Someone's Hiding Tire Spikes On Off-Road Trails. And The Type Is Literally Medieval

Name: Someone's Hiding Tire Spikes On Off-Road Trails. And The Type Is Literally Medieval
Uploaded: 2026-06-18T11:01:00Z
Duration: 2 min 8 s
Description: Some trail riders near Courtenay, British Columbia got a nasty surprise. Mountain bikers, dirt bikers, dogs; literally no one needs this.

Some trail riders near Courtenay, British Columbia got a nasty surprise. Mountain bikers, dirt bikers, dogs; literally no one needs this.

02:08

Photo by: Comox Valley Search and Rescue

Janaki Jitchotvisut

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Jun 18, at 7:01am ET

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Ever heard of caltrops? Me, I love learning about history, but even still, this was a new one for me. In case you're in the same boat, they're what the website medievalbritain.com refers to as "medieval area-denial weapons," and that's because of two things.

One is that, no matter how you throw them, there will always be at least one sharp spike pointing upward. And two is that, no matter what unfortunate creature or vehicle steps or rolls over the protruding, sharp spikes, they're most assuredly going to have a very bad time.

Add both those things together, and whoever you've just kept out of that area has been DENIED.

Why am I telling you about these in June 2026? That's an easy, if unfortunate one: Because earlier this week, a mountain biker near Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada (that's on Vancouver Island, BTW) had the misfortune to find several. The first one was with his bike tire, which of course got a very nice puncture as a result of rolling over one of these spiky things.

Local mountain biker Erik Roy has lived in the area for over 14 years, and told local news station CHEK News about the incident, which you can see in the video above. Mountain bikers aren't the only ones who use trails in the area; dirt bikers, dogs, hikers, and more all enjoy recreating in these areas on a regular basis, particularly as the weather gets nicer and more inviting to spend time outdoors.

Comox Valley Search and Rescue, which operates in the area, received reports from multiple trail users about finding these nasty little booby traps on trails in the area. The organization then published a photo and a warning on its social media channels, advising trail users to be on the lookout for these potentially dangerous and easily overlooked devices while they're out enjoying nature. The Comox Valley Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is reportedly also investigating.

What do you think?

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The geography and tactics might differ, but this, unfortunately, is just the latest in a line of unknown persons seemingly setting up dangerous booby traps for trail users. Could it be a prank gone wrong? Sure, if you think that putting a spike through someone's foot is the height of hilarity.

Please be vigilant when you're out on the trails, whatever you're doing while you're out there. That's especially true if you're in the area discussed here, but it seems like that extra caution can just as easily apply to any trail these days.