Nice ride out on the nearby multi-use

[AZguy]

We've got a monster urban multi-use trail system here in PHX metro, literally hundreds of miles that connect up and follow canals and power line right-of-ways and plenty of greenbelt too... very lucky that both my house and my shop are right up next to it

Did a nice ride out to the riparian preserve - this is our season to ride for sure

Watched an eagle soar for a good ten-fifteen minutes... it had a pure white tail but it was little far to see the head for sure... still guessing it was bald eagle

Saw a really funny thing on our ride in the semi-urban county... we rode by this house that had this great big tortoise in the front yard... and the beast was constantly chasing the little beagles

It's not like they couldn't outrun it but it was relentless and they couldn't stay put for more than a few seconds without it being right at their heels




There's these pain in the arse railroad tracks that we have to lift the bikes over on the multi-use trail system not far from when I head east from my shop and they're building this monster ped/bike bridge over them - woohoo!!!




Sure beats:

[Retrorockit]

They had money for pedestrian bridges here, but the local powers that be decided to use it for "other" stuff. The county put in a bunch of connecting multi use trails, but the cities all change the zoning on various sections of it. Unless someone appears at the city zoning board to oppose the "change of use" petition it goes through.

[AZguy]

This is by far the most serious bridge that is not only exclusively ped/bike, on the multi-use system and sort of not in the middle of urbanity - the only other ones even close cross the freeways and aren't on the paths

It is a very well used path however and it will connect Gilbert to Chandler and Tempe nicely not that the rail tracks were that big a deal and I knew a subtle way through a local neighborhood park/hoa to bypass that only added about 1/2mi... still entirely cool and the view from up high like that ought to be very nice too... It's really quite a bit larger and taller than it looks in those pictures since it has to clear the active cargo rail that's already higher than the street and where it comes down in Gilbert is in a water retention basin that's another thirty'ish feet lower.. next time I'll see if I can remember to get better pics

[73Eldo]

The capacity of those kinds of bridges is pretty crazy. I was reading the full official document about a historic bridge in my area that was turned into a trail and there is apparently rules that say any sorts of trails or bridges have to be able to carry emergency vehicles. There were several pages talking about the size and weight of the current city, county, and state vehicles and then pages talking about what the size and weight of future vehicles may be then more pages of what margin they would want above that.

[Retrorockit]

Emergency vehicle could be up to a fully loaded tanker truck full of water.

[AZguy]

The capacity of those kinds of bridges is pretty crazy. I was reading the full official document about a historic bridge in my area that was turned into a trail and there is apparently rules that say any sorts of trails or bridges have to be able to carry emergency vehicles. There were several pages talking about the size and weight of the current city, county, and state vehicles and then pages talking about what the size and weight of future vehicles may be then more pages of what margin they would want above that.

None of the existing bridges could carry a vehicle larger than a golf cart

No reason to with this one either really, there's only small dirt paths and a canal on the Gilbert side of it and the other side is a dead end - only reason I can think that it's so beefy is the cargo rail it crosses

GE view - the green area to the left is a water retention area (there are tons of those around here to temporarily catch flood water - mostly from the storms we get during the monsoon) that's about thirty feet lower that the rails... the red line is where it's going

[Retrorockit]

A group of a 1/2 dozen horses and riders would weigh something also. Very common around here.

[AZguy]

We see horses mostly to the east of here... downtown gilbert is half mile east so a bit too much for the horses... never thought about how the horse might feel about the heights - it'll be at least 50-60ft up.. I guess they likely don't "think" about it...

[AZguy]

A shield sure would take the fun out of this... I expect some fence like something or other but I'm looking forward to the view....

[Mike_V]

Seeing The galloping, or trotting ( ? ) Horses: I'm walking off into the tick infested poison ivy undergrowth.
I'm extremely cautious near the equestrians on the limited width of our wooded multi use trail.
I often dismount and keep the bike between me and the beast of burden.
I don't believe these lady riders have any real control over their PET horses. None
I encounter no gentlemen riders but I believe the same goes for them.

[AZguy]

Most of the horse encounters I have out on the bike is out in the backcountry and they've been great for me... they'll usually pull the horse off to the side if they see me coming. In town they do seem to act a little more self-entitled but I'd guess they don't want to end up on the ground. They seem to have a lot more at stake - I'd take a fall from a bike long before a fall from a horse and my bike don't get spooked

[AZguy]

Short video of tortoise encounter

[Retrorockit]

Were they "Ape Hangers"?

[AZguy]

Hahaha - just comfort cruiser bars =] Tortoise looks more like a beach bike to me LOL

[Retrorockit]

I was thinking Puss 'n' Boots Panzer.