Commuting - killing streets and wicked glass

Heeeeeyyyy…

About a year ago, I changed careers and homes. That has me riding a whole new route on my commute.

What once was a super-glide ride through tree-lined wonderland has turned into an assault trip through the worst parts of our city. Just yesterday my ride was stopped by yellow tape and a barricade of police cars due to a shoot-out at the a tattoo parlor in a residential area (conveniently located on the killing”est” street in the city.

ANYWAY, one of the daily challenges is glass. Glass Glass GLASS! My God, there is a lot of broken glass. I call this side of town the ‘glass fields’. For about three miles, the roads and sidewalks glitter with the litter. I just shudder as I weave my way around the most threatening shards.

So here is the deal; I notice that with very little exception that the glass is from broken beer and liquor bottles. In this town, the broken beer bottle of choice is Corona.

Yes, I was also surprised that the instrument of insult would not be broken pickle jars or picante jars or maybe even ketchup bottles. No, man, the glass is nearly always from beer bottles that were apparently thrown out of cars or windows. Two days ago, in front of one particular apartment, about a dozen beer bottles were smashed all over the street making it impossible to pass without riding over the glass. It is a coincidence that the apartment was adjacent to the ‘shooter’s” tattoo shop mentioned above.

Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon? Is it just my town that pre-grinds recycle-able glass on the local streets? Is it only my town that prefers to break beer bottles instead of other glass?

What to do, what to do?

I ride accross town through the heart of the city also and yes many of our citizens use the "bike lane" for their re-cycle bin. this spring I bought a Trek 820 Steel mountain bike to handle the city debris and so far the only flat I had was when I switched to one of my beloved 3 speed bikes. The 2" trail tires take the hazards better than the road tires (I get a better work out also!).

Yeah i ride through that kind of crap all teh time. I'm not kidding about kevlar lined "puncture resistant" tires and tire liners with thorn resistant tubes....add slime if your really worried. Your tires will be basically glass-proof if you take those measures.

Sometimes losing a few mph is worth the peace of mind knowing you have an extremely slim chance of busting a flat at a very bad area.

I'm with Catatonic:

My Rx for mean streets:
1. Thorn-resistant tubes. Performance has them for 700x23-26, and Quality offers them in 28-32 and 35-43.

2. Tuffy tire liners.

3. Specialized Infinity Armadillos for 32mm and up or Avocet Cross II-K(evlar) for 28 and up.

In New Orleans the preponderance of broken glass seems to be Miller Lite and Bud Light bottles. Guess there's just no accounting for taste. :D

I have had Conti gatorskins on both of my bikes for over a year - no flats, and I ride through some rough stuff. Kind of pricy though. Michelin just came out with kevlar belted tires for cheaper.

Where does everyone buy their Specialized Armadillos, and what are you paying for them (650's, if possible)?

Where does everyone buy their Specialized Armadillos, and what are you paying for them (650's, if possible)?
You can get them on www.specialized.com

I just picked up some Armadillos for 20$ (on sale) at the local Supergo. I find my 23c Armadillos do just fine and I ride through a lot of glass. It isn't limited to town around here though, the highways are lined with it and so are the sidewalks. Corona seems to be pretty popular here as well. Why don't they bottle beer in plastic bottles? Does it affect the taste or something?

I notice the same thing Mike & Corona seems to be the brew of choice for whoever keeps taking down my Bush 04 signs, lots of cleanup to do even in this "tolerant" town. At least some of the empties end up on the grass instead of broken all over the street & sidewalk.

Gosh, Mike!

I've seen plenty of glass (our beer-glass-shard-of-choice is Icehouse, being only 99 cents for a 22-oz bottle,) but there's enough traffic where I ride to clean it off.

(Isn't there a better route than through the rough parts of town?)

Hang in there, I feel for ya

I ride across a long bridge over a lake near my house quite often. The bridge has a separate bike lane that is often confused by motorists for the drive-by glass recycling center. Armadillo tires are required.

I agree Mike, in seven years of riding in this town I've never seen glass as bad as its been this year. Although, most of what I see comes from recycling activities. On the north end of my commute its the recycling truck that leaves all the glass. I think the glass bin gets too full. Every place the truck stops it leaves a little pile of busted glass on the road. The other bad spot is that scrap yard across from Amax. The busted glass seems to shake out of all the flattened cars being brought in for recycling as they cross the four sets of rail tracks right in front of the place. I've flatted there 3 times this year. Nothing like getting to spend extra time in the fine Amax fumes while fixing a flat. I can't imagine what the east side is like where you ride.

Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon? Is it just my town that pre-grinds recycle-able glass on the local streets? Is it only my town that prefers to break beer bottles instead of other glass?

What to do, what to do?

Nope, we've got the same problem here, and have had for as long as I can remember. Of course, half the glass around here is from broken windscreens because of Gold Coast drivers' love of smashing into inanimate objects. What do I recommend? Geax tyres! No flats for me in over 15,000km now, on the one set.

What do I recommend? Geax tyres! No flats for me in over 15,000km now, on the one set.

Ultra cool. Which size and type Geax do you use? Or are they all flat resistant?

Ultra cool. Which size and type Geax do you use? Or are they all flat resistant?

I've got 26x1.9" on at the moment. Geax "Evolution" I think (although I'll confirm that next time I'm on). I bought them for my tour of Tasmania last year because I was planning to ride a few dirt roads down there (and they still see a few up here, too). I've kept them because of Queensland's notorious "goat track" roads. The thing is, they're not showing that much visible wear either. I'm expecting to get at least another 5,000km out of the current set, possibly even 10,000.

I've got 26x1.9" on at the moment. Geax "Evolution" I think (although I'll confirm that next time I'm on). I bought them for my tour of Tasmania last year because I was planning to ride a few dirt roads down there (and they still see a few up here, too). I've kept them because of Queensland's notorious "goat track" roads. The thing is, they're not showing that much visible wear either. I'm expecting to get at least another 5,000km out of the current set, possibly even 10,000.
http://www.geax.com/prodgeax/specialty/Evolution_file/Evolution.png
Is this the tire? Geax is an excellent brand in my never so humble opinion. Seeing as it's the MTB division of Vittoria how could it not be.

I notice the same thing Mike & Corona seems to be the brew of choice for whoever keeps taking down my Bush 04 signs, lots of cleanup to do even in this "tolerant" town. At least some of the empties end up on the grass instead of broken all over the street & sidewalk.

Ya know, Corona is an upscale beer - a bit more expensive than many domestic brands. I just don't expect to see it on the "glass side of town" but it rains Corona crystals on the streets of the East Side.

HOWEVER, today, the street in front of the killing tattoo shop (mentioned above) was powdered with several pint size Gordon's Gin bottles. At least we know that the East side folks are getting enjoying a mixed diet.

I just picked up some Armadillos for 20$ (on sale) at the local Supergo.

Hmmm.. I'll have to call them up.



Why don't they bottle beer in plastic bottles? Does it affect the taste or something?

Yeah, it does. The plastic changes the taste of beer for the worse, whereas glass doesn't. I went to a Giants game recently, and found Anchor Steam was being served there from plastic bottles. The taste was horrible!

Now, cheap beers should be in plastic, as the taste is less important, and those beers are the ones most commonly found pro-ground on the roadways.

I disagree here, I find plastic bottles to be horrible for anyhting, but i do think all cheap beers should go to cans. Cans do have a plastic liner in them that is somewhat taste neutral....maybe they could do that to plastic bottles as well.

I disagree here, I find plastic bottles to be horrible for anyhting, but i do think all cheap beers should go to cans. Cans do have a plastic liner in them that is somewhat taste neutral....maybe they could do that to plastic bottles as well.

Whatever works. I'll still get my beer in bottles or from a tap. I'd just prefer that fewer sharp things were on the ground to bring me down.

http://www.geax.com/prodgeax/specialty/Evolution_file/Evolution.png
Is this the tire? Geax is an excellent brand in my never so humble opinion. Seeing as it's the MTB division of Vittoria how could it not be.

Yep, that's it.

Is using an old inner tube as a tire liner a viable option to spending more money on specialized items? I don't have a propnderence of glass to deal with, just the occassional bottle during my route, and I ride MtB tires too. My first flat in 1 and 1/2 years commuting was yesterday, and it wasn't from glass, I think I hit a curb too hard with my rear and it blew the tire out, is that possible?

the hood rats from around my pool like to throw 40s into our pool. I dont know how many times I have had to clean up broken glass from one of those bottles from our baby pool. I wold prefer that they break heiniken or something brown glassed so that we can see it on the pool bottom, but no, its clear glass. I hate that crap.

its not that much of a problem around our streets though. heh, watch me get a flat today. knock on wood.

I have a similar problem as Supcom-the 14th street bridge pedestrian/bike lane seems to be the worst part of my commute for broken glass. In fact, the majority of my ride on the MV trail is usually completely glass free the same is largely true for the streets of DC. However, the bridge is littered with broken beer bottles and small shards of glass who's origin is unknown. I just upgraded to a bike with 700 series tires and am worried about flats so I play high speed dodge 'em as I cross the Potomac. I have to say that in my 14 months of commuting I've suffered only one flat and it was a result of a sliver of metal not glass. I'm thinking of switching to Armidillos as I believe I can run a higher pressure as well as have increased flat protection.