Modern Vespa

i have not ridden over a big bridge and plan on doing two in the same day cant wait ones the goldengate so cool any tips

yikes!! bridges!

I don't even like going over them in a car....

Have fun

Bridge jumping? You mean like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKlbrx79TDE

I cross "diggers" bridge everyday to and from work. It can get really windy so the only thing I can recommend is be careful of crosswinds etc

Although your bridges are probably a lot bigger.

I ride over the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston, SC all the time with no problems ... its not near the size of Golden Gate Bridge, but fun no less.

This is my fun bridge, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge... 4.2 miles long:

its amazing how the ANZAC brdige and the Cooper River Bridge look the same.

Love that photo of Chesapeake Bay Bridge


Wow I have just realised that I like bridges. I have been living a lie my whole life.......

I FEAR that bridge.... my husband says he'll make me ride across it one day.

Holy!! That's mad!! Nice red bull placement hey?

Rastrike, I'm just over 100 lbs and I rode over the Golden Gate on an extremely windy day on a Vino 125.. I was pretty scared. But with a bigger bike and not too much wind you'll be fine.

The bay bridge is longer and there's even more wind.

Just be careful.

Over? Nah... You ain't a tru ballah until you go under those mofos!

Heres mine, everyday, back and forth to work.

Don't look down and don't forget to pay the toll.

suggestions:
1) GGB is easy peasy. the only places you really need to worry about are the metal grates flanking the towers. Not fun when wet. Otherwise, just stay out of the suicide lane, just because.

2) Bay Bridge has a few metal grates but what you really need to watch for are the rain grooves. these are all over the place, including on the on-ramps. your tires may want to track in those. The best way to deal with them is to loosen your grip on the bars and not to stress about the tracking. also watch for insane motorists, they're your biggest hazard. the bridge would be fine were there no other motorists... more than any bridge in the bay area, I know people who have been hit on the bay bridge.

3) richmond bridge is windy as hell. upper deck has super high gusts. traffic moves faster than both of the bridges mentioned, but there's more breathing room with a larger shoulder. less claustrophobic.

general advice: all of the bridges are high wind areas. just take it easy, don't do the death grip. expect the wind, but don't brace hard for it, that'll just cause you problems. Don't be ashamed to use the right hand lanes from the onset, and don't be afraid to own your position - don't let people try to make you go faster than you feel comfortable. As long as you're going the speed limit, people can go around as necessary.

Golden Gate Bridge isn't bad, just watch out for the expansion joints and go steady and straight across them. It sometimes can be windy, especially in the afternoon, fog is always a possibility. 1.5 miles long.

The SF Bay Bridge is the bad one. Crosswind, rain grooves, crazy drivers and construction. The whole bridge is 8.5 miles long (2 bridges connected by a tunnel in the middle) The east bound lanes on the lower deck are worse than the upper west bound lanes.

The Richmond/San Rafael I-580 bridge also is a 2 decker with some grooves and can get windy. Its about 6 miles long.

If you are going north across the GGB, get off at the first exit (Sausalito/Richardson Rd), but not the vista point (ok you can do that too, but that is the worst view point). Turn left, go under the highway, then take the first right. Follow that road to the top for great views. On your way back down, there are many places to stop for different prospectives. The place that looks like an old military fort near the bridge allows you to walk out close to it, where the bridge seems almost close enough to touch.

Southbound take the last exit before the bridge, turn left, then right up the hill.

Toneyl and I did the bay bridge for Head to the Hills a few months back, the first few times were a lot easier than I expected. One night when I was heading back alone though it got really gusty, I found that holding the center position in the lane gave me a decent cushion on either side to recover from any gusts, also made me feel more secure. The host club (first and last chance) had some good tips on their site http://flcsc.com/riding_tips.htm

looks like they built a new one:
http://maps.google.de/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=de&geocode=&q=san+francisco&sll=51.151786,10.415039&sspn=20.697059,39.111328&ie=UTF8&ll=37.817514,-122.345595&spn=0.025392,0.038195&t=h&z=15

When do they exspect to be ready?

Regards

This is my wee bridge ,not as grand as the usa bridges but steeped in history This five-arched stone bridge was built in 1709 with stones most likely taken from the ruins of a nearby fort. It was originally an oak bridge built by Captain Shaw in 1655 to allow Oliver Cromwell's gunners to cross the River Lagan. Today it attracts young romantics, families and dog walkers content to soak up its peaceful atmosphere and enjoy a Mr Whippy ice cream

Here it is for all you google maps peeps lol 54° 33' 7.51" N 5° 57' 12.93" W also here is another of my wee irish bridges i cross called Minnowburn bridge owned by The National Trust

I much prefer your wee Irish bridges!

I much preferred the ANCIENT 2-lane Cooper River bridge when I was stationed there. Scary as hell even in a cage.

I've done all the SF area bridges and do the Chesapeake Bay bridge regularly, and all of them are usually fun, but the scariest bridge ever for me was the quarter-mile-long steel-grate Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia River east of Portland in a strong crosswind. Never again!

The McKees Rocks bridge is on my commute. At 7,300', it's hard to find a pic of its full length. This is where I had my first white-knuckle experience with crosswinds when I was a newbie. I have a flyscreen now, but because of its small size, I haven't had any problems. Advice: Go with the flow (windflow), don't fight every little movement. Especially don't wear a jacket that is floppy. I had a soft leather jacket at the time and the wind caught the sleeves. I haven't had that problem since I bought a good riding jacket.

The West End Bridge. I don't take this one as much, but it's on my alternate commute route. City lights at night!

About 4 more years or sometime in 2013.

http://baybridgeinfo.org/

This one is a club favorite. The TALLEST in Texas. It connects Port Arthur, TX and Bridge city, TX. Crossing it is sort of a tongue-in-cheek initiation ritual for 50cc club members.

The Rainbow Bridge is a cantilever bridge crossing the Neches River in Southeast Texas (29.9805 -93.8703) just upstream from Sabine Lake. It allows State Highway 87 and State Highway 73 to connect Port Arthur in Jefferson County on the southwest bank of the river with Bridge City in Orange County on the northeast bank.

Construction on the bridge began in 1936 under the guidance of the Texas State Highway Department. Due to concerns by the upstream city of Beaumont about the bridge posing a threat to ship navigation, the Rainbow Bridge was built with a 680 foot (210 m) main span. In addition, it has a vertical clearance of 177 feet (54 m), which was intended to allow the tallest ship in the US Navy, the USS Patoka, passage under the bridge.

The bridge was completed on September 8, 1938. The nearby town of Prairie View took on the name "Bridge City" in response. Initially named the Port Arthur-Orange Bridge, it received its current name in 1957. The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

The USS Patoka never sailed the Neches River. The Rainbow Bridge remains the highest bridge in Texas

I rode over the Golden Gate bridge on a Vespa GTS 250. What a rush going whatever the speed limit was over the water so high up. Great cross winds too, it was fun!

Astromags,
I am giving you a thumbs up just for the photo of that crazy a** bridge!

Is that thing real!!!!

I think I pooped myself just looking at the photo.

Astro that bridge is insane...we have passes that are not as steep as that mofo!

We don't really have major bridges here....nothing to cross.

2013
http://baybridgeinfo.org/faqs

Too bad, since the Mayans say the world will end in 2012.

I'll take your 'wee' bridge anyday for it's charm, history and the Mr. Whippy ice cream over our giant American steel monstrosities.

This is the Dumbarton Bridge in the South Bay area of San Francisco. Windy as heck on a bicycle, don't even want to contemplate it on a scooter!

Oh yeah. It's for real. Don't you know everything is bigger in Texas. (sorry ladies, I'm married) Crossing it on a scooter is kinda freaky and kinda cool at the same time.

The first time I did it was on my old Honda Metropolitan. I was down to about 25mph by the time I hit the top.

Astromags....

It would be awesome if someone would ride over that bridge wearing an helmet cam!

(hint, hint)

I am planning to do that with helmet cam but on my burgman 400 and on golden gate bridge in two months

I'll be seeing this bridge again next month





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZT2KNm7Gso

I've been considering a helmet cam.... hmmmmmm

Hey is the Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel system still there? Haven't been down that way in many years but i used to use it quite a bit when i was in college to get to my friends who lived in VA Beach. VINAVVESPA i went over many like that when i was in Vietnam a few years ago Scary.

I didn't even like driving over this one in my car. I can remember it swaying back and forth with the wind.

Royal Gorge Bridge



Hanging 1,053 feet above Colorado's wild Arkansas River, the Royal Gorge Bridge is the world's highest suspension bridge and a legendary feat of engineering renowned the world over. Built in 1929 for $350,000, the cost today would easily exceed $15 million. But for those who venture across it, whether walking or driving, the experience is priceless.


Engineering Facts

Construction on the world's highest suspension bridge began June 5, 1929, and completed Nov. 1929
Length: 1,270 feet (387 meters)
Width: 18 feet (5 meters)
Main Span: 880 feet (268 meters)
Towers: 150 feet high (46 meters)
2,100 strands of No. 9 galvanized wire
Weight of cables: 300 tons
1,000 tons of steel in the floor of Bridge
Walkway: made of 1,270 planks of deck; about 250 are replaced annually
Original cost to build: $350,000 - cost today about $15 million
Bridge will support in excess of two million pounds
Listed on the National Historic Register

OK, now THAT is a scary bridge.

You can take a car/truck ride over it. Good music too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfNkDb5r0co

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is still there.

Wayne B

Aw, Penn & Teller called Bullshit on that.