Added: 2 years ago
From: gib395
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  • can you re-do these tests and have the same rider, with the same bike, same clothes, same street, same riding speed/style etc and only change the helmet treatments? not very conclusive otherwise with so many variables. I personally tried the cable ties - didn't work. Tried the printed eyes on the back of helmet - instant results. using a bright silver and black helmet.

  • can you re-do these tests and have the same rider, with the same bike, same clothes, same street, same riding speed/style etc and only change the helmet treatments? not very conclusive otherwise with so many variables. I personally tried the cable ties - didn't work. Tried the printed eyes on the back of helmet - instant results. using a bright silver and black helmet.

  • he should take the helmet off and backhand the bird with it

  • I'm on the Sunshine Coast and they are really bad at the moment, getting tired of being constantly attacked. Am thinking of getting some sort of raquet (squash perhaps) and just belting them. Might be satisfying but ultimately useless... it doesn't look to me like the cable ties work very well and look ridiculous too. Anyone with an idea that actually works?

  • @kiwipirate600 i know im near toownsville and they are really bad im at primary and i live on a road and ride to school and get swoped by 3 magpies rea bad im going to do the haird one lol

  • well they say magpies only are protecting there young, off today to buy a slingshot, im only protecting my young. Contacted the wildlife parks and they dont even respond. ugh There useless!!! They only get involved when its on the news and relize they have to do something about it lol

  • funny this may work with a helmet/biker rider. But dont work with children or adults not on a bike. We have all been struck several times to the point now my kids are too afraid to go outside (well the whole street kids have been struck). Last year we had 6 magpies like that. This year only one. We started feeding them it worked a treat!!! We only have one swooping us now and causing serious injury. Seems the protection authorities for these birds have no idea what there talking about!!!

  • you guys also need to try another magpie!

  • cable ties work for me in brisbane

  • I must say, that there were different coloured shirts in this experiment.. whether magpies are colour blind, I know not..

    And I must comment.. at the end, the guy reveals a shiny balding head..

    Can you experiment with different coloured hair, hairless.. what goes through a magpie's mind.. if anything.

    I walk by where magpies have nested. in a park.. they just look at me.. I dont wear hats.

    They are just defending their nests.. shiny objects, wouldnt they attack every car that went by???

  • The Hon. Kate Jones Minister for Climate Change and sustainability; "One strategy that is very useful is to attach cable ties to the helmet"

    I wonder if Ms Kate Jones would retract her cable tie statement after being faced with this irrefutable evidence of her claim being wrong... or would she continue in the vein of all climate change alarmists and assert that despite all the evidence to the contrary we still need to attach cable ties 'just in case the IPCC magpie scientific models are right'

  • I wonder if this would apply to other magpies or if they have individual likes and dislikes.

  • Dudes, not very scientific! Magpies are attracted to the colour red.

    Try your experiments again with the same person wearing the same clothes. All the bad swoops came when the rider had a red coat or red helmet

  • @LHAdventures I've been swooped by a magpie while cycling and I wasn't wearing red.

  • @LHAdventures - Not true - was swooped today with a blue shirt, and a white helmet... There is no discernable pattern here to deter these bastards yet! But these guys and their "research" are awesome to watch, haha... I'm going with the big stick method, personally...

  • @LHAdventures - Actually probably is pretty scientific, but with tongue firmly in cheek, given that I recognise the venue as the CSIRO labs in Canberra. I work there as well and can assure you that I get swooped wearing only black and white with a silver helmet as well as with a purple jersey. I haven't tried the helmet off option yet - maybe my receding hair line will do the trick.

  • Are they attracted to helmets for some reason?

  • Someone who saw this removed the cable ties from his helmet and covered it with shade cloth. The magpie stopped swooping.

  • The problem with the wig solution is that it is quite unsafe. Supposedly the reason for helmets having smooth surfaces is that if you fall, the helmet will slide along the ground/road etc, minimising the harm to the cyclist's neck etc. While the Big Wig may protect against magpies, it may result in more severity of neck injury.

    Though, I may be wrong, if anyone else knows, post away.

  • If so, you could use the ski binding principle: attach it just firmly enough to stop it blowing away, but not firmly enough to withstand a good tug (with the amount of force that might cause neck injury). It would be easy to test this setup without damaging the helmet, too.

  • Ahh, never thought of that!

    Yes it seems they will only swoop shiny things.

  • @nothingworthwhile Suppose this is true that magpies do go after helmets, then consider the fact that having magpies chase after people can result in loss of control and therefore injuries. Then is having the helmet function per design really all that reassuring when it's caused the accident?

  • Very funny, great sound track too. Gotta love the old massive attack and tricky!

  • I'd been wondering if a big big wig might do the job - thanks for supporting the theory.

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