Just wondering what other members prefer as far as freeway surfaces. Personally, I prefer asphalt vs concrete just because it seems that I always encounter those damn vertical grooves on the freeways with concrete surfaces.
Asphalt or Concrete
- Thread starter VEGASRIDER
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ashphalt ...oh os smooth and sticky....:rockon:
no ridges or joints
no ridges or joints
they don;t make any roads out of concrete up here in NH but in my travels all the roads that i have been on that were concrete had a seam every 50 or so feet it seemed. Also i would think that concrete wouldn't warm up and soften such as asphalt in the summer.
asphalt all the way baby!
asphalt all the way baby!
H
HavBlue
Give me asphalt or put me out of my misery...
Balberts
FZ6-Toga
Asphalt....... Me Likey!!!!!
In the UK where I live, there are only a few sections of motorway (freeway) that are concrete. Some of the roads especially on bends and roundabouts evenhave Shell Grip ashphalt. The same stuff that they lay down on GP circuits. Nice.
I have never ridden solely on concrete so my vote may be a little bias.
I have never ridden solely on concrete so my vote may be a little bias.
H
HavBlue
Concrete= tar snakes, expansion joints, rain grooves, no heat, slick spots and on and on. Concrete is for cages, asphalt is for bikes....
B
bluenova
lol, sounds like you've driven in Belgium. 90% of the roads here are concrete. They are slowly starting to re-lay with asphalt, but they are not very good at it and lay the asphalt very thinly with very little hardcore, so after a year it's full of pot holes and as dangerous as the concrete seems.
Have you noticed they put these high grip surfaces leading up to crossings; pelican etc, but the high grip surface stops at the stop line rather than all the way across the crossing, doh.
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Yeah I know what you mean, I love the belgium cities and the Ardennes, but you are right about the roads. I don't understand it all surrounding countries have good roads. I love the Eifel (over the German border) and Luxemburg, great roads but as soon as you go into Belgium the roads are abismal. It always seems to be badly patched up, with potholes, loose grit and tar stripes, the concrete motorways are terrible to ride on and the worst places are when you enter or exit a motorway.
I personally think that it would be economically sound to get rid of the motorway lighting (if I'm correct 100% of Belgiums motorways are lit) and invest the money in good roads.
In short well laid Asfalt any day :thumbup:
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not s single vote for concrete so far. i could have seen that coming
Wonder what the advantages and disadvantages for the two surfaces are. Possibly cost? Possibly weather? In very cold climate, the surface underneath the pavement is subject to constant freezing and thawing, so maybe one surface hold up better when it expands and contracts. But if safety is on everyone's mind, why do they use concrete?
concrete is cheaper i beleive but does not flex at all so when it freezes it breaks, it is used in warmer climates because of cost and durability.
:Flip::Flipk i thought you guys across the pond would have dirt roads or cobble stone streets :Flip::Flip::Flip:
k i thought you guys across the pond would have dirt roads or cobble stone streets :Flip::Flip::Flip:
S
sportrider
Concrete lasts longer, its cheaper to maintain, and in areas with a lot of truck traffic its preferred it doesn't get the ruts like asphalt. but I hate it for a bike of my truck asphalt is so much smoother. concrete eats bike tires.
Anyone know what the autobahn is made from? I remember it being pretty smooth (although I wasn't on a bike) but can't recall what it's made of (and I don't recall a German member on this board yet).
H
HavBlue
Just a bit south east of Nashville in a small area known as Antioch is an on ramp to north bound I24. The ramp number is 57. This ramp is a decreasing radius right turn made of concrete and when the sun is just right the surface shines like a well polished piece of marble or granite flooring you may place in your home. There are no rain grooves cut in the surface and it can be very slippery. I have made the turn in the cage and actually had the front end slip away. To me, concrete sucks but it does pass the test of time and would appear to be far better off in terms of pot holes. Given the choice I avoid it. The other thing I avoid like the plague is manhole covers....
GAH
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Having seen the "History Channel" show on the "Autobahn" I believe it was made of concrete, but much thicker than what we use in the states. Most of the "Interstates" and county roads here are asphalt but most of the city streets where I live are concrete.
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HavBlue
And you live near Interstate 10? That road has got to be one of the worst I have ever put 2 wheels on. The lumps and bumps going through San Bernardino will flat take your butt out of the saddle. Trucks have ruined it for sure. Get down in the Palm Springs area where things are black top and it's much better but the winds can be a pain.
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Maybe Mirko (MSunder) can help us on this one. He helped me out by checking out the translation of my tire test article.
