Argh, summer chip seal projects have begun

[RolliePollie]

Oh how I hate it when they chip seal!!! DOT has ruined my riding routes with their dastardly chip seal projects. And of course they would have to do the roads that affect me. Didn't they know they're supposed to ask me first?!?!?!

Why do they have to do the roads that have so little traffic that it's going to take weeks for that evil gravel to settle down? Why are they doing roads that don't need resurfacing while leaving the atrocious roads to fall apart for yet another year? Why does the gravel have to be the exact size to jam in between brake pads and wheel rims? Why? Why? Why?!?!?!

[zoom-zoom]

Welcome to my world. I live kind of in the sticks. We have several roads that are perfectly fine and were chip-sealed just 3-4 years ago...so they are finally smooth enough to ride in relative comfort. Well, those bastids are chip-sealing about 75% of the roads I ride. The ones they aren't treating are the ones full of pot-holes. WTF?! My only other option is using the poorly maintained MUP. (ick).

[marni]

here in texas they just love chip seal and they spread the gravel far enough and loosely enough that when it is hot, the tar melts so the gravel skids, plus it makes your tires and cleats nasty.

marni

[Bike Chick]

Around here there is a lot of chip and seal and it's always a surprise! You ride a route on Monday and go back on Wednesday and it's chipped. Ugh! Sometimes they just spread a thin layer of chips on the oozing tar from the heat in 50 foot sections. That's fun too!

My neighbor is the road engineer for the county and I've asked him why they don't publish the chip and seal schedule like they do road construction. He just laughs because he thinks I'm kidding.

On a positive note, there are a lot of roads in our area that were once chip and seal that are getting resurfaced. Can't wait until they are finished! Sweet!

[WolfGirl]

Here in Madison they're doing whatever it's called when they put the tar band-aids on the long cracks in the road. Of course it's also hot and humid, so the band-aids aren't drying very well. I hit a long one with the side of my tire and it was tacky enough to slow me down, while bumpy enough to tilt me sideways! Luckily I stayed upright. So annoying!

[OakLeaf]

I hate the way sticky tar grabs my tires on a hot day and makes that little Silly-Putty sound. And it stains my pretty blue tires.

[Catrin]

I hate the way sticky tar grabs my tires on a hot day and makes that little Silly-Putty sound. And it stains my pretty blue tires.

Pretty blue tires? Where did you get them from? I want 26 inch pretty blue tires. I have to have 26 inch pretty blue tires

so far have been pretty unlucky at finding 26 inch blue tires...

[OakLeaf]

Mine are the Conti GP4000, but they only come in 700C in blue (two shades). I think the blue Michelins only come in 700C as well? Sorry I'm no help.

[denda]

Oh, don't you just hate that! Every good road I had to ride on, they have messed up with that stinking stuff!

[Maxxxie]

Is chip seal this stuff?



It looks like gravel with a tiny bit of tar to hold it together, without the benefit of being steamrolled, or flattened, or made smooth.

People actually do this? On roads?

Max

[marni]

sadly enough yes, yes they do. Also what we fondly refer to as road snakes where they pour far too much tar over random cracks and then the tar nevver sets in the heat and your, your tires and your shoes get all sticky and tacky and every little bit of bug or trash sticks to you, your tires and your shoes. Hot tar below and human fly paper with the gnats and bugs sticking to the sunscreen and sweat on all other surfaces.

Good, good times.

marni

[Owlie]

Cleveland/Cuyahoga County doesn't even bother to do that. Its policy on road maintenance (if indeed it has one) seems to be to patch it by pouring a too-large glob of tar into the hole (which creates its own problems), wait ten years, then spend six months resurfacing the road. What's really fun is when these roads slope, so if you're heading downhill, you get a really scary bumpy ride.

I miss home. There's a lovely rail-trail there that they resurfaced in 2005. With the exception of the playground-area crossing and maybe three holes (that ODNR was nice enough to circle in fluorescent yellow-green paint), it's smooth...

[OakLeaf]

DNR maintains your trails?! Wow. We have one trail that's on state park land and it's not even rideable, it's got so many bumps from roots growing through it. At least they put orange snow fence around the parts that have washed down into the river.

[Owlie]

DNR maintains your trails?! Wow. We have one trail that's on state park land and it's not even rideable, it's got so many bumps from roots growing through it. At least they put orange snow fence around the parts that have washed down into the river.

It's very popular, so that may have something to do with it. Parts of it (well, I've never ridden on those parts) might also be maintained by whatever county it runs through (Hamilton County Park District paved the part from the old trailhead to its golf course.)

(And which trail are you referring to, so that I may stay away from it?)
The towpath is supposed to be nice, but parts of it, I hear, are crushed limestone. Not good for my bike, at any rate.

[OakLeaf]

(And which trail are you referring to, so that I may stay away from it?)

Blackhand Gorge. It's only a little over four miles, so you wouldn't have any occasion to use it unless you were specifically visiting this area. Very scenic and the history is fascinating, but come on foot if you come.