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Cyclist shaken after tacks left on road puncture tire

Two of three cyclists training together ended up with flat tires caused by thumb tacks on Pretty River Road
Tacksinbikewheel
Micki Rivers shows her bike tire with a thumb tack in it. She and another cyclist in the group got flat tires from thumb tacks on the same road at the same time.

A local woman in training for an Iron Man triathlon, will not quickly return to one of her go-to cycling routes after she and another in her group ran over tacks on the road. 

Micki Rivers, who has been cycling in the area for about two decades, said she and her group were coming down a large hill on Pretty River Road when she heard a thump from her wheel. A rider behind her noticed their tire was flat, and Rivers realized hers was as well. 

Both found thumb tacks with different coloured tops in their tires. Rivers said the tacks must have been on the road, and she's worried they were placed there on purpose. 

Two of the group of three ended up with flat tires, but it could have been worse, said Rivers

"The really scary thing is you're at quite high speeds when you're coming down the hill," she said. "Someone could have blown a tire, and that would have been devastating for a rider." 

She said she's trying to spread the word for other cyclists, hikers, runners and anyone else using the area to be on the lookout. 

Rivers said there is precedence for tacks being placed maliciously. It happened during the Tour de France. But she's never encountered anything like it here. 

If it was intentional, Rivers said it is "super malicious." 

The triathlete acknowledged that there can be animosity between cyclists and drivers or other road users, but said even bad behaviour didn't warrant causing danger. 

She is filing a report with the OPP about the tacks and has made some posts on local social media groups to warn other cyclists about the tacks, in case there are more. 

"I hope nobody else has this happen," she said. 

Rivers stopped her ride after getting a flat and got a ride home, where she will patch her bike tire. While training will continue, she is cautious about returning to Pretty River Road. 

"I need to give it a little bit of time before I go up there again," she said. 

Constable Martin Hachey of the Collingwood OPP said he hadn't heard of any reports of tacks on local roads, but encouraged people to report such sightings and any related incidents to police. 

He acknowledged it was a dangerous hazard, and difficult to avoid for those travelling by bicycle. 


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Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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