Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Marking pavement ruts and holes with paint

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Marking pavement ruts and holes with paint

Old 09-22-16, 10:46 AM
  #26  
woodcraft
Senior Member
 
woodcraft's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Nor Cal
Posts: 6,016
Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1814 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 919 Times in 567 Posts
I agree with white paint, chevron. Much more useful than circling, & less paint. Doesn't have to be that big either-

cyclists are already scanning for issues.

It only needs one- the base of the vee the width of, & just in front of the obstacle.

I also have a poorly filled trench that I mark with a series of sideways vees.

Don't ask permission- just do it.
woodcraft is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 11:09 AM
  #27  
thin_concrete
Achtung!
 
thin_concrete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
Posts: 1,450

Bikes: 60.1, Marvel

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 371 Post(s)
Liked 182 Times in 107 Posts
Originally Posted by Machka View Post
First ... before picking up paint ... contact your local council.

Tell them exactly where the problems are. Ask them if they'd like to come out with you to have a look. Tell them that you're planning to spray paint the holes.

If you don't hear anything further from them in about a week.

Contact your local council again.

Keep hounding them until they do something.
He's in Acton, MA - he may as well wait for the end of time...
thin_concrete is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 12:15 PM
  #28  
BarryVee
Senior Member
 
BarryVee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: N. California
Posts: 158

Bikes: Trek Emonda SL6, Santa Cruz Tallboy 27.5+

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 6 Posts
To everyone marking hazards....THANK-YOU!
BarryVee is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 01:24 PM
  #29  
Nachoman
well hello there
 
Nachoman's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Point Loma, CA
Posts: 15,382

Bikes: Bill Holland (Road-Ti), Fuji Roubaix Pro (back-up), Bike Friday (folder), Co-Motion (tandem) & Trek 750 (hybrid)

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 492 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times in 182 Posts
From me also. Thank you.
And don't get caught!
__________________
.
.

Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
Nachoman is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 01:27 PM
  #30  
Trsnrtr
Super Moderator
 
Trsnrtr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 22,032

Bikes: Trek Emonda, Giant Propel, Colnago V3, Co-Motion Supremo, ICE VTX WC

Mentioned: 104 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9814 Post(s)
Liked 3,361 Times in 1,591 Posts
Originally Posted by TimothyH View Post
Don't interfere with utility markings.
White is pretty safe but other colors are a no-no for the reason mentioned above.
__________________
"Some people feel the rain, others just get wet" - Roger Miller








Trsnrtr is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 01:58 PM
  #31  
cthenn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Walnut Creek, CA
Posts: 2,629

Bikes: 2015 Trek Emonda SLR, 2002 Litespeed Classic, 2005 Bianchi Pista, 2016 Devinci Hatchet, Some BikesDirect MTB I never ride.

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 636 Post(s)
Liked 118 Times in 79 Posts
Btw let me mention that the majority of potholes in my area are actually utility valve covers and manholes that are below the grade of the asphalt. It's one thing to try and contact your city or county maintenance and get the run around, it's another to try and get utility companies to do anything about their covers. The water company around here is notorious for having the worst problem with respect to this.
cthenn is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 03:14 PM
  #32  
shelbyfv
Expired Member
 
shelbyfv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: TN
Posts: 10,166
Mentioned: 32 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3031 Post(s)
Liked 4,002 Times in 2,020 Posts
I've marked potholes several times but have not found a color that does not fade quickly. Maybe white is the answer. One of our club rides uses sticky tape arrows for directional markers. They degrade shortly after the event. I don't know where they get them. I appreciate any warning on the road. A pothole can ruin your day.
shelbyfv is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 04:46 PM
  #33  
Nachoman
well hello there
 
Nachoman's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Point Loma, CA
Posts: 15,382

Bikes: Bill Holland (Road-Ti), Fuji Roubaix Pro (back-up), Bike Friday (folder), Co-Motion (tandem) & Trek 750 (hybrid)

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 492 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times in 182 Posts
Originally Posted by shelbyfv View Post
I've marked potholes several times but have not found a color that does not fade quickly. Maybe white is the answer. One of our club rides uses sticky tape arrows for directional markers. They degrade shortly after the event. I don't know where they get them. I appreciate any warning on the road. A pothole can ruin your day.
And that could arguably be a good outcome.
__________________
.
.

Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
Nachoman is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 05:18 PM
  #34  
LGHT
Senior Member
 
LGHT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Irvine
Posts: 1,416

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac SL3, Nishiki Pro Hybrid SL

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
If you do mark them take pictures and notify the city ASAP. I know a friend of a friend who was riding in SD hit a huge pothole and as a result had a seizure due to brain bleeding. Of course there is a suit against the city because they where aware of it and didn't due anything about it.

Bicyclist vs. city's pothole | San Diego Reader
LGHT is offline  
Old 09-22-16, 07:37 PM
  #35  
TimothyH
- Soli Deo Gloria -
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest Georgia
Posts: 14,782

Bikes: 2018 Rodriguez Custom Fixed Gear, 2017 Niner RLT 9 RDO, 2015 Bianchi Pista, 2002 Fuji Robaix

Mentioned: 235 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6839 Post(s)
Liked 725 Times in 459 Posts
Think about how far in advance something has to be marked. 25 miles per hour = 37 feet per second. A mark 40 feet before a pot hole doesn't give people much time to react on a fast downhill.

I've seen this sort of marking on an organized charity ride. There is a mark like this on a frequently traveled fast downhill near me as well. It is very effective.

Someone on Long Island was painting the concrete blobs traffic yellow with the same sort of squiggly line back about 15 years ago.





Last edited by TimothyH; 09-22-16 at 07:43 PM.
TimothyH is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
BeginnerCyclist
Road Cycling
21
09-12-14 08:47 PM
Talus
Classic & Vintage
3
01-17-13 01:30 PM
tmoneygetpaid
Classic & Vintage
19
05-04-11 12:23 PM
BlueRaleigh
Bicycle Mechanics
3
04-07-11 07:23 PM
randya
Advocacy & Safety
22
04-16-10 06:21 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -

Copyright © 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.