Fallowfield Loop – the sh1t bags are back out – BIKE JACKERS

Well, it had to happen. Just east of Athol Road but under the bridge at Princess Parkway. Me this time.

On approach to the bridge, I could see four lads on bikes. I could see they spotted me then moved to the sides. Bit odd I thought. Spidey senses kicked it. Upped the speed and as I got to the bridge, one tried to swerve in front of me. I twitched left, but then a lad on the left threw his bike straight into my path. Argh. I eased off my grip and rammed into the bike. Just had to hang on as the old 90’s MTB ploughed through the MTB that was in my path and over it I went. Accelerated away and warned everyone coming down to watch out.

The scum bags will be after students or commuters. The gall of it as it was peak rush hour at 5pm, and people passing every minute or two. I assume they were expecting that no-one would stop to help.

Could have been nasty as I was going fairly quickly, 18-20mph, but it takes a lot to stop ‘the tank’. I’ll be on to Work’s cycling page and security to send warnings out to students and staff.

Glad you got away with that one, fella.

Shit bags -0

decent folk-1

well done

Bloody hell, hope you’re okay.

Glad you got away, scumbags the lot of them

Thank for the information I often cycle along there. Have you reported your experience to the police?
It might be worth it as Manchester is currently full of new students who are not all very street wise and quite venerable to street crime.

I’ve tagged Fallowfield Police and the Friends of the Loop – will try and do a report, but we all know how useless GMP are with cyclists.

Reported using the on-line form !

Scary stuff. Glad you got through ok. People are scummy!

It would be an awful shame if a few adults were to ride along and have a polite word with these lads.

Well done @fossy

Plain clothes police need to take a bike ride along the loop.

I’ve been riding the commute on the Floop for 10 years, well had a ‘break’ for about five due to a broken Spine, but haven’t come across any issues, other than it’s a bit dodgy out of rush hour. Tonight, warm, bright, but the four lads under the bridge with hoodies up, and all ‘reacting’ as they saw my approach had me think they were upto something.  I expected one to try and run out at me, hence the speed increase to about 20 mph, but getting a bike pushed in-front I didn’t.  Down side to them, is my Diamond Back is tough, had it 35 years, and it’s heavy at the rear with the panniers and just smashed the other bike out of the way. The other thing is I can handle a bike.

I don’t know what would have happened if I’d gone down, I’d be up, well used to bike crashes, and well practiced in tuck and roll, and would probably go for the nearest one that approached me, not wise, but I wouldn’t hold back disabling one (knuckle to eye, stamp on knee). I do have FARB (permanent red ink) spray in the pannier, but getting it when being attacked isn’t going to happen. Who knows, they obviously had no respect for what would happen to me if they took me off. They couldn’t have just jumped on the bike and gone, as it was in a big gear and it is not light at all with the panniers.

It got so bad a few years ago that my workplace at the time (East Manchester) was emailing staff warning never to cycle it alone and facilitating group trips by linking commuters that used it and saying “there’s a meeting point at xxxx, wait there, a group of 4-6 will form and you can ride the Floop bit together for safety”.

Helen Pidd of the Guardian newspaper (another regular rider of the Floop) organised a big community event along it one evening to highlight the issues to the (thoroughly useless) police and that did galvinise them into action for a few weeks.

It’s a great route for commuting but it’s the low lives you get trying to get a few quid off a robbery. Yeh my phone might have been worth a bit, but the bike is old – they don’t know that from a distance, nor do they know it might be a bastid on a bike (like me). I had a colleague attacked a few years back, similar time of day. He was on an expensive e-bike, but he stopped, then thought better about it – they’d just swung at him.

I’ve adjusted my home commute to avoid Reddish Vale at tea time as someone was removed from their bike last year at 5-5:30pm, so I’ll switch back to the parallel road to get back to the A6 for now.

Oh just thought, I’ve got a really good contact at work to get a message out to students and staff – she’ll get it done ASAP (I work at a Uni).

What’s your alternative route @fossy? I’m in marple and we recently moved offices to the centre of town so I’ve been using Oxford Road, Floop, Nelstrop and Alan Newton Way

Oxford Road to the Floop is OK – the bit I’m using is west of there to Whalley range as I’m based in Hulme – it’s been a good run in, which I’ll use.

To work is Bredbury/Woodley, via the tip, industrial estate and in via Brinnington near Euro Car Parks then the Vale, North Reddish Park, and the Floop. Home is different due to scallies.

You’ll have to give me the Nelstrop route as I avoid The Vale in evenings as the scallies are out – I pick up Allan Newton Way at Woodbank Park near home on the way back as I use the A6 from Station South on my return. I’ll take Alex Road from Hullme, pick up Wilbraham Rd and Albert Road till I get to A6, then A6 to Stoockport

I also need to avoid me getting in this situation as I don’t take any messing and could end up me getting ‘hurt’, if you see what I mean. Mr Mellow until people really wind me up, and if I’ve been knocked off, I’m pretty good at getting back up ASAP and I have a strong suspicion I may snap with people like that. I’m quite good at crashing and getting up, as you do after 40 years of racing, falling off, and riding all sorts of bikes.

Also my bike handling had 4 days of sliding round the KAW with camping gear and loaded CX bikes last week, so skills were ‘hot’ (ish) – throw a bike or two at me on a 90’s Tange Cro-mo tank is not going to phase me (this bike has left big dents in cars).

DIY pepper spray ?. One of those little lemon jif containers with an extra helping of tabasco sauce.

I have the red dye spray in my panniers, but never needed it after a ‘remote’ attack many years ago, that got me to get some.  I’ve been attacked locally near home by a dog, and so has a neighbour whilst running. The local dog warden said get a dog repellent, but it’s apparently effective on people too, but I suspect it would be classed as a firearm on people from a copper I know. But, accidentally, dog spray…. it’s having it to hand though.  Citrus based.  The FARB spray is a permanent red spray, will take a week or so to come off skin, won’t come off clothing. Legal. Not harmful, nor an irritant (legal issue here).

I couldn’t have proved a bike jacking until the second bike got thrown at me, and 4 big lads on a mad 54 year old biker ? I’d have had to stop, get spray out, etc too late.

Theres this.- Appears to be legal in the UK.

https://farbgel.com/

Of course its probably better to keep in your pocket than in the pannier. And sad as it is maybe getting into the habit of carrying such is now the future of personal crime resistance.

I was watching a video last week from North America and it took me a moment or two to realise that the ‘fire extinguisher’ in a mesh pocket on his chest was bear spray. So it seems that they already do bags or vests with a handy pocket for some ‘dog’ spray…

I know how you feel OP, I was victim of an attempted mugging in MK once. Be careful with how you react, 4 kids who have far less to lose than you and there’s probably knives about, bad situation. I knew a guy who was very handy who got mugged and done over by a group of teenagers once and that was before knives were so common. Good idea to commute on a hack and whatever bike, it’s just not worth getting stabbed for. And if they feel they’re having to defend themselves (especially in front of their gang) that may well happen.

Well done, the local cycle track near me had to have a few assaults on before police would act.  Cameras are now installed every 100m or so with big warning signs saying you are being recorded.

I ride it every day, the odd baddy is down there but I can spot them and just ride on by.

Terrible really, I know people still actively avoiding the track due to its history.

Veteran of Manchester commuting here. Had a load of incidents and one when 4 lads tried to push me into the canal. Managed to stay out but hitting the ground, well, that stung.

Just be careful though mate with the fighting back. Yes your adrenalin is right up in these situations, but is your bike / phone really worth getting stabbed ?

Horrible experience for you.

Spoke to a colleague about it this morning and they will speak to Head of Security to get a message out to students to be careful. Police have called, but the number I’ve been given doesn’t accept direct calls, and I’m not sitting on 101 all day !  Alternate road route is OK, wide with a bit of paint for a cycle lane.

Used to use the Floop on my way to work in Levenshulme, never met any issues myself, but the lack of lighting -especially in the darker months and under the underpasses is a obvious spot for bike-jackers. I’ve seen the occasional cops down there – even a couple on horse back once, but it needs proper permanent lighting to discourage the pickpockets, scallywags, ner-do-wells, and associated lowlifes

This happened to my 16 year old son, on the canal in Stretford last week. They got away with his bike. He got a few scuffs as well. The scum bags described it as 3 2 tax, M32 area isn’t it! All reported to the police. We’re all going to be sticking to the road for our commuting for the foreseeable. Keep your whits about you folks.

Mugged for an old clunker? Thats a pi$$er. I’ve always assumed that if i ride an older / cheaper bike around i’m immune. Obviously not.

 I’ve always assumed that if i ride an older / cheaper bike around i’m immune. Obviously not.

Helps, probably, against them nicking it when locked up or someone seeing it and following you home to nick later.

Someone just hanging around in ambush not so much. By the time they realise the bike aint worth it its a bit late.

They wouldn’t have known the bike is old from a distance. Would have seen someone with a light and panniers and male. The bike isn’t a clunker as such as it’s all Deore LX and XT although ‘period’ and with handbuilt wheels running XT parallax hubs.

Although, at commuter rush hour time, laptop and phone is a snatch ?

My revised route home runs parallel on Wilbraham Rd and doesn’t seem too bad traffic wise as its wide and has a bit of paint for a cycle lane. Exactly the same distance if not a little quicker.

I’ve not had trouble before but have seen a few undesirables hanging about. It’s how brazen they were. Given the nice weather there were loads of people on the loop.

In winter you keep your wits about you.

By the time they realise the bike aint worth it its a bit late.

They don’t care what your bike is worth they’ve done a deal that sees them get for twenty quid for  a couple bikes to the bloke that’ll stick them on eBay. They’re certainly not noticing anyone’s XT parallex hubs  and nodding knowingly to themselves

When I was commuting through Hulme every day, getting followed by the local scrotes was a thing. Presumably for them to clock where you lived and clean your garage out. I never had a direct confrontation but I’ve had a few ‘moments’ of having to take convoluted evasive routes to get rid of the ‘tail’ that I’d picked up

This should raise a rueful smile @fossy – The Sunday Times recently published a cycling guide of ‘8 of the most beautiful cycle routes in the UK’. Number 5 was the Fallowfield Loop. They’re clearly never ridden it then?

It is a lovely route, but ‘some’ of the local population aren’t the best.  I’m based in Hulme, so stick to Alexander Road – I’ll use the park in the mornings though.

Thanks for the warning. I don’t commute on the FLoop but use it occasionally when riding.

I live in South Manchester and its not uncommon now to see lads with their faces covered riding around 3-up on scooters/peds/whatever and its obvious what they’re up to.

Shit state of affairs.

‘8 of the most beautiful cycle routes in the UK’

The Ashton canal path? lol. I walked a couple of miles along that at dusk earlier this year and wondered if it was worth stashing my wallet in my pants.

The Sunday Times recently published a cycling guide of ‘8 of the most beautiful cycle routes in the UK’. Number 5 was the Fallowfield Loop. They’re clearly never ridden it then?

Have *any* of the ‘Top 10 places to visit in X’ authors ever visited the places they write about? Utter tosh usually.

Have *any* of the ‘Top 10 places to visit in X’ authors ever visited the places they write about? Utter tosh usually.

We got stung at an overpriced chip shop in Cornwall they listed – It had nice views but that was it.