New type of bicycle needed

[Jim Price]

Well, I thought I had enough bikes to cover every kind of riding, but a
new type has just turned up on my doorstep: riding on newly
chip-and-tarred roads. The local council did mine today, and it is
horrendous. The road bikes are staying in until it sorts itself out as
you can't even walk on it without picking up half an inch of the stuff
on the bottom of your shoes. Does anyone have any ideas what I might be
able to do to a set of tyres to stop the stuff sticking to them?

--

JimP

" " - John Cage

[Pinky]

"Jim Price" > wrote in message
...
> Well, I thought I had enough bikes to cover every kind of riding, but a
> new type has just turned up on my doorstep: riding on newly
> chip-and-tarred roads. The local council did mine today, and it is
> horrendous. The road bikes are staying in until it sorts itself out as you
> can't even walk on it without picking up half an inch of the stuff on the
> bottom of your shoes. Does anyone have any ideas what I might be able to
> do to a set of tyres to stop the stuff sticking to them?
>
> --
>
> JimP
>
> " " - John Cage


I don't really have any suggestions!

It isn't just occurring here in UK. I encountered it several times on my
cycle camping trip down the Rhein and it can be quite horrendous to many
types of tyre. I personally found that it was difficult/dangerous to ride
on -- especially where, after a few days, a lot of the loose grit
accumulated in the very adequate and wide cycle lanes bordering both sides
of "A" style roads. it cause the sort of reaction similar to riding through
loose sand/soil apart from the huge tyre pick up of shards of stone/flint.
My Marathon plus on the rear wheel coped but collected enormous amounts of
the loose chippings but my front tyre, a Continental "Country ride" ( which
has no Kevlar protection - and was supplied by Dawes with my new bike)
suffered badly and I was stopping several times in those conditions to
remove shards from the tyre -- fearing punctures.
It was uncomfortable riding at best and dangerous occasionally!
Actually I had planned on replacing the front tyre during my trip, but it
survived the whole time without and significant reduction in tyre pressure
( most of that was due to my weekly tyre pressure check as opposed to the
daily "finger check). however I was always aware of pick up on the front
tyre and I saved 4 puncture situations by hearing/seeing harsh tyre pick up.
Worst offenders were flint shards and broken glass.

That being said, I encountered vandalism that we find everywhere in UK. The
difference I found was that in Germany and also in Holland ( Nederland's) if
I encountered vandalism on a rest day -- then if I cycled the same route (
inevitably a shopping route) the next morning it was cleared away early! In
UK there is no such clearing organisation, glass stays there until it is
ground to dust over weeks!

One of my biggest "moans" with road repairs these days is that local
authorities work on a cost saving "repair in patches" which fill in
dangerous potholes which are just as bad or worse 2 weeks later.

As usual I have rambled on! Nuff sed!


--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

[Chris Smith]

Pinky wrote:
> "Jim Price" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Well, I thought I had enough bikes to cover every kind of riding, but a
>> new type has just turned up on my doorstep: riding on newly
>> chip-and-tarred roads. The local council did mine today, and it is
>> horrendous. The road bikes are staying in until it sorts itself out as you
>> can't even walk on it without picking up half an inch of the stuff on the
>> bottom of your shoes. Does anyone have any ideas what I might be able to
>> do to a set of tyres to stop the stuff sticking to them?
>>
>> --

Oh Dear. I rode past a lay-by between Holme Hale and Bradenham (Norfolk)
today, and there are mounds and mounds of the stuff dumped there in
readiness.

I don't know what the answer is. I hate top dressing as much as the next
cyclist - but today in the heat, the roads were rivers of tar, so
something needs to be done :(

[Pete Biggs]

Jim Price wrote:
> Well, I thought I had enough bikes to cover every kind of riding, but
> a new type has just turned up on my doorstep: riding on newly
> chip-and-tarred roads. The local council did mine today, and it is
> horrendous. The road bikes are staying in until it sorts itself out as
> you can't even walk on it without picking up half an inch of the stuff
> on the bottom of your shoes. Does anyone have any ideas what I might
> be able to do to a set of tyres to stop the stuff sticking to them?

Wet tar is one of the few things that makes me get up on the pavement.
But you're stuffed if the road is a country lane with no footpath.

My road was recently done too. Well, one side of it was. The contractors
stopped half way through the job on realising they had got the wrong road.
The correct road has the same name but a different postcode!! That would
explain why the road didn't look as if it needed doing again, and why
no-one was warned to move their cars out of the way in advance (they had
to be towed).

~PB