chip n seal zeal

[eddief]

Out here in the deep wilderness of the San Francisco Bay Area, it seems many a govm't agency is chip and sealing roads these days rather than doing a smooth repaving. Generally, I find these chipped roads uncomfortable to ride on with about 100 psi in my Michelin Pro Race tires...mostly on my Steve Rex. Today I did a very familiar chipped road on the Rambouillet and found the ride to be noticably smoother. Rambouillet = steel fork and Rex = Ouzo Pro. Normally I can't feel many of the subtle differences people speak of when it comes to wheels, stiffness, compliance, etc, but there was a genuine easy-to-feel comfort/difference between these two bikes on the same crappy road surface.

[pale scotsman]

The romulus I had was one smooooth bike. Look down at the fork on the riv when you are on rough roads. That baby soaks up bumps like there's no tomorrow.

[Dave]

Gravel sealed ashphalt is very prevalent in the rural areas around Kansas City, where I used to live. I've ridden steel bikes with steel forks (like Tommasini Sintesi) and they transmit plenty of vibration. Give me a good carbon frame and fork any day for gravel sealed roads.

[eddief]

I'm not sure I would make a blanket statement about my Riv at this point. I think there may be a harmonic convergeance going on between all the variables of my Riv and chip and seal road surface. Like just the right wheel base, the atoms in the steel, the fork rake; all lining up perfectly with the distribution of the billions of chips in the tar.

Cause I'd swear, most of the time, my steel and carboned Rex feels to be a match on most other surfaces.

[pale scotsman]

Yep, you know how blanket statements can get you in trouble round 'chere. But anyhoo, we have no chip and seal roads here. Just gravel, tar, concrete and shell. They pretty much all start to suck after a few years exposure to the elements. But I can tell you this: of a merckx ti w/ cf fork, merckx steel w/ steel fork, al bianchi w/ cf fork, surly w/ steel fork, serotta ti w/ cf fork, waterford steel w/ steel fork, the romulus was by far the most comfortable ride on rough roads. Could have been the 28mm tires too. :)

Maybe the angle of the dangle was just right. Could be the total harmonic distortion was less than or equal to .003% @ 50 watts of class a power. :beer: