Warning to newbies and others.

[madbikeboy]

I'll second that. Avoid those shiny glistening patches like death, because that is what they are. Death.

Slow down and steer round them . If you must cross them do so upright and do not trust your tyres for a few miles afterward.

(They are lethal not only to bikes. I knew someone was killed in his car when it slid on a melt patch - into the path of an oncoming truck. And he was a very careful safe driver. And not speeding according to the cops)

In 2003, Joseba Beloki of the Spanish ONCE (pronouced On-Say) crashed spectularly during a difficult descent of the Tour de France. His rear wheel slid on a melting tar, and he slid, gripped, highsided, and so ended his professional cycling career (despite attempting to comeback). Why it is interesting is you can see the bike highside (like slow motion), and you can watch his pelvis break as he hits the road. Lance Armstrong, who had been riding beside him, famously rode into the field ahead, and then jumped a ditch to get back in the race. Meanwhile, Beloki is on the ground screaming in pain.

I've respected tar snakes ever since...

[cave weta]

Big green BLINGS for you guys

[enigma51]

In 2003, Joseba Beloki of the Spanish ONCE (pronouced On-Say) crashed spectularly during a difficult descent of the Tour de France. His rear wheel slid on a melting tar, and he slid, gripped, highsided, and so ended his professional cycling career (despite attempting to comeback). Why it is interesting is you can see the bike highside (like slow motion), and you can watch his pelvis break as he hits the road. Lance Armstrong, who had been riding beside him, famously rode into the field ahead, and then jumped a ditch to get back in the race. Meanwhile, Beloki is on the ground screaming in pain.

I've respected tar snakes ever since...

I remember than race

here is the vid

[BMWST?]

so after the summer is over is the danger reduced...MAYBE.The patches that melt and set, melt and set become exceedingly smooth which are more slippery than the surroundin road when wet...so if you know a stretch of road that has a melt patch in summer,it is more than likely a slippery patch in wet conditons in winter time...so when riding in winter keep an eye out for black shiny patches on the road,and take Ixions previous advice on how to deal with em....

[Blackshear]

The black ice strips, I avoid like the midnight Queen street honies.
They're bad in summer, but fuck mate, merely looking at them in the wet results in a fall. Serious, they're THAT slippery.

[AD345]

Just back from a blip around Coromandel today and Highway 25A from Hikuai to Kopu has AT LEAST 4 kms of continuous tar bleed at the Kopu end (I was heading in towards Kopu), there's a thin dry line down the middle of the lane but ze corners they are interesting.

As a side note I also rode the Tapu to Coroglen goat track - by mistake (its just been one of those days, was fun though - in a nervewracking 210% concentration kinda way)

[Elysium]

Don't know what the desert road is like at the moment but over a month ago when I was riding it the amount of bald and tar patches was very bad. Also some few idiot truck drivers who engine braked to hard and causing hunks of road to be dug up.

[Usarka]

I was going to make a sarcastic comment but it'd be over the heads of those that count.

Great post - take note noobies and people like me who haven't been for a decent fang for a whiles.

PS Looking forward to the vid!

Cheers for the heads up!

That my old-skool asian friend is the point

[Stickchick]

Don't know what the desert road is like at the moment but over a month ago when I was riding it the amount of bald and tar patches was very bad. Also some few idiot truck drivers who engine braked to hard and causing hunks of road to be dug up.

I rode the Desert Road during the Christmas break and it is pretty slippery, mind you I ride like a Nana so that may have been my issue.

However what an interesting sound your tyres make while riding a road like that. Anyone know how to get the tar and stones off the underside of my bike?

[Pussy]

Anyone know how to get the tar and stones off the underside of my bike?

Kerosene is your friend, Stickchick. It melts/disolves tar

[Grahameeboy]

'Summer ice' it's called...

Or "Black Ice"...

[howdamnhard]

take care when it rains for the first time in a while, esp if its just light rain - mixes with the oils on the roads and makes the road very slippery, but heavy rain washes it away after a few mins.

Yes that resulted in my first bin,eventhough I knew it was going to be slipperry and took it especially slow.

[scumdog]

Or "Black Ice"...

Black ice is what we get down here in winter when the rain falls - and then freezes.

[Grahameeboy]

Black ice is what we get down here in winter when the rain falls - and then freezes.

You do realise that it is not the ice that is black...heads up it is clear ice so it looks black as the road is black....oh Scummy...next you will be saying that the rain is black.......te he

[toycollector10]

Anywhere that you have long dry spells, such as we have been having here in Christchurch, can be a problem once you get a shower or two going through. Especially in the city environs where traffic is always heavy.

All the accumulated microscopic pieces of worn tyres and soot from diesel exhausts turns into a thin slippery paste.

Until it rains hard and long and washes the crap into the gutters it's a problem, especially on white road markings and metal grates and things like that. You can actually see it if you look for it.