I’ve now been cycling for around 5 months, so not classed as a pro just yet (and people still burn me off at the traffic lights), but I know when grids are an issue… On the way home from work it is very busy (those who travel up Hyde Road in Manchester will vouch for) and its unfair on both drivers and cyclists to have to watch out for these grids that are either completely broken, and 4 or 5 inches from the road surface, or (this one is just for the cyclists) the grid holes are horizontal and not vertical!
This becomes even more of an issue if its raining, and the grids are blocked and flooded (a common occurence all the way up Hyde Road) and you can’t notice the grid… If you’re shooting along you could end up in the middle of the road being squashed by 1 of 1,000,000′s of drivers that think its a 50mph speed limit!
For those that are interested and want to do something about it, check out this site and report your issues and problems: http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/
I can sense a very nasty email being sent to various councils that are responsible for the grids.