I ride route 89 south out of Prescott, AZ to Wilhoit almost every day. It is one of my favorite short rides, about 15 miles of curves, switchbacks and beautiful mountain scenery. This week the highway department started road repairs (the road is in excellent condition) putting tar over any crack the can see and a few that are invisible. Hitting those switchbacks in any aggressive manner and going across those tar lines is a puckering experience. I don't know if they will really take you down but feeling my tires sliding around in the curves causes me to back off the gas. I hope they firm up with time or they've ruined one of my favorite rides. This may be a better speed inhibitor than radar.

 

Dam I hate those thing almost as bad at when they hot top nice and smooth love it and then they go and put liquid tar and cover with loose stone

 

New tires do help. If yours have alot of miles replace them before they let you down. If your tires are good then be careful.

J.L.

 

I think they ruined your road. The tar snakes I have ridden over are slippery in the cool, and mushy (feel slippery) in the heat. You may be SOL until the road is re-surfaced or at least sealed.

 

I know the feeling on I80 west of Reno - ***** sucks!

 

Here in Ohio I've had them stick to my front tire at an intersection, it's a real adventure till it wears off.

 

Nothing like the pucker moment a good tar snake will give you!

 

They're always fun when they heat up! A couple days ago I had my own pucker moment.. I made a wide left hand turn to avoid some rough railroad tracks (wide to hit the smoother part of the tracks) and my front tire hit an unseen oil spot in the blacktop. Front end skidded for a second, I about **** myself, and then it caught traction right after. That'll wake you up real quick too..

 

I hate them with a passion! They're almost as much fun as a steel deck bridge!

 

I had a good one once, I swear my bike slid a foot to the right in a left hand turn. Was probably just an inch or two but it's enough to get the heart going.