Cruising onto a fresh black road when you’ve been scraping on top of a rough one is a mighty fine feeling. Yes, when you get off that chopped-up construction meat or swerve out of Pothole Alley your tires are loving you lots.
And it’s not just that:
1. Shhhh. When you slip onto fresh road the background noise fades away and everyone realizes they can chat in a normal voice again. It’s a nice, relaxing feeling, and it sort of makes your car feel more expensive, like you tossed down a fistful of hundreds at the dealership for some primo soundproofing upgrades.
2. Gimme a break. When you start cruising smooth it’s like driving becomes a lot easier. You’re no longer swerving past giant dirt potholes on the way out of the cottage or watching you don’t slip off of pebbly gravel edges beside the ditch. Thinking of giving both your arms a rest simultaneously? Now’s a good time.
3. Mechanic on duty. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I’m on a rough stretch of road my tires start make whirring, click-clacking sounds and I convince myself that something’s wrong with my car. I know, I know, I’m a real hypocardriac (hey-ohhhhhh!) But seriously folks, doesn’t it feel good when you drive onto a smooth road, perk your ears up, and realize that nothing’s wrong with your hunk of junk?
Driving from a rough road onto a smooth one is a tiny gift to the road weary. You don’t know when it’s coming, you don’t know long it’ll last, but for a those few fleeting moments you smile and relax in a quiet little meditation on wheels.
AWESOME!
Photos from: here, here, and here
25 Comments
October 8, 2009 at 2:07 am
Man, I love it when this happens. That “rawrrawrrawr” sound that you hear when you drive over not-yet-finished-repaved road is horrible.
October 8, 2009 at 5:47 am
This feeling is even better on a bicycle, with headphones on….
October 8, 2009 at 9:14 am
This is my answer for the James Lipton-question, “What is your favorite sound?” I LOVE IT.
October 8, 2009 at 9:46 am
oh man i HATE grooved pavement…they’ve been working on Rt 2 in MA which i have to take to and from school, and i HATED it. it’s like nails on a chalkboard for me, so the relief of getting back onto smooth road is that much greater :-)
October 8, 2009 at 10:33 am
They just repaved my neighborhood, so coming home is especially sweet.
October 8, 2009 at 11:11 am
It’s spelled Hypochondriac. not hypocardiac, which means “bad heart”
October 8, 2009 at 12:24 pm
It’s spelled “totally missing the joke”, which means, you totally missed the joke.
January 4, 2010 at 7:51 pm
I laughed at this for like 5 minutes!!
October 8, 2009 at 3:12 pm
(hey-ohhhhhh!)
October 8, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I had to urban dictionary the word…then i got the joke and gave the word its 3rd thumb up :o)
October 8, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I’m a road cyclist so I really appreciate smooth pavement. My undercarriage, my bones and hands all really appreciate it.
Sometimes when I’m in my car driving along my passenger will catch me looking out the window and ask what I’m doing. I’ll reply…that’s some sweet pavement I can’t wait to ride that…
October 8, 2009 at 8:38 pm
1960′s, leaving Apache Junction, taking the Apache Trail, going to Roosevelt Lake, AZ.
Bumpy, twisting, rocky, dirty, NOISY at Fish Creek Hill.
Suddenly…silence. You relax and enjoy it. The silence lasts all the way to impact at the bottom of Fish Creek. You missed the turn….Awesome!
October 8, 2009 at 11:59 pm
What a great feeling that is. I still see some roads here not paved in over 20 years.
October 9, 2009 at 12:06 am
my entire neighborhood just got repaved. its so nice that it forced me to buy a longboard. such an amazing feeling.
October 9, 2009 at 3:14 am
I can’t drive yet, but I get that same feeling when I’m skateboarding. <3
Lovely
October 10, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Lovely indeed. :D
October 11, 2009 at 1:07 am
Wow, you perfectly captured every glorious aspect of transitioning from a bad road to that sweet, smooth black stretch.
This blog = AWESOME.
November 3, 2009 at 11:04 am
this is amazing, especially on a motorcycle.
November 16, 2009 at 12:15 am
Ah, the moment on I80 when you cross from California into Nevada is exactly this. Plus there’s the added bliss of knowing you’re almost home after driving all day.
November 16, 2009 at 1:49 am
A similar Awesome Thing:
When you are driving in the rain and you drive under a bridge or through a tunnel, those few seconds where the windshield is clear and there is silence.
Oh baby!
November 16, 2009 at 2:29 am
#729 ;)
November 19, 2009 at 1:25 am
It reminds me of when you’re driving through the rain on the highway and you get so used to the noise. Then suddenly you drive under a bridge and there’s that second of absolute quiet. The WHOOSH, back into the rain.
January 15, 2010 at 3:01 am
hello! love the website must have required a fair amount of time.
March 15, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Wow.. thanks for posting!
August 7, 2010 at 2:51 pm
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