Chip Seal on Highway 1

The placement of chip seal on Highway 1 North of Cambria is a fine example of the unwillingness or inability of car-centric engineers to consider all forms of transportation when designing and repairing our highways. It's all about the car...except this time the weak minds responsible for the destruction of an iconic cycling route are getting a well deserved ear full from cyclists. 

In a previous post from last Tuesday (Central Coast Chip Seal) I discovered the unforgiving stuff. I'm optimistic that by this time next year the situation will be resolved and once again I can look forward to the pleasure of riding the Central Coast. 

Here's some more information and links:

Information from the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club

Caltrans, in almost every respect a good friend to SLO county bicyclists, made a horrible mistake last October when they chip sealed 25 miles of Highway 1 from Cambria to the Monterey County line at a taxpayer cost of $2 million.
They have acknowledged their mistake and are making small efforts to mitigate the horrible effects of their project on cyclists and motor vehicle drivers. They refuse to consider the most effective remediation, which is to spend $7 million to lay down a pavement overlay, which would give the highway section at least 25 more years of useful life before needing another rejuvenation.
We have their attention. We need to give them the will to spend $7 million dollars to fix it right.
I urge everyone to express your opinion about the Highway 1 chip seal to people who might help us. Below are some email addresses. Some things to write about are:

• What is the economic impact on Central Coast communities if bicycle tourism falls off?
• Highway 1 is an All American Road, one of 31 in the country, and a destination in itself.
• The California legislature designated Highway 1 as "an official state bicycle route" because it is "The most popular long distance bicycle touring route in California."
• Local and national charities use it as an attraction that draws thousands of cyclists to events that raise hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• Bicycle touring companies use this route as a mainstay in their tour offerings.
• Caltrans Information Officer Jim Shivers wrote, "because the binding agents used in this type of work are an evolving technology, so we are short on written specifics for now" – in other words, this job was an experiment with no written specifications for type and size of rock chips to be used.
• Continued daily sweeping of the project is removing the rock chips that Caltrans put in place – what will be left when they are done?
• Three major tourist attractions are in the middle of this project – Hearst Castle, Piedras Blancas Light Station and the elephant seals viewing area.
• Caltrans spent $2 million on this project and does not want to spend $7 million to repair it and do it right – how much do they spend every time a rockslide closes Highway 1 in Big Sur?
• More than 1,000 people, so far, have signed a petition asking Caltrans to fix the problem
• The project violates Caltrans' own Directive DD-64 that states "The Department views all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access, and mobility for all travelers in California and recognizes bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes as integral elements of the transportation system."
• DD-64 also directs the Department to "Ensure bicycle, pedestrian, and transit user needs are addressed and deficiencies identified during system and corridor planning, project initiation, scoping, and programming."

LINKS:
Adventure Cycling Bad Chip Seal on a Iconic Route
Petition Restore Highway 1
The Cambrian Cyclists; Hwy 1 North of Cambria to Rough to Ride
The Cambrian Caltrans Working on Plans to Smooth Stretch of Highway 1
Caltrans News Release Test Rolling Highway 1 Shoulder Begins
Chip Seal What is Chip Seal?

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/01/15/2357459/hwy-1-repaving-cyclists-gravel.html#storylink=cpy

Riding Central Coast Roads

There's some beautiful country along the Central Coast BUT the roads can be rough. And not just a patch of rough road but miles of unrelenting chip sealed and ignored roads. Not too long ago chip seal was the answer to repaving the roads. When HWY 1 was chip sealed North of Cambria the cycling community raised hell and now Caltrans claims the problem has been mitigated. They also claim cows can fly.  The Lighthouse Century, an event ride along HWY 1, would sell out within a couple of hours. Then came the chip seal and... need I say more?  

I've been living along the Central coast for nearly two months now and I've had a chance to get to know the some of roads along the coast. I've started using my Kojak rear wheelset on my northerly rides to ease the steady barrage of the "mitigated" chip seal on HWY 1. Not only HWY 1 but the country roads that branch off of  HWY 1 have been chip sealed. In some cases it's chip over ruts. I may have to go a step further and revisit buying a suspended ICE Sprint x Spec. 

The roads I discuss in this post are north of Cambria. HWY 1 south of Cambria is in good condition. I have yet to check out some of the southerly routes off of HWY 1 south of Cambria as well as the roads and mountain passes on the other side of the Santa Lucia Mountains which separates the coast from the inland communities of Paso Robles, Templeton and Atascadero. So no decisions about a new trike will made until I can ride around a little more.

Cruising on San Simeon Creek Rd.

A close up look at the chip seal. This is a good section of the road with no ruts, just chip seal (lucky me).

My average speeds are way down but the scenery is beautiful 

This road would be perfect for the minimalist suspension of a suspended ICE Sprint.

Central Coast Chip Seal

Started out my morning in Cambria at the beach with a cup o'tea and marking my territory with a cairn.




I headed out on my Catrike 700 at 9am and started riding North along Highway 1. WHAT WERE THEY SMOKING at Caltrans when they decided to resurface Highway 1 with chip seal. One of the most beautiful and popular rides along the California Coast has been destroyed by this coarse excuse for road maintenance. No consideration for cyclists just get it done cheap. Caltrans figured out that they screwed up big time and they are now in the process of trying to reverse some of the damage. Angry cyclists as well as motorists with cracked windshields from the loose chip seal rumble have voiced their disgust with the weak minds at Caltrans.
Before giving up on my northerly route I rode through a construction zone and managed to talk to a couple of the Caltrans crew. They admitted there has been much to say about the nasty new road surface and Caltrans is now trying to resurface some sections of the new surface. They managed to screw up 30 miles of highway from Cambria to the Monterey County line.
I had heard about the lousy new road surface and had even signed a petition without knowing how truly terrible the new road surface was until now. I didn't think it could be that bad, it was indeed a nasty ride on my 700. Even my Expedition would have a hard time with this stuff. You need suspension to enjoy this part of the coast. After a couple of miles I turned around and headed south. The chip seal stops at Cambria and the ride South is smooth going but more traffic.
(click here for my later post with more information)




The road South, no chip seal.




Taking a break on a side road before heading back to meet up with the family.

Kojak and Chip Seal

In my last post from March 10th I stated that I usually avoid riding north of Cambria on Highway 1 because of the chip seal. Well I rode north for the the second time in a row. I wanted to try the ride using the Kojak on the rear at 60psi on the rough road (see Speed, Comfort and Tires 8/3/16). Using the Kojak on the rear smoothed out the chip seal a bit. But chip seal (even though mitigated by CalTrans) is still chip seal. There's no doubt it wears you out faster. But the Central Coast is beautiful and worth an occasional ride North of Cambria.

Kojak 35/622 on the rear while keeping the Durano 28/406s on the front.

Destination ahead, San Simeon Pier.

San Simeon Pier, Time for a snack.

HWY 1 Chip Seal Update

Update on the chip seal fiasco on Highway 1 along the Central Coast (my April 6th post regarding the chip seal).

From the geniuses at Caltrans:
TEST ROLLING UPDATE: Caltrans and the University of California, Davis have suspended test rolling on a 1,000-foot shoulder section of Highway 1 just north of Cambria. The level of smoothing Caltrans had hoped for was not achieved and it is not cost effective to continue with the test rolling. Next, the research partnership will apply test treatments to a section of State Route 198 in Monterey County which underwent the same chip seal resurfacing last year.  This effort will include bicyclists from San Luis Obispo County who will help provide input after riding on roadway test sections.  It is our hope that results from this effort will be used to improve bicycle ride conditions on Highway 1 and the Caltrans chip seal program statewide. 

Here's more from the local newspaper The Cambrian May 8th. If you plan on riding this section of the coast any time soon make sure your dentures are glued in tight.

Thoughts On Seat Angle, Suspension and Tires

Picture from a few years ago on HWY 1

My motivation for adding a suspended ICE Sprint FS to accompany my Catrike 700 in my garage was the many miles of chip seal I have to ride when venturing North of Cambria on HWY 1. Which is usually once a week. I've now  had plenty of time to experiment with tire selection and pressure, suspension vs non-suspension and seat angle. I've come to the conclusion that seat angle plays the biggest role in determining the level of comfort when riding the many miles of chip sealed roads. For me a seat angle of 37 degrees to 40 degrees is the most comfortable position on these roads and still allows for good power transfer to the pedals. 

I've been trying to negotiate a compromise between comfort and speed. So I went with the minimalist suspension of the ICE Sprint with 28mm Durano tires. But I found that my Catrike 700 with 35mm Kojaks do nearly as good a job as the elastomer suspension system of the Sprint in isolating the constant vibration of the chip seal.

The Sprint elastomer suspension works nicely on the occasional rut, road seam and the minor road imperfections.  And it's probably great for trail riding. But it's the chip seal I'm trying to tame without sacrificing too much speed.

With my titanium hips I may be a slow dog on hills but when the road levels out I like to feel the speed. Especially down hills. And on those days when I choose to cruise the coast loaded with creature comforts I don't want to push extra weight that's not benefiting me in any meaningful way.

I'm tending to think that the whole suspension craze is overrated. There is a definite need for a suspended ride but you have to remember it comes at the cost of a heavier and mushier trike  that requires more calories to per mile.

Now that I've figured out that seat angle makes the biggest difference on rough roads, it's time to re-examine the non-suspended option that I was considering earlier, the Catrike Expedition with it's 37 degree seat angle. I feel it's the best and most versatile trike on the market. Also it won't empty your bank account.

My old Catrike Expedition from back in the day when I use to pull ma doggie
and load up with every possible creature comfort. Of course that was pre-hip replacement
days. Now I prefer to ride a little lighter. 

700 v Sprint26fs v Expedition, Part 1

(As of 9/17) I'm keeping both the ICE Sprint 26fs and my Catrike 700.
I'm a one trike guy. Once I decide on a trike there is no reason to keep a second one lying around. The last time I made a decision between two trikes was when I had a Catrike Expedition and my current ride the Catrike 700. The Catrike 700 won and I sold the Expedition in 2014. Now my riding habits have changed. I currently live along California's Central Coast. My rides are slower paced as the beauty of the coast and the surrounding area doesn't lend itself to riding fast. There's so much to see when riding the Central Coast. It hypnotizes you with it's beauty and riding laid-back on three wheels makes it so easy to take it all in.

There are few things to consider when deciding what works best for me at this juncture in my triking life.

1. So much to see. The Central Coast is not like where I used to live in Agoura Hills, CA. Agoura Hills is a overgrown suburb dominated by SUV's, shit hole drivers, overbuilt houses and large shopping centers. A perfect example of suburban sprawl. Nothing to see so riding fast while listening to classic hard rock was the order of the day when taking my Catrike 700 on rides.

2. Varied road conditions including chip seal. The chip seal that was laid down on HWY 1 north of Cambria has been mitigated (thanks to the outrage of the cycling community) but the constant vibration can wear you out. In addition roads can go from smooth pavement to chewed up asphalt and everything in between.

3. Keep it light as possible even if suspended. No need for my titanium hips to push unnecessary weight.

4. Comfort for longer rides that I would like to do. There is so much I haven't seen yet. All of the Central Coast wine country awaits me.

That all being said I now have my Catrike 700 and my ICE Sprint 26fs in my possession. A Catrike Expedition is also in the running for the ultimate trike to meet my current needs. Although I don't currently have an Expedition with me, I know it very well. It was my first trike and I feel it is still one of the best all around trikes on the market.

For the record I'm not interested in any of the other Catrike models such as the 559 and the Dumont. They are heavy, the seat is too "cushy" and the seat recline is to high for my tastes.

Over the next few weeks I'll figure it all out. During that time I'll be posting comments to help me sort through all my thoughts and opinions as I ride both the 700 and the Sprint and compare all three trikes, Catrike 700, ICE Sprint 26fs and the Catrike Expedition.

Catrike 700

My ride for the last few years.

ICE Sprint 26fs.
Less then 50 miles so far. The jury is still out on this one.

Catrike Expedition

My Expedition back in 2010 with ma doggie in tow. I had a lot of good times on this trike.

700 v Sprint26fs v Expedition, Part 3

Go to Part 1, September 9th
Go to Part 2, September 12th

Suspension
Suspension is what it's all about. It's the driving force behind making a change.

From my last post, The condition of the roads throughout the Central Coast can vary widely. I need to soften up the ride without sacrificing to much speed or weight. Right now some form of light suspension is a must. Whether mechanical suspension like on the Sprint or suspension in form of larger lower pressure tires to be used on the 700 or Expedition, some softening of my ride is a must. 

The ICE Sprint 26fs elastomer rear and front suspension combined with the mesh seat does a superb job at smoothing the chip seal and it handles many road imperfections in respectable style. Using a hard shell seat negates some of the benefits of the full suspension system. It's not a pot hole eater like some of the beefier suspension systems now on the market but then it doesn't weight nearly what some of those other trikes with more substantial suspension systems weight.

Next I revisited the concept of trying to get a smoother ride on my 700 by swapping out the high pressure 28mm Duranos with lower pressure and larger 35mm Kojaks on front. I already use a 35mm Kojak on the rear. With Kojaks all around I went for a ride along HWY 1 over chip seal and all the other usual suspects that try to throw me around. The results were okay but nothing like being suspended with the ICE elastomers. With the extra rolling weight of the Kojaks and more rubber on the road the going was bit slower. In the end it's still tiring to ride on rough roads without any mechanical suspension.

ICE elastomer suspension is the winner over using larger low pressure tires. With mechanical suspension I can keep the rolling weight of the tires at a minimum. Rolling weight is the enemy.

Even with all the lesser issues discussed in Part 1 the ICE Sprint 26fs comes out on top. One last critical issue for me is comfort. I almost gave up on the Sprint when it was fitted with the Carbon seat. The bottom of the Carbon took issue with my titanium hips. That post here.

Seat

This is a make or break issue for me.

I'll start with seat angle. The 700 has a 25 degree incline. It's low and it's great for fast riding on well maintained roads. On rougher roads it can get tiring. I spend most of my time with my head not touching the neck rest. On better roads I spend most of my ride with 30% to 100% (climbing hills) of my head weight resting on the neck rest. Based on this alone it might be time for a different seat. The Catrike Expedition has a seat angle of 37 degrees while the Sprint has a range of 36 to 42 degrees. Both of these trikes have seat angles that would probably be better for longer rides.

I initially didn't want a mesh seat because it felt awkward on the Sprint. Comparing it to the mesh seat on my 700 it felt short and I felt like I was sitting at the end of the seat and would slip forward. After a few rides I feel locked in. It was just a matter of time to get accustomed to a new feel. I've been riding Catrikes for the last eight years and that's all I know. The back of the seat has padding for the low back on both sides which holds the rider firmly in place. A nice feature that works well for me.

Weight

Weight is a non-issue when comparing the Catrike 700, ICE Sprint 26fs and the Catrike Expedition. The factory specified weight range for all three trikes is between 34lbs (15.4kg) for the 700 and 36.9 lbs. (16.7 kg) for the Sprint. The Expedition comes in at 35 lbs (15.9 kg). Even though the Sprint is a minimally suspended trike with it's elastomer suspension I am impressed that it's factory weight is only 36.9 lbs (16.7 kg). With rack, pedals, mirrors and mounts, and a few tweaks my Sprint weights in at 40.1 lbs (18.2 kg).

_____________________

I think I covered everything I wanted to for now. I'll put a few more miles on the Sprint and then decide if the Sprint gets my final blessing.

San Simeon

I headed North of Cambria on Highway 1 for a change. The chip seal north of Cambria, even though mitigated, is still a bit rough. It's not so much the rough ride as it is the constant vibration, especially at higher speeds. After awhile you get used to it. At least it's not nearly as bad as when some brain dead engineers at CalTrans back in 2013 decided chip seal on a popular bicycle route was a good idea. 

Using 28mm tires at low pressure on my 700 makes the ride enjoyable and still reasonably fast.

Central Coast Beach'n It

Started off Wednesday morning at 6:30 with my usual cup of tea at the beach and a mini cairn.

Ended up at Moonstone Beach later in the day.

With the nasty chip seal covering all parts North of Cambria (more on that later) my trike sat idle. Great for hanging the kids clothes to dry

 ________________________

Thursday started off with morning rain and then it cleared up for another day at another beach.

Leili

Of course more cairns...don't ask why...I just like to...

No. 1

No. 2

Leili and Byron

 ____________________________

Today, Friday, last day to have my morning tea at the beach and...

and construct my final mini cairn. Now time to head home.

2017 on the Central Coast

January

First Ride of the New Year

2017 was a good year for riding. Busy with work on the new house I only managed 39 rides during 2016.  I looked forward to 2017 as the year to reboot by riding and get some quality miles in. 

February

Central Coast Sunshine

A few days of sunshine during February. But February was a rainy month.

March

Kojak and Chip Seal

It seemed like most of 2017 was spent trying to figure out how to best prepare for the varied road conditions along the Central Coast.

April

Down to One Car

My old Ford Escape was sitting collecting dust and the battery kept dying from non-use. So I sold it and we became a one car household. First I made sure our Ford C-max would hold the 700 inside. It did. 

May

Thule Roof Rack, Seasucker and Trike

Now with only one small car I needed a backup plan for carrying the trike on top of the car when there's no room inside.

June

W R Hearst State Beach

Getting familiar with the Central Coast and getting to know my favorite spots to take a break.

July

Nerve Damage from Hip Replacement

I'm getting use to not having the use of part of my right calf muscle.

August

ICE Sprint 26fs Back in the Stable

The ICE Sprint 26fs I purchased late in 2016 spent some time at Bent Up Cycles after I returned it. The carbon seat heard my hips. In August I decided to pick it up and give it another try with a new mesh seat instead of the carbon fiber seat.

September

I'm Keeping Both Trikes

 In September I decided to keep both my 700 and the ICE Sprint. I really wanted the Sprint to work for me but I was still spending more time riding my 700.

October

October On the Central Coast

My 700 is still getting more ride time then the Sprint.

November

ICE Sprint Mesh Seat - All is Good

I turned my focus back to the Sprint. I played around with the mesh seat until it was comfortable. At least comfortable enough.

December

Parting Shot - ICE Sprint 26fs

Who am I fooling? I can't make the ICE Sprint work for me. I gave it a good try. I traded it in for a Catrike Expedition!! I know the Expedition well. It was my first trike. I still feel it's the best and most versatile rike around. It's on order and will be here in January. With the right tires and it's more upright seat position it will be my go to trike for longer rides and rides on rough roads.

700 v Sprint26fs v Expedition, Part 4 Conclusion

Go to Part 1, September 9th
Go to Part 2, September 12th
Go to Part 3, September 13th

I'm keeping the ICE Sprint 26fs. It's a great machine and beautifully engineered right down to the small details. Yes it's pricey but I feel it's worth the expense.

What impresses me most about the Sprint 26fs is the simplicity and effectiveness of the suspension. I feel no pogo effect when pedaling. The elastomers smooth the road out just enough to allow for a comfortable ride without putting to big of a dent in my average speed. Usually the only time I'm aware that I'm on a suspended trike is when I ride over a rut or some other road imperfection and I brace for a jolt and all I get is a thud. 

On a personal level what really strikes me is how much less tired I am after a long ride. Managing the chip seal and rough roads on the Central Coast was wearing me down more then I realized. 

I'm not sure how much I'll be using the rear rack and panniers. As I mentioned earlier the Sprint doesn't have much storage when not using the rack. I'll be exploring some behind the seat storage options. 

The ICE mesh seat seems okay on my titanium hips. But the Catrike Expedition and 700 seats are still my favorite and most comfortable seats. Getting totally comfortable with the ICE mesh seat may take a little more time.

My Thoughts on Suspended Trikes

A suspended trike and it's added weight does not move on it's own. To varying degrees depending on the trike model a suspension system absorbs some of the riders energy output. Suspended trikes are heavier. Some of the heavier suspended trikes can weight up to 20% more then their comparable counterparts. The trike rider is the engine. You're simply going to have to burn more calories per mile for that engine to move the trike.

Suspended trikes definitely serve a purpose and there are a number of reasons to own one. However if you're riding paved roads and you want to maximize your energy output then a suspended trike is the wrong choice. 

A suspended trike robs power from the engine, your body. I tried it on a minimally suspended ICE Sprint 26fs for nearly a year and based on the log I keep I figure it takes 10 to 15 percent more energy to get from point A to point B. Is it worth it? Not for me. And it's not always about speed. It's more about making efficient use of the energy I manage to coax out of my old muscles. I've come to the conclusion that paved roads are generally not in bad enough condition to warrant putting out the extra energy required by a suspended trike. I've found seating position, tires and mesh seats are the way to go to accommodate for road conditions. Even when riding chip seal for seemingly endless miles.

I would only consider a suspended trike if it included E-assit. But I''m not ready to add it to my stable. For now I want to ride under my own power for as long and as far as my 64 year old legs will take me. I've learned that a suspended trike is not a part of that equation.

Tires, Speed and Roads

Keeping a log for the last 6 years has given me good feedback as to how my tire selection is working for me. Especially in 2016 riding along the Central Coast has given me information that makes it easy to compare rides. No traffic signals to factor in and consistent weather. 

I like my rides to be as fast , light and as comfortable as possible on my old bones. Some roads are to rough for skinny tires and beg me to use a little larger and lower pressure tire. The following is a quick look at how different tires are working for me.

Option 1, When roads are generally in good condition.

Rear tire - Schwalbe One 28/622,  95psi

Front tires- Schwalbe One 23/406, 95psi

Option 2. When roads are good to fair.

Rear Tire - Schwalbe Kojak 35/622, 65psi

Front tires - Schwalbe One 23/406, 95psi

Option 3, When roads are rough, like riding chip seal for extended periods.

Rear Tire - Schwalbe Kojak 35/622, 65psi

Front Tires - Schwalbe Kojak 35/406, 65psi

Summary

I'm going to keep this simple.

First let me say that changing rear tires is easy, I have two complete wheelsets. The front tires take a little more time as I have to actually make a tire change on the rim.

My maximum speed so far this year is 46mph. To my surprise all three tire options give me maximum speeds that are so close I can't say any one option is faster then the other when going down a hill.

My average speed is the number that changes with tire selection. Option 3 is about 7% slower then Option 1. With Option 2 my average speed is slightly slower then Option 1. It's almost to the point where sometimes it seems like there is no difference in average speed between Option 1 and Option 2. There may be other factors playing into this but I'm going to leave well enough alone and not over think it.

In the end I usually ride with Option 2. I get a little softer ride and minimal speed loss.

Option1

Rear tire - Schwalbe One 28/622,  95psi

Front tires- Schwalbe One 23/406, 95psi

Option 3

Rear Tire - Schwalbe Kojak 35/622, 65psi

Front Tires - Schwalbe Kojaks 35/406, 65psi

Personal Look Back at 2013

January
Just another picnic in the park.

February

My new Catrike 700 / 20 first impression.

March

Picture from an uneventful week.

April

New Catrike 700 / 20 vs my old Catrike 700

vs

May

Chip seal on Hwy 1, an update. What were they thinking!?

June
Maria Parker's exciting RAAM

and I took a little time out from triken to take a hike with Carrie

July

Adventure Cycling's annual recumbent edition was one of their best recumbent issues. 

August

Comparing my Catrike 700 / 20 to my Catrike Expedition 

vs

September

My opinion of technology and cycling.

October

A new right hip for me

November

Recumbent Cycle-Con

December

Another new hip. This time the left one goes titanium. Adventure Cycling Magazine comes along to the hospital with me.