A flat tire on a bike happens. But the problem is when they multiply in the same sector over a short period. As in Obernai (Bas-Rhin) since this summer. Where many cyclists have found… bedbugs in their tires.
“They were quite wide and with the tip well placed upwards. It couldn’t have been put there by chance,” explains Doru-Marius Persinaru, the manager of Cycl’hop, a specialized store located in this small town located between Strasbourg and Colmar. “I don’t know exactly how many people had problems, but dozens, for sure. »
The local tourist office confirms. “Yes, we also had a few bikes affected with the same problem. We’re sure it was intentional and we know it happened in specific places. On the Obernai-Goxwiller cycle path and the greenway between Saint-Nabord and Rixheim. We told people to avoid certain streets and take other paths, that’s the most we could do. »
The municipal police were also contacted, like the gendarmerie. Response of entities to 20 Minutes ? “No comments. » It is therefore difficult to know whether or not an investigation has been opened.
In the meantime, the phenomenon continues. Again this weekend, cyclists saw their inner tubes deflate. With always the same unpleasant surprise on the tire: a big bug. “I didn’t realize it right away, I thought it was a stone,” says Guillaume. “It was when I stopped that I saw it and removed it. Then while washing the bike, I had a second one on the other wheel! There were four of us, I was the only one who was affected. Luckily I was able to get home but at full speed it can be dangerous. »
“Not new”
Elsewhere in the region, some claim to have already seen similar objects lying around on the roads. “At the end of August, during an outing on a track towards Bergbieten,” remembers Mathilde, reinforced in her memories by her husband Rémi. Two of their acquaintances had the misfortune of always dying because of these famous bedbugs. Or ? In the same place… precisely and always between Goxwiller and Obernai, a month apart.
“It’s not new,” adds Doru-Marius Persinaru. “It had already happened with nails two or three years ago on the Bruche canal and last year, in another place. But it’s true that it wasn’t as frequent as this year. I hope that talking about it won’t give people bad ideas. This is a malicious act that perhaps does not deserve to be reported. »
Or to warn cyclists. Many are already talking about it on dedicated forums, discussion threads or simply in the pelotons. “We rode on Saturday and it was a topic of conversation,” says Philippe Vallée, president of the Obernai cycling team. “I have never come across a place with nails or tacks… In more than twenty-five years of cycling. » Enough to put things into perspective and pedal with more peace of mind. With your eyes on the road anyway.
