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Tacks strewn in road for cyclists in idyllic Shropshire village

Local complains about cyclists riding two abreast

We’ve often reported on saboteurs spreading tacks for races and sportives, but the Birmingham Mail reports that someone has taken similar action in the leafy Shropshire village of Badger, which sees a steady stream of cyclists passing through on most weekends.

The village authority’s newsletter, the Badger Bulletin, states: “On two occasions recently before weekends, drawing pins have been scattered across the lane in the village.

“They are presumably aimed at cyclists who come through the village, often in groups and sometimes (but certainly not always) far too fast.

“However, this is disgraceful, not to mention criminal, behaviour.

“Apart from cyclists, locals have found many pins in their tyres which, if the heads break off, could be hidden until they cause a puncture at speed. Let’s hope it’s not anybody from the village who is behaving in such a mindless way.”

The newspaper spoke to one anonymous angry resident, who said they were involved in an argument with a cyclist last weekend.

“They won’t move over and go one abreast,” they said. “Sunday was awful. One was really abusive and shouted and swore. I told him his language was appalling and he replied ‘Not as appalling as your fucking driving’.”

Riding two abreast is of course perfectly legal and frequently advisable. Nick Jeggo, chairman of Newport Cycling Club, defended the practice and said that the spreading tacks was dangerous and irresponsible.

“There are irresponsible drivers, but I don’t blame all drivers. We set out a guide for group riding – what you do, and what you don’t do. Sometimes it’s safer not to ‘single out’. If you single out on a narrow country lane you are inviting motorists to attempt to overtake. You have to make the call.”

Jeggo added: “Cycle tyres are expensive, they can be £30 each. If you’re down to the rim it can be dangerous. But, remember, it only takes one idiot to do something like this and suddenly it’s a big issue and people are blaming the whole village. It could easily be just one person or kids.”

Andrew Davies, head of Bridgnorth Cycling Club, said that none of the group’s members had reported damage from drawing pins.

“Cycling is like everything else, you have the good and bad,” he said. “Can they be sure they’re targeting cyclists? It is irresponsible because you have cars and horses as well. It could be one person or two people – you can’t blame a whole village.”

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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17 comments

Avatar
davz-cinelli | 5 years ago
1 like

This village should be put on every sportive route in the area, then they'll wish they had never been such a bunch of arrogant morons. My route on Sunday will now include badger!

Avatar
PRSboy | 5 years ago
2 likes

I would rather have 'speeding' cyclists going through my village any day than speeding drivers.

In fact, its an excellent initiative.  I've often thought a speed dependent 'Stinger' device would be a great way of speeding cars in our village.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
3 likes

it's a deliberate attempt to cause serious harm and intent to cause criminal damage, it's not just  a few punctures. If you come off/crash you can easily get seriously hurt especially if the puncture isn't immediately obvious. Police don't take this criminal act seriously enough ... but then that's par for the course for plod.

If people were to put tacks/pins/nails and string piano wire at the front door of a local councillor/MP/plod it would be seen as terrorism, this is precisely what this is, terrorism!

I hope the culprit has a fucking excrutiating heart attack!

Avatar
PRSboy replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
7 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

I hope the culprit has a fucking excrutiating heart attack!

And one where the ambulance is delayed by a puncture caused by the drawing pins.

Avatar
nniff | 5 years ago
2 likes

I livenear Box Hill.  A few summers ago we picked up a whole load of drawings pins on our tyres on a group ride.  On the way back home again later I saw them all spread across the road in the village and stopped to pick them up.  As a was pottering along picking them up, a biker in leathers asked me what I was doing. I explained, and he said 'I just dropped my bike there' and pointed to a fairly sorry-looking motorbike on the pavement.  He didn't have a puncture and the road was straight, but it seemed peculiar at least.  I told the police, who seemed fairly disinterested until I mentioned the motorbike. I told them that I did not know if there was a connection, but it was quite apparent that a motorbike in a 30mph area counts for more than cyclists.

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
9 likes

"But, remember, it only takes one idiot to do something like this and suddenly it’s a big issue and people are blaming the whole village. It could easily be just one person...."

Well, it's an English tradition that every village has one.

Avatar
climber | 5 years ago
0 likes

I’ve got a spare one which I’m sure has cost more than £100....

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John Smith | 5 years ago
1 like

Some tyres can be over £100. 

Avatar
Rik Mayals unde... | 5 years ago
3 likes

Jeggo added: “Cycle tyres are expensive, they can be £30 each.

Fairly cheap tyres may be 'as much as £30', but top quality tyres can be £50 plus. The Contis on my C60 were about £50 each, I seem to remember.

Avatar
Stef Marazzi | 5 years ago
8 likes

Probably haven't done the tyres of any of the cars or animals feet in the village any good. Morons.

Avatar
Simon E | 5 years ago
15 likes

Badger is not far from Wolverhampton in a rather exclusive area of picture-postcard villages with big houses and thatched roof cottages. The roads are narrow and winding. If the drivers there are like the ones in other posh parts of Shropshire, they will want to barrel along the lanes at speed and not be held up by pesky cyclists.

The cyclists are probably riding there because the bigger roads in that area are very busy and unpleasant to ride on.

The continued widespread ignorance about riding two abreast is not a surprise but it's tiresome and leads one to wonder how many rules of the roads the drivers don't know.

Avatar
Eton Rifle | 5 years ago
10 likes

Seriously, what is the matter with these morons? What would you rather have? A series of gammons in 4x4s thundering through the streets in their smelly, noisy, dangerous vehicles or a group of cyclists, at the human scale, silent, graceful and not endangering people's lives?

Avatar
brooksby replied to Eton Rifle | 5 years ago
7 likes

Eton Rifle wrote:

Seriously, what is the matter with these morons? What would you rather have? A series of gammons in 4x4s thundering through the streets in their smelly, noisy, dangerous vehicles or a group of cyclists, at the human scale, silent, graceful and not endangering people's lives?

I'm afraid they'd  rather have the Armoured Gammons, because they're The Right Sort Of People...  3

Avatar
lllnorrislll | 5 years ago
13 likes

From the original article -

The villager, who asked not to be named, said: “They won’t move over and go one abreast. Sunday was awful. One was really abusive and shouted and swore. I told him his language was appalling and he replied ‘Not as appalling as your ****ing driving’.

I shouldn't but -

Avatar
HoarseMann replied to lllnorrislll | 5 years ago
7 likes

lllnorrislll wrote:

From the original article - The villager, who asked not to be named, said: “They won’t move over and go one abreast. Sunday was awful. One was really abusive and shouted and swore. I told him his language was appalling and he replied ‘Not as appalling as your ****ing driving’. I shouldn't but -

The newspaper article states that it might just be one individual who is to blame. Sounds like the guy they interviewed is the likely prime suspect!

if it continues, perhaps a mass, sit-down, tube patching session might be popular in badger on a nice sunny Sunday...

Avatar
burtthebike replied to HoarseMann | 5 years ago
4 likes

HoarseMann wrote:

lllnorrislll wrote:

From the original article - The villager, who asked not to be named, said: “They won’t move over and go one abreast. Sunday was awful. One was really abusive and shouted and swore. I told him his language was appalling and he replied ‘Not as appalling as your ****ing driving’. I shouldn't but -

The newspaper article states that it might just be one individual who is to blame. Sounds like the guy they interviewed is the likely prime suspect!

if it continues, perhaps a mass, sit-down, tube patching session might be popular in badger on a nice sunny Sunday...

A la Extinction Rebellion.  I like it.

Avatar
ktache | 5 years ago
12 likes

How can the cyclists be going "far too fast", that looks like at least a 30mph limit (which as we know does not apply to a non motorised vehicle), and if they are going that fast why does anyone need to overtake them, two abreast or not?

The iodiocy of spreading tacks and not thinking that they would not affect locals motor vehicles too, oh and the awful driver quoted goes further and mentions road tax too.

 

 

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