Gravel Roads Making A Comeback?

[kfergos]

Here's an article about how Michigan is converting some of its roads from asphalt to gravel: http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/06...oads-to-Gravel

I wonder how this will impact cycling in the area? I sure as heck don't like riding on gravel roads; I'd take dirt or grass any day. Mountain bike tires, anybody?

Edit to add: Thankfully Massachusetts hasn't switched to this yet! How would they plow or treat those roads in the winter??

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Mountain bike tires are for mountains and rocky trails- not mere gravel roads!
You might want more flat resistant tires though- and you might want to consider slightly fatter tires if only for a smoother ride. Kevlar/flat resistant 25's or 28's are great on very rough gravel. You may experience a drop in speed, but that might mesh well with a more 'slow biking' lifestyle.

[Andrea]

Gravel roads are my favorite! If I'm going to be in an area where I know I'll be riding on them, I switch to a conti gatorskin 700c x 25 tire and run lower pressure for better traction. They're also more puncture resistant than your typical road tire. I'd probably go with something even wider if it'd fit, but it won't work with my frame/brakes.

[beccaB]

I'm not surprised that the state of Michigan (or particular counties) would go back to gravel. Many things are going backwards here and have been for years. That's why, for every one person that moves here, two people move away. Where else is there so much road kill the county road maintenance workers paint lines on the roads right on top of whatever dead animal is there. (on the rare occasion that a road is actually maintained)

[Skierchickie]

How would they plow or treat those roads in the winter??

Pretty much like the others. I live on a gravel road (in Michigan, in the U.P.). We get plowed daily. They don't generally salt the gravel ones. Our road is actually better with a nice snow matte on it than it is in the summer (washboard).

This practice doesn't apply to all roads, by the way - the link seemed kind of short on details, unless I missed another link within it. Just the really bad ones that they can't afford to repave - probably nothing anyone would go out of their way to bike on in the first place. There were one or two near here that they reverted (or are going to?) until they have funds to repave them. For driving, a good gravel road is way better than an exploded paved one. If you don't mind the dust and the washboards. They need to be graded periodically, and they oil our road right in front of houses, and on the hill we're at the top of. The first monster truck that decides to spin out on it pretty much wrecks that for the summer.

When I ride my road bike, I drive the 2-1/2 miles to pavement. And I don't bother washing my car much.

[emily_in_nc]

I live on a gravel road about 1 mile from a paved road. I hate it. It's impossible to ride skinny tires on -- okay for the 1.35" tires I use on my Bike Friday, and on my mtb of course, but my DH has to walk his go-fast carbon Trek up and down each way (I used to do the same til I sold my go-fast bike).

I also hate gravel for driving. It is dusty when it's dry out and muddy when it's wet (splashes way up high on my Element, not that I am a car weenie, but I don't like it to look like complete crap), the washboarding and potholes get bad between maintenance times (it has to be rescraped twice a year and new gravel put down every year or two). Unfortunately, most of my neighbors have no interest in chipping in to have it paved, so gravel it remains. It's definitely scenic and tranquil living down a wooded lane, but I'll never buy a house on a gravel road again.

[Miranda]

I absolutely hate this. Cars passing you throwing gravel up on you is no fun either.

Sure there are things you can do to try and improve your road bike quality ride on a gravel road as mentioned. But I think it just sux the joy out of one of the very things I love about my road bike... a fast and smooth ride *huge sigh*.

I've always wanted to add a cycle cross bike to my stable. But not outta substitute or default.

[shootingstar]

I live on a gravel road about 1 mile from a paved road. I hate it. It's impossible to ride skinny tires on -- okay for the 1.35" tires I use on my Bike Friday, and on my mtb of course, but my DH has to walk his go-fast carbon Trek up and down each way (I used to do the same til I sold my go-fast bike).

I also hate gravel for driving. It is dusty when it's dry out and muddy when it's wet (splashes way up high on my Element, not that I am a car weenie, but I don't like it to look like complete crap), the washboarding and potholes get bad between maintenance times (it has to be rescraped twice a year and new gravel put down every year or two). Unfortunately, most of my neighbors have no interest in chipping in to have it paved, so gravel it remains. It's definitely scenic and tranquil living down a wooded lane, but I'll never buy a house on a gravel road again.

You said it all..and like what becca said, it sounds as if Michigan roads is going backwards. Don't know how long some of these deteroriating roads go, but it's not pleasant for residents who live in such areas for driving their cars and regular cyclists, if converted-to-gravel roads are county roads with rolling hills.

Nice for some cyclists who love gravel roads, but methinks we need to think more broadly for the majority of the population who live in these areas long-term.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well they are doing it to save money. The fact is that many areas just do not have enough money anymore to maintain a network of velvety-smooth blacktop everywhere like they used to. In my town, we have 2 recently closed rural bridges right here in our community that have NO plans to get rebuilt any time soon- the money is just not there anymore. It's a recession.
I'm sure lots of people with racing tires dislike it, but gravel roads are a fact of life and will become more and more common, especially in rural or semi-rural communities. Even more so in areas that experience frost heave and plowing during winter, both of which really takes a toll on maintaining expensive blacktop. Communities are having to find ways to cut back, and we'll all just have to deal one way or another.

[OakLeaf]

Same thing here. Lots of our formerly favorite roads are getting chip-seal this year.

Fatter tires and lower pressure will make your bike easier to handle on gravel. They won't save your paint and potentially your frame itself from being torn up. Nasty stuff. The fronts and undersides of our motorcycles are horribly pitted, pockmarked, scratched and scarred merely from our 1/2 mile gravel lane.

[Crankin]

I hate gravel, too, for the same reasons everyone has said. I mostly am riding my road bike and if I come across gravel (which usually only happens when I am on my group ride), I get off and walk my bike. I won't take a chance. As Kfergos said, they are not doing it around here; people wouldn't stand for it! They just let roads deteriorate until the money becomes available. Last fall, the town of Harvard repaved quite a few of their roads with something that seemed very bumpy/weird (chip seal? I am not familiar with that), and we were concerned. But, after the winter, it seems fine.
My only complaint with the roads around here is the unending repaving that takes place every summer! Right now, 2 of the main streets in Acton, which I use to get to many places, are stripped down to grooved pavement. It's been 3 weeks and the final repaving has not taken place. I can't ride my road bike on it and when I came upon one of these streets on my Jamis, it was just plain uncomfortable.

[Andrea]

All I can think of is that you can have more events like this one down in Louisiana:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

All I can think of is that you can have more events like this one down in Louisiana

Looks great to me. We ride gravel roads all the time where we live- it's all just part of the fun for us!

[Aggie_Ama]

All I can think of is that you can have more events like this one down in Louisiana:

Next year do the double! We have the Tunis Roubaix a lot of people do the day before the Rouge Roubaix.

[tulip]

I grew up on a gravel road. The advantages were that the cars went more slowly than they do now (it's been paved). The disadvantage was that we had to rinse the dust off the house a couple of times a year.

I like gravel roads and I like riding on them. If you have the funds, you could use your newly-created gravel roads as an excuse to purchase the Supreme Gravel Road Bike: a Rivendell Saluki with 650B wheels. Now that's riding!