Magpie Watch

[mtb159]

One near the Paradise Community Church, near the Lower North East Road Intersection. Copped it in the back of the head.. Twice

[BRLVR.v2]

One near the Paradise Community Church, near the Lower North East Road Intersection. Copped it in the back of the head.. Twice

Oh NO, not a friggin christian magpie, badgering you for your sins I hope?

[Eberbachl]

They're beginning to fire up around Arthurs Creek, Nutfield etc... One had a great go at me this afternoon!

[mtb159]

@BRLVR.v2 haha very true! Most likely

Also another one on the back way up Norton Summit (off of the first hairpin). Unsure of the exact road but its near the switchbacks.

[eddy montignac]

Three hits on the back of the helmet from one persistent blighter along Inman Valley Road yesterday. Then I remembered reading something about holding your fist above your helmet - tried it and the bird backed off.

I had to return along the same road to get home and as I entered his section the bird tried it on again. This time I saw his shadow first and my fist was up before he could get anywhere near my helmet. This time there was no contact at all and he gave up much sooner than before.

[Dr_Mutley]

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.....

Same place as last year and still as aggressive... Hit me 5 times on the way out to outer harbour, and 6 times on the way back, even though I sped up to 45kmh+ to try and avoid contact!... Is a dangerous magpie as traffic is quite thick there and the road quite narrow...

[MichaelB]

Sounds like a spot to avoid.

For some reason, can't quite pin down the location of the Seaview Rd one - Google maps ?

[Dr_Mutley]

Sounds like a spot to avoid.

For some reason, can't quite pin down the location of the Seaview Rd one - Google maps ?

It's the outer harbour run Michael, just as you go over the bridge over the torrens at Henley beach south..

Try this link I've got from google on my iPhone.. Hopefully it works

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=-34.9 ... stralia%29

[Richard.L]

Sounds like a spot to avoid.

For some reason, can't quite pin down the location of the Seaview Rd one - Google maps ?

It's the outer harbour run Michael, just as you go over the bridge over the torrens at Henley beach south..

Try this link I've got from google on my iPhone.. Hopefully it works

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=-34.9 ... stralia%29

Yep thats where i got hit last month....

[MichaelB]

Oh, the ones with the Pelican statues.

I have never been attacked down that way to date ..... maybe I'm just riding at the right time.

Only two places that I have benn had a go at is the one near the Tafe on the Veloway, and cnr Brighton Rd and Anzac hwy (towards Jetty Rd).

The one on the Veloway is a nasty bugger ....

[MichaelB]

Went up Norton Summit on Sunday morning. Saw two maggies and got some warnings from one guy coming down, but no swoops.

Either were tired or felt sorry for us ...

[Trev Campbell]

Same as Michael, Didn't get any on the way up to Norton Summit. But theres one at the roundabout on the corner of Nelson Rd & Montague Rd. He had 3 cracks at me on the way home !!!!

[paolo_ski]

I got swooped 5 times on henley beach rd today just before the golf course heading east. Magpie was flying above me for a good 300m, almost crashed from the shock of the first swoop!

does anybody know of any effective measures to take so that this doesn't happen again?

[MichaelB]

I got swooped 5 times on henley beach rd today just before the golf course heading east. Magpie was flying above me for a good 300m, almost crashed from the shock of the first swoop!

does anybody know of any effective measures to take so that this doesn't happen again?

The ONLY thing I KNOW that works, well two really ;

#1 : Ride in a different place
#2 : Ride at night.

They both work for me

Other than that, no idea.

[winstonw]

does anybody know of any effective measures to take so that this doesn't happen again?

Seriously, ime, the least inconvenient (when you know where the besterd attacks) is to raise one arm above your head and wave it around.
have also had success sticking my pump down the top of the back of my jersey, so it is protruding above my helmet.
Some say riding faster than 35kph works.
I am not inclined to use cable ties enough to know if they work.

rear helmet light during the day = fail.
sticking paper eyes on the back of helmet = fail.
phoning council to advise of road danger = fail.
throwing rocks at maggie = fail.

under development
touch spring loaded helmet net to catch maggie and translocate, or throw under passing B double truck.

[MichaelB]

....under development
touch spring loaded helmet net to catch maggie and translocate, or throw under passing B double truck.

Pics please and video of demonstration runs

[winstonw]

Pics please and video of demonstration runs

incubating.
in the mean time, imagine 3 mouse traps araldited to back of helmet, and set as fine as possible.

[rustychisel]

Pics please and video of demonstration runs

incubating.
in the mean time, imagine 3 mouse traps araldited to back of helmet, and set as fine as possible.

I can see the potential for that going spectacularly wrong.

Strap an echidna pelt to your helmet? 'Corse, you'll first need to catch and disembowel your echidna, which is somewhat illegal, but I think it might be a case of needs must. I can see the judge going along with that line of reasoning.

[winstonw]

Strap an echidna pelt to your helmet?

Actually, that'd make a good Xmas pressie to obsessive cyclists, from youngest daughter

echidnoshield!!! - an aero shaped quiver of quills snap fitted to rear of helmet, ready to pierce the testosterone fueled retinas of cyclist hating Maggies across Australia!

[paolo_ski]

thanks for the advice people. I will definitely try the hand waving one or maybe I'll just push onwards until I have outrun it.

The one which attacked me only left because I rode under a tree. I'm assuming it crashed into the tree, seeing as it had it's eyes clearly focused on my head

[winstonw]

BNE - Boondall
On the way to and from Sandgate this morning, there's a maggie attacking in the Boondall train station car park (the station that serves The Entertainment Centre, not North Boondall station). He didn't make contact with me or my two partners, so must be a new at the game. More precisely, he's attacking in line with the station shelter to about 50 metres south of it.

[Dr_Mutley]

To avoid getting tagged on the helmet by an aggressive maggie, just put yr fist in the air above yr helmet and slowly wave from side to side....

Or hold yr bottle above yr helmet and slowly wave it side to side... Just 30cms is enuff... The magpie will then just fly a few feet above yr fist/bottle and escort u out of their territory, and not swoop...

[Dr_Mutley]

To avoid getting tagged on the helmet by an aggressive maggie, just put yr fist in the air above yr helmet and slowly wave from side to side....

Or hold yr bottle above yr helmet and slowly wave it side to side... Just 30cms is enuff... The magpie will then just fly a few feet above yr fist/bottle and escort u out of their territory, and not swoop...

Oh I forgot to mention, when u do this, car drivers have no idea what yr doing, so they think u look like a tool, but it's better than whiplash from getting smacked repeatedly in the bonce

[BRLVR.v2]

I saw some wack job this morning on Pirie st with enough cable ties to call it a forest. The drag and the noise would be a killer surely.

[SeanB]

There's an aggressive magpie along lonsdale hwy at hallet cove. I had a tailwind & slight downhill and he still nailed me multiple times at 45+ kph

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