9 April 2010

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

| Postalgeek
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Cycling into Fyshwick from Dairy Flat road, there is only one safe off-road option (and Fyshwick is one place where you really want to avoid the roads as a cyclist), and not only is tribulus terrestri growing on the sides of the path, but some bright spark with a mower persistently finishes the job by scattering the caltrops all over the paths. Once the mowing is finished, run the mower on the path to blow the thorns off the path again. Not hard.

Caltrop is becoming increasingly invasive, but I would rather it lie undisturbed across half the pathway where I can see it than have it mown and the hard-to-see caltrops left scattered all over the path. Another good intention paving the way to Hell.

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Hells_Bells747:11 pm 13 Apr 10

That’s good to hear mr_spoon.

I had a problem this time last year with masses of smashed glass on the way to my son’s school in Evatt all over the paths. Happy to report that (touch wood) this first term has been almost completely glass free and we have happily rode lots when he isn’t taking the school bus. Thanks to whoever got onto that.

Someone has swept the bikepath along William Slim – thankyou! (Even if it’s just you, Hughie…)

Nice work……….

LMR said :

Oh come on guys, I love cyclists, especially when I see them fixing a puncture on the side of the road, it makes me lol.

Oh come on guys, I love cyclists, especially when I see them fixing a puncture on the side of the road, it makes me lol.

Happy user of Specialized Armadillos here, but only on the commuter – too stiff and heavy for MTB, though you can get knobbly versions. Particularly useful given it’s now school holidays and small minds are amused by the sound of breaking glass.

Most of the MTB crowd have gone tubeless which is very effective against catheads. A mate of mine pulled 11 out of one tire a few weeks back and they all sealed practically instantly.

Cycle Surgery in Florey have Stan’s sealant (big bottle) for $33! Less then half what some other shops are charging.

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.

We came home from Canberra Show with three wheelchair punctures, thanks to three-cornered jacks in the CRAPPY WEED-INFESTED GRAVEL CARPARK that disabled patrons were “treated” to by the RCAS. Grrrr! No they don’t sell thorn-proof tubes in 12″ or smaller but we are thinking about some slime, since the motors will take care of increased rotational inertia.

I have had a shocking run of punctures of late on my commuter (mostly miscellaneous thorns, plus a three-cornered jack in the gravel part of the Sculpture Garden over Easter) so will keep the above recommendations in mind.

PS. Continental Ultra Gator Skins are currently a tad over $30 at Chain Reaction Cycles

Danman said :

Vg. Will have to try them when I replace the gators. Fact is these are the first Kevlar lined tires I have used and are poles apart from what I used to have. That’s not to say that there are better options available. But no flats in 1200km compared to before indodcates I mad the right choice for me as you did for yourself no doubt.

Fair call. It was a quantum leap in cycling comfort (i.e. not having the change flats constantly) when I went to the Contis for the first time, but my last set were terribly disappointing and the Maxxis ones were available for a tremendous deal online. They are well reputed in the MTB community as well, and my dual shocker wears them on that basis

Vg. Will have to try them when I replace the gators. Fact is these are the first Kevlar lined tires I have used and are poles apart from what I used to have. That’s not to say that there are better options available. But no flats in 1200km compared to before indodcates I mad the right choice for me as you did for yourself no doubt.

Lifes tough!

Woody Mann-Caruso10:19 pm 10 Apr 10

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

Have you thought about asking for a refund on whatever portion of your taxes goes toward primary education? You don’t seem to have got a lot out of it, so it doesn’t seem fair that you should keep forking out for others.

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.

thy_dungeonman5:55 pm 10 Apr 10

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.

Tetranitrate3:21 am 10 Apr 10

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?

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