Originally Posted by
Badger6
but, the point is that paved roads generally fall within a much narrower range for surface smoothness and integrity than gravel. Gravel means different things to different people, directly relevant to their gravel riding experience.
I totally agree. My objection was specifically to this...
If someone says paved road (asphalt or tarmac, whichever you prefer to call it)
...which implies that "asphalt" and "tarmac" are equivalent terms to "paved road." They are not, even if by "paved road" we're talking about modern sealed surfaces and excluding things like cobblestones.
I guess this is unknown to folks who aren't civil engineers or European
The etymology of "tarmac" is not unknown to me. Simply the common usage.