Arthur Peabody

Cruising one of the less-frequented sections of a shared-use trail I saw a large tube (700x47/52), 3 compressed air cartridges, a broken tire lever; up the trail I found 2 more 700x19/21 tubes. All 3 had extra-long Presta stems. I'm a Schrader-using ruffian: I'd have hoped for better from classy Presta users.

Later: the 47/52 held air; I couldn't find anything wrong with it. It's heavy, thicker. Shame to throw it out - but I can't use it. The 19/21s leaked Slime out their punctures - so much for Slime.

spinnaker

I have never seen this here but plenty of dog poop bomb bags. That one makes me laugh. People are responsible enough to clean up after the dog but don't go the whole way and take the bag out with them.

jefnvk

I see air cartridges all the time. Never seen a tube, then again I'm generally one of the few who seems to have a spare tube on the trails I ride, so I'm guessing that most people just walk their flat home.

If you can carry it in with you, there is no reason it needs discarded on the side of the trail/road.

cyccommute 

The one that bother me the most was along a bike trail in Rochester, NY. The poop bomb had been collected and then flung into the trees along the trail above a stream. It was hanging about 20 feet above the ground at about eye level with the trail (steep embankment). Why collected only to fling it off into the trees?

jefnvk

The explanation I've heard? Convenient excuse to say you will collect it and dispose of it on your way back, you just don't want to carry it the entire time. Whether or not that actually happens, I have no clue, but judging on one tree next to an access to an apartment community I ride past I'm either always on the trail with the same dog walker, or they never return.

spinnaker

I don't get that excuse. If you want to "do the right thing" and clean up but you don't want to carry it out with you then carry a scoop and fling the doggie do into the brush. After all bears S#$% in the woods. Now you should carry it out but better than leaving a poop bomb hanging in a tree.

No excuse whatsoever for leaving a cartridge or tube on the path and they certainly should not be flung into the brush.

What POs me too is the amount of liter I see on the sides of roads when I am on my rides. We have groups here that clean up the roads and right after they look beautiful but it does not take long for them to get bacl to the way they were. Really sad.

CliffordK

I was riding with a group years ago. Flat sew-up... and the guy just flung it down into the bushes off the road. I was repairing sewups at the time, and snagged it, but I found it annoying (and memorable).

I'll occasionally find discarded tubes. And, lots of those CO2 cartridges (which is one of the reasons I refuse to use them). I can't say all the cartridges come from bikes, but I assume some do.

MoAlpha

Guys I trained with back in the last century flung them into trees.

spinnaker

You were a class act back then. I certainly hoped you have wised up since.

spinnaker

Never used them but I am considering adding them just as a backup to my pump.

MoAlpha

I didn't mean to imply I did that. Whether I have wised up significantly is another matter.

jefnvk

Let me try wording it a different way, it really wasn't clear how I originally stated it:

People that walk dogs often do an out-and-back on a trail. So, if dog does their business on the out leg, they'll bag it and leave it lying there to pick up on the way back through, so they aren't carrying it the entire distance.

Whether or not they truly return, is a question I often question.

JohnDThompson 

I don't ride trails, but there's no shortage of discarded goo packets along the roads, especially after big organized rides.

Leebo

Tubes? Those are so last decade.

northtexasbiker

People are the worst

02Giant 

Not saying it doesn't happen, I've never seen discarded tubes/CO2's etc. left lying around.

Flip Flop Rider

people that litter are of low character imo

CliffordK

Other than crapping all over the place, I've never seen animals litter.

Well, there are the birds that will take whatever they can find to build nests out of

spinnaker

That might be the idea but often times they "forget". I have seen people comment that that don't want to carry it with them period.

Milton Keynes

That's not littering, that's recycling. Littering is what those tree rats (squirrels to some) do, dropping the empty pecan shells after they eat the meat inside.

Arthur Peabody

I rarely see poop bags. This was in a woody area; dog poop in the bushes would be okay with me. This was the first time I saw cartridges.

Hoopdriver

Many thousands of miles on local trails and I rarely see discarded bike stuff. On the other hand, after a weekend running event there are a lot of discarded clothing items, water containers, food packaging and other debris strewn along the course. Runners are almost as odd as cyclists.

thumpism 

I found this one along with a spent CO2 cartridge at a nearby park where we walk the dog regularly. I packed them out since the rider could not be bothered to do so. This was on a loop where training races have been held every Tuesday night in season for the last 40 years. We pack out the poop bags, too.

canklecat

There's always a certain percentage of selfish takers on any MUP. IMO, the worst are the dog feeders/walkers. I don't call them dog owners, since owning a dog implies greater responsibility. Some folks only know how to feed and walk dogs, usually on those 50 yard retractable non-leashes set to clothesline the next jogger or cyclist.

The cyclists leaving garbage behind are somewhat less dangerous. Usually it's off the trail and easy to see. Mostly it seems to be roadie offal -- skinny tubes, CO2 cartridges, gel packets.

BTW, Slime does work in tubes. I've used it on both hybrids and even on my road bike for a month. It forms a pretty functional snot plug. When it blew out the snot plug on my road bike I decided it was time to swap tubes anyway since I carried a bead jack with me (Conti Ultra Sport 2 tires are a PITA without a bead jack). Problem is when the snot plug blows on a Slimed tube it's an unholy mess of goo. Looks like the stuff Herbert West injected into corpses in Reanimator. So that may explain why some people toss Slimed tubes.

But I always pack my spare tubes in a ziplock baggie. So I stashed my Slimed tube in the baggie and carried it out with me. It's still in the junk box waiting to be recycled. It can be patched and used again. Just needs a round tuit.

Slimed tubes also get a rep for clogging up the valves, but I haven't had that problem with my Schrader or Presta tubes. The trick is to rotate the wheel until the valve is more or less at the top. Wait a minute for the Slime to drain. Tap it, using an old napkin or whatever's handy to block the sprayed spew of green goo. Then pump as usual. No problemo.

The trick to sealing a puncture with Slime is to pump higher than you usually would, especially with lower pressure hybrid or mountain bike tires. The tube needs to compress against the inner wall of the tire. Spin the wheel both directions several times to spread the Slime. It'll take a few minutes to form a snot plug. After a few minutes you can reduce the pressure to the desired riding pressure.

So Slime works, but it's not the best choice if you do group rides and don't want to annoy your partners waiting while you mess with reanimation fluid.



Herbert West prepares to Slime a tube back from the dead.

interceptor

Because people are f'ing ignorant and inconsiderate! Probably how they live at home!