Catheads are rife in the bike park precinct and before the first race even began yesterday riders were dealing with punctures to their tyres.

Searing weather over the past few weeks has created the problem as the sharp-thorned weeds have now hardened off – just at the wrong time.

BMX Australia Academy coach Luke Madill yesterday said he was aware a significant number of riders had punctured tyres due to the catheads.

The weeds are not growing on the track but the thorns are being brought in on the shoes of competitors and spectators.

“It’s because people are parking in the car park and walking them in,” he said.

Mr Madill said the situation could affect riders aiming for Olympic glory this year.

“Mentally and physically it does have an impact,” he said.

“Hopefully you notice it before you get up to the start.”

He said the cathead problem was not uncommon on the BMX circuit.

“A lot of BMX tracks we go to have the issue, a lot of them are built in regional areas,” Mr Madill said.

In the meantime, it was bedlam at Belly’s Bikes in Russell Street on Monday as competitors descended on the outlet in their droves with tyres punctured by the thorny weeds.

Greg Bell sold out of BMX bicycle tubes by early afternoon and at one stage had 50-60 BMX riders in his shop, all with the same problem – flat tyres due to catheads.

“If Bathurst isn’t famous for anything, it will be for its catheads by the end of this week,” Mr Bell said yesterday.

“It was madness in here on Monday. I wasn’t ready for it. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve had to order in another 250 tubes from both Brisbane and Melbourne by express overnight airfreight.

“The way they’re all talking about the catheads up at the bike park, it’s going to be an issue.

People are parking where the mountain bike track is and picking up the catheads in their shoes.

“They’re carrying their bikes on their shoulders to avoid them.

“However, people get to the BMX area and get rid of the catheads by dragging their feet on the ground. That’s where the trouble’s been starting.”

Mr Bell said a man came in last Wednesday with his BMX bike which had special “goo” in the tubes to stop punctures, but even that didn’t save him from having two flat tyres.

“The cathead problem has only just emerged in recent weeks with the warmer weather hardening off the thorns,” Mr Bell said.

“People in the shop from Tasmania didn’t know what was going on because they don’t get catheads down there, but the people from Western Australia and the Northern Territory knew all about them.

“If the catheads get onto the track it could be nasty with so much at stake being the national championships. Organisers might address the issue by doing a walk over the track and they could consider using blowers to clean off the surface if any catheads are there.”