# thumb tacks on Deer Creek...



## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

Someone recently deposited thumb tacks on the bike lane areas going up Deer Creek Canyon Rd. near Chatfield Reservoir. A rider with me got one flat and I saw two others fixing flats on the way up this morning. They used shiny silver thumb tacks that are a bit easier to see than black carpet tacks.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

On purpose? Lame.


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## DLine (Aug 20, 2004)

I ride this ride every nearly every weekend, and this happens 2-3 times a summer it seems. As mentioned, the black ones are worse, since you can't see them. Lame indeed. I imagine it's folks who live along the road, sick of the inconsistent speed they're asked to carry with cyclists on the road. Such a pain in the ass.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

Its happened to me before going up High Grade. It sucks to say the least. 
I told someone that lives up the canyon about it and they acted shocked that anyone of her neighbors would do such a thing, but I have a feeling that it is someone who uses the canyon often and is tried of cyclists. It would be great to actually find the culprit, but that is just a fantasy.


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## Bulldozer (Jul 31, 2003)

As much as I like it back up there, I don't think I could live there. Between the cyclists and motorcyclists, it's almost like a parade. I got buzzed yesterday by a Lotus, some other red sports car (kit car?) and a motorcyclist _flying_ up High Grade yesterday. They almost took out my buddy a little ways down the road.


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## nepbug (Jun 6, 2006)

Bulldozer said:


> As much as I like it back up there, I don't think I could live there. Between the cyclists and motorcyclists, it's almost like a parade. I got buzzed yesterday by a Lotus, some other red sports car (kit car?) and a motorcyclist _flying_ up High Grade yesterday. They almost took out my buddy a little ways down the road.


I encountered the Moto, Porsche, Viper (with some weird wing, it was the red car) and Lotus as well. They were well above the speed limit, but they gave me a wide berth. I don't worry about those guys, it's the locals that seem to buzz me. I've only been buzzed on high grade on weekdays when people are driving home.

Sunday, I did have a brief panic moment when descending around a curve and there was a truck overtaking a cyclist and half in my lane on a blind curve on the way up. What an idiot.


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## Bulldozer (Jul 31, 2003)

nepbug said:


> I encountered the Moto, Porsche, Viper (with some weird wing, it was the red car) and Lotus as well. They were well above the speed limit, but they gave me a wide berth. I don't worry about those guys, it's the locals that seem to buzz me. I've only been buzzed on high grade on weekdays when people are driving home.
> 
> Sunday, I did have a brief panic moment when descending around a curve and there was a truck overtaking a cyclist and half in my lane on a blind curve on the way up. What an idiot.


It seems to be the corners that are the issue. The speeding cars were cutting the inside of a blind corner when they came up on my friend. (I don't think the red one was a Viper. It was too narrow, that's why I thought it was some type of kit car.)

Were you riding Deer Creek or High Grade?


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## John Nelson (Mar 10, 2006)

I think there is a message in nepbug's post. When descending, it's best to stay at least somewhat to the right of your lane around blind corners, for exactly the situation he described. I realize the desire to use the full lane, especially around left turns, but I think it endangers the uphill cyclists since it may force the uphill car to suddenly pull back. If you are going to hug the center line around a left turn, at least be prepared to pull back quickly if necessary.

I find overly-accommodating drivers, the ones that give you an extra wide berth around blind corners and over blind hilltops, to be as dangerous as non-accommodating drivers. The thought they could actually slow down until safe to pass appears to be completely outside the range of options considered my most drivers.


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## nepbug (Jun 6, 2006)

Bulldozer said:


> It seems to be the corners that are the issue. The speeding cars were cutting the inside of a blind corner when they came up on my friend. (I don't think the red one was a Viper. It was too narrow, that's why I thought it was some type of kit car.)
> 
> Were you riding Deer Creek or High Grade?


They passed me while I was by the residential area on High Grade, right on the section that they just removed the speed bumps from.

The encounter with the truck was on Deer Creek though, nearly back out of the canyon.


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## Bulldozer (Jul 31, 2003)

nepbug said:


> They passed me while I was by the residential area on High Grade, right on the section that they just removed the speed bumps from.
> 
> The encounter with the truck was on Deer Creek though, nearly back out of the canyon.


What bike were you riding? There were quite a few people out there and we probably crossed paths.


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## Sherpa23 (Nov 5, 2001)

Bulldozer said:


> It seems to be the corners that are the issue. The speeding cars were cutting the inside of a blind corner when they came up on my friend. (I don't think the red one was a Viper. It was too narrow, that's why I thought it was some type of kit car.)
> 
> Were you riding Deer Creek or High Grade?



The red car was a Noble.


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## nepbug (Jun 6, 2006)

Bulldozer said:


> What bike were you riding? There were quite a few people out there and we probably crossed paths.


I was on a Ferrari Red bike, no decals (it's a Motobecane Le Champion). I had my buddy with me on a yellow Specialized Allez. My GF was a little behind us as well on her old Novara touring bike. There was another guy up there in one too, but I was wearing a CU cycling jersey.



Sherpa23 said:


> The red car was a Noble..


Ding ding ding, exactly. Well at least looking at pictures now I don't feel so bad for mistakingly seeing it as a Viper with body kit in the brief glimpse I got.

The Noble:









The Viper:


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## Bulldozer (Jul 31, 2003)

nepbug said:


> I was on a Ferrari Red bike, no decals (it's a Motobecane Le Champion). I had my buddy with me on a yellow Specialized Allez. My GF was a little behind us as well on her old Novara touring bike. There was another guy up there in one too, but I was wearing a CU cycling jersey.


I saw you at the top. I had an Iowa State cycling jersey on.


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## nepbug (Jun 6, 2006)

Bulldozer said:


> I saw you at the top. I had an Iowa State cycling jersey on.


I saw you too. I thought, man a lot of university jerseys out today, I think there was a Michigan out there as well if I remember correctly. A good day to ride.


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## Bulldozer (Jul 31, 2003)

nepbug said:


> I saw you too. I thought, man a lot of university jerseys out today, I think there was a Michigan out there as well if I remember correctly. A good day to ride.


We're riding it again tomorrow but doing the City View Loop. I hope it's a little more quiet on a holiday.


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## fosbibr (Aug 29, 2005)

Two weeks ago while riding High Grade a resident in white-ish Escalade slowed to tell me about the tacks. Mighty nice of her compared to another resident who tried to run me off the rode a year earlier on the switch backs because I wasnt going fast enough - 30 mph wasnt fast enough?


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## Bulldozer (Jul 31, 2003)

There were no incidents on Friday. On the other hand, I think there was an unofficial parade of bikes headed up Deer Creek as we descended. The most people I have ever seen.


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