Riding off the kerb back onto the road...

[Maz]

Part of my commute involves riding on a cycle path on a humpback railway bridge. On the downhill side of it (traffic permitting) I ride off the path back onto the road. Do I risk damaging my tyres/rims if I do this on skinny 23mm tyres/Alex rims? Can I lessen the road impact?

...I just noticed - there's a lovely kit-car crossing that bridge. I think it's a kit-car, anyway.

 

[domtyler]

Stay on the road, faster, easier.

 

[magnatom]

As Dom says I would just stay on the road. Not only is it faster and easier but probably safer. Is there a particular reason that you don't want to be on the road here?

 

[Maz]

Picture is decieving. Traffic is normally very heavy/stationary now. Path is quicker. Several traffic lights and a mega-Tesco have been built here since that photo was taken.

 

[Tynan]

no room to ride up the centre line if traffic is slow?

 

[Maz]

no room to ride up the centre line if traffic is slow?

No, not really. Too much of a tight squeeze with oncoming traffic.
The reason I ride off the kerb is if you pan over to the right of the pic, there's a nasty point where the path comes to an end right next to a T-junction. I try to avoid rejoining the road there.

 

[Steve Austin]

tbh as long as you don't ride heavy there should be no problems rolling off kerbs, no matter what tyres/wheels you got.
You need to ride light though, no heavy riding

 

[Maz]

I'm gonna try and stick to the road. See how I get on with that.

 

[Arch]

In case the road isn't your preferred option, and also useful for potholes, speed bumps, roadwork 'ramps' etc:

Minimise the shock to your bike by standing up on the pedals slighty and letting it pivot under you, shifting your weight back for the front wheel and forward for the rear, to take a little weight off each wheel in turn.

When I do this, I pretend I'm practising jumping position on a horse, you may of course adopt a fantasy of your own...

 

[bonj2]

as others say, road bikes are for the road.
Tyres will be ok, but it's the rims and hubs you've got to be careful of. No single such impact will probably damage the rims tangibly, but over time it will not do them any good. Won't do the hubs any good either if they're skinny roadie hubs. And it's 'just wrong'.

 

[yenrod]

Last time I did that I twisted the back wheel between a gap in the road and pavement (it was a swing bridge) !

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&h...pn=0.001549,0.003616&t=h&z=18&iwloc=addr&om=1

You have got to go easier on 23mm/roady rims !

Part of my commute involves riding on a cycle path on a humpback railway bridge. On the downhill side of it (traffic permitting) I ride off the path back onto the road. Do I risk damaging my tyres/rims if I do this on skinny 23mm tyres/Alex rims? Can I lessen the road impact?

...I just noticed - there's a lovely kit-car crossing that bridge. I think it's a kit-car, anyway.