nhluhr

It's easy to pave everything when you only have 2 roads.

tagaproject6

It's all about the bottom line. When you are given a different reason why they are using cheaper products/materials...it is always the bottom line. Nobody wants to say it, but it is always the bottom line.

It's like when someone says, "it's not about the money, it's the principle"...it's about the money.

Daytrip

Another one is: "Can't put a price on a human life."

Oh yeah? We do it all the time.

datlas 

Yeah tar is heavy oil.

When they are putting the crap down they post signs saying "oil and chips" sounds like a greasy spoon British restaurant's name.

LesterOfPuppets

I've been on a gravel road in BC that was called a highway

bonz50

trucks only get about 30k on their tires... for comparison, I put 75k on my truck tires in the chicago 'burbs where we have 'decent' asphalt... folks car got 40-45k on the tires... it might not be expensive compared to, say, soft compound sportscar tires, but I guess if you don't hink 1200 for tires is expensive you've got more money than I do... its expensive when elsewhere you can get 2.5x the mileage out of a set...

nhluhr

It's just that it costs way less than gasoline and is spread out over what, like 2-3 years? It's approximately the same cost as doing regular oil changes.

Juan Foote

There are quite a few roads "paved" in it around here. It doesn't require as much equipment as asphalt and is cheaper to use. I avoid it like the plague whenever possible. That loose pea gravel that collects at the shoulder where we ride is a bad rash just waiting to happen.

bonz50

but nothing incremental about it... its not like you can pay $20 every couple month for your tires... its a one time, up front, large expense... most folks don't plan for tires until a couple months prior to purchase, where they need to set aside 5-600 per month to raise the cash... maybe you are 'uber-planner' and start saving earlier, but most do not...

eta - my gripe, using the oil change example, would be like going from 3000 mile changes to 1200 mile oil changes... which with my driving habits would be once per month or more... a complete pita

himespau 

I've always wondered if it expands and contracts in the cold better than asphalt. Around where I grew up, the chipsealed roads seemed to be less even and the edges got nasty easier, but they didn't seem to crack and pothole as much as the main roads that got a good asphalting. Could also be the type/amount of traffic (the bigger roads got lots of heavy farm vehicles and semis hauling away milk/corn/etc.) too.

Commodus

Easier to find stuff, too.

Pete In Az

By whom? Someone who knows what they are talking about? Or the guy holding the Stop/Slow sign?

datlas 

As president of our local bike club with >400 members, he has been fairly active in meeting with local township officials as well as PennDOT (pennsylvania dept of transportation) and that's what he said he has been told.

Again, I am not buying this explanation, but figured it was worth a discussion on BF.

It beats "which bike should I buy??" threads. Or anything from PCAD.

rkelley23

Speaking of stuff like this, has anyone come across this new road paving method using old ground up tires? We just put it on a stretch of road, its great when its dry but a little dodgy when its wet out. Just dont understand the point in the old rubber thing.

MikeyBoyAz

fify

kf9yr

They use the old rubber out here in AZ. Built new concrete lanes then paved over them with the recycled tires (I-17 in far north Phoenix).

It is far quieter than the bare concrete. It may be more slippery when wet, I don't take the Interstate when it rains as people don't know how to drive on wet roads out here.

tcristy

https://www.co.mason.wa.us/public_wor...al_program.php

From that its a huge cost savings ($32k per mile for chip seal vs $250k per mile for asphalt for this county).

UberGeek

It cost less Seriously.

MikeyBoyAz

they covered the 101 loop from top to bottom with it too... They call it rubberized asphalt.

DARKSCOPE001

I know for a fact its not to slow down traffic. On my new loop I started doing. I rode it once it was chip sealed but it had been a long long time since it was done and the old stuff was as smooth as some asphalts I have ridden. They just did it this past week the stuff takes forever to sink in and become ok. Takes years for it to become nice and smooth and fun to ride. I also did a big climb one time and waiting for me on the other side of the climb was chipseal. fun! But as I said there is this road on my new route that was chipsealed probably 5 years ago. one of the best roads i have ever ridden.

Thanks
Sean Scott

brian416

They do that here too, it makes my blood boil

pdedes

yes. lots of it.

doctor j

It's a commie plot against cyclists

Commodus

Bugger.

rideon7

The local Yakima County DOT has had some quality control issues with their chipseal. The size of the gravel is supposed to be a maximum of 3/8 inch. In a resurfacing job they did two years ago on a main cycling route, the gravel was 1/2 an inch or more. I picked up some about the size of a nickel, which does wonders for windshields and for cycling. One county commissioner, Mike Leita, is a never-look-back kind of guy. They didn't re-do the stretch of road but said they'd review their quality control process for future projects. The local county DOT also likes to say that besides being cheaper than hot asphalt surfacing, chipseal gives "better traction."