Cyclists worried about car doors or steel tacks have been presented with a new fear – malicious vandals who've poured oil on a bike track.

Late on Tuesday, a section of the Capital City Trail near Dynon Road in West Melbourne was found doused in oil.

The Capital City Trail is a popular cycling route. Credit:Pat Scala

Firefighters attended and covered the area with sand, and the clean-up is continuing with a plastic barrier in place.

Members of the cycling community expressed their concern at what they viewed as a deliberate attack, especially in light of the Boulie Tacker who punctures cyclists' tyres by dropping thousands of tacks on the Yarra Boulevard.