Wet manhole covers on bends... [Archive]

Molly

4th July 2009, 20:14

Thunder 8

4th July 2009, 20:21

If they've got to be there, why the fuck aren't they covered with something that at least gives us a fair chance of getting around the bend without near f'kin' binning a brand new bike?

Can you tell I had an arse-clenching moment today???
:shit:Yea pretty unbelievable that they put slippery shit like that on the roads,including thick white lines etc:2guns:

monkeymcbean

4th July 2009, 20:23

bummer! I just don't think motorcyclists are part of councils think tank, or who ever decides where manholes are placed, im always hopeful when you find out some council members or people who make decisions to do with transport or roading ride motorbikes.

One of the main roads i ride on i have noted there are a few manholes but at least they have placed them in from the road centreline at the same distance.

I'm sure i read there is coverings for manholes used overseas? that make them less slippery but off course are expensive as they need to be hardwearing like steel manholes.

hayd3n

4th July 2009, 20:28

yes they are a pain, i tend to avoid them without realising now
some are tar sealed over but not many

mattian

4th July 2009, 20:29

monkeymcbean

4th July 2009, 20:29

Here we go, found it, composite manhole covers (non slip)

www.eccles-uk.co.uk/newProduct.htm

Katman

4th July 2009, 20:31

The fact is - they're there.

The trick is - ride so you can avoid them.

YellowDog

4th July 2009, 20:38

The fact is - they're there.

The trick is - ride so you can avoid them.
Yes they are best avoided however if you are moving at a reasonable pace and don't change anything, you get your grip back pretty damn quickly.

Molly

4th July 2009, 20:42

The fact is - they're there.

The trick is - ride so you can avoid them.

Yep. I know. I know... Managed to avoid them for twenty odd years but just got caught out today. Harder to see when the whole surface is wet and shiny and your visor is soaked too.

Guided_monkey

4th July 2009, 21:39

There are regulations/guidelines that councils and Transit are supposed to pay credence to the siting of service manways.

I find that the response is usually not very helpful. Unfortunately you only know they are planning/installing them mid-corner is after they are finished.:shit:

Newton Rd in Ak is a complete bear as within 200 m there is approx 7 holes..... rang ACC and there response.... oh those are telecom and not our problem.... real helpful when they control the road. :angry:

Dare

5th July 2009, 00:25

Newton Rd in Ak is a complete bear as within 200 m there is approx 7 holes..... rang ACC and there response.... oh those are telecom and not our problem.... real helpful when they control the road. :angry:
I love how they always seem to be where the wheels are meant to go...
Nearly had an off on the metal plate here, in the left lane behind the blue car.
Bloody big rectangular jobbie too!
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Indiana_Jones

5th July 2009, 00:45

Can you tell I had an arse-clenching moment today???

lol been there, done that.

Hit one mid corner on my FXR150 with fucking useless nylon tyres!

Back wheel went out about 60cm and kicked back in, I didn't come off thank fuck, but I pulled over and cleaned my pants :gob:

-Indy

MaxB

5th July 2009, 00:59

Ride to the conditions is the answer but maybe the conditions are getting worse?

I think the truth is somewhere near the fact that they don't care enough about bikes as a separate group because caring costs $$$.

Non-slip covers along with properly built and maintained bike friendly roads are just a dream for bikers because there are not enough of us for them to care, not enough votes in it.

caseye

5th July 2009, 10:45

And there ladies and Jennelemen is the nakid truth! money dictates everything done by councils and gubbermints and as we contribute far more per person than any other road user I feel we should be heard the LOUDEST!
Tui's, ah Tui's anyone?
Of course that isn't going to happen so carry on regardless and ride around em if you feel the need.

James Deuce

5th July 2009, 11:04

MSTRS

5th July 2009, 11:29

We pay 'enough'. And as for what we cost ACC...something like half that is caused by someone paying less than us (in rego ACC).

James Deuce

5th July 2009, 11:40

ACC and road quality are separate issues.

FJRider

5th July 2009, 11:40

we should just wrap ourselves and our bikes up in cotton wool..... in fact, why even ride them at all ! just get them out on sunny days and park them in the drive for everyone else to admire......... hehehehe... sorry.
I consider riding in wet conditions a challenge of my skills as a rider.... quite frankly, I relish all of the tests the road can throw up at me. How about looking at it that way?

Anybody that considers that riding in the wet should be no more risk, than riding in the dry. Should think seriously about giving up motorcycling. Manhole covers are the least of your worries.

sondela

5th July 2009, 12:05

If they've got to be there, why the fuck aren't they covered with something that at least gives us a fair chance of getting around the bend without near f'kin' binning a brand new bike?
Can you tell I had an arse-clenching moment today???

Umm..where was it?
Don't want to be heading round the same corner unawares, the rain seems set to stay...

Timber020

5th July 2009, 20:46

Manhole covers arent locked so they dont spin are they? If you put a grip surface on them wouldnt hitting them cause them to turn as you ran over them?

Molly

5th July 2009, 20:50

Umm..where was it?
Don't want to be heading round the same corner unawares, the rain seems set to stay...

By the Mobil garage, Centaurus Road, St.Martins. Was coming from town and turning towards Cashmere. The manhole cover is right in the f'kin' way. :angry2:

By the way. Ducati 999? What a f'kin' good looking bike that is.

Pumba

5th July 2009, 20:56

A voice as a Civil Engineer that has put a number of manholes in road carrigeways, and will no doubt put more in the future, ther is normally more going on with underground services than the uneducated would ever realise and it can be more often than not unavoidable.

Other councils, like Hamilton City for example, have a policy of that all manholes must be located in carriageways (not 100% sure why for fact, but I do have some opinions if anyone really wants me to expand).

There are regulations/guidelines that councils and Transit are supposed to pay credence to the siting of service manways.

Not saying you are wrong as I dont pretend to know everything, but if this does exist can you point me in the direction of said standard, call it profesional curiosity.

sondela

5th July 2009, 21:04

By the Mobil garage, Centaurus Road, St.Martins. Was coming from town and turning towards Cashmere. The manhole cover is right in the f'kin' way. :angry2:
By the way. Ducati 999? What a f'kin' good looking bike that is.

Thanks, and thanks it certainly is :sunny:

Pumba

5th July 2009, 21:06

Manhole covers arent locked so they dont spin are they? If you put a grip surface on them wouldnt hitting them cause them to turn as you ran over them?

A standard mahole cover is not locked down.

Good practise is to use "non rock" manhole lids in a carriage way these have three tapered wedges on the side to prevent them rocking (as the name goes), tried to find a picture but cant seem to at the moment.

I guess if a standard lid did have some grippy properties (technical term) I believe in theory they could spin but I still find it unlikely.

MSTRS

5th July 2009, 21:22

ACC and road quality are separate issues.

Yes, they are. On the surface. Pun INtended.
At least some parts of road quality are directly attributable to the ACC payouts reqd by motorcyclists.
As regards the road fittings subject, it's been well threaded in the past. Bikers' calls have always been for friendlier paints and metal covers. Both placement and finish.

caseye

5th July 2009, 21:47

We don't pay the most and we don't pay enough to pay ACC what we cost them.

Bike Registration being $80.00 more than a private motor car now and going up another $60.00 per year next financial year. Kinda says otherwise.

The bulk of that registration is ACC,so, if as we already pay proportionally more considering what we ride/drive than a private motor vehicle who does pay more than us as road users and facility (ACC, Ambulances, Hospitals etc)
users?

James Deuce

5th July 2009, 22:05

Bike Registration being $80.00 more than a private motor car now and going up another $60.00 per year next financial year. Kinda says otherwise.

The bulk of that registration is ACC,so, if as we already pay proportionally more considering what we ride/drive than a private motor vehicle who does pay more than us as road users and facility (ACC, Ambulances, Hospitals etc)
users?

Yes, the ACC component of motorcycle rego is more than a car. Our bulk payment is vastly less than the employer contribution, or indeed the ACC component of car registration. There are sod all registered motorcycles on the road compared to every other vehicle type, but we're ACCs biggest customer as a collective group.

BRONZ can give you the exact figure, but a motorcyclist's ACC contribution should be in the mid to late $400 range to cover our actual cost to society for funerals and rehabilitation. In the 5 years I've been on KB the severely injured outweigh the dead 3 to 1. As morbid and unpleasant as it sounds, the dead cost ACC $6k. The severely injured, in some cases, will cost millions.

We're damn lucky that ACC subsidise us. A commercial insurer would be looking for their $450 plus every year.

FJRider

5th July 2009, 22:35

A voice as a Civil Engineer that has put a number of manholes in road carrigeways, and will no doubt put more in the future, ther is normally more going on with underground services than the uneducated would ever realise and it can be more often than not unavoidable.

Other councils, like Hamilton City for example, have a policy of that all manholes must be located in carriageways (not 100% sure why for fact, but I do have some opinions if anyone really wants me to expand).

Usually because it is policy to put pipelines in carriageways. As opposed to placing pipelines in footpaths or private land/public parks. Manholes are placed where pipelines change direction.(bends are where blockages occur)
More manholes can be expected on winding hilly streets because of this.(usually on the "racing line")

slofox

6th July 2009, 20:09

Wet manhole covers? Slippery? PAH!!! Let ME tell ya about slippery....now when I was a lad, we..errr...ahhhh hang about, mind's fucked again....

AHEM. Yes, what I meant to say was that this morning my regularly avoided manhole cover, in my local roundabout, was also covered in spilt diesel as well as rain and everything else you find on a road....now that's slippery!

On a serious note. Funny thing. The day there was a spill, I didn't take my usual line through this roundabout - for some reason I took a wider, gentler line. And there was the diesel spill. Which I smelled before I saw. If I had taken the usual line I would have been tipped over a lot more...makes ya wonder dunnit?

caseye

6th July 2009, 20:10

Cheers for the reply James Deuce,I understand now what you mean't.
Yes proportionally we don't pay as much as we could, but if ACC hadn't squandered millions and milions of dollars on bludgers etc , they'd be flush and the cost would not be anything like it is now.
Prisoners getting paid $20,000 for breaking a leg falling off the outside wall of Mt Eden while escaping springs to mind.
Still I guess it could be worse, we could live in Oz where it's approx a grand a year for rego and insurance and yes thats for a bike.

Molly

6th July 2009, 20:42

Still I guess it could be worse, we could live in Oz where it's approx a grand a year for rego and insurance and yes thats for a bike.

Or worse still, the UK. Road tax and compulsory insurance would typically cost me close to a thousand pounds. That's a shitload more than I'm having to pay here in luvleeee NZ :-)