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From: Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Maybe spring
Date: 24 Apr 2025 10:10:29 GMT
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Ted Heise <theise@panix.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:15:25 -0500,
>   Mark J cleary <mcleary08@comcast.net> wrote:
>> Today the first real day that I can say in Central Illinois 
>> spring is upon us for riding. Wind was down early and I am 
>> still in long pants riding. I have some running pants I wear 
>> and find that they are a good option even if warm can protect 
>> skin. Cold does rob the overall speed average but these days I 
>> take any turns with caution,
> 
> We had temps in the 70s, here in the Lafayette, IN area.  First 
> short sleeve ride of the year, yay!

It’s not quite there yet, in uk the temperatures are getting there though
the wind is still cold! I’m personally in shorts but long sleeve tops, more
importantly much longer days now, as UK is fairly north even if warmed by
the Gulf Stream.
> 
>  
>> One thing that for me is relatively harder is a 180 degree turn 
>> on the 2 lane chip seal that I mostly ride. I try to find 
>> intersections to do the turn if I want to go back the opposite 
>> direction. Two things throw me and one is the small gravel that 
>> can accumulate on edges and intersections you can slide. THe 
>> other is my riding skills probably leave much to worked on. 
>> Sometimes a tight turn it is easy to spill a bike. Probably 
>> should unclip the inside leg I am turning on, mostly the left 
>> leg. I don't the best way.
> 
> Ugh,  I avoid chip and seal as much as possible.  Not only hard to 
> do 180s on (especially on the tandem!), they are somewhat dicey 
> just going straight--risk being proportional to freshness.
> 

All my bikes with exemption of the roadie commuter are off road bikes so
wide tyres so are generally no plussed about surface dressing which I
believe is a cheap upfront cost but more expensive overall as it needs
doing more frequently ie typical political maintenance costing!

And clearly if one has road bike such surfaces particularly if you get
ridges or so on if the gravel is pilled up is potentially dangerous!

Roger Merriman