Pro rider’s bike stolen at knifepoint in London

That is frightening 🙁

It’s not terrorism, but it’s not theft either, it’s armed robbery, and I hope sentencing reflects that (not that there is much chance of the perps being caught).

Fixed it for you.

So, that’s 5 separate incidents in less than a wk where the assailants have threatened harm…

Be very interesting to see the police response to this..

The actual charge would be assault with intent to rob – armed robbery is only applicable when there are firearms involved – I think. If caught & convicted the sentence will be quite heavy, probably 8 yrs to start with. For a bike that’ll be worth a couple of hundred £ once they’ve fenced it on it hardly seems worth it..

I’m not sure if the acts are the work of a gang or opportunistic individuals. Regardless, it’s unreal.

When a groups actions have a community living in terror and changing their behaviour I’d say it’s pushing way beyond robbery, maybe it’s lacking a political motive but to me it’s still verging on terrorism, despite not hitting the dictionary definition directly on target. People are literally moving away, stopping leisure cycling and commuting as a result.

It’s not terrorism & would not be charged as such. You may find it terrorising but that doesn’t make it terrorism.It fails quite clearly as defined in the act of 2000. You might be able to add a charge under the public order act such as harassment, alarm or distress (more likely affray though) as well as assault with intent to rob. Definitely not terrorism though!

The worry for me is that when others see how easy it is and hard it is for the police to do anything about it, even if it’s one or two teams then soon enough it will be widespread

How would you patrol the Surrey Hills for example, there’s hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of bikes circulating there at the weekends

I think there’s a market for remotely detonated dye bombs.
Look at that image of them on the moped holding a bike – now imagine them in a cloud of bright green indelible ink 🙂 Preferably with some mustard gas pepper spray and skunk oil for good measure. We should get Mark Rober on the job.

On a slightly more serious note though, GPS trackers with long battery life should be in more widespread use perhaps. Is there a good one?

The worry for me is that when others see how easy it is and hard it is for the police to do anything about it, even if it’s one or two teams then soon enough it will be widespread

A very valid concern.

The actual charge would be assault with intent to rob – armed robbery is only applicable when there are firearms involved – I think.

[Caveat] I’m no legal expert but [Caveat] a quick google suggests that the classification of armed robbery is not reserved specifically for the use of firearms, but also other weapons (including knives and batons).  IIRC the pro-rider in question posted via Instagram that the police were treating it as such.

Anyhow, not here to argue, more as a worried person local to the area who’ll sadly be giving the park a wide berth for the foreseeable future, which is a massive shame as it’s one of my lunch hour loops but I’m normally solo and have no desire to be run down by a moped for my bike.

One relatively easy measure would be if proof of ownership was needed before being able to buy replacement electric bike or Di2 chargers.

Obviously doesn’t work in all cases, but so many high end bikes need power of some sort and most have proprietary connectors and cables.

When a groups actions have a community living in terror and changing their behaviour I’d say it’s pushing way beyond robbery, maybe it’s lacking a political motive but to me it’s still verging on terrorism, despite not hitting the dictionary definition directly on target. People are literally moving away, stopping leisure cycling and commuting as a result.

Hyperbole much?

[Caveat] I’m no legal expert but [Caveat] a quick google suggests that the classification of armed robbery is not reserved specifically for the use of firearms, but also other weapons (including knives and batons). IIRC the pro-rider in question posted via Instagram that the police were treating it as such.

Anyhow, not here to argue, more as a worried person local to the area who’ll sadly be giving the park a wide berth for the foreseeable future, which is a massive shame as it’s one of my lunch hour loops but I’m normally solo and have no desire to be run down by a moped for my bike.

Likewise.

Also if the police are treating as armed robbery that’s some good news of a sort..

I don’t think it’s hyperbole.

You’ve got examples of change in behaviour and wanting to move away in this thread alone.

Replace going to the park with going to vote as the activity that people are being put off because of the threat at hand..

Easier to brush off as a guy vs female using park to train.

Clear message needs to be sent that this behaviour isn’t acceptable in a civilised society.

Replace going to the park with going to vote as the activity that people are being put off because of the threat at hand..

That’s voter intimidation, not terrorism.

You appear to have your Snickers in a Twix over this.

There’s a lot the bike industry could do to reduce theft but there’s no incentive to do it – more thefts equals increased sales of bikes and parts.

One thing that could be done is serialisation of parts and group sets – with laser etched 3d barcodes being linked to sale history. Even if bikes were stripped for parts the components could still be traced back to the owner when sold on – making online stolen goods marketplaces like eBay and gumtree much easier to tackle. Several such small 3d barcodes on each component worth more than £150 would make the theft pointless – because the damage caused by removing the barcodes would render the item worthless.

Damn straight my Snickers are in a Twix 😂. There are people marauding Royal Parks I like to ride with machetes, thinking they in a war zone.

Imagine if it was Bike Park Wales or Whistler.

Just something I never expected to see in life. To be fair many things happened in the last year I never expected to see in life.

Snickers in a Twix

I’m so using that!

Snickers in a Twix

I’m so using that!

Was the punchline to a joke I saw today, his wife didn’t like the way he swapped the chocolate wrappers around and she got her….

One thing that could be done is serialisation of parts and group sets – with laser etched 3d barcodes being linked to sale history.

At work I use a petzl progress adjust lanyard with a QR barcode on it that is scanned for our LOLER checks we have had to scrap some as the barcodes become unreadable with a scratch.

So I believe that any barcoded kit would just be scratched then it’s untraceable

Easy to talk, quite different to get the baton out, have space to swing etc and then activity hit someone with enough force in the right place to stop them.

Quite right.

That’s more like it.
What bar bag for a pistol?

On a slightly more serious note though, GPS trackers with long battery life should be in more widespread use perhaps. Is there a good one?

Well, there’s this:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/vodafone-curve-rear-bike-light-and-gps-tracker-1
…though the reviews on there aren’t great!

Then there’s this:
https://seesense.cc/products/see-sense-air-pre-order
…though it’s not actually released yet.

Some people use things like Apple Airtags or similar, hidden away. So, I guess maybe soon it’ll be a viable thing, but not that hard to defeat by someone with half a clue that it’s there.

Then there’s this:
https://seesense.cc/products/see-sense-air-pre-order

Any idea is good in theory. This one though states tamper resistant.
Given whoever is likely going to be ripping it off with pliers, thats hardly resistant

Yep, totally agree – if they become common enough that they’re known about then they’ll be removed easily enough.

Here’s another option, but not cheap!

https://bikefinder.com/en/

it’s robbery,

Armed robbery actually, and yes sentencing is appropriate if caught. Let’s see if they want my steel fixed wheel Kona road bike. Heavy to carry away. One would hope that ANPR would get them, but if not, if you see a moped with a passenger carrying a bike can you now hit them with your car? Informed drivers want to know.

What bar bag for a pistol?

You jest. On the Tandem@Hobbes listserver there was once a heated debate on “Are you packing?” Clearly some had ridden Richmond Park.

This is ridiculously shit. I’m riding into town tomorrow. Not too worried about the morning, but it puts me right off going that way in the evening. I come in Roehampton Gate, which appears to be the hotspot! Don’t even know a decent alternative.

Where do you need to get to njee?

This is ridiculously shit. I’m riding into town tomorrow.

Just ride your oldest bike, they will be targeting high end disk braked bikes as that is where the money will be

police will only take it seriously once someone gets chopped.

the scallies know this.

police will only take it seriously once someone gets chopped.

I think maybe they’ll be working on this given it was a professional rider and several of the bigger newspapers and the beeb were running the story. Just have to stay out of that area until they catch these scumbags.

police will only take it seriously once someone gets chopped.

If I was an overstretched Police force and this was the immediate reaction, I’d be prioritising other things as well.

more thefts equals increased sales of bikes and parts.

That’s perhaps one of the more daft assertions made about an industry I’ve heard. I can see Mike Synard rubbing his hands together as he gloats over the cell on the spread that totals replacement bike sales…

@onewheelgood, this is a little late as I’m not glued to this forum 24/7, you missed my point completely, lenient sentences is the issue, a few weeks/months inside is nothing to these scumbags, it’s a chance to catch up with family n friends in some cases, several years is another matter, some of these lowlifes even avoid custodial sentences despite having a history of similar offences.

Where do you need to get to njee?

Ultimately London Bridge to Leatherhead, so I tend to come in via Priory Lane and Roehampton Gate, then go up to Sheen Cross, up past the ballet school and out Kingston gate. The obvious alternative is to go a totally different route and go down the A24 via Clapham/Merton/Morden/Cheam/Epsom. Once you’re in Putney the alternatives look a bit rubbish!

Just ride your oldest bike, they will be targeting high end disk braked bikes as that is where the money will be

Yeah I don’t have discs, and it certainly isn’t a desirable brand, they seem quite discerning from the photos I’ve seen!

Ultimately London Bridge to Leatherhead, so I tend to come in via Priory Lane and Roehampton Gate, then go up to Sheen Cross, up past the ballet school and out Kingston gate. The obvious alternative is to go a totally different route and go down the A24 via Clapham/Merton/Morden/Cheam/Epsom. Once you’re in Putney the alternatives look a bit rubbish!

Ah, so pretty much diagonally across, so any diversion is going to be a big one, thought I may be able to help, but can’t really suggest much more than you already know.

Yeah I don’t have discs, and it certainly isn’t a desirable brand, they seem quite discerning from the photos I’ve seen!

Was debating this with some friends after the first ones, I suspect that they’re looking out for (if possible) single rider who looks fit /nice kit, aero wheels, discs – this would have the best chance of a high value bike.

In worse news I was walking the dog this morning to find my usual field cordoned off as a teenager was stabbed in broad daylight yesterday afternoon in front of a load of school kids doing after school clubs.  A stark reminder that those who carry blades are often not afraid to use them regardless of the consequences.

[Caveat] I’m no legal expert but [Caveat] a quick google suggests that the classification of armed robbery is not reserved specifically for the use of firearms, but also other weapons (including knives and batons). IIRC the pro-rider in question posted via Instagram that the police were treating it as such.

‘Armed robbery’ isn’t a defined chargeable offence to begin with. There are theft related charges such as ‘robbery’, or the aforementioned ‘assault with intent to rob’, and the separate charges relating to weapons such as ‘Threatening with Weapon in Public’

In worse news I was walking the dog this morning to find my usual field cordoned off as a teenager was stabbed in broad daylight yesterday afternoon in front of a load of school kids doing after school clubs. A stark reminder that those who carry blades are often not afraid to use them regardless of the consequences.

Mrs Dubs rode past this yesterday. 🙁

I’m conflicted by the responses saying people will avoid the park. On one hand of course people should try to keep themselves safe, however, on the other hand there is safety in numbers and avoiding the park will make it easier for riders who do continue to go to the park to be isolated and targeted.
It’s also kind of letting the ‘terrorists’ win.

Arranging to ride round in groups would be ideal.

ahh a glimpse into what motorcyclists have had to put up with for years. i guess now that bicycles are more expensive than motorcycles and easier to steal this was inevitable.

Tempted by one of these – seems like it’s legal for now…

https://safehaus.co.uk/products/safehaus-mini-self-defence-spray-criminal-identifier

I don’t want to avoid the park all the time, but I already avoid Danebury Avenue / Clarence Lane unless I’m in a group.