| Author | Message | ||
     M2statz |
I took the long way home after work today, a route that I haven't taken before. About in the middle of the route there is a slow right turn from a state Hey to a County Hwy, in the middle of the turn there are those tar filled patches that at 1600hrs are almost bubbling with heat in the Sun. My front wheel catches one of these patches in the middle of this low speed turn and decides to take on a route of its own. I have never had an experience like that before. I thought for sure I was going down. The handlebars were slapping the tank and rear tire was doing something I really do not remember. My first response was to grab a handful of brake which made things worse. In the process of thinking that I was going down, let go of the brake and applied some throttle which seemed to pull me out of what ever the bike was doing. Thankfully there were no cars at the intersection and I was able to navigate the rest of the turn successfully. I then promptly pulled into a parking lot and took a million deep breaths and was looking for a rest room to clean the Joe Boxers out. I did finish the ride home with out incident. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Glad you survived that, tar can be dangerous when the stuff is soft! Your post makes me consider adding some clean boxers in a ziploc bag into the roadside emergency kit. Hmm... | ||
| Glitch |
Tars snakes is what we got here. Makes for some mighty interesting riding. This is HWY60 on the way to T.W.O. in Suches. It sucks. http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn124/gasportri der/TriStar2008/Highway60TarSnakes/?albumview=slid eshow | ||
| Brumbear |
Black snakes we call em and I hate them but they happen I just try to relax and let the bike do what its gonna do | ||
| Mikej |
I really wonder why I've never heard of anyone getting sued over this for making the roads unsafe by using that gooey stuff. I figure all it would take is to spread some on some plywood and leave it out in the sun, then carry it into a courtroom and have the jury members walk across it. The tar use is making an unsafe road condition. I hate the stuff, and it's even worse when you've got some clueless braindead driver in a car tailgating you through a corner. There's one cloverleaf freeway onramp I used to take that had the crapola all over it, I'd be better off riding bare dirt or gravel. | ||
| Ohio_xb12 |
Agreed. At least with bare dirt or gravel you have a consistent surface and know what you are dealing with. | ||
| Buellish |
David,I was on the Guzzi last Sunday going south in that last turn before the stone pile. Feeling cocky,grinning like a s#!t eating dog and just diggin a fast ride from Suches. When my front Bridgestone decided to head for the R Ranch.Yes,it was one those devil tar snakes.But like M2statz,I was saved by divine intervention. I kid myself into thinking its not hot enough to make the tar soft.You know how that goes. | ||
| Fahren |
Hate 'em, too, but what's the solution? Let the cracks grow into gravelly pot-holes? Re-pave all roads regularly? I don't see our taxes being lowered by that kind of action, though. It's always best to point out a problem if you already have a solution to offer. | ||
| Xb12xmike |
Not to mention...freakin slippery when wet. | ||
| Buellish |
I like certain things slippery and wet and they do have curves.But tar snakes don't do anything but scare the livin' crap out of me! | ||
| M2statz |
I have had the tar snakes, black snakes whatever you want to call them, give me an unexpected wiggle before but usually at a higher speed and not have such a wild ride effect. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
MikeJ, I think we have to accept tar patches and snakes as another risk inherent to the ride. They are not a problem for four wheeled vehicles and the roads will get much worse if not sealed when cracked as Fahren pointed out. Ride safe guys! (Message edited by littlebuggles on May 20, 2010) | ||
| Paw |
They will make your tire slip even when they are not hot...They are lose and flexible like rubber which make them feel slippery. Your tire digs in to them and the black snakes flex and makes it feel like your tire is slipping and the moment your tire hit the pavement again that's when it can get hairy. | ||
| Sifo |
Last year I was north of the cheddar curtain on some county roads and had an experience similar to what M2statz described. Making a left turn from a stop sign the front end went off doing it's own thing on a tar strip. It hit pavement just after the back end started going sideways. When the back hit asphalt again I nearly high sided and the bars went slap-slap. Left me with both feet off the pegs and way off the seat with my leg just hooked over the top and a tweaked thumb. My shorts were totaled! Glitch, when I was down that way last summer I was surprised by how few tar snakes you have in that area. They are a way of life in WI. Seems like there has to be a better way to fix a road. They are just too inconsistent. | ||
| Strokizator |
No tar snakes around here but some yayhoo decided to put a cattle guard in the middle of a turn on a mountain road. Same sensation. | ||
| Fast1075 |
None here thank goodness... | ||
| Biffdotorg |
We found our first tar snakes of the season last night on our Wednesday Night Ride. The first one of the season always makes a rider tense up. If they are spread apart far enough, you can "float" through them and regain grip before anything bad happens. It is still un-nerving for an experienced rider! | ||
| Hex |
Proves the old adage again: When in doubt, gas it out! Glad to hear you made it. | ||
| Glitch |
Glitch, when I was down that way last summer I was surprised by how few tar snakes you have in that area. There pretty much only used just before paving. HWY60 on the other hand. It wasn't even needed, I've heard and pretty much believe it's because of the increased squid population. HWY60 has been like that for a couple of years now, and it sucks. Some of the best is all tarred up. You can ride it, I'd rather not. | ||
| Buellish |
"You can ride it, I'd rather not" I don't have a lot of choice,what with the Crohn's and all. | ||
| Big_red_79 |
they don't use tar to patch the roads here, they just don't patch them, its ridiculous, i was riding to work the one morning down H1 and had to change lanes cause cause someone was in a huge hurry to get to the other side of the rock and when i did i hit a pot hole that i swear could have swallowed a VW bug, it wasn't just a dip in the road or a rough patch, it was like someone went out there with a pick axe and deliberately dug it out! | ||
| Glitch |
Sorry Mike. At least it's not all of 60. | ||
| Xbeau12s |
they call it donkey dick around here. haha that stuff is a sneaky donkey! | ||
| Sifo |
So last summer I road 60 from Suches and headed NW and never noticed anything too bad. Is the bad stuff going the other direction? Funny thing that day was we were pretty much riding on fumes, but I KNEW there was gas at in Suches. We got there and the station was closed and a work crew was digging up the parking lot of the station. Pretty much flipped a coin to decide which direction would get us gas. That first gas station, all I can say is WOW!  Sorry Glitch, but jokes were made later about hearing dueling banjos playing! | ||
| Riding_tall |
Glitch - nice photo sideshow. I normally don't mind that section of 60 to much. Just ride it kinda like you ride in sand . .loose grip and just let the bike wiggle around. some times I don't even notice it, sometimes it just feels weird. a few months ago ( it was cold ) my wife and I went for a 2up ride to Tallulah gorge ( Sifo - thats where deliverance was filmed .. well near there. ) we cut back across N. GA and went down across that section of 60 .. had something happen that never happened before .. while putting along behind a car in a turn .. not leaned much at all .. the rear stepped out .. not a little but STEPPED OUT .. freaked me out .. an my wife who NEVER NEVER talks about the ride while riding ( If I touch a hard part down while riding she "talks" about it when we stop ) she yells into the intercom .. DID YOU DO THAT ON PURPOSE ? .. my wobbly answer of NO told the tail. freaked me out about the tar snakes. | ||
| Glitch |
Is the bad stuff going the other direction? Yeah it's starts south of Suches, and goes north up to Woody Gap. Sorry Glitch, but jokes were made later about hearing dueling banjos playing! If you hear banjo music, peddle faster! not a little but STEPPED OUT .. Once up on Wolf Pen Gap, Will was following Charlie and I going from 129 to 60, and I stepped it out. Since Will was filming, he caught the pucker moment. It's at 2:40 or so into the ride. Right click save as We need to have another Parking Lot GP!  | ||
| Riding_tall |
Glitch .. funny thing is I found that vid on you tube by accident while looking for something else about a month ago .. I was watching it and thought .. I think thats glitch .. then I saw that step out .. re-winded it watched it again .. called the wife down and showed it again .. I had a pucker moment just watching it. Parking Lot GP Just say when | ||
| Glitch |
Just say when |
