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I've never riden across a steel gate bridge as the only one I know crosses the Mississsippi, so its abit long.

What is it about a dry and clean steel grate that makes it dangerous? Doesn't the grate tend to bite more into the tires to reduce slipage?

I may never need to cross one but would like to know what I'm up against and any suggestions when crossing.

I have crossed a short steel grated bridge, and often cross a cement roadway bridge with steel grated expansions. I was taught not to fight the ebb and flow of the bike but just to let it find its own path and let it bite where it wants to.

Steel-grated bridges can be stupidly slick when they're wet. One set of grated bridges here had little rubber nubs installed after 3 SUVs skidded off the bridge after a rain-all 3 drivers were killed. When they're dry, they feel wonky, at best. Your front tire tracks the grooves, but doesn't really grab the grating.

I have to cross a few of these daily. I actually have to talk myself into relaxing my arms and letting the bike track instead of fighting it. Fighting it is what gets you into trouble, quickly.

Many OEM tires tend to have that wobbly effect when crossing those types of bridges due to the tread design. Many after market tires improve their tread design to reduce or eliminate this type of tracking behavior. It's like a graded road without the gravel.

Regardless of what tires you have on steel grated bridges are hazardous when wet.

flw wrote:What is it about a dry and clean steel grate that makes it dangerous? Doesn't the grate tend to bite more into the tires to reduce slipage?

No, actually the opposite. The traction is poor even when dry, the grating pulls the tires back and forth, and the bike feels like its wandering. You get used to it.

I think they're a problem because folks react stupidly to the "funny" feeling that you get in the bike when riding on them. Doesn't help that metal is so much more slick than pavement.

The first time I rode on a grated bridge, it felt like someone had loosened every bolt on my bike about a full turn or two. Everything just felt "loose." But having been warned that it will feel "squirrelly" I was prepared to just loosen my grip on the bars and ride it out.

P

Just feels weird for me. Especially on a small ninja 250.

Sounds like I'll have to find another bridge if I ever want to cross the Mississippi River.

The bridge is short of a mile long due to islands and from 100 to 200 plus feet high. It does have side rails (if your don't go down between the vertical supports )