Polyester Polymer Surfaces

[rksaw]

Does anyone know how the new "Polyester Polymer" surfaces ride in the rain? We have a beautiful, historic bridge on Hwy. 101 that is being resurfaced with this new material, and I just wonder how it will be when it is wet. I rode on the first portion of it today, and it seemed fine (it looks like regular concrete surface with the groves cut into it, but rode smoother than other concrete roads I have been on with no "wobble" like you'll often find), but you never know.

Thanks,
Rich

http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2008/09/06/news/doc48c1f785969e1996900717.txt

[cactusjack]

They covered all the streets in my subdivision with this stuff, including my street. The first time I rode on it, as soon as I pulled out of my driveway, if felt "greasy". I stopped, got off the bike, and checked for a low tire. It's been down now for a couple of months and I've not noticed any increased slickness when wet. I'd be real careful when it's freshly applied, though.

[rksaw]

Yeah, it feels incredibly "smooth" right now, I just wonder how it will be down the road. It looks like concrete, but doesn't necessarily ride the same. When I started the thread, half of one lane was completed, and that lane is fully done now. I rode on it again today, but it's nice out...I just wonder how it will react to the rain, and since it's on a bridge, I wonder how it will resist icing during the winter.
Rich

[cactusjack]

We may be talking about 2 different things. You say it looks like concrete. I was thinking of the stuff they apply to asphalt. Maybe it's the same thing - just 2 different applications.

Here's a funny little story - back in the late 1980's in Utah, UDOT decided to try a new synthetic concrete product called "Syncrete". So they resurfaced a couple of miles of I-15 (the most heavily traveled section of freeway in the state) right through the middle of Salt Lake County. This stuff was awful! It fell apart and the state was bombarded by broken windshield claims from the chunks getting flipped up by tires. They had so many window claims they had a streamlined process for getting them replaced. You called a number and answered a few questions and they would send you a voucher for a free windshield replacement. I got a new windshield this way. Turns out the owner of the Syncrete company was a brother-in-law of the governor. The state abandoned the product and Syncrete went bust.

[dantama]

I have no idea what the polyester polymer surface is. Curious though.

Cactus, I remember well the syncrete debacle.

[rksaw]

It's an interesting surface...other than color (and I'll try to pull my camera out and get a picture), it looks like laying a concrete surface--you know, smooth, but groved vertically, with expansion joints every 25 feet or so--but on some other concrete roads a bike feels like it wiggles with the groves...I glide right over the top of this surface. It is smoother than fresh asphalt (we have some being laid down South of town--a lot of construction going on around this little town right now), but not "slick".

They are almost done laying the surface, and might even be done this morning...I haven't ridden out that way yet today. I just think that it is interesting in how technology advances even on road surfaces. It's something we have to consider.

Ride safe, but scrape those floorboards daily,
Rich