Wellington cyclist uses broom to sweep away tacks

Marcus McShane has been using a broken broom mounted with some spare bamboo to sweep ahead of his wheels as he rides his cargo bike along the lane. Photo / Marcus McShane

By RNZ

A Wellington cyclist has found a novel solution to clear thumb tacks strewn along a cycle lane on his way to work.

Reports of thumbtacks along new sections of the capital’s inner city cycle way have been popping up on Wellington cycling Facebook pages in recent weeks.

Marcus McShane, who cycles through Adelaide Road and the Basin Reserve, has been using a broken broom mounted with some spare bamboo to sweep ahead of his wheels as he rides his cargo bike along the lane.

“I ride into town every day, so it was mainly just to stop me running over them.”

He said the broom was clamped to the front of the bike, and could be slid down to brush the road.

“A normal bike I don’t think this would work on but I’m riding quite a huge cargo bike.”

McShane said the contraption looked like a “silly Rube Goldberg machine” and the main reaction he had received from other people was laughter.

“You look like a right idiot. It’s not a very sexy kind of look on the bike.”

But he said although the broom only lightly swept about a 30-40cm strip, it still prevented unwanted punctures.