? Two motorcycles went down last night on the turn in the rain! One slipped over and took the other one out as well.
One guy had a real bad case of road rash on his left leg, arm, hands and left foot, and the other one got a broken leg from getting caught under the 1st guy's MC, along with some road rash too.
Both were Harleys... neither bike suffered too bad.
-Rich
|
|
|
|
Post by "Big Guy" on Sept 15, 2008 23:50:39 GMT -5
Bump...
|
|
|
|
Post by 90GTVert on Sept 16, 2008 0:12:31 GMT -5
Luckily most railroad tracks run perpendicular to the roadways that I ride.
There is one metal grated bridge around that I have spun tires on in cars and trucks in the rain. I was just cruising in a truck maintaining throttle position and speed and the tires spun and I got just a tiny bit sideways in the middle lane of 3. I'm glad that's not a place I ride the scooter.
|
|
|
|
Post by halosfan06 on Sept 16, 2008 10:40:36 GMT -5
Those look like roads I would try to avoid at all costs. Have a few of those here in So Cal. They are so bad, I avoid them altogether and find a different route. Makes for a safer and more enjoyable ride.
As for why they don't fix it, because catering to a very small and "unimportant" group (motorcyclists and scooterists) with big government dollars is also called "pork" spending. Spending the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to fix that mess would be wasteful and better spent elsewhere. Why should the government pay to swap out those tracks when less than 5% of the motoring public has a problem with it and there are alternative paths available? IMHO...
That's not to say that it wouldn't be really nice to see a safer alternative, but civil engineers (like I'm studying to be) should do a better job designing these in the first place to cover all the contingencies.
|
|
|
|
Post by owenbrau on Sept 16, 2008 16:45:29 GMT -5
Trolley tracks are a fact of life in Philadelphia, and they aren't going away because many lines are still active. You just have to take care on them, especially in the rain. I ride on them every day to and from work, and they just take getting used to. Definitelt cross at an angle, don't go too fast when it's wet, but don't panic, either.
|
|
|
|
Post by bob67 on Sept 17, 2008 15:58:53 GMT -5
tar snakes   |
|
|
|
Post by tscoot on Sept 21, 2008 18:50:29 GMT -5
they just did our cross road behind the house and the manhole covers and watermains and the like are all sticking up about 4 inches or more a lot unmarked and at 430 am when i go to work the lights on the scoot leave something to be desired so i play dodge the obstacle for 2 miles every morning lol,i saw a p/u truck hit one and it took out his whole rim imagine what that would do to a scooter
|
|
|
|
Post by leo on Sept 22, 2008 1:19:12 GMT -5
a couple more dangerous situations are:
sand and/or clay washed out onto the road after it rains, especially on curves.
leaves. these can be as slick as ice when wet.
|
|
