Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

biker jk wrote:

SuperSix wrote:I'm sick of these tacks all over our roads. They don't even pay rego.

Perhaps they pay road tacks?

Oh!!!!!!

Folks, just been made aware of post a couple of days ago on this forum referencing a sighting of persons dropping tacks and the obtaining of a rego. We at Boroondara Police Station would be very keen to speak to this witness and obtaining details which we will follow up. This is the only lead we are aware of at this stage and so this information would assist us greatly! No promises but we are doing our best to put a stop to this senseless damage. I can be contacted at the Boroondara Police Station on 8851 1111. Regards, Senior Sergeant Mark Standish

This problem is annoying the motorbike fraternity as well, I occasionally took the blvd on the way to work, have been avoiding it since reading about this.

That said, like all the other motorbike guys, my opinion is, people avoiding this road is what these clowns want so give it a month or two and I'll be back on both the motor and push bike...

flex5150 wrote:Rode Boule' today. Nil flats.... spoke to a cyclist who said he saw a silver early 2000's Astra hatch a couple of weeks back, around lunch time mid week. Female driver, male passenger dropping handfuls of tacks from the car. He approached them and they got out of there real quick. Rego obtained. Wont publish here yet as Im making enquiries.

Keep an eye out.

what sort of a numpty sees this and doesn't report it?!

Unfortunately a club member got tack'd yesterday around the bouly, just past the turn off to the teardrop.

2 others had flats in the same area, so it looks like a fresh batch may have been dumped.


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I got a tack coming back towards Chandler Hwy right after the hairpin turn. I won't be returning to the boulevard for several weeks.

jules21 wrote:

flex5150 wrote:Rode Boule' today. Nil flats.... spoke to a cyclist who said he saw a silver early 2000's Astra hatch a couple of weeks back, around lunch time mid week. Female driver, male passenger dropping handfuls of tacks from the car. He approached them and they got out of there real quick. Rego obtained. Wont publish here yet as Im making enquiries.

Keep an eye out.

what sort of a numpty sees this and doesn't report it?!

Allegedly he did?
Having said that I gave him my details as well and asked him to report back to me with the rego, Im yet to hear which makes me think it might be a load of crap but Ill be watching out for it any silevr Astras on the Boule just the same.

flex5150 wrote:Allegedly he did?
Having said that I gave him my details as well and asked him to report back to me with the rego, Im yet to hear which makes me think it might be a load of crap but Ill be watching out for it any silevr Astras on the Boule just the same.

i can't say if he did or didn't, but sometimes people make the selfish decision not to 'get involved' - i.e. putting their own convenience ahead of the carnage wreaked by cretins like this bloke.

Hey I was wondering about the possibility of us organising a working bee. Ie: ask all the local bike clubs and bike forum users to head to the Boulie one Sat/Sun pm armed with brooms, magnets, dust busters or whatever and see if we can't get rid of the majority of the tacks.
From memory the Boulie is 6.5km each way but with enough bods it shouldn't be too big a task. There'd be stretches of no tacks that'd speed things up a bit...
If we could get our hands on industrial magnetic sweepers that'd help lots too.
Whaddya'll reckon?
Too ambitious?? Am I dreamin'??

There's already a superhero on the job
https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/forum ... ad#p654286" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

simonsausage wrote:Hey I was wondering about the possibility of us organising a working bee. Ie: ask all the local bike clubs and bike forum users to head to the Boulie one Sat/Sun pm armed with brooms, magnets, dust busters or whatever and see if we can't get rid of the majority of the tacks.
From memory the Boulie is 6.5km each way but with enough bods it shouldn't be too big a task. There'd be stretches of no tacks that'd speed things up a bit...
If we could get our hands on industrial magnetic sweepers that'd help lots too.
Whaddya'll reckon?
Too ambitious?? Am I dreamin'??

It's no use. Firstly it's not just one batch of tacks hanging around. It's many many boxes of them dropped at semi regular intervals. You can pick up every tack, rock and piece of glass today and they may very well be back tomorrow, or the next day........

Secondly, VicRoads and the council are already cleaning up the tacks with magnetic rollers when they are made aware of another attack.
Boullie seemed pretty clear today. I did see one lady fixing a rear flat but have no idea if it was tack related.

Just wanted to offer some advice to all who ride the boulevard, if you stay off the shoulder completely, ride on the left of the lane about a foot from the line you will not get any tacks. Been doing this for months after picking up several tacks and having a tyre shredded by some metal shards and I have not had any issues since, any tacks that make it into the lane tend to get picked up by cars.
I don't know why this advice is not on that dumb little sign the police have put out to make it appear as if they are doing something, I'm thinking of perhaps installing my own sign as I still see people riding on the shoulder and getting flats.
Anyway, you don't have to avoid the boulevard, just avoid the shoulder, don't let them win!

Velo_bandit wrote:Just wanted to offer some advice to all who ride the boulevard, if you stay off the shoulder completely, ride on the left of the lane about a foot from the line you will not get any tacks. Been doing this for months after picking up several tacks and having a tyre shredded by some metal shards and I have not had any issues since, any tacks that make it into the lane tend to get picked up by cars.
I don't know why this advice is not on that dumb little sign the police have put out to make it appear as if they are doing something, I'm thinking of perhaps installing my own sign as I still see people riding on the shoulder and getting flats.
Anyway, you don't have to avoid the boulevard, just avoid the shoulder, don't let them win!

^^ this, same experience here.

Velo_bandit wrote:Just wanted to offer some advice to all who ride the boulevard, if you stay off the shoulder completely, ride on the left of the lane about a foot from the line you will not get any tacks. Been doing this for months after picking up several tacks and having a tyre shredded by some metal shards and I have not had any issues since, any tacks that make it into the lane tend to get picked up by cars.
I don't know why this advice is not on that dumb little sign the police have put out to make it appear as if they are doing something, I'm thinking of perhaps installing my own sign as I still see people riding on the shoulder and getting flats.
Anyway, you don't have to avoid the boulevard, just avoid the shoulder, don't let them win!

What is the shoulder?

zill wrote:What is the shoulder?

the bit to the left of the white line, where bikes often ride and cars are parked.

jules21 wrote:

zill wrote:What is the shoulder?

the bit to the left of the white line, where bikes often ride and cars are parked.

But to be more precise,

Is it better to ride:

a) Inside the bike lane and as close to the footpath as possible
b) Inside the bike lane and in the middle of it
c) Inside the bike lane and as close to the cars as possible
d) On the white line that separates the bike lane and the road
e) On the road and to the right of the white line

e.

there is no bike lane btw, not officially.

jules21 wrote:e.

there is no bike lane btw, not officially.

What is the official meaning for that white line (that is meant to separate the cyclists and the cars) then ?

So ride on the right of that line but why in an earlier post you mentioned left that of line?

If riding on the right of that line, wouldn't it be dangerous as the cars use that space as well?

zill wrote: What is the official meaning for that white line (that is meant to separate the cyclists and the cars) then ?

the road rules impose requirements about crossing solid white lines. the line provides 'protection' against other vehicles crossing into your path, from over the line. this is exactly the same as a bike lane, except that a bike lane compels cyclists to use it (as far as practicable). so this is actually better for us (counter-intuitive, huh?)

zill wrote:So ride on the right of that line but why in an earlier post you mentioned left that of line?

on the right. don't remember saying on the left.

zill wrote:If riding on the right of that line, wouldn't it be dangerous as the cars use that space as well?

i tend to swing back in when cars pass. but i don't think it's dangerous, it's just a lane, like any other that motorists have to move around you on.

zill wrote:

jules21 wrote:e.

there is no bike lane btw, not officially.

What is the official meaning for that white line (that is meant to separate the cyclists and the cars) then ?

It's simply there as lane delineation ie. definitely not a bike lane.


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jules21 wrote:

zill wrote:What is the shoulder?

the bit to the left of the white line, where bikes often ride and cars are parked.

Why left?

Velo_bandit wrote:Just wanted to offer some advice to all who ride the boulevard, if you stay off the shoulder completely, ride on the left of the lane about a foot from the line you will not get any tacks.

Why left?

zill wrote:

Velo_bandit wrote:Just wanted to offer some advice to all who ride the boulevard, if you stay off the shoulder completely, ride on the left of the lane about a foot from the line you will not get any tacks.

Why left?

he means in the left of the 'car' lane, not to the left of the white line

jules21 wrote:

zill wrote:What is the shoulder?

the bit to the left of the white line, where bikes often ride and cars are parked.

Why did you mention left in your post here?

OK, road design class...

Take one strip of blacktop...
Along the centre, paint a line. The centre line.
Between the centre line and the edge of the blacktop on each side paint another line about a car and a bit away from the centre line. These are the edge or fog lines.
The area between the edge and centre lines, either side is the lane.
The area between the edge line and the edge of the blacktop is the shoulder.

If you want a bike lane, you have to paint more lines, and put up some signs...