Has any other cyclists spotted the dangerous drains on Wilmslow Road near the junction of Mauldeth Road in Manchester. The usual drain cover has gaps that run at an angle from side to side but these dangerous drains have gaps that run parallel to the road.
Wilmslow Road as we know is a very busy commuter route and many cyclists ride road and hybrid bikes that have thin tyres. I have tested out my fears and a road bike wheel can get lodged in the drain causing a cyclist to fall off on a very busy main road.
I have witnessed on a couple of occasions cyclists being caught out by these drains because they appear without warning not long after the end of a cycle lane. Luckily both incidents did not result in a dismount but they should be a warning to other cyclists.
There is allot of talk about the investment that is going to be ploughed in to cycling facilities and routes in Manchester which I am very excited about but they also need to look at the simple things. Simple things such as drain covers could make a world of difference to cyclists on Wilmslow Road.
Removing dangers such as this will be another tick in the box on the way to making Manchester a cycle friendly city. Dangerous drains are not the only hazard to cycling on Wilmslow Road, these combined with the very poor road surface that is littered with potholes and poor repairs make it a challenge to ride. The photo shows that the dangerous drains do not pose a risk to mountain bike riders only those with thin wheels.
Dangerous Drains on Wilmslow Road could easily dismount a cyclist on a road bike