Tacks strewn across popular Greater Manchester cycle route

Cycling campaigners in Greater Manchester have condemned those responsible for strewing tacks across a cycle route that is popular with families riding with their children.

The tacks were discovered earlier today in two separate locations on the Fallowfield Loop traffic-free cycle path.

The route, which follows that of a disused railway line, was developed and built by Sustrans with the help of local volunteers from the late 1990s onwards and forms part of the National Cycle Network route 60.

Sustrans describes the route, which runs for approximately 4 kilometres in the south of Manchester from Chorlton to Fairfield and links a number of green spaces such as parks, as being “ideal for families and new cyclists who need to build up their confidence away from road traffic.”

Posting images of the tacks to X, formerly Twitter, Peter O’Hare wrote: “Grim. Just picked these up from Fallowfield Loop. Spread all over. Luckily I missed them with the little one. But all ages enjoying this morning. Sad.”

Grim. Just picked these up from fallowfield loop. Spread all over. Luckily I missed them with the little one. But all ages enjoying this morning. Sad. pic.twitter.com/9W33cxADwS

— Peter O’Hare (@peterohir) May 6, 2024

It appears that more than one location was targeted, with another user of the social network replying to the post to say that he too had seen tacks spread across the route, albeit in a different place.

No - slightly further up. Slade lane - kingsway. Couple of places then. Confirms some unhappy person is trying to insure people

— Peter O’Hare (@peterohir) May 6, 2024

Local active travel campaign group Walk Ride GM, quote tweeting the original post, said: “A cycle route enjoyed by families with kids on a bank holiday Monday What would possess someone to do this?”

A cycle route enjoyed by families with kids on a bank holiday Monday

What would possess someone to do this? https://t.co/VYKpjylnIZ

— Walk Ride GM (@WalkRideGM) May 6, 2024

According to the Manchester Evening News, no-one is believed to have been hurt as a result of the tacks being strewn over the surface of the route.

Over the years we’ve reported on a number of instances here on road.cc in which tacks and drawing pins have been thrown onto cycle routes, including a protected cycle route in South London that was repeatedly targeted over a period of two years, causing many riders to puncture.

> South London cycleway repeatedly targeted with drawing pins