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Im building a new house and have about 300 gravel road off main road to my house.
Any you live this dusty nightmare who like their bikes clean?
Is something like a California duster ok to quick ***** bath the dust off?
Looking for ideas vs having to wash bike with hose each time. My bike is black which doesnt help.
I had a decomposed granite/dirt driveway at the compound in the sierras. Eventually, you live there long enough, you won't care that much when your bike gets dirty. That being said, compressed air and a car or dash duster used together work well without scratching the paint.
I live out of town have a 200 plus foot hard packed gravel drive way. Always have. I would asphalt it but then they jack my tax up like I built a new house.
I lived on a driveway like that for a couple of years. Gave up trying to keep it clean, just periodic baths. After all, if you wash it when you get home you still have to leave out the same driveway. And pick up all the dust again, only there's no way to wash it there. Vicious cycle.
i have been on dirt roads for the last 28 years. about 200 yards to pavement. my black ultra was a bitch to keep clean, but now with the white fatboy its way easier to keep clean. no big deal really.
I operate a motor grader for a company that maintains a couple hundred miles of gravel township roads and when we have to run belly dump semis back and forth to and from the pit for gravel we spray calcium chloride on the road just in front of homes and farmsteads to keep the dust down to avoid complaints of the dust and it is cheap and works really well even withstands the rain!! We use a water truck to apply it but for only a few hundred feet of road you could easily use a small sprayer behind a ATV or garden tractor and no more dust!!
would probably only have to apply it a couple times a season!!
I feel your pain!! or OCD I also like to keep my bikes and trucks spotless !!
Last edited by Mallard Slayer; Mar 18, 2024 at 01:28 AM.
We live sorta in the country about 2 miles outside of town off of a main county road
We have a combination asphalt/concrete driveway but we live on a private, cul de sac (no outlet) gravel road, 3/10ths of a mile long that connects to the main county road. with a total of 6 homes currently, and one more to be built in the future.
Half of the neighbors (three homes) drive the full length of the road--don't want it and will not pay for "dust control".
The other half (also three homes), which are closest to the county road have two choices. eat dust OR pay for enough dust control in order to minimize (not eliminate) the mess.
I have a black trike, a black pickup and until recently my wife had a black SUV!
When I get to the end of my driveway I check for traffic before I go on the road, I ride/drive 15-20 MPH (on dry days) and I (and we) still cannot have a vehicle without at least some dust on it/them.
I have a "duster" than I can use on the vehicles at home (as well as compressed air and a hand-held, battery-powered leaf blower) and I keep all of our vehicles as clean as possible but thankfully we have an automated car wash as well as a "spray wash" about two miles from home IF we need need a wash or a touch-up if we're going out.
In a perfect world where money is no object, I would do a few things. This is going to sound completely insane but who knows. Here goes...
First of all I would be sure the driveway is 2a Modified stone. Meaning it will pack down solid over time assuming the sandstone is mixed evenly throughout. If you have too much 2b it just won't pack properly. You will have soft spots and possibly washout. On the other hand, if you have too much fine stone, you will have dust and soft spots anyway. Related, if you haven't already, please take notice to any areas that are prone to washout. Either raise up your driveway in those spots or divert the water underneath (pipe or French drain) to cross over. Not sure if your driveway is straight or not. Note: A 2a Modified stone driveway will have some inherent dust but not like a dirt or even an all-stonedust driveway. The bonus is, if you ever decide to pave (big bucks there too), you'll have a start at a very good base working for you. Yes, my Father was in the business and sold stone, asphalt and other road materials. I know a little but don't ask me how much base you would need to do this effectively or to eventually pave over top.
300' is a long distance but you could add a sprinkler system to wet it down slightly before you ride. Not like a soaking rain. If you have puddles, you have done too much. A cool control system (phone app) will permit you to control it so you can have it run for a minute or two on your return as well. Yes, over the top. But hey the OP is asking for ideas. Sometimes the crazy ones are a viable solution too.
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Bikes live on a gravel drive?
