Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Three creatures today.

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2 direct hits from the red baron this morning.

2 pathetic swoops from a newbie bird on the bike path northbound just before the southernmost Beasley street. ie travel north past the Mt Taylor horse paddocks, get to the top of the hill and down near the first set of traffic lights at Torrens. He's just south of the corner. (not the Beasley Street near Melrose High).

cp123 wrote:a mate of mine has foam balls on his helmet - you know the type - you can buy them in craft shops or lincraft or similar. he has them poked onto cable ties that are wound round the vents on his lid. They flop back and forth above his lid like the antennas on my favourite martian. he reckons they work fantastically and they swing around in the breeze.

Friends don't let friends go out in public looking like that...

cp123 wrote: I'm happy to take on the birds than to look like a total goob.

Indeed

Got swooped by the Mt Ainslie maggie yesterday morning. He did a high speed fly-by from my left and then came back and gave me a friendly tap on the helmet. This was going up the hill on the first lap, he wasn't around for the downhill bit or for my second rep up the hill. There were a couple of other cyclists around so maybe he wore himself out swooping them.

I declared war on the one near home today. Usually he just swoops but today he escalated to full contact. So I turned around and chased him with a stick just missing him with my final throw.

As I rode off he didn't swoop me again. I think he may have been in shock

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Red Baron got me good just now. First hit was straight on my cheek, the next four working their way across to the other side - no I didn't turn my cheek, he's just a real nasty bugger. Drew blood, but only little specks - not enough to photograph and claim five points for.

maybe i'm up and out before RB is awake in the morning and going home after he's gone to bed.


gosh he's a strong willed one. hope you're okay. do you have a hockey mask ala Jason from Friday the 13th...?

I usually seem to avoid him too. I have noticed he's not an early riser and goes to bed early. Had to leave work early this arvo and occasionally sleep in a bit. I'm fine, but a little fed up. I don't mind the occasional swoop and helmet swipe, but when they're grabbing my collar and hitting skin, they cross a line...

Found a new one this morning on Balmain Cres ANU. Contacted my helmet 3 times and chased me around the corner into Liversidge St.

Hi,

After being attacked last week - I'm interested in mapping the magpie attacks this year to help us cyclists avoid nuisance birds!

I've created a basic website to help track these and would really appreciate if you could please check out the website and record the details of your attacks and share any safety tips ?

http://www.magpiealert.com/

I opened the site this week and have had some good reports of swoopings, it would be great if you could visit and mark your attacks on the Google map:

http://www.magpiealert.com/RecordMagpie ... tralia.php


Many thanks in advance

Jon

I have been swooped by four so far...

The first was on Cotter Road on the punch before the roundabout heading towards Stromlo. This one is aggressive... It will swoop consistently for ~100m and hit me on the ear below the helmet and on another occasion caused me to crash (more my own fault for not being prepared). Beware!

The second was on the corner of State Circle and Brisbane Avenue. Not so bad, didn't make contact and when I had my eye on it while stopped at a traffic light was happy to sit and watch me. Mind you, as soon as I took my eye off it and started to pedal it was back at me.

The third was on Clunies Ross Street. This one was about between the Black Mountain intersection and the roundabout at the CSIRO. It was persistent and made contact with my helmet and body. It followed for less than 100m but was a pain, especially with impatient drivers! I was heading towards Barry Drive when I was swooped, but have ridden in the opposite direction 5 or so time without being swooped.

The fourth was near Grevilia Park on the bike path around the lake. No contact was made. He came out of nowhere though!

twizzle wrote:Birds actually hitting you is uncommon.

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I disagree, I've been swooped by 4 magpies in the past 3 weeks, 3 of which have made contact.

Perhaps they are particularly aggressive where I ride...

I'd been wing slapped a couple of times previous years but this year is the first time I've been shoved in the back. It's very disconcerting. Took me a few seconds to work out what happened.

I took a hit in the back of the helmet just now here (Tuggeranong Lake).

Although I did three laps of the lake and I only got a hit the first lap, he was nowhere to be seen the other two times around.

I just put my head down now and get out of there as quick as I can.

JWillows wrote:

twizzle wrote:Birds actually hitting you is uncommon.

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I disagree, I've been swooped by 4 magpies in the past 3 weeks, 3 of which have made contact.

Perhaps they are particularly aggressive where I ride...

I must be unlucky or something too because I've been swooped plenty of times and they make contact more often than not.

Same I find there are nore contacts than not

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So as magpie swooping season draws to an end (although some are still swooping) it's time to take stock and analyse the statistics of the magpie attacks that you have shared at http://www.MagpieAlert.com.

http://www.magpiealert.com/magpieAttackStatistics.php

I'd like to thank you all for taking part and wish you a safe remainder of the Spring!

JC
Ps; I got swooped this morning by a minor bird

I've been hit quite a few times. Seems like a bad season, didn't get swooped once last spring. Unfortunately a few swoops were at the top of short, steep climbs so sprinting wasn't too effective. Maybe they've worked out they can toy with cyclists best when lactic acid + heart rate is high.

I have had a few days now bird free. Is it over?

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skull wrote:I have had a few days now bird free. Is it over?

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I wish my friend near Greenway is still angry

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skull wrote:I have had a few days now bird free. Is it over?

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not here its not, the one based behind the best western motel at the beginning of the warragul drouin bike trail was pretty aggressive yesterday still.

This is news I do not want to hear

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Its been over for me for a month+ now. Last Swoop was mid Sep

I was swooped late last week on Athllon Drive near the lights at Learmonth. I'm still cycling my altered lunch time route avoiding the hot spots.

I got a couple of half hearted swoops early last week, but nothing since then along my Athllon Dve to Civic via Adelaide Ave commute. A lot of maggies around now have fully fledged young'uns.

I'm still getting swooped around Gungahlin, interesting thing is I am now getting swooped by 2 birds at once sometimes. Must be the dad teaching the kids bad habits. I'm getting hit mostly on Horse Park Drive.