A thorny issue

[Lawrie9]

Why do councils leave loads of thorns on roads after hedge cutting with all the punctures they cause. It is a nightmare cycling around the lanes at this time of year with these blasted thorns everywhere. I had a puncture and it really messed up my day. Can't they be hoovered up or could someone be employed to sweep up after the cutting. They cause flat tyres to cars and motorbikes as well not just bikes.

[PW]

Failing to clear up hedge clippings is an offence. If you know who is the culprit chase them up!

[rower40]

Thorns? Love'em. It keeps the lager-bottle-smashing yoofs off the paths, as they've learnt from falling over into thorn bushes when tired-n-emotional, and they now drink (and litter) somewhere else.

Glass is my bugbear. At least thorns are biodegradable. Eventually.

[eileithyia]

Councils?????? Is it not the farmers who cut their hedges that are responsible?

[Mrs Tortoise]

I have Specialized Nimbus Armadillo tyres, it isn't a problem.

[bikegeek]

I too hate thorns / other debris lying about on the road. I suppose the people doing the hedgetrimming just turn a blind eye to it, or think that the wind & rain will sort it out.
Councils are responsible for the work, but leave it to local farmers / landowners to do. They, of course, then charge the council for their time for doing the work.
I'd like to see them do a cleaner job and while they're at it, hose away that cowsh*t their l'stock leaves all over the road.
Wouldn't it be good though if some asbo holding chavs were made do it for us. For free.

[appolo]

As a sort of aside to this thorny issue (har-di-har!), I had a real monster of a thorn (about an inch long),stuck in a tyre earlier this year.Three of us assembled worthies on this articular Sunday run could not pull it out until somebody produced from the depths of his trusty saddlebag, a very small pair of pliers.Ever since then,I have carried one of the modern Leartherman type tools with pliers being one of it's tools.It's not one of the huge multi-tool affairs,just something small to help when out on the road.

[meic]

Why not give the farmer an ASBO and make him go and clean up the Chavs estate.
The Police have special units out here to chase illegal motorcycles. However if you report the farmers driving their unregistered Quads up and down the lanes and shooting across the roads from field to field. They dont think it is right to apply the same laws to respectable people.

[appolo]

Of course, if your'e riding in a group... stay at the back and let somebody else get thorny!

[barney473]

I use SCHWALBE Marathon Plus and I've been lucky for a year so far on a 28 mile commute on thorny country lanes/roads.

Should have I said that or will the next commute herald pssssszzzz...er.

[Peter Rowell]

I too hate thorns / other debris lying about on the road. I suppose the people doing the hedgetrimming just turn a blind eye to it, or think that the wind & rain will sort it out.
Councils are responsible for the work, but leave it to local farmers / landowners to do. They, of course, then charge the council for their time for doing the work.
I'd like to see them do a cleaner job and while they're at it, hose away that cowsh*t their l'stock leaves all over the road.
Wouldn't it be good though if some asbo holding chavs were made do it for us. For free.

The Councils are not responsible for the work, hedges are not normally part of the highway, they are private land. If you want to be pedantic over it, you are trespassing when you stop and go behind the hedge for a p--. The councils can (but very seldom do) issue orders for the hedge to be cut back when it overgrows the highway, if the owners do not cut it back the council can do it and charge them for the service.