Warm weather often brings with it a supreme annoyance for road cyclists - the 'surface dressing' method of road resurfacing. Surface dressed roads can make for a jolting, decelerated ride, whilst loose granite chippings may pose a hazard to bike and rider.
Surface dressing involves spraying a stretch of road with bitumen and covering it with granite chippings, which are rolled into place and further embedded as cars drive over the area. Once set, excess chippings are swept away. The process requires high road surface temperatures, hence its frequent appearance in the summer months.
Councils maintain the efficacy of the method: a spokesperson for Cumbria County Council described surface dressing as a "cost effective way of sealing up the network", whilst conceding that a local cyclist had complained after falling from his bike on a surface dressed stretch of road. They stressed that areas with loose chippings are appropriately signposted, and that road users are thus expected to use the road with due caution.
Northumberland County Council further defended their use of the method, counting increased skid resistance for drivers and prolonged road life among its benefits. They added that surface dressing seals the road, preventing water from compromising its underlying structure.
Surface dressing: Your opinion
We asked CW readers what they thought of surface dressing roads via Twitter
Hallam Wiltshire
"Absolutely awful. Caused me to crash the other week and bruise (could easily have been a break) my collarbone"
Jayson Bryant
"Cheap and nasty, it's very dangerous for cyclist"
Dave Ody
"I'd sooner dodge potholes"
Jamie Salvage
"I was descending on a steep hill that had been treated and it was terrifying. I went back up and changed my route."
Sandy Cyclist
"A cheap and dangerous way to gloss over the shocking state of the roads"
Matt Whittle
"Terrible! Once went down a hill with a sharp left bend and got wrapped around a railing at the bottom because of it!"
Colin Fraser
"Death trap, awful when just laid as tar and stones stick to tyres and rip them apart"
Related links
New road surfaces in Surrey cause problems for cyclists
-
-
'Deafening' Basque fans and tactical precision as Simon Carr key to EF's Clásica San Sebastián win
The Brit dropped Mikel Landa to forge clear before team-mate Neilson Powless finished off the job and took the victory
By Jonny Long •
-
'I was watching the map on my Garmin, the others were too focused on the race situation': Powless on San Sebastián win
The American avoided a late crash and showed a strong sprint finish to pip Matej Mohorič to the victory
By Jonny Long •
-
The women's Land's End to John O'Groats cycling record has been broken
Christina Mackenzie completed the testing 839-mile route in just over 51 hours
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Tweets of the Week: Olympic opening week special
Here's a selection of our favourite tweets from Tokyo 2020
By Alex Ballinger •
-
‘I thought my dream was over’: BMX racer who crashed after official walked onto course wins Tokyo Olympic gold
After being seen by doctors and undergoing an MRI scan, Niek Kimmann was untouchable in the final races
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Cycling prioritised in new Highway Code as government looks to start 'golden age' for two wheels
Cycling and walking have been pushed forward as the main focus in the new code
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Five talking points from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic time trials
Van Vleuten and Roglič decimate their fields, as some of the favourites slip back - don’t miss these moments
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Jolanda Neff criticises rival’s riding after Tokyo 2020 Olympic mountain bike incident
Gold medallist Neff said Pauline Ferrand-Prévot almost caused her to crash on the rock drop
By Alex Ballinger •
-
How to climb like Tadej Pogačar
The Tour de France champion shares his tips for going uphill fast in a new video interview
By Cycling Weekly •
-
How Tom Pidcock narrowly qualified for Tokyo 2020 Olympics
The Brit very nearly missed out on his place, but took gold on his debut in the games
By Alex Ballinger •
