I rode Dearborn today...anyone else?

I just missed the press conference and just hung out at lunch to see how it would all work. It seemed easy enough, so I took Dearborn as my starting route home to Roscoe Village. Normally I hit Franklin to Orleans then north to Lincoln.

I have to say, it was pretty easy and relatively safe. The ambassadors were helpful with the the auto traffic. The walkers were easy enough to avoid. I had to chuckle at two riders riding side by side in the lane.

What I didn't see was any oncoming traffic; southbound riders. I am guessing that will come in time or at other times during the day.

Way to go Mayor RE! This is really making a statement.

Who else rode the new path?

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Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on March 13, 2013 at 5:13am

It really depends on your tires. I used to have 38mm knobby tires and didn't have much of a problem, but once I switched to 32mm slick tires, the wet grates became much more of a treacherous.

Will G - 10mi said:

I just can't relate to this. Commuting downtown for 3 years off and on and I've never felt the slickness of the wet metal grates (my usual crossings were/are Clark and Dearborn). I definitely think they feel "weird" with the grooves and I know that other people do fall, I've just never really felt like I needed to walk my bike.

Permalink Reply by blair on March 13, 2013 at 5:19am

Yep - no way I'm trying out the Dearborn bridge without plates during the winter.  700x24s on my bike.

Permalink Reply by spencewine on March 13, 2013 at 5:20am

I roll 32mm gatorskins and they are more than adequate to handle the Dearborn bridge. There has been one occasion where I felt like the grates might be slightly "treacherous" and that was while 3 inches of snow was falling and the grates where dusted/slushy.  I'm glad that plates are going in, but I can think of many other bridges that need them before Dearborn.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on March 13, 2013 at 5:23am

I have the same exact tires as you and while I can certainly make it over the bridge without falling, it is a bit unnerving since I feel like I can't really control the bike. The bridge is just slippery enough to make me nervous. Perhaps you have stronger nerves than I.

spencewine said:

I roll 32mm gatorskins and they are more than adequate to handle the Dearborn bridge. There has been one occasion where I felt like the grates might be slightly "treacherous" and that was while 3 inches of snow was falling and the grates where dusted/slushy.  I'm glad that plates are going in, but I can think of many other bridges that need them before Dearborn.

Permalink Reply by Derek on March 13, 2013 at 5:30am

I came it a little later this AM and there were actually 4 trucks parked in the bike lane on the bridge.  Looked like they were just shooting the breeze.

Permalink Reply by Jenn_5.5 mi on March 13, 2013 at 5:34am

I had 700x23 on my bike and just swapped out for 28s... It has only been 3 days (5 trips over Dearborn) and I am more comfortable on the mess - However, would much rather have plates.

I never fell but lost (or starting losing) control a few times to the point where I was able to just stay on my bike and push myself across.

If it weren't so cold & I wasn't so lazy, I'd go check it out here at lunch... If! (Derek's update doesn't sound as promising... Boo!)

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on March 13, 2013 at 5:44am

Yup, that's a sure sign they will be installing the plates. :-)

Derek said:

Looked like they were just shooting the breeze.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on March 13, 2013 at 5:46am

Unionized workers are really good at turning an hour-long project into a full eight-hour work day. :-)
Skip Montanaro 12mi said:

Yup, that's a sure sign they will be installing the plates. :-)

Derek said:

Looked like they were just shooting the breeze.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on March 13, 2013 at 6:04am

I've been trying to make this point for months now, but I've been at a loss for how to express it. Thanks for the inspiration Jenn! I'm not against plates, but I think we also need to take some responsibility and equip our bikes properly for the conditions we face when we ride. 

Jenn_5.5 mi said:

I had 700x23 on my bike and just swapped out for 28s... It has only been 3 days (5 trips over Dearborn) and I am more comfortable on the mess - However, would much rather have plates.

I never fell but lost (or starting losing) control a few times to the point where I was able to just stay on my bike and push myself across.

If it weren't so cold & I wasn't so lazy, I'd go check it out here at lunch... If! (Derek's update doesn't sound as promising... Boo!)

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on March 13, 2013 at 6:11am

Since I switched form 25 to 38 tires with my last bike I will say it's been much nicer riding around town.  The fenders and pannier didn't hurt, either.

Permalink Reply by WillG on March 13, 2013 at 6:23am

700 x 25 slicks on my bike ever since forever.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

It really depends on your tires. I used to have 38mm knobby tires and didn't have much of a problem, but once I switched to 32mm slick tires, the wet grates became much more of a treacherous.

Will G - 10mi said:

I just can't relate to this. Commuting downtown for 3 years off and on and I've never felt the slickness of the wet metal grates (my usual crossings were/are Clark and Dearborn). I definitely think they feel "weird" with the grooves and I know that other people do fall, I've just never really felt like I needed to walk my bike.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on March 13, 2013 at 7:12am

No question, everybody must make sure they are prepared properly (both bike and rider) for the conditions they expect to encounter.  That said, no tire is going to be perfect in all conditions.  Many people only have one bike, so one set of tires generally has to work for all conditions.  For these metal grate bridges, I suspect a fatter, slicker, tire will work better.  My previous commuter was a pure road bike and has pretty slick tires, but they are not fat (700x23 Gatorskins), and the rubber compound is fairly hard (the better to avoid flats with in the many suburbs and city neighborhoods where I ride).  My current commuter has a bit wider tire (700x28 Michelin City, still fairly slick, but with some grooves to expel water).  I imagine it will work better than my previous commuter bike, but I prefer not to test it.  If your tires have some sort of raised tread on them, I think it will interact with the bridge grates, different ways for different tread patterns.  That can be a rather nerve-wracking experience as your bike constantly "hunts" for the best route over the grates.

The city also needs to take reasonable steps to make peoples' commutes safe.  I believe textured steel plates will work better than exposed steel grates for most people in most conditions, and for a broader range of tire type and rider experience.


Tony Adams 6.6 mi said:

I'm not against plates, but I think we also need to take some responsibility and equip our bikes properly for the conditions we face when we ride. 

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