chip and seal, boo hoo...

[Mr. Bloom]

#2 reason to love chip and seal:

It's better than the alternative...taking the asphalt out and replacing with gravel which is a trend I'm seeing on many rural roads.

Feeling your pain in the lower half of the state!

[OakLeaf]

Lots of fresh chipseal here. I had to take a busier road home than I like yesterday, because my preferred route was closed for bridge replacement, and my second choice was closed for chip seal patching. The road I wound up on had fresh chip seal patches. Three of my regular roads have gotten complete chip seal resurfacing in the last couple of months. Is it the stimulus money?

IAE, after the first couple of days, and apart from some loose gravel that can remain between the wheel tracks, honestly around here they're nearly as smooth as macadam. Maybe it has to do with the size of stone they use, or the amount of tar? You kind of have to watch your speed on descents, and cornering on the moto where you'd normally cross the line of the wheel tracks; but really on the bici, around here, it's fine.

Granted I'm on carbon frame (alloy bars and seatpost, 700x23 alloy spoked wheels @ 115 psi), but once it's been packed down, around here newer chip seal is plenty smooth, way smoother than most of the torn up cracked macadam, and I never hear any of my buds on alu complaining about it either.

[SadieKate]

I'm with Oakleaf. Once it's worn, it's not that big a deal. The freeze/thaw expansion cracks in any road surface are what get you. Or the potholes in rainy climates, or . . . or . . . or.

Chip seal isn't as fast as asphalt, but, really, who cares?

Put on some 25s and go ride.