TAMS needs to review its cycle-way/footpath mowing policy

Danman said :

Allow me to introduce the Continental Gatorskin

About 80 bucks a pop but about to round out 1200km on my rear and not one puncture – and that’s riding on persistently broken glass patches 30km a day

before them I’d get a puncture every 60 to 100km

Gatorskin is over-rated. Try the Maxxis Re-Fuse. What we’d call a ‘training’ tyre. Little higher rolling resistance and slightly rougher ride, but seemingly impervious to anything. They replaced my previously loved Contis

LMR said :

Well considering cyclists make no finantial contribution to their cyclepath infrastructure, I suggest you guys clean it up yourself.

How exactly do you contribute to the cyclepath infrastructure ‘finantially’?

I ride a bike

I pay 2 regos

I probably pay more in tax than you earn (based on your spelling)

…..or is there a special alternate funding arrangement I know nothing of Mr. Einstein?

LMR said :

Hi, my name’s LMR and despite my inability to think through an argument or even do basic research I’d just like to drive by and drop steaming four-pounder in this thread.

Gosh, time again already? Doesn’t a couple of months just fly by these days?

Well, thanks for the invitation to participate in what I’m sure will be an informative and not at all done-to-death debate LMR but… I can’t be bothered. Too busy riding!

🙂

LMR said :

Well considering cyclists make no finantial contribution to their cyclepath infrastructure, I suggest you guys clean it up yourself.

And here I was thinking the cyclepaths were funded by taxpayers. Must burn you up seeing the public helping themselves to privately-funded paths.

LMR said :

Well considering cyclists make no finantial contribution to their cyclepath infrastructure, I suggest you guys clean it up yourself.

I think you will find that I pay land rates, I pay registration for my car, I pay for insurance for my car, stamp duty on everything I buy and pay a huge chunk of cash to pay the ACT Government Taxes, so yeah, yeah I do pay a financial contribution, I know it’s not much compared to the $5 a year you pay for your rego.

Maybe you should pull your head out of your a^se, actually get your fat gut onto a bike and give it ago before you start making stupid childish remarks.

LMR said :

Well considering cyclists make no finantial contribution to their cyclepath infrastructure, I suggest you guys clean it up yourself.

Because cyclists don’t pay taxes, nor do they save the government money and space on more expensive road and parking infrastructure and there is so much traffic on cycle paths it leaves massive potholes, unlike roads which are so easy to maintain.

Well considering cyclists make no finantial contribution to their cyclepath infrastructure, I suggest you guys clean it up yourself.

I got caught on a curve at the bottom of a small downhill run. The mower had just been there and left its spread of grass on the path. A over T, what a mess I was. needless to say I am lot more cautious now, having learnt my lesson.

However I must give the mowing guys full marks for stopping their mowing when you cycle past.

On the subject of three cornered jacks, an electric wheel chair bound lady I know got one the other day. Stopped to speak to her and it turns out it was the third such incident for her in the last 5 days. She just calls the NRMA. I wondered if they sold kelvar belted tyres for those little vehicles.

Aurelius said :

Did I read this right?
You’ve got your knickers in a twist because residue from the mowing is on the cyclepath?
And you’d like some public servant to tidy the path for you?

No, you didn’t read it right. Go back to school.

@ shiny flu – I run Armadillos on one commuter and Schwalbes on the other. Those tires are puncture-resistant, or ‘puncture-protected’, but they are not puncture proof. You would know this as you’ve obviously extensively field-tested your tires.
I’ve ridden through all sorts of crap with armoured tires and they do a good job, but an ongoing gauntlet of caltrops can still spike them.

I’d like to know what’s with the ‘only mowing one meter from the edge of the road’ policy?

Plus when it rains a bit on top of the grass cuttings it makes the paths damn slippery…

I agree that Gatorskins are the duck’s bizzo, but not even they are immune to these thorns, as I found out last week.

Aurelius said :

Did I read this right?
You’ve got your knickers in a twist because residue from the mowing is on the cyclepath?
And you’d like some public servant to tidy the path for you?

You make it sound like it’s mere grass cuttings.
Those seeds destroy bike tires – as the OP pointed out, even not mowing at all would be preferable because at least there wouldn’t be tire-shredding caltrops all over the path.

Given the spikes on them can be up to 1cm long it’s possible for them to go through some shoes as well if they hit a thinner part of the sole.

Wow, never thought I see a whinge like this.

If you don’t want thorns and punctures there are many things you can do to get around it.

1) Invest in something like Schwalbe’s Marathon Plus or similar tyres around the $60 mark.
2) Use tyre liners although they’re a cheap-out for buying tyres from point 1
3) Use slime in your tubes. Although they add rotational mass.

Allow me to introduce the Continental Gatorskin

About 80 bucks a pop but about to round out 1200km on my rear and not one puncture – and that’s riding on persistently broken glass patches 30km a day

before them I’d get a puncture every 60 to 100km

I just found this same scenario on the bike path along William Slim next to Giralang. Both tyres gone. It makes me think about going back to riding on the road…

It’s a bugger along there isn’t it? I usually end up riding on the old road instead.

Not sure what real solution there is to this – a generous spray of Roundup once or twice a year, perhaps? Agent Orange and napalm? Tyre liners and Slime?

In any case, pain in the bum though the thorns are they’re only there for a week or so till wind/rain/other people’s tyres clear them away. It’s still a hell of a lot better than letting it all grow back till you’re trying to pedal through hip high swamp grass.

Did I read this right?
You’ve got your knickers in a twist because residue from the mowing is on the cyclepath?
And you’d like some public servant to tidy the path for you?