05-13-2018, 11:20 AM
I think frost heaving is still the biggest problems asphalt faces around here and it seems to affect the trail surface in the middle, not just the edges... that and tree roots. I would imagine if the base is done right and drain well there will be less chance of cracking at the edges. I haven't looked at the trail edges close to my place but I will now! I think the IHT has the advantage of being built mostly over a railway base that was already built to withstand more weight and to drain well.
A lot of roads seem to start cracking at the edges too, the worst place I've seen this recently is on the paved "bicycle shoulder" on highway 6 going up to Tobermory, it's basically made it unrideable as a paved shoulder for riding, and it's the only road through that area. The nicest roads I've ridden on were in Alberta where the shoulder seems 3 metres wide and there is a rumble strip on the left edge. If the cracking starts it has a long way to go before it affects the riding area, but I suspect they spend a bit more money on the main roads there per km than we do in Ontario.
A lot of roads seem to start cracking at the edges too, the worst place I've seen this recently is on the paved "bicycle shoulder" on highway 6 going up to Tobermory, it's basically made it unrideable as a paved shoulder for riding, and it's the only road through that area. The nicest roads I've ridden on were in Alberta where the shoulder seems 3 metres wide and there is a rumble strip on the left edge. If the cracking starts it has a long way to go before it affects the riding area, but I suspect they spend a bit more money on the main roads there per km than we do in Ontario.