Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Maggie season is upon us....
thought i would share 2 hotspots...

there is quite an aggressive magpie on seaview rd at Henley Beach South.... which is obviously a very popular cyclist route out along the coast...
the particular magpie resides 100 to 200m north of the bridge over the torrens... in the big pines.... mainly gets north bound cyclists but got me coming back as well today...

nailed me a few days ago as well... both occasions wacking me in the left ear several times, producing a bit of the red stufff grrrrr

also got hit riding up cement hill this arvo, abou 2/3 or the way up... altho this magpie isnt quite as aggressive.....

The Henley beach maggie got me today and last Sunday fortunately helmet only. It likes to get 3 swoops in, the bugger. Hasn't got me when riding in a small group.

Will be riding with some wires on my helmet next time.

Was on the veloway on Sunday and waiting for the attack of the nasty bugger there, but no sight of him. Was in the afternoon, so maybe was a bit tired ....

The one that sits on the wires cliimbing into Lenswood is back. He attacked me last year when I didn't have cable ties on. I had them on this time and he still attacked but pulled out right at the last second before actually hitting my helmet. More cable ties are needed.

I got hit 4 times by a maggie at the top of Crows Nest Rd on Saturday.

Grumpy sod on the 90 degree corner in Chandler's Hill Road - the one where it turns to go along the side of the resevoir (or along the front if you're going the other way).

The Expressway / Major's road one has been reported but I haven't seen him yet.

Richard

Top of Old Belair Road.

Just take em like a man, turn around and swipe back. Harmless, yet annoying little things they are.

Nasty one hanging around near Lefevre Tce/Kingston Tce in North Adelaide. This one doesn't swoop, you usually find it too late, flying alongside your head, ear-height waiting to peck at you.

Wear eye protection or risk losing an eye. A visor on the helmet is good defence too. At this time of year some people use a few long cable ties on the helmet to deter the swoopers but I don't think that this'll work on this sort of persistent side-on attacker.

Dr_Mutley wrote: there is quite an aggressive magpie on seaview rd at Henley Beach South.... which is obviously a very popular cyclist route out along the coast...
the particular magpie resides 100 to 200m north of the bridge over the torrens... in the big pines.... mainly gets north bound cyclists but got me coming back as well today...

this sneaky b*stard swooped me FIVE TIMES yesterday, chased me half way up to the stop sign!

i recommend a detour along the foreshore up to henley square if anyone is planning to ride along there anytime soon

There are 4 of them on Sheoak Rd, at the back of Belair National Park. Two of them made contact with my helmet while I was doing about 35km/hr.

Coming down or going up Sheoak?

University Blvd, UniSA, Mawson Lakes is just a swooping gallery. One is in the big tree at the Building A roundabout, one is in the ML15 carpark up in the trees next to Mawson Lakes Blvd, and there's one bugger all the way down near Building H who gets a clear run between the buildings to whack you out of nowhere as you cross between Buildings A and E.

The alternative route is along Town Walk, where the birds can't get a decent run-up because of the Building F skywalk.

willunga hill had a few the GF reports!!!! lucky giro helmets save the day!

First time for me today, *astard followed me for about 200 meters attacked 3x times, do the zip ties work?

Damn Magpies nesting at my favourite cycling route near the lake at Indooropilly. 3 times i went, 3 times i got attacked. Time for a new route.

Yongkun wrote:Damn Magpies nesting at my favourite cycling route near the lake at Indooropilly. 3 times i went, 3 times i got attacked. Time for a new route.

Interesting, but not really relevant to SA residents

Mustang wrote:First time for me today, *astard followed me for about 200 meters attacked 3x times, do the zip ties work?

nope, they do work at making you look stupid though!

Henley Beach road is a nightmare.

Kooyonga Golf course- heading to beach. 4 swoops.
The s-bend a km back from the beach. Little sod crosses the road to have a go at you from both sides. And chortles.

I seriously hate the little buggers. (they scare the crap out of me wiht their sudden attacks) Seems to be worse every year.

Is there a good deterrent. Are cable ties better than nothing? or should I just ride with a mate and surreptitiously rub raw mince onto his helmet?

seaview rd magpie was having the day off today.

thankfully as he has gotten me twice before

I had problems last year with one on Churchill Rd North, Dry Creek and another on Yorke Tce, Salisbury.

A pair of large, boggly eyes from Spotlight stuck to the helmet seemed to deter them but it was tricky finding the right position as one bird always attacked from above and the other always came in low from behind.

I'm tempted to try feeding them this year if they start swooping again.

Patdys wrote:Coming down or going up Sheoak?

Even with an angry maggie on my tail, 35km/hr up Sheoak Rd is beyond me.

I came across a very persistent one today on Main Rd Coromandel Valley, just north of Ackland Hill Rd. The teddy bear eyes on the back of my helmet seem to make no difference this season.

I've been attacked by the one on Henley Beach Rd at Kooyonga golf course and the one up Cement Hill.

I find the best deterent is to stick your hand up on top of your helmet with fingers pointing up while riding through their "territory". Makes you look a bit silly, but rather that then end up getting an eye taken out!

Bugger at the south end of Brighton station and a lazy one at the end of Cove Road, Marino.

Mallacai wrote:seaview rd magpie was having the day off today.

thankfully as he has gotten me twice before

This guy was out this morning either. Hope he's gone for good.

Didn't find one up Norton Summit & to Mt Lofty via Woods Hill yesterday, so is that a good sign ?

Or was it I was just riding too fast. Went up Ntn Summit 3 & a bit minutes quicker than I had been before, but still got passed by an older guy on an Orbea in a Euskatel jersey who wasn't even puffing