Glass on Dublin City Streets

Bloggsie · 14-04-2014 7:05am #1

Is it just me or does anyone else notice an increase in the amounts of broken glass on the city streets, a number of my co workers cycle from various parts and the number of punctures are on the increase, 1 guy in particular.

Jawgap · 14-04-2014 7:13am

Has he checked his tyre pressures recently?

Bloggsie · 14-04-2014 7:17am

The guy in question checks the pressure before leaving the house each morning, he has had 3 in the last 10-12 days also recently purchased new gator skin tyres, he thinks its a conspiracy by the tube makers more punctures = more sales!

No Pants · 14-04-2014 8:09am

Bloggsie wrote: »

he thinks its a conspiracy by the tube makers more punctures = more sales!

Yeah, when I see glass on the road, I too always suspect international tyre manufacturers as the culprit.

lennymc · 14-04-2014 8:32am

I've noticed a huge increase in the amount of glass, ending up in a rake of punctures. Different wheels, new tyres, new tubes, etc. Always running 110ish psi. Some roads seem worse than others.

Wishbone Ash · 14-04-2014 8:35am

Bloggsie wrote: »

The guy in question checks the pressure before leaving the house each morning,

Does he check for correct pressure? (Checking pressure for some means squeezing the tyre to ensure it isn't flat).

Tyres also need to be deflated for regular inspection and removal of shards of glass, flint etc.

eeeee · 14-04-2014 8:47am

There is a huge amount of glass on the road, there always was though. I haven't been for a spin yet this year that did not include glass on the road. Puncture city!
Town on Saturday and especially Sunday mornings is hideous for it.

Johnny Jukebox · 14-04-2014 9:34am

I run these on my MTB and commute 200km a week in and out of the city center

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/schwalbe-marathon-plus-26-bike-tyre-smartguard/rp-prod24542

Coming up to a year now and 1 puncture (which was caused by riding over a nail)

Run at very high PSI, I use a track pump.

bloomfield · 14-04-2014 1:38pm

There seems to be glass on roads everywhere in the city. After 3 punctures in the space of a month, I eventually ordered some puncture-resistant tyres. I also try to avoid cycling in the gutter where the worst of it accumulates.

Thargor · 14-04-2014 3:17pm

I used to make these threads and threads asking for help with all my flat tyres, some routes around Bray have to be seen to be believed, then I was told by someone on here to put Gatorskins on, havent had a puncture in about 18 months now.

Pinch Flat · 14-04-2014 4:10pm

To be honest, for piece of mind commuting in Dublin, puncture resistance tyres are a must. There's loads of glass about, especially after weekends. I don't think there's more glass per se, they've just given up with the street sweepers (when's the last time you saw one of these driving around?)

NeedMoreGears · 15-04-2014 7:59am

Got my first puncture in about 15,000km of commuting last week*. Two nails. Maybe I've been lucky but I use either Rubinios or Zaffiros and keep the pressure reasonably high 115 rear/100 front for me at 72kg. I'm not sure any tyre would have kept those nails out last week.

*I'll probably get a load more now that I've posted this.

Wishbone Ash · 15-04-2014 8:39am

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

... in about 15,000km of commuting last week*....

That's savage!

Bloggsie · 15-04-2014 9:00am

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That's savage!

yep, thats it you've just put the hex on yourself!

Wishbone Ash · 15-04-2014 9:21am

Bloggsie wrote: »

yep, thats it you've just put the hex on yourself!

Was referring to NMG managing 15,000km last week!

Bloggsie · 15-04-2014 9:43am

yes, i did spot the sarcasm alright!

Inspector Coptoor · 15-04-2014 9:48am

I have gator skins & have been getting lots of punctures lately.

I'm 98kg & run 25mm gator skins at 105psi which I check & adjust every day.

I deflated the tyres yesterday & spent 30 mins taking out shards of glass.
Couldn't believe how much glass there was

OnLooker · 15-04-2014 9:51am

I got a terrible puncture last week. A 2 inch screw went through my tyre and tube. I couldn't get it out when my hands. The roads are shocking. I had to walk 10km home.:mad:

Tenzor07 · 15-04-2014 9:57am

So long as this doesn't happen to anyone! :mad:

Bike-ride-saboteurs-sprinkle-DRAWING-PINS-peaceful-New-Forest-road-local-villagers-complain-scourge-cyclists-tranquil-area

Pinch Flat · 15-04-2014 10:47am

Tenzor07 wrote: »

So long as this doesn't happen to anyone! :mad:

Bike-ride-saboteurs-sprinkle-DRAWING-PINS-peaceful-New-Forest-road-local-villagers-complain-scourge-cyclists-tranquil-area

The Daily Mail has a pathological hatred of cyclists. Some of the comments on that article are hilarious, road tax, single file, blah blah blah

Wishbone Ash · 15-04-2014 11:49am

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

....I deflated the tyres yesterday & spent 30 mins taking out shards of glass.
Couldn't believe how much glass there was

How often have you being doing that?

Ideally it should be done weekly and after every long spin.

ThunbergsAreGo · 22-07-2014 7:54am

Two punctures in two days feck my life!
Least I caught today's before I left!

Harrybelafonte · 22-07-2014 8:55am

Tenzor07 wrote: »

So long as this doesn't happen to anyone! :mad:

Bike-ride-saboteurs-sprinkle-DRAWING-PINS-peaceful-New-Forest-road-local-villagers-complain-scourge-cyclists-tranquil-area

Y'know posting links to the Daily Mail does nothing but increase their advertising revenue.

Alek · 22-07-2014 10:14am

I cycle daily via the inner city glass fields (twice!) yet two last punctures were thorns, not glass, in the culchieside.

My tyres are not specifically punctureproof (Kojaks), but have some kind of protection - when I was running Vittorias Open Corsas I used to get a flat every week or two...

Alanstrainor · 22-07-2014 10:37am

Alek wrote: »

I cycle via the inner city glass weeks daily (twice!) yet two last punctures were thorns, not glass, in the culchieside.

My tyres are not specifically punctureproof (Kojaks), but have some kind of protection - when I was running Vittorias Open Corsas I used to get a flat every week or two...

I'm a twice a day through the City centre man as well, haven't had a puncture in a couple of months, and even then it was a slow puncture which was manageable. I was running cheap Vittorias (13 quid a tire) which I found to be great, I've since replaced one with a GP4000s on the rear, and still run the cheap up front. It's as good as every.

Jabel · 22-07-2014 12:12pm

I travel through Dublin city centre every day and I notice the
glass is noticeably worse on the north side. I'm genuinely not
trying to open up a southside/northside argument here, it's
an honest opinion...promise

can of worms = open

07Lapierre · 22-07-2014 12:44pm

U sure those worms weren't in a GLASS bottle?

ThunbergsAreGo · 22-07-2014 1:08pm

Jabel wrote: »

I travel through Dublin city centre every day and I notice the
glass is noticeably worse on the north side. I'm genuinely not
trying to open up a southside/northside argument here, it's
an honest opinion...promise

can of worms = open

As a Northsider, i have to agree with that, there are some areas that have constant glass on the roads (really think i need to change how i get to work)

rubadub · 22-07-2014 1:15pm

gadetra wrote: »

There is a huge amount of glass on the road, there always was though.

Yeas ago there wasn't as much, in my day everyone I knew cycled to school and I very rarely got punctures.

I seriously largely blame the rise in cheap beer bottles in the last 10-15 years or so. When I was going to school I can only remember 1 of my friends who drank bottled beer, it was relatively very expensive. Nowadays €1 or less is standard and a lot higher % of beer is sold in bottles.

I don't even go out of my way to avoid glass -since I got my marathon plus tyres.

Wishbone Ash · 22-07-2014 9:36pm

Alanstrainor wrote: »

.., I've since replaced one with a GP4000s on the rear....

I rarely puncture (about 1 per 5,000kms) but bought a pair of GP4000's based on the multitude of recommendations on Boards. I got a puncture on their first outing!

Alanstrainor · 23-07-2014 1:18am

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I rarely puncture (about 1 per 5,000kms) but bought a pair of GP4000's based on the multitude of recommendations on Boards. I got a puncture on their first outing!

Don't jinx me! I've a few hundred km on it so far and it's looking very clean all considered!

GTDolanator · 23-07-2014 7:55am

You dont see many ''scarab'' street sweeper trucks doing the rounds anymore unfortunatley

Alek · 23-07-2014 8:00am

GTDolanator wrote: »

''scarab'' street sweeper trucks

Ha, I've been always calling them "trilobites"

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121007131131/treeworld/images/0/03/Trilobite.jpg

poochiem · 23-07-2014 2:15pm

fwiw I contacted DCC to ask if there's been any cut in street sweeping services recently, due to austerity etc. They said that there's not and you can check street by street here: http://www.dublincity.ie/StreetSweeping/

ThunbergsAreGo · 23-07-2014 2:22pm

There is no way Seville Place is swept daily!!

Muahahaha · 27-07-2014 8:28pm

Jabel wrote: »

I travel through Dublin city centre every day and I notice the
glass is noticeably worse on the north side. I'm genuinely not
trying to open up a southside/northside argument here, it's
an honest opinion...promise

can of worms = open

I mainly cycle northside and parts of it are riddled with glass that never gets swept up. I've been doing a route that passes by Ikea near Ballymun and the cycle paths on the opposite side of the road have so much glass on them that they're unusable. I emailed a councillor about it and got no reply, as of 3 days ago glass that has been lying there for well over six weeks is still lying there.

poochiem wrote: »

fwiw I contacted DCC to ask if there's been any cut in street sweeping services recently, due to austerity etc. They said that there's not and you can check street by street here: http://www.dublincity.ie/StreetSweeping/

Haha that's funny because I got a burst of a puncture in Poppintree Park last week. When I was walking back with the bike I couldn't belive how much glass was on the ground all over the park. Some was fresh but other bits were tiny shards glistening in the sun that looked like they had been there so long they're now subsumed into the surface. I too emailed DCC about it and the District Park Manager got back to me to say sorry but due to cut backs there was no-one available to clean the park last week. He said he'd do his best to get it cleaned ASAP. Anyway it might be that the regular lads are on their summer holidays but if they're not replacing them then that's a cutback at the end of the day.

blobbie · 28-07-2014 6:29am

poochiem wrote: »

fwiw I contacted DCC to ask if there's been any cut in street sweeping services recently, due to austerity etc. They said that there's not and you can check street by street here: http://www.dublincity.ie/StreetSweeping/

That schedule is pants.

I was down along Ailesbury road twice in the last 3 weeks getting a visa sorted and on both occasions a street sweeper yokey was out which I thought was odd given I can't remember the last time I saw one around where I live.

My theory on the extra glass is the weather (yip we blame everything on the weather in this country).

Dry weather = more scobies out "brown paper bagging" which results in more broken glass and
Dry weather = less rain which means the smaller shards won't get washed into the drainage system

Probably doesn't stand up to much scrutiny but it is good enough for me.

The solution = spend a few more Euro when getting tyres to get ones with some sort of fancy protection system.

Arthur Beesley · 28-07-2014 6:51am

Pinch Flat wrote: »

To be honest, for piece of mind commuting in Dublin, puncture resistance tyres are a must. There's loads of glass about, especially after weekends. I don't think there's more glass per se, they've just given up with the street sweepers (when's the last time you saw one of these driving around?)

I see at least one pretty much every evening walking through Dublin city centre.

Even saw a 142 reg one a few times.

SilverLiningOK · 28-07-2014 7:33am

blobbie wrote: »

That schedule is pants.

I was down along Ailesbury road twice in the last 3 weeks getting a visa sorted and on both occasions a street sweeper yokey was out which I thought was odd given I can't remember the last time I saw one around where I live.

My theory on the extra glass is the weather (yip we blame everything on the weather in this country).

Dry weather = more scobies out "brown paper bagging" which results in more broken glass and
Dry weather = less rain which means the smaller shards won't get washed into the drainage system

Probably doesn't stand up to much scrutiny but it is good enough for me.

The solution = spend a few more Euro when getting tyres to get ones with some sort of fancy protection system.

Just like the gritting of footpaths during icy conditions over recent years, some areas seem to get preferential treatment. The people there must shout louder or be more "influential". Some areas of Dublin seem to get much better looked after than others, even under the same council. This stretches to all areas, from broken glass, litter, graffiti to condition of playgrounds.

Places that are important links on the cycle network such as Sevilles Place and Guild Street frequently have broken glass for long period of time. Even Marathon Plus tyres can have their limits in such conditions. Getting onto local councillors can sometimes get things done on this front. Some of them frequently ignore such queries. Maybe it's a matter of finding those who are on committees with responsibly for cleansing or transport and concentrating communication with them.

cdaly_ · 28-07-2014 10:47am

Muahahaha wrote: »

other bits were tiny shards glistening in the sun that looked like they had been there so long they're now subsumed into the surface.

Some european countries use recycled glass as road dressing. I've cycled french roads where the surface glistens as described.

ThunbergsAreGo · 28-07-2014 11:15am

SilverLiningOK wrote: »

Just like the gritting of footpaths during icy conditions over recent years, some areas seem to get preferential treatment. The people there must shout louder or be more "influential". Some areas of Dublin seem to get much better looked after than others, even under the same council. This stretches to all areas, from broken glass, litter, graffiti to condition of playgrounds.

Places that are important links on the cycle network such as Sevilles Place and Guild Street frequently have broken glass for long period of time. Even Marathon Plus tyres can have their limits in such conditions. Getting onto local councillors can sometimes get things done on this front. Some of them frequently ignore such queries. Maybe it's a matter of finding those who are on committees with responsibly for cleansing or transport and concentrating communication with them.

Seville place is really really bad for this, especially under the train tracks

Glass on Dublin City Streets

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