Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
old_windbag
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Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by old_windbag »

Hi
Over the past couple of days when out doing local bike loops I've encoutered two extensive chipsealing events. It appears the Northumberland county council are on a chipsealing blitzkrieg. When I reached one road the contractors were fine for me to cycle through past the dozen or so trucks and tar wagons, I walked some of the road due to the amount of chips and the downhill gradient. In total about 1-2miles of road have been chipsealed but then yesterday taking a route to avoid this area I encountered another 1 mile stretch of newly laid chipseal..... on sections of road that were smooth. I'm trapped :) .
So for the next few months this area will now be awash with loose gravel and overtaking cars pinging the chippings up, not to mention the stone chips on the bike frame. Not sure if it's my false perception but on the chipsealed roads I ride it feels as if you ride slower, when you return to smooth asphalt it feels similar to getting a slight tailwind. Does anyone else feel this and do others like or dislike chipsealing of roads...... it seems to becoming prevalent in our cost cutting culture and it seems in the US its an issue too. I'd imagine if done properly it may work but I ride all too many frost spalled, chipsealed roads that are only about 3yrs old and in poor shape.
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easyroller
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Location: Berkshire

Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by easyroller »

It's the stuff of my nightmares! Especially when it's warm and the tar and little chips stick to your tyres and under your frame. It is most certainly slower to ride on and slippery too when fresh and when going downhill, not to mention getting loose stones flung at your from passing cars! Last year the council here went through a similar blitz of chipsealing a whole bunch of minor roads before the winter. It's a cost thing I'm sure...
maxcherry
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by maxcherry »

No. It hurts my teeth and eyes. Gives me chest pains listening to it ping my paintwork :twisted:
Honestly chaps, I'm a female!
old_windbag
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by old_windbag »

So it's not just me who doesn't like it. I rode it on my spa audax with 28mm tyres and guards and it sounded like a percussion section of an orchestra with all the stones going up between the guards/tyre and the pinging off the frame. One thing I'm glad I did was put helicopter tape from BB up to about 10 inches up downtube.... I think it does help limit damage.
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easyroller
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Location: Berkshire

Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by easyroller »

What is this helicopter tape you speak of?
Mike Sales
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by Mike Sales »

Bloody stuff conceals potholes without filling them.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
old_windbag
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by old_windbag »

It's clear frame protecting film. I bought the M-part pot from merlin( don't seem to do it now ) which gives a good selection of strip sizes but it's commonly availaible through amazon etc


http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=helicopter+tape&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=24515030094&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=s&hvrand=12919046315827843664&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8kd2hpjdzt_e

I bought a frame protection kit by tivoli from ribble but it had http://www.tivoli.eu on the chainstay protector..... I wanted simply transparent but it was not indicated in the advertising. Also it was thick and rubbery where as the tape is thin and clear.
old_windbag
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by old_windbag »

yes mike I didn't mention that point but it does and at night doesn't give you the contrast to see the defect. There's a strange double dip/bump on a chipsealed road near me that would catch someone new to the road by surprise... it's on a downhill too. I knew of it prior to the chip sealing.... it is quite camouflaged now.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

The forum won't allow me to say what I think of it.
It's horribly dangerous stuff, it's half a job, which they kind of hope that cars will do the rest of over the next 18 months.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
old_windbag
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by old_windbag »

Yes they use the roadroller but they do seem to use everyones cars to finish the job over a 6 month period... they often forget to come out and sweep the excess chippings which I think they're supposed to after a couple of weeks.... well probably coveniently forget, I get sick of hearing about their budget cuts( the head of highways gets 85k on my council.. £40k would be easily liveable in comfort and better value to council tax payers, perhaps without a new audi every year though :D ).
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easyroller
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by easyroller »

old_windbag wrote:It's clear frame protecting film. I bought the M-part pot from merlin( don't seem to do it now ) which gives a good selection of strip sizes but it's commonly availaible through amazon etc

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=helicopter+tape&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=24515030094&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=s&hvrand=12919046315827843664&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8kd2hpjdzt_e

I bought a frame protection kit by tivoli from ribble but it had http://www.tivoli.eu on the chainstay protector..... I wanted simply transparent but it was not indicated in the advertising. Also it was thick and rubbery where as the tape is thin and clear.


Thanks, I have that TIVOLI clear protector on my best bike. The logo did bother me at first. Luckily the clear dots don't have any visible branding and aren't too obtrusive around where cable rub occurs. They are quite thick!
old_windbag
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by old_windbag »

The tape works well but you have to be careful to get bubbles out when putting it on. Also on white it does eventually show with slight colour change ( its been on my acciaio nearly 3 years ), on black it seems still invisible. Like all film's with edges it'll show dirt or unpolished wax etc. Seem's mixed reviews for different makes also but it's a case of going through reviews, sometimes they only own mark because it wasn't cut in the right shape so not really a fault of the material.

For nice frames I think it's worth the few pounds and 20 minutes of applying.
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Vantage
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by Vantage »

I hate the stuff. A few of the main roads up here were done some time ago and those roads are still rough as hell. I hate to think what would be left of my skin if I took a spill on it.
In contrast, a lane a few miles south of Warburton Bridge was recently recovered in billboard smooth tarmac. It's like cycling on clouds :)
Bill


“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
pstallwood
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Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by pstallwood »

They have just done the road outside my house and I must say that for the main part have made a very good job of it. There are a couple of places where they could have flattened the road out a bit better but in general it is much smoother than before.

The sweeper lorry has been over it twice now and there are very few loose bits of chippings around. I was dreading the aftermath but I have been pleasantly surprised.

I have been on a bit of a tour of the county today and it seems like there is a lot of the same going on all over the place.
old_windbag
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015, 3:55pm

Re: Does anyone like........ chipseal?

Post by old_windbag »

Like so many things, schools , hospitals etc it must differ county by county as to what you get. Some authorities may want to do a job properly whereas others are happy to do it half cocked to save a bob. One thought I had about it was does it save them gritting the roads i.e on smooth asphalt its essential but perhaps on the rougher surface they may forego gritting it.
Most of the surfaces I've seen done tend not to last much more than 3yrs before the become patchy.... perhaps thats when it hasn't been done properly in the first place.

At the end of the day smooth tarmac ( billiard table flat ) is heaven to ride on, just makes your effort feel fully utilised like good tyres.
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