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Drawing pins found at Redhill CC race 2015 cropped (picture courtesy Adrian Webb)Fifty punctures in Buckinghamshire charity cycling event after saboteur scatters drawing pins in the road
Around 50 riders taking part in the Marlow Red Kite charity bike ride suffered punctures this weekend after the event was targeted by a saboteur. The Bucks Herald reports that drawing pins were found spread across the road near the villages of Oakley and Brill.
Media officer for the ride, Jamie Baker said:
“I was based at the first feeding station in Brill and I became aware that a lot of cyclists were stopping because of punctures. The lads were not happy having to change wheels and we got a broom to sweep up a pile that we found near to the village.
“There were about 50 punctures, although we cleared up the pins before the rest of the field came through. Some people did ride with pins in their tyres. It is the fourth year we have held the race but the first time we have had anything like this.”
Event director Steve Tolmie described the incident as ‘incredibly disappointing’ and added that it could have been a lot worse if a puncture had caused someone to crash. “We reported this to Thames Valley Police immediately and they take incidents like this very seriously.”
The drawing pins were found on the B4011 near Oakley and anyone with information has been asked to pass it on to police.
Sadly, bike events and cycle routes are regularly targeted in this manner. In June, a large volume of drawing pins was found on a towpath alongside the River Cam, while last year a number of riders suffered punctures in the Valleys Velo sportive in South Wales following a similar attack. One rider who punctured at 80km/h in that event told road.cc that he believed the person responsible had put them on a fast descent aiming to inflict serious injury.
Baker said he too had experienced similar attempts prior to the Marlow Red Kite Ride being affected.
“When I was taking part in a ride in Scotland lots of carpet tacks were put on the road going up a climb. There were hundreds of punctures and people had to carry their bikes.
“It turned out that it was the chairman of the local parish council who did it and he was ostracised by the community for what he had done.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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27 comments
Enough of the bad language. people of all ages read this and for some reason roadcc can't auto filter out any gutter talk (something to consider please). Nearly everyone swears but i wouldn't do it in front of a child. Keep it clean-ish.
"Would you let your wife or your children read this comments section?"
I wonder if I was to take a ride in the area of Brill this weekend and a couple of open bag of 6 inch wood nail "happened" to fall out of my back pack and all over the road and me not notice. I wonder how the police and the locals would feel about that.
C-units, as Thelma puts it.
They don't like it up 'em. http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/13652543.Reward_offered_to_help_catch_th...
Lol, thats brilliant, however the suspects a white van man. Could our arch nemesis, also be our vigilante hero!
I'm disappointed that they don't allow comment that would have been comerdy gold.
This is a charity bike ride, where is the charity in putting down tacks.
Yep I often wonder how they got into the gene pool myself. These same f***wits probably do a few laps of the park in the months with no r on their budget mountain bikes from Sports Direct with semi inflated fat tyres thinking that if they can do this, those on road bikes will also be able to cope a blowout at 30+mph. It's totally beyond my ken.
My colleague who came off his bike at speed a few weeks back in Surrey as a result of tacks being spread on the road has a fractured collarbone. He'll be off the bike a few more weeks at least.
I am not sure any criminal legislation properly catches these actions offence wise. Perhaps its time for a new offence.
Wouldn't get a murder charge thats for sure.
As it's to do with the road all dangerous acts are treated as whoopsies, minor errors and unavoidable accidents.
When you factor in that 'it's only cyclists' barely worth the time for anyone to take any interest.
If the motorway was similarly targeted each and every time a cyclist was seriously injured or killed to force political interest and radical overhaul of road laws and sentencing you'd see those in authority taking an interest.
Sucks but am I wrong?
I have to wonder what exactly went through the mind of the coward who scattered the tacks. Have they really got nothing better to do than attempt to inflict broken bones and head injuries on a bunch of people they've never met?
It's only becoming more common, too. Only a matter of time before some numpty is up on a murder charge for doing it.
I would go as far as suggesting their only thought was that of inconveniencing the riders. Causing injury was probably not even in their thinking. Many of those who act in this way are totally unaware of the possibilities of crashing in an instance like this. As for the murder charge. Well as others point out. You have to prove intent to kill somebody before a murder charge is used. Involuntary manslaughter is probably the highest charge. I'm happy to be corrected on this though. The police cold of course hand out a charge of obstructing the highway. It will mean a criminal record if successful and the individuals chances of employment in the future scuppered.
Really? You attempt to puncture the tyres of someone who might be riding at 30+ mph, with essentially no protective kit, and can still be completely oblivious to the possibility of causing serious injury? I do wonder how anyone this brainless can actually manage to buy the tacks.
Much as I agree with the sentiment but do we have to have such language in full view on a public website?
I'm not normally offended by such things but part of this website's reason is to encourage people onto bikes and see the world from our perspective and it doesn't put us across as very encouraging or welcoming.
This article is about someone spreading tacks onto the road which could have seriously injured a cyclist, and you think the language used by someone to describe the people responsible is the thing that's going to discourage people from cycling?
No, I questioned the necessity of such language and attempted to point out we are no better than the people spreading tacks on the roads by using such language but perhaps did it in a polite and roundabout manner my point was missed.
I'll shout insults at everyone in future.
That's the spirit! welcome to the site!
Wait, what?
You think the girl that licked the frosting off your cupcake in grade school is a worse person than Stalin, don't you? You might want to consider turning your moral contrast dial down from eleven.
And pretty please, with sugar on top, I encourage you to "shout" insults at whomever and whatever you want, just as long as you don't go out and there do things that actually put people's lives and livelihoods in proximate serious danger.
I find it ironic we both agree the actions of these people is dangerous and abhorrent and we are still having an argument about it.
I refer to my original point that I don't believe such language is necessary or appropriate amongst adults (I presume we all are) and that such responses can be handled in a more respectful manner to other users of a website.
I'm off now as I can't be bothered to waste any more time reading some of the comments that regularly get put on this website in response to serious and significant issues we all face.
He'll be back
So you think one person insulting someone with words is the same as that other person endangering a large group of people's safety (possibly lives if they're dong 80kmh as claimed)?
I'm tempted to tell you to fuck off for the amusement value, but you probably wouldn't see the funny side
Seriously, maybe you should engage your brain before you spout such nonsense
Cunts everywhere.
That'd make a great t-shirt, can we get this printed up?
Considering they were drawing pins surely it should be,
Pricks everywhere!
Like the 'Stay Awesome' stickers, but have ' Cyclists, stay vigilant. Cnuts Everywhere'.
Say what you really feel
Thelma you must be a mansun fan...??