Which one to pick?

[Promethean]

On my way home from work, I encounter a patch of road liberally laced with the following road hazards.

Tar snakes.
Center of the road with oil drips.
Potholes.

All things being equal such as no rain etc. which is the least risky proposition?

Milwaukee county is not known for it's excellent roads. :(

[DarthRider]

If had to pick only one to avoid it would be potholes.
Tar snakes can actually be fun unless the road is just covered with them. Little 'mini-slides' are cool, usually the big, unintentional ones are not.
As you know, the center of a lane has oil drips but that's also where other things collect...gravel, sand, nails, etc.
Best of course to avoid all of them. Or pick the lesser of evils.

[Optimus Prime]

I'm with Dave.

We actually have a few roads up here that I've ridden with more than 50% of the road covered with Tar Snakes. It can actually be a bit of fun. I've actually found that there is reasonable traction to be had on tar, you just have to get a feel for it.

[Blue Mist]

Potholes can damage wheels and the oil can cause a slide when trying to stop at a traffic light. Tar snakes are no fun in cool weather, but they seem OK when the road is properly warm.

[Road Dog]

I had never paid much attention to road snakes in dry conditions but in South Dakota this summer the road snakes were really distracting. Then in NM on the way home I figured out why. They had grinders that would actually route a grove in the road surface around the crack. So instead of just filling the crack they make a 2" wide groove to grab your tire. Whoever came up with that process should have to spend a few hours riding a bike across it.:097:

[arkline]

I vote to avoid potholes. Shallow ones at speed are just as bad as deep ones going slow. The havoc they can play with your rims and tires is amazing. Look at what it costs to replace a rim these days...

In Eastern Oregon they dig out a rectangular hole around the pot hole and then fill in the whole thing. Problem is the pot hole reappears because the underlying cause hasn't been fixed. From some distance away it looks like a smooth surface because it looks newly paved. Up close you get to swerve and curse the repair crews and the DOT that mandated this as a means for fixing the problem. On the other hand, Washington state and Seattle in particular are in no hurry to fix the roads that don't lead to a massive shopping center...

[supermotoC]

I used to smoke pot & black tar heroin, but never tried an "oil slick".
Man, I've always been behind the curve. All this code-speak kinda throws me, too.

[DJ Down Under]

It depends on just how big the pothole is....:icon_mrgreen:

DJ

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2567.jpg

[Promethean]

Jeez! That brings back some memories. I've actually driven through one of those. :037:


It depends on just how big the pothole is....:icon_mrgreen:

DJ

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2567.jpg

[BobFV1]

Pot holes are cool - up on the pegs and right over.

I don't like tar snakes - I avoid them.

I ride over potholes using proper technique, assuming they are not too deep.

Oil splotchies are absolutely no problem.

So - my order of preference to rid eover would be:

oil
potholes
snakes

YMMV

[supermotoC]

OK, I guess NOT the pothole:

http://www.funnyclipcentral.com/content/giantpothole.php

Three Laws of Pot Holes were discovered:

· A big pot hole always suddenly appears right smack in the middle of the lane when the vehicle has picked up good cruising speed.

· If you run over two to three of these giant babies at high speed, kiss good bye to at least one or more of your tires; they will become flat.

· The best antidote for drivers sleeping behind the wheel is to put a good number of these babies on the Interstate highways. Forget all the working out machines, aerobics, pumping iron, dieting. That is a waste of valuable dollar and time. Put many of these babies on all our roads. We would all be in tip top physical and mental shape in no time at all.