Pothole season: isn't it grand?

[Ron Wallenfang]

Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.

And so, as I travel along streets I "know" are smooth and thus pay
little attention to the surface, suddenly there's a rude awakening as
a run into one of the new bumps. Fortunately, none of the ones I've
hit have been that big, so I haven't yet lost control. The biggest
I've seen - but not hit - have been about 2 feet in diameter and 8"
deep. and so once again, daydreaming is out.

The best you can say is that it's an early sign of spring.

 

[Mike Kruger]

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
> Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
> places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
> ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
> which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.
>
> And so, as I travel along streets I "know" are smooth and thus pay
> little attention to the surface, suddenly there's a rude awakening as
> a run into one of the new bumps. Fortunately, none of the ones I've
> hit have been that big, so I haven't yet lost control. The biggest
> I've seen - but not hit - have been about 2 feet in diameter and 8"
> deep. and so once again, daydreaming is out.
>
This is one of the reasons I use wide tires (on 26 inch wheels) when there's
dark to ride in.

 

[Michael Warner]

On 14 Mar 2007 19:37:03 -0700, Ron Wallenfang wrote:

> Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
> places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
> ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
> which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.

Since I live in a non-freezing area, could someone explain how this
causes potholes?

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

 

[Roger Zoul]

Be happy for potholes if daydreaming is your norm!

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
:: Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
:: places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
:: ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
:: which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.
::
:: And so, as I travel along streets I "know" are smooth and thus pay
:: little attention to the surface, suddenly there's a rude awakening as
:: a run into one of the new bumps. Fortunately, none of the ones I've
:: hit have been that big, so I haven't yet lost control. The biggest
:: I've seen - but not hit - have been about 2 feet in diameter and 8"
:: deep. and so once again, daydreaming is out.
::
:: The best you can say is that it's an early sign of spring.

 

[Roger Zoul]

Michael Warner wrote:
:: On 14 Mar 2007 19:37:03 -0700, Ron Wallenfang wrote:
::
::: Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
::: places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
::: ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
::: which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.
::
:: Since I live in a non-freezing area, could someone explain how this
:: causes potholes?

Expansion?

 

[di]

"Michael Warner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 14 Mar 2007 19:37:03 -0700, Ron Wallenfang wrote:
>
>> Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
>> places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
>> ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
>> which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.
>
> Since I live in a non-freezing area, could someone explain how this
> causes potholes?
>
> --
> Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

water+cracks+freezing=expansion=pieces of paving=a pothole after the process
repeats time after time.

 

[[email protected]]

On Mar 14, 10:37 pm, "Ron Wallenfang" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
> places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
> ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
> which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.
>
> And so, as I travel along streets I "know" are smooth and thus pay
> little attention to the surface, suddenly there's a rude awakening as
> a run into one of the new bumps. Fortunately, none of the ones I've
> hit have been that big, so I haven't yet lost control. The biggest
> I've seen - but not hit - have been about 2 feet in diameter and 8"
> deep. and so once again, daydreaming is out.
>
> The best you can say is that it's an early sign of spring.

It's vicious here in New England as well. Riding the southeastern
border of NH Tuesday night I got a good slam from a previously
pristine section of road, but it wasn't so bad and the bike was fine.
My car, on the other hand, has two bent right side wheels from a
pothole a week or so ago. That's not so cool.

I am willing to put up with it all for spring.

 

[[email protected]]

On Mar 14, 10:37 pm, "Ron Wallenfang" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
> places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
> ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
> which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.
>
> And so, as I travel along streets I "know" are smooth and thus pay
> little attention to the surface, suddenly there's a rude awakening as
> a run into one of the new bumps. Fortunately, none of the ones I've
> hit have been that big, so I haven't yet lost control. The biggest
> I've seen - but not hit - have been about 2 feet in diameter and 8"
> deep. and so once again, daydreaming is out.
>
> The best you can say is that it's an early sign of spring.

Yeah, I wasn't so lucky. A little stretch of an otherwise pretty nice
smooth trail that has been slightly heaved by tree roots for a year or
two now suddenly wasn't so 'slightly' heaved last weekend. Hello, bent
wheel, suddenly stationary bike, and flying through the air me. Hello
cracked rib and torn rotator cuff. Couldn't we get some bitter cold
now so I don't miss riding so much for a week or two while the
shoulder starts to heal?

 

[Curtis L. Russell]

On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:07:47 -0500, "di" <[email protected]> wrote:

>water+cracks+freezing=expansion=pieces of paving=a pothole after the process
>repeats time after time.

And the areas that allow a lot of water under the surface to pool
above the freezing line can have one heck of a large overnight
pothole.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

 

[Claire Petersky]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Yeah, I wasn't so lucky. A little stretch of an otherwise pretty nice
> smooth trail that has been slightly heaved by tree roots for a year or
> two now suddenly wasn't so 'slightly' heaved last weekend. Hello, bent
> wheel, suddenly stationary bike, and flying through the air me. Hello
> cracked rib and torn rotator cuff.

That sounds nasty. Hope you heal up fast!

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

 

[Will]

On Mar 15, 7:46 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Yeah, I wasn't so lucky... bent wheel, suddenly stationary bike, and flying through the air me... cracked rib and torn rotator cuff.

See... you should have landed on your head. Then all would be well. At
least according to all of the morons I've read here. It is the one
place you could land on and not be injured. Statistics don't lie...

 

[[email protected]]

On 15 Mar 2007 07:00:42 -0700, "Will" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On Mar 15, 7:46 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>> Yeah, I wasn't so lucky... bent wheel, suddenly stationary bike, and flying through the air me... cracked rib and torn rotator cuff.
>
>See... you should have landed on your head. Then all would be well. At
>least according to all of the morons I've read here. It is the one
>place you could land on and not be injured. Statistics don't lie...

Well, actually, it's the researchers who peddle junk science who
should recieve your sarcasm - like the most quoted helmet study of
all, beloved by the helmet manufacturers; which showed a substantial
reduction in leg injuries when people wore helmets...

 

[Marlene Blanshay]

Mike Kruger wrote:
> Ron Wallenfang wrote:
>> Our bitter cold February in Milwaukee, and I'm sure lots of other
>> places, has been followed by a more seasonal March, meaning lots of
>> ups and downs in the temperature over and above the freezing mark,
>> which in turn means ...........a bumper crop of potholes.
>>
>> And so, as I travel along streets I "know" are smooth and thus pay
>> little attention to the surface, suddenly there's a rude awakening as
>> a run into one of the new bumps. Fortunately, none of the ones I've
>> hit have been that big, so I haven't yet lost control. The biggest
>> I've seen - but not hit - have been about 2 feet in diameter and 8"
>> deep. and so once again, daydreaming is out.
>>
> This is one of the reasons I use wide tires (on 26 inch wheels) when there's
> dark to ride in.
>
>
the CAA has a website for 'pothole watch'... you submit the location etc
and they send out crews, usually after the winter ends. There are some
pretty big ones around where i live, including a huge ditch around a
manhole cover. Yep, it's a sign of spring along with melting dog ****,
baseball, matzoh and chocolate easter eggs.