Yarra Boulevard - tacks - 6.3.14

[jules21]

I once punctured on the ride home in Northcote from a tack. I was riding the Boulevard but it took a few km's for it to work its way through the carcass (Continental GP 4 seasons with two vectran layers).

I've done the same. in one case - on MTB tyres - the tack actually sealed the tube and when I spotted it and pulled it out, the tyre went flat. this was miles away from the Boullie.

[Derny Driver]

Give me a lazy hundred grand and Ill come down and have the offender 'nailed' in a week.
You only need half a brain and a plan. Its not that hard.
Save the authorities a motza...

[takeitasread]

Lot's of riders going down. At least two yesterday morning on the protest ride.

Seriously, what is the point of these protest rides? So we can gather all this person's intended targets together at the one time to make it easier for him/her? Yeah, that will work well.

As I live a couple of kms away I'm as frustrated as anyone but I couldn't be bothered fixing flats and wondering if today I'm in for an accident. It's just not worth it.

[misterhorsey]

I did a lap of the boulie with a friend until he was tacked, so once we replaced his tube we decided to ride to Mordialloc instead via Beach Rd.

Once we got home (back to Northcote), I discovered a tack in my tyre, stuck in there sealing the wound. I think I rode about 70kms with the tack in the tyre.

Jeez, maybe we need to switch to these. Anyone have any experience of them?

http://www.this link is broken.au/tannus-tyres-a ... road-tyre/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Reviews seem poor.

[warthog1]

Odds are the mentally deranged individual(s) are reading this thread from time to time.
Plenty of positive affirmation that his obsession is having the desired effect.

[zill]

Give me a lazy hundred grand and Ill come down and have the offender 'nailed' in a week.
You only need half a brain and a plan. Its not that hard.
Save the authorities a motza...

How do you plan to get him?

Your comment got me thinking. Since he loves to tack prior to mass protest rides and the fact that the roads is always swept before the scheduled ride, before the next protest ride, have an hour gap between the road sweep and protest ride. Have people all along the boulie hiding in places to observe any suspicious activity on the road.

Another method would be to have tiny magnetic sensors (that are not hazardous to cyclists) installed in the bike lanes at regular intervals with security cameras at the same locations hidden in the bushes such that it is activated whenever the sensors record tack material (either iron or steel etc). I'm not sure if such technology exists but doesn't really sound very high tech. Obviously suspicious behavior would be if the cameras are activated all the way along the boulie within a short period of time.

[biker jk]

I still don't understand why people aren't riding on the road and avoiding the tacks in the bicycle lane.

[lard]

I still don't understand why people aren't riding on the road and avoiding the tacks in the bicycle lane.

I rode the boulie weekend before last for the first time in ages. I rode the entire length in the car lane. No Tacks!

[misterhorsey]

I still don't understand why people aren't riding on the road and avoiding the tacks in the bicycle lane.

Yes agreed, although important to note that the area of the road to the left of the white line isn't a bicycle lane, its the road shoulder - as has been pointed out previously in the thread.

Why is this an issue? Sometimes motorists approaching from behind see you riding on the road and beep their horn/act aggressive/entitled.

Its based on the assumption that the road shoulder is a bike lane. Whereas we all know on this thread that bikes are permitted to be on the actual road.

Of course, pre-tack times I didn't mind riding on the shoulder occasionally as a courtesy to passing cars. But now the shoulder is strewn with detrius I avoid it.

I've been riding the boulie on and off for the past year with no problems!

[slidetaker]

Ask the responsible authority to put up signs or variable message board (VMS) saying

TACKS ON ROAD SHOULDER
CYCLISTS USE ROAD

It will educate the motorists of the situation and help them to understand the reason why cyclists are using the road instead.

[biker jk]

Ask the responsible authority to put up signs or variable message board (VMS) saying

TACKS ON ROAD SHOULDER
CYCLISTS USE ROAD

It will educate the motorists of the situation and help them to understand the reason why cyclists are using the road instead.

That's an excellent idea. It would also see motorists putting pressure on the moron to stop dropping tacks.

[Gunlock]

Ask the responsible authority to put up signs or variable message board (VMS) saying

TACKS ON ROAD SHOULDER
CYCLISTS USE ROAD

It will educate the motorists of the situation and help them to understand the reason why cyclists are using the road instead.

There is a VMW at either end but it says something like "Tacks on Road", "Drivers and Cyclists Take Care" or something similar. No mention of cyclists using the road.

[kb]

Ask the responsible authority to put up signs or variable message board (VMS) saying

TACKS ON ROAD SHOULDER
CYCLISTS USE ROAD

It will educate the motorists of the situation and help them to understand the reason why cyclists are using the road instead.

That's an excellent idea. It would also see motorists putting pressure on the moron to stop dropping tacks.

I'd prefer just "Cyclists on road". My preference has always been to use the lane on the Boulevard and I wouldn't want to encourage the idea that it's a special dispensation.

[zill]

Just got an idea with regards to tracking down the tacker. Instead of staging 24 hour rides. We should have volunteers "on duty" (maybe retirees or people who are naturally awake at odd hours) at night and very early parts of the morning (since that is the only time the tacker would dare to throw tacks without getting caught) on "shiftwork" hiding at a spot with a street lamp and very closely monitor any suspicious looking vehicles moving by. Surely the suspect will be caught within a month if not a week!

[warthog1]

I expect the individual(s) dropping the tacks are likely monitoring cycling sites to receive their gratification to continue with said pursuit.
Sounds like a plan for you to enact surreptitiously yourself Zill, if you have the requisite self control to not murder the perpetrator on the spot should you catch them.

[zill]

I expect the individual(s) dropping the tacks are likely monitoring cycling sites to receive their gratification to continue with said pursuit.
Sounds like a plan for you to enact surreptitiously yourself Zill, if you have the requisite self control to not murder the perpetrator on the spot should you catch them.

Would be even better if we can get professional police officers on duty! Do it in the summer when the weather isn't too cold!

[Uncle Just]

"Who is the Boulie Tacker?" article in today's Age...
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/who-i ... lnnax.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Will_P]

And now National coverage: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-08/c ... ds/7072342" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[takai]

Commuted via the Boullie before Christmas and double puncture while riding on the left hand wear track on the road. So riding on the road section rather than the shoulder does little for tacks.

[kb]

Commuted via the Boullie before Christmas and double puncture while riding on the left hand wear track on the road. So riding on the road section rather than the shoulder does little for tacks.

I wouldn't say does little. Reduced odds is not the same as no odds. That said, no punctures for me in over 300 visits, or George M who does a daily patrol. Perhaps there weren't enough cars near Christmas to clean up the road for you.

[Calvin27]

Pity the forum is not fully functioning - personally I haven't been on for days. But this is some progress

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/polic ... pjtsu.html

Question: why did it take 6 months to release this footage?!?!?!

[Uncle Just]

Police priorities for enhancing the footage dictate the time lag. CyclingTips have an article today addressing that and other issues. Tv crews were on the bvd today presumably as a follow up to this footage being released.

[warthog1]

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/06/victoria ... ppens-now/

[chriso_29er]

The more i look at that video footage the more I think it was just some opportunistic idiot pinching two $40 pumps.
If he just wanted to vandalise them you would have just ripped the hose out then nicked off into the darkness. Not stuff around for minutes being open to capture.

[jules21]

The more i look at that video footage the more I think it was just some opportunistic idiot pinching two $40 pumps.
If he just wanted to vandalise them you would have just ripped the hose out then nicked off into the darkness. Not stuff around for minutes being open to capture.

why would someone who, or whose parents can afford a Golf GTi need to steal 2 cheap pumps when he doesn't ride? and get up before 5am? I don't think it was opportunistic.