chip seal question

I live in a small town called Calhoun Falls, SC. Virtually all the roads except for the few state
highways in the area are chip seal. In our county, the smaller aggregate stones are used. This makes
the corners loose and "sketchy," but within a month or two of the treatment, these roads can be fine
to ride. I moved from another county where all the roads were ashphalt smooth as glass. It took a
while to get used to the change to the rougher roads. But now I don't think anything about it. I
ride a Koobi PRS saddle which has elastomers in the rail system. It helps some.

The next county to the south uses the heavier aggregate rock in their chip and seal treatments. It's
rideable, but it's no fun at all. I just don't go there anymore. I took my bike with me on a trip to
southern Oklahoma two summers ago and all the roads down there were the heavier aggregate chip and
seal. I have a "standard" 45 mile loop I like to do here. In Oklahoma, I'd ride a 17 mile loop on
those awful roads and be hammered so badly I couldn't ride anymore. No fun at all.

As for alternatives, the only thing I can contribute is that the county I moved from that had the
smooth ashphalt decided that, when the economy turned south, they'd save money by going to chip and
seal. But the Chamber of Commerce and the economic development folks cried fowl and said the
industries they were courting objected to the inferior road treatments being used. They've returned
to ashphalt.

Bob C. "Alan Acock" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The U.S. seems to have discovered chip seal as a way to extend the life or roads. In Oregon we use
a fairly small size aggregate to put on top of the binder, but even this small size creates a lot
of road vibration. In other parts of the country I understand a larger aggregate is used and that
must make riding a lot less pleasant.

I'm interested in reports of experience with chip seal. Are there any

folks

Quoted message said:

with expertise on alternatives? Are there ways of using chip seal that

makes

Quoted message said:

for a smoother ride.

Alan Acock

--
Alan C. Acock [email hidden] [email hidden]
hhs.oregonstate.eduacockOpen ↗

I think the chip seal aggregate size is pretty much the same nationwide. Chip seal is a cheaper
alternative to full-on resurfacing of the street. Streets wear at different rates but a typical high
traffic street might get a full resurfacing about every 10 or 11 years, and one or two chip seals in
the interim.

Cities/counties/states are strapped for cash so they want to get as much mileage out of their
streets as possible. This means they will (1) look for ways to build more durable streets but also
(2) let streets fall completely to [censored] before dealing with them.

Sometimes they'll do a sort of chip seal-plus operation where a smooth tar layer is placed on top
of the aggregate, which makes a very smooth street that is pleasant to ride on. This is more
expensive however.

Robert

smokey said:

with the money situation in the states, we are probably going to be riding over chip seal for
quite a while. they have used it for years here in MO and it is especially prevalant on state
highways, where i do a lot of my riding. it doesn't last for beans and is, IMHO, a half-assed way
to fix a road.

Aggregate will run around $10/ton while asphalt cement will run around $100/ton. Which do you think
will but cut back on?

When I lived in east central Illinois, I think we would have been better off on club rides calling
out "no gravel" at the intersections - it would have saved us a lot of vocal effort.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Tom Sherman

Bsmokey said:

with the money situation in the states, we are probably going to be riding over chip seal for
quite a while. they have used it for years here in MO and it is especially prevalant on state
highways, where i do a lot of my riding. it doesn't last for beans and is, IMHO, a half-assed way
to fix a road.

Aggregate will run around $10/ton while asphalt cement will run around $100/ton. Which do you think
will but cut back on?

When I lived in east central Illinois, I think we would have been better off on club rides calling
out "no gravel" at the intersections - it would have saved us a lot of vocal effort.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) [/B]

Pretty much all of the roads in New Zealand are chip seal... I don't find it difficult to ride on but it sure does remove skin fast if you crash😠