Resurfacing asphalt- Not a groovy deal

[lw]

I was out running errands today and came upon an area where roadwork was in progress. Apparently the city will be re-topping the asphalt surface soon. Between the loose gravel and the grooves making the bike want to go different directions it made for a most unpleasant several blocks before I could get back to smooth surface. The speed limit was 30 in that stretch. I shudder to think what that would have been like at highway speeds. Besides avoidance, what are your opinions of the best approach to grooved pavement?

[Top Cat]

I ran into the same problem in the Adirondacks this year.
I just go slow,not so slow the cage behind me is going to run me over, and don't fight the bars. If they want to wander a little I let them. Kinda like riding over a steel deck bridge. A front tire with straight grooves around the circumference make it worse. But we all run Metzler 880's so thats not a problem.
I'm sure others have their own way but this seems to work for me.

[dantama]

I ran into the same problem in the Adirondacks this year.
I just go slow,not so slow the cage behind me is going to run me over, and don't fight the bars. If they want to wander a little I let them. Kinda like riding over a steel deck bridge. A front tire with straight grooves around the circumference make it worse. But we all run Metzler 880's so thats not a problem.
I'm sure others have their own way but this seems to work for me.

I have always found grooved pavement to be more or a freak you out thing, than a real problem.

The front tire and rear tire seem to find a different groove to follow and it feels very iffy, but I agree that not fighting it (trying to make it track perfectly straight) and just ride through it works every time so far.

I'd put this in the category of, not as dangerous as it feels, but freaks you out a bit.

[flightdoc]

I agree with Dan. Last summer I was on the local interstate cruising along about 70 and came upon an area marked " pavement work ahead" when I got to that area I discovered the first thing they do is eat or grind the old pavement leaving those dreaded grooves behind. I think they do it that way to give the new pavement something to anchor on to?? or just scare the crap out of bikers. Anyways, that type of roadway surface or grated bridges have always bothered me. Someone I know whose been riding a lot longer than me once told me, even though it feels unstable, it's not. I even witnessed him sweerving side to side on a "wet" grated bridge one day!!!! Crazy I thought. So, back to the highway, I remembered his comment and decided to push my envelope a bit, so with no traffic around me I started sweerving side to side on the grooved pavement. I started first at about 50mph and as I gained confidence and realized I wasn't going to fall or slip I increased my speed a little and sweerved a little more, leaning the bike a bit harder. I wouldn't recomend doing this as a regular habit...I did it to prove to myself it can be done safely so if I was ever on a surface like that and had to make some kind of emergency manuver then I wouldn't hesitate.
sorry for the long wind.

[blowndodge]

As Dan said, don't have a death grip on it and let it do "it's thing".

[donoller]

tought to ride on be careful and slow down some tires do better then others

[Scoot]

The pavement with the grooves didn't bother me to much, What did was They were repaving only one lane at a time and there was about a 3in. difference in lanes heights. I had just passed a car when I got caught up in the lane difference and I was on the low side. What I did was get way ahead and then slowed down got to the far left on the left lane and cut as hard as I could back onto the right lane still had some bad wobble, don't want to go thru that again.

[flightdoc]

Aguy I have taught with a few times had the same thing happen that scot refered to exept it happened at night and he had no idea unitl it was to late. Those elevated edges they leave are VERY danerous. hey scoot that must have been FUN...passing the car then not quite sure how you were going to get back in lane.