rustic101
26th February 2010, 19:46
Yesterday I just about binned my bike turning from Hawkestone Street into Molesworth Street, right outside the ACC National Office. It was bucketing down with rain and the entry I had made to the corner; (one I have taken hundreds of times) saw me going straight over the top of a large rectangle aluminium utility cover. . Ordinarily I make a big point of not riding over these.
So the front hits and drops out, sliding sideways, the rear hits, drops and skids out luckily (due to my fat ass) the rear slid faster than the front both tyres hit the edge of the cover and the tar seal at the same time, snapping me upright. After a little power on the throttle I continued up the road pulled into work and emptied my pants, had three or four smokes and pushed the foam cone that had formed on the seat back down.
A few people walking to work saw this and commented on the great skills I used to recover. Did not have the heart to tell them it was only luck that saved me from dropping the bike. Also the fact that the tyres were replaced a few weeks back and scrubbed in… This happened so fast that I did not even have time to think Fark.....
So I phone the Wellington City Council and report what I believed was a dangerous surface. After some plonking around by the call centre person (she had no idea what I was on about), I received a call from Arthur the WCC Roading Engineer. He listened and explained that it was a TelstraClear cover which met the safety criteria; however he was concerned it presented a genuine danger and nearly caused a crash. Arthur said ‘leave it with me’..
Expected the big bums rush, well bugger me, Arthur called me back an hour or so later. He and the TelstraClear Infrastructure Manager had visited the site. Arthur explained that TelstraClear are undertaking a National replacement of all these covers (road surface only) however this will take time. Regardless, each agreered the cover was in a dangerous position on the apex and needed to be fixed. As a result it will be covered with a bitumen emulsion mixed with grit.
Full credit to WCC and TelstraClear
O the replacement product is a steel frame with concret infill I think??? thats what they said.
So the front hits and drops out, sliding sideways, the rear hits, drops and skids out luckily (due to my fat ass) the rear slid faster than the front both tyres hit the edge of the cover and the tar seal at the same time, snapping me upright. After a little power on the throttle I continued up the road pulled into work and emptied my pants, had three or four smokes and pushed the foam cone that had formed on the seat back down.
A few people walking to work saw this and commented on the great skills I used to recover. Did not have the heart to tell them it was only luck that saved me from dropping the bike. Also the fact that the tyres were replaced a few weeks back and scrubbed in… This happened so fast that I did not even have time to think Fark.....
So I phone the Wellington City Council and report what I believed was a dangerous surface. After some plonking around by the call centre person (she had no idea what I was on about), I received a call from Arthur the WCC Roading Engineer. He listened and explained that it was a TelstraClear cover which met the safety criteria; however he was concerned it presented a genuine danger and nearly caused a crash. Arthur said ‘leave it with me’..
Expected the big bums rush, well bugger me, Arthur called me back an hour or so later. He and the TelstraClear Infrastructure Manager had visited the site. Arthur explained that TelstraClear are undertaking a National replacement of all these covers (road surface only) however this will take time. Regardless, each agreered the cover was in a dangerous position on the apex and needed to be fixed. As a result it will be covered with a bitumen emulsion mixed with grit.
Full credit to WCC and TelstraClear
O the replacement product is a steel frame with concret infill I think??? thats what they said.