Re-surfaced roads

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Our local Council (bless 'em!) have made good progress in re-surfacing some of the mess of potholes that was left of our local road network after the severe winter freeze-up.

BUT ... they have used a very smooth blacktop surface, dark and glistening, so smooth that my ride on these roads is now pretty well silent. All to the good, you may think. But it doesn't feel right, strangely. And what about when a thin film of oil collects on this surface (one of the roads done goes through a busy industrial estate, and there are often lorries manoeuvring)? I'm waiting for that sickening feeling that my rear wheel has lost it. Not yet, but I have seen cars wheel-spinning. Whether this is down to the road surface or poor driving skills I don't know.

My present tyres (faithful old armadillos) are due for replacement soon. I know that the 'dillo, for all its 'fairy' repellent virtues, has less-good reports as regards grip. Any suggestions for the next set?
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
The oily bit will wear/wash off soon though - just be careful for now. Our council have done some nice new re-surfacing, and also scattered about half a mile with fresh new chippings (that aren't even stuck down) - was a right mare on 23mm tyres this morning.

That said, the properly re-surfaced section has made a huge difference...lovely....right on a very busy junction I use twice a day...no more pot hold dodging as you accellerate out of the junction.
 
OP
OP
6

661-Pete

Guest
You're right, a nice clean tarmac is a million times better than Chipping Sodbury Loose Chippings. And a trillion times better than potholes potholes everywhere....

I suppose I'll have to wait until the road acquires a decent patina...
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Ditto up here in the "smoke". im ACTUALLY PRETTY IMPRESSED AT HOW FAST THE COUNCILS HAVE DONE THIS, A REALLY NASTY PATCH AT THE TOP OF BROCKLEY FEILDS NOW SPORTS A DASHING BLACK SILKY NUMBER.


Oh crap, I hate bleeding caps lock!!

sorry for shouting
 
My parent's live close to a main arterial road, it was resurfaced last year. The surface was perfect at first for cycling but within weeks it was very uneven and within months they had to redo the lot. I'd hate to have been the person responsible and having to explain it.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
jonny jeez said:
Ditto up here in the "smoke". im ACTUALLY PRETTY IMPRESSED AT HOW FAST THE COUNCILS HAVE DONE THIS, A REALLY NASTY PATCH AT THE TOP OF BROCKLEY FEILDS NOW SPORTS A DASHING BLACK SILKY NUMBER.


Oh crap, I hate bleeding caps lock!!

sorry for shouting

learn to touchtype :smile:
 

buggi

Bird Saviour
Location
Solihull
i pray for smooth tarmac!!!!! stop complaining. Today i had the worse ride down a road that had just been "gravelled" it was a complete nightmare!
 

mcshroom

Bionic Subsonic
Chippings everywhere here too. It's nice at one end of the road with a thin layer of chippings and a flat surface beneath; unfortunately 3 miles further on it's full on gravel track with no solid surface in sight.

Better than potholes though :biggrin:
 

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
They've been quite good out my way too. Resurfaced the A2 across Blackheath last year, fantastic surface to cycle on now (they also widened the cycle path a bit).

They've just resurfaced the Kent side of Shooter's Hill (without closing the road so kudos for that) and again it's perfect. They even added about 6 extra pinch points so I don't get as many idiots overtaking :biggrin:
 

Femto

New Member
Just over the weekend, Keighley has turned into a gravel trap but strangely, it seems to be concentrated on junctions..where you need to corner but not on the straight bits!
It's quite hair-raising on 25mm tyres. Must be so dangerous on 23s! It's almost as though the council have done it on purpose to make people lose it on the bends.

Hopefully the buses and trucks will squash it all in sooner rather than later.

As for the really smooth dark black stuff; to me it feels like I'm riding over glue or something. Has anyone else noticed the same?
Normal grey tarmac for me please.
:bicycle:
 
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