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| Photo sequence of a new chip seal resurfacing of Indiana Ave on Wednesday June 15, 2011 |
Yes, you are officially dorking out when a chip seal operation seems more like a parade.
On Wednesday, a new layer of chip seal was applied to Indiana Avenue (west to Redwood Road). This mixture of rocks and asphalt was applied to the entire surface of the road, including bike lanes. The accompanying series of photos (left to right, top to bottom) shows the whole process in action. Why is this relevant to bikes?
Often a contentious issue among cyclists, chip seal is a road resurfacing treatment made up of a layer of tar-like substance, a layer of finely sifted rocks, and another layer of tar-like substance (explained more accurately and in much better detail by Bike/Ped Coordinator Becka Roolf on page 26 of Cycling Utah's June issue, available here).
The goal is preventative maintenance, but the resulting surface often makes for a rough ride. In previous years, Salt Lake bike lanes were not chip sealed due to the associated "teeth-chatter" factor. But now, the City takes the stance that despite a slightly bumpy ride, bike lanes last longer with chip seal. Without it, potholes form and create bigger issues over the long-run. Plus, a fine gravel is in use this year, potentially improving the ride for bikes. What do you think? Go check it out!
sounds like a good reason to invest in a good ol' quality 700x 32c tire, what what?
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