An Ottawa cyclist was recently badly hurt after riding over an open grate opening which he didn't see in time. It was a very sad reminder that cyclists must be careful to avoid

• potholes
• cracks that can grab bicycle wheels
• grates or other ironworks that are missing, or broken, or surrounded by missing asphalt

Your best defence is to look ahead, ride at least 1 metre away from the curb (avoiding many of the problems), and ride around, not over, potholes/cracks/ironworks. And don't ride through puddles either; they can conceal potholes. A cycling traffic skills course (offered by the City of Ottawa) will also teach you how to dodge potholes.

And any time you see one of these, please report it so it gets fixed. See our table of who to call .