avoiding tar??

[ChuckS]

Last last nite I was cruising home at about 75 on the e-way.  I was passing a truck & wanted to move left a lane to avoid windblast.  In a curve, I started my lane change, saw a huge (maybe 12-14" wide) tar strip magically appear between me & the lane I wanted to be in.  I did a quick swerve to avoid the tar.  How afraid of this stuff should I be?  It was maybe 40 degrees out.  
I'm in SE Michigan, the home of the patented "simulated moon surface" paving system.

[mjm]

Tar can be slippery especially if cold and wet.  I really don't worry about it much if the band of tar runs across the road - but if it is parallel to the road, especially while turning it can cause problems.  The British bike magazines always warn about the bad effects of "overbanding" and it causing falls as it provides way less traction than good pavement.

[vtlion]

I agree with mjm.

if you are in a lean, it can be a real concern.  when I'm upright, I give it its due attention, but I don't consider it to be trecherous.

[ChuckS]

Thanks guys!

I was in a lean, leaning farther.  Didn't seem like a good idea to cross the tar.  Around here they seem to like to divide the lanes with it.

ChuckS

[stephan]

Yeah, MI is a mess.

I live northern Genesee County and it's no different here.  They decided to "fix" the cracks on the main road by my house last summer with tar strips (tar snakes someone called them).  They were sticky and slippery all summer long.  I had to be careful everytime I drove, turned, crossed, or got near them.

The funny part . . . . . . during the winter the plows launched them all onto the shoulder of the road - talk about a waste!??!?!?

Nice work DOT . . .  

[Dragonfly]

Either way, wether there safe to ride on or not, good looking out and riding around!!
Better safe than sorry...

But yea, they arent good, just avoid as much as possible.