You are hereManly Dam update for 23 Aug

Manly Dam update for 23 Aug


suzzpect's picture

By suzzpect - Posted on 23 August 2012

Area: 
Manly Dam
Status: 
Green/Open

did the circuit yesterday again after some time and it was great ! but beware of protective magpies/other birds, i've been getting attacked just next to manly vale public school and paid with a bloody nose Eye-wink still finished the trail, nice and dry.

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teeps's picture

I must be doing something right. I have yet to see a magpie and those nast little numbers are always after me.

hawkeye's picture

I filed a report the other week with Council and decided to be cheeky and ask them what they could do to move the bird.

Unfortunately it's a protected species, so nothing legal they can do to move it. They're "monitoring the situation" (whatever that means) and but are limited to putting up signs warning people.

I guess they'll be the same as the ones on the corner of Warringah and Allambie Roads that advise peope to wear hats and protective glasses.

cambowambo's picture

Manly Dam track has Magpies all around.

There is only one dangerous bird and he is on the corner of Arana and Gibbs streets (before Manly Vale School, after Manly Hydraulics Lab). I strongly suggest caution here because if he is in the mood he is a serious attacker.

Normally he stops once he draws blood, so my preferred method is to let somebody else go first Eye-wink

No need to be paranoid elsewhere.

Peter R's picture

that butcher has got me a few times as well on cnr gibbs and arana. It smashes hard straight into your face or neck. It should be fixed before it blinds someone.

pancakes's picture

I nominate Black Flash to go ahead and draw fire. He's the resident shit magnet so it should result in a spectacular stack.

Black Flash's picture

Pancakes - make sure you have the helmet camera ready tomorrow morning! I might put mine on too... It might prove to council how dangerous this bird is... Or at the very least it will be bloody funny to watch!

ido09s's picture

will have to be extra vigilant on Sunday when i go for my ride then hey

So does it attack from any direction is it a chicken shit that only goes for the back of your head? lol

Black Flash's picture

That the bird is distinctly attracted to the smell of pancakes...

cambowambo's picture

A few points before somebody gets all "vigilante" and tries to take this bird out:

1. its just a bird
2. its a legally protected bird
3. it isn't attacking you - its defending its territory
4. its just a bird

FWIW my suggestion is to see if we can figure out what his hot buttons are, and then make sure people don't hit those buttons. For example, the infamous Pine Street Magpie near me only attacks bicycle riders wearing helmets - the simple solution being to remove your helmet when you ride through his territory.

What are the hot buttons for the Butcher Of Gibbs Street?

StanTheMan's picture

wut? magpies protected species?

That Pine street one drew blood on me several times. Never knew it does't attack rider without Helmets.

mmmm the mind boggles, break the law riding without Helmet? Break the law killing a protected species......mmmmmmm.

whats the life expectancy of a magpie? Surely that Pine street one must be getting on. Thats been around for ever.

maybe one of its youngens has taken over......gawd,

StanTheMan's picture

Ohhh nooo.

Average age is 25 years......gawd.

How long has he one in Manly Vale been around?

cambowambo's picture

Our current Pine Street Magpie is number 3 by my count. People do kill them. It doesn't solve the swooping problem.

It takes about a week until another bird moves in and learns the exact same behaviour - not sure if he's a relative but the swooping continues until the young ones leave the nest and start foraging for themselves.

FYI apart from helmets, I reckon he generally only attacks adult male riders, preferably (but not always) solo. Also if he didn't attack you, he probably never will - there is something about each rider that marks them out as a target. He prefers to launch his attack from behind, so if you can maintain eye contact (whilst watching where you are going) he will just follow you through his territory.

Council knows that he won't swoop if there's no helmet but (as you noted) they won't/can't tell you because riding without a helmet is against the law.

When I come home from a Dam ride, I take my helmet off after I cross Balgowlah Road.

He knows me and we are friends, but it is better to be safe than sorry Eye-wink

hawkeye's picture

The bird with the learned the swooping behaviour is often the female, after the male has been killed, according to research I've read.

GiantNut's picture

Going up the hill this morn - in the lead with blackflash just behind and just before the intersection a strange mechanical 1 in a million problem resulted in me dropping back leaving blackflash ahead Smiling but no feral birdy. A huge waste of time painting that target on blackflash's Camelback

sikllama's picture

No swooping bird for me either this morning. Rode the dam for the first time today and had a blast, did bantry bay as well. Unfortunately 10 mins into our ride we came across a poor bloke who had fell OTB and was laying unconscious on the trail - he was with mates but they didn't have a phone handy so I called the ambo's. The guy (Chris I think his name was) came to after a minute or so but was concussed and bleeding a bit. Anyway if you read this mate hope you are ok!

hawkeye's picture

Where was the stack?

sikllama's picture

Just before the manning street section, behind a bunch of houses. A flat part of the track with one small ledge which I think he must have misjudged?

hawkeye's picture

... by the sound of it, then. Hopefully he's OK and has nothing worse than a headache.

Black Flash's picture

Of anything technical along there???? Only the tree root alley leading up to the golf course entry???
Mind you, every man and his cog were going otb today!
And thanks to giantnut, and his handy artwork on my camelbak....

pancakes's picture
a strange mechanical 1 in a million problem resulted in me dropping back leaving blackflash ahead...

I hate it when that happens. I get those mechanicals all the time...

...A huge waste of time painting that target on blackflash's Camelback...

Consider it a long term investment. It'll pay off one day. Eye-wink

GAZZA's picture

My Girl did three laps around lunchtime and was smashed by that bird on the third lap resulting in two cuts on her top lip!

Discodan's picture

He drew blood on my second lap, just as I turned to look behind me he caught me on the snoz, and had a half-hearted attempt on the next lap. This could get quite annoying

Discodan's picture

He drew blood on my second lap, just as I turned to look behind me he caught me on the snoz, and had a half-hearted attempt on the next lap. This could get quite annoying

jimnobob's picture

And it's been a few months since my last visit so any other unexpected changes to be on the look out for?

StanTheMan's picture

rolling off the rock on the 19th hole.
the steps have massive drops now.

The rest is all pretty good now.

I was looking out for the magpie today but didn't get swooped at about 4;30.

hawkeye's picture

The run into 19th Hole is rougher, with the landings off the log drops past the boards having some nice wheel catchers scooped out by people riding when it's wet. Sad Suggest going fast and hucking so that you land past the holes.

Looks like someone has nicked one of the rocks that was meant to block the old exit onto the rock platform, and has dropped it into the last roll-down in the last week, so that is actually easier. I'm annoyed they moved the rock tho'... I had some concrete Besser blocks set aside for the job and that old exit needs to stay closed off because of water flow issues.

The run down parallel to Southern Cross Way to the Nyrang Rd car park is quite eroded. Stay very focussed on picking your line. No daydreaming.

The section between the Hydro Lab rocks after the boards and the concrete path is a rooty mess. Stay high and left especially at that first big tree until just before the left berm just before the path. Huck off the end of the boards, don't try to roll it unless you need a reason to justify some cosmetic dentistry.

I think that's it for hidden gotchas... the rest of the track seemed OK when I rode a couple of weeks ago. Have I messed anything? Puzzled

GiantNut's picture

Haven't been around for months but noticed its seriously eroded and rutted - just like Hawkeye said but generally all your old lines are gone. The fast downhill to the creek is rough and hard to pick, heartbreak hill seemed easier - just straight up, just after the 19th when you hit the floor again about 5 meters later (while helping a dude with a puncture) saw two guys OTB'ed by going right - don't do that...could hurt. After the hydro steps its craptacula, new lines along the golf course in a few spots, the drop into the rock slide along the golf course is bigger from my recollection, up to the steps section was a place to focus, the rock garden was even hard to pick....all in all take a slower lap and focus would be my tip. Nearly everyone in the group had some form of an off today. Can't fathom how someone chucked a 28 min hot lap recently.

StanTheMan's picture

yea 28 min is a serious good effort at the moment.

GAZZA's picture

Felt terrible and look at knocking 30 seconds off that very soon.
The faster you go, the smoother it gets! Eye-wink

bmar560's picture

28 mins ?? that's crazy fast Smiling
I'd be interested to see your Strava split times if you use Strava Gazza.

GAZZA's picture
Black Flash's picture

Even the warning signs were gone.... ???
But I did see a lot of pancakes... Smiling

Discodan's picture

That was me you were helping at the bottom of the 19th whilst we watched everyone OTB, thanks for that. It was one of the log roll offs on the run into the 19th that got me, they are that much rougher now that when I landed it at speed it burped the front tyre. Ikons don't like too low a pressure it seems

Black Flash's picture

That was me that parked next to you and critiqued my mates pump u used...
Whilst being entertained by others otb's... I did manage to return the entertainment favour with my own superman in to the back of giantnut 20 mins later...

Discodan's picture

I've though before that we need to have little labels for our bikes with our NobMoB tags on them, so many more people would have "it's you" moments

pancakes's picture

As sledged by Black Target...

But I did see a lot of pancakes...

Hey, there's a lot to love. Laughing out loud

Besides, I was stuck with your backside in front of me for 90% of the lap. Why do you think I drop back on the hills? It's just to get you far enough away that my 20/20 can't make out detail.

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