One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 8:58 pm
it may be in a car but I would prefer it to be on the 800. That is the Mackinac Bridge. I think it is a toll bridge and will cost me around $8 for the bike. 
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One of these days I'm going over this bridge
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Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 10:03 pm
My family went over that bridge when I was 16 when it first opened up. My dad let me drive his 1955 Buick Roadmaster and it was quite a thrill. [emoji106]
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 5:15 am
On my several Circle Rides around lake Michigan I went over it. It was really neat! [emoji106]
There's a Paved lane and a Metal Grid Lane down the middle for both directions.
There's a Paved lane and a Metal Grid Lane down the middle for both directions.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 6:27 am
I wonder how windy it gets on there? The little 800 gets blown around a lot on normal roads so I'd hate to be blown over on that thing.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 8:51 am
You can try the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel.....the whole affair is like...23 miles long, from Va Beach to Cape Charles, VA. It has it's share of wind but it's not too bad. The problem is if you get cold feet half way across....you are only half way across, and there's no turning around. And the toll is 15 dollars! 5 dollars to come back if you do so within the same day.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 11:20 am
At some point on IA we were talking about this bridge, and apparently the DOT or someone there has people that will ride your motorcycle over it for you, if you don't feel up to it? I remember something about that.
Is it paved, or a grate-type surface? my first experience with a grated bridge was when I rented that Road King in Oregon. Rode across some bridge in Portland, that was an eye-opener....at first it felt like I was riding through grease. Then I figured out to loosen up and have a little fun with it, then all was good [emoji106]
Is it paved, or a grate-type surface? my first experience with a grated bridge was when I rented that Road King in Oregon. Rode across some bridge in Portland, that was an eye-opener....at first it felt like I was riding through grease. Then I figured out to loosen up and have a little fun with it, then all was good [emoji106]
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 12:31 pm
I always pause for a second when someone posts about long Bridges with apprehension as an overtone.
My thought is why is riding across a bridge somehow different than riding the same distance over a road that's land based?
My thought is why is riding across a bridge somehow different than riding the same distance over a road that's land based?
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 12:39 pm
It's not of course, but it's all about how well one can separate their perception from what their senses are actually telling them...and some people have legit issues with vertigo that may be physiological rather than mental.Tbeck wrote:I always pause for a second when someone posts about long Bridges with apprehension as an overtone.
My thought is why is riding across a bridge somehow different than riding the same distance over a road that's land based?
I see the same thing when others get freaked out driving through construction areas with barriers or cones and feel "boxed in"....it's still a lane, no smaller than what you normally use, you don't continuously wander all over outside the lane when you drive normally, right? So why is this a problem?
Same issue. I will admit to one moment of a twinge of that though...first time I drove over the New River Gorge bridge I think it's called, in a semi, sitting high enough to see out over the barriers...and I wasn't familiar with it, and I think it just caught me off guard...to look over and realize I was almost 900' up in the air...gave me a strange moment of some kind of disorientation or something...trying to suddenly get a grip on the scale of things...
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 12:44 pm
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 12:45 pm
jeffcoslacker wrote:And of course I HEAR that bridge is somewhat notorious for wind gusts that can really challenge a driver/rider that's not prepared for it...but I've never crossed it so can't say...but that's pretty typical of any long span over water...Tbeck wrote:I always pause for a second when someone posts about long Bridges with apprehension as an overtone.
My thought is why is riding across a bridge somehow different than riding the same distance over a road that's land based?
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 12:55 pm
Just found a nice pic of that New River Gorge Bridge....it's beautiful. Anyone that gets up that way really needs to check that and the area out... [emoji106]
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 2:18 pm
There are some real issues concerning wind gusts on bridges. For example, Jacksonville Fl has half dozen or so bridges crossing the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal Waterway and routinely closes them to traffic if wind gusts exceed about 40 mph.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 2:27 pm
Re the New River Gorge Bridge...in a car or a motorcycle, you can't see over the side, so there's no misperception of scale. In a semi though you might get a peak. It would not bother me though. i don't have a serious problem with scale or heights. I do feel plenty better if I can hold onto something, but a handlebar or steering wheel is good.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 4:15 pm
Apparently they have a couple of events a year where they close it to traffic and you can walk across and look over the side, etc. that would be really fun.jonnycando wrote:Re the New River Gorge Bridge...in a car or a motorcycle, you can't see over the side, so there's no misperception of scale. In a semi though you might get a peak. It would not bother me though. i don't have a serious problem with scale or heights. I do feel plenty better if I can hold onto something, but a handlebar or steering wheel is good.
It didn't bother me so much as just wasn't expecting to find myself that high up...just a few minutes before, I'd been down along that river somewhere...
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 4:52 pm
The new river gorge is an awesome view in a semi. I went over it once and they had it down to a single lane and people were bunge jumping off it. I was also told the old Chevy blazer commercial where they bunge jumped it was off that bridge.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 5:51 pm
Can't even tell you how many times I have been across that bridge, only one time stick's out. I had the Vision on it's second trip south and was having WB radio issues I was awaiting victory to settle. I knew something was brewing as I was heading north for home, but got caught off guard by the 50mph gusts from the storm ahead. Even leaned over I was being tossed from the inside lane to the outside berm each gust. Perfect cross wind. The electrical storm 4 miles further north was worse. Had I known I would have stopped at the park for a half hour.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 12:43 am
Up at Portland OR there is a double decker bridge that comes into downtown Portland. I used to cross it every morning, beautiful sight, just before sunrise, of the city.
One Saturday morning I was heading in and the fog was so thick that I could barely see the side of the bridge and the exhaust of the bike was muffled. Weird feeling riding and the only thing you can see is the highway and the fog. Not even any other vehicles on the bridge at that time, felt like I could just ride forever...
One Saturday morning I was heading in and the fog was so thick that I could barely see the side of the bridge and the exhaust of the bike was muffled. Weird feeling riding and the only thing you can see is the highway and the fog. Not even any other vehicles on the bridge at that time, felt like I could just ride forever...
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 1:04 am
Maybe you and herb could hold hands and jump off it, tell us how high it was, --next time eh?Designer wrote:On my several Circle Rides around lake Michigan I went over it. It was really neat! [emoji106]
There's a Paved lane and a Metal Grid Lane down the middle for both directions.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 6:32 pm
BlacktopTravelr wrote:I wonder how windy it gets on there? The little 800 gets blown around a lot on normal roads so I'd hate to be blown over on that thing.
lonerider wrote:There are some real issues concerning wind gusts on bridges. For example, Jacksonville Fl has half dozen or so bridges crossing the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal Waterway and routinely closes them to traffic if wind gusts exceed about 40 mph.
You are both wise to think of Bridges of this size as being different that Roads,....because,.... they ARE.
I have heard of several stories of Riders who have told of very Gusty Wind Conditions when riding over such Bridges. A few even said they should have waited before crossing. And these guys were on big bikes too,...such as a Harley and Vision.
Don't let anyone who says they pause for a second when someone posts about long Bridges with apprehension as an overtone cause you to disregard what you know is true. They just aren't remembering things correctly.
Re: One of these days I'm going over this bridge
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 7:13 pm
My apprehension comes from me reading an article about an older man, at the time he was older than me, where he and his Harley were blown over while crossing a bridge like this one. He wasn't blown off the bridge, it just blew his bike over and the wreck ended up killing him. 