Pro rider’s bike stolen at knifepoint in London

I’m conflicted by the responses saying people will avoid the park.

It’s a valid point. My 2c is that my head on a swivel enough as it is for bad drivers – throw in the risk of someone on a moped armed with a machete after my bike & that’s a big fat no fing thanks from this rider..

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.

No worries, cheers for the thought!

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.

I’m kinda the same. A big part of me thinks that taking a different route is a really poor response, why should I have to etc etc, and the chances of anything happening seem minuscule. But equally, clearly it’s a threat at the moment, and why expose myself to that unnecessarily? I wondered about just riding through with someone, but obviously people commuting can’t necessarily ‘arrange’ to ride together in the same way as if you’re out for a Sunday spin. I could say to someone on Priory Lane “hey, shall we stick together?!”, but that’s about it! I’m not normally one for overthinking these things, but this one’s got me a bit!

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jimdubleyou
Full Member

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

The issue with that against a machete wielding miscreant is it has absolutely no self defence properties (otherwise it would be illegal) other than painting them red which probably won’t make them drop their knife and run off screaming and may lead to a serious escalation of violence.
In the highly, highly unlikely event of coming up against these a holes, just give up the bike, it’s just a bike which can be replaced and not worth dying over. Despite what the baton wielding hero’s may say the chances of successfully fighting off a knife without injury are very, very slim. At training every year we do an exercise bloke with a knife 15 feet away versus bloke with baton or gas – the knife guy always gets a stab in and that’s against another minor civil servant not some gee’ed up young **** with a great big zombie knife and a bad attitude to the norms of Richmond Park society.

Njee can’t you go in at Sheen if avoiding Priory? RP is probably still safer overall than cycling through the traffic and random pads of Tooting though!

Officers from #OperationVenice were deployed yesterday to #RichmondPark and the surrounding area. Whilst on patrol in the local area they engaged and pursued a male on a motorbike, with tactical contact being made. The male was arrested and taken into custody. (1)/2) pic.twitter.com/0sB6FhscRM

— Royal Parks Police (@MPSRoyal_Parks) October 13, 2021

Njee can’t you go in at Sheen if avoiding Priory? RP is probably still safer overall than cycling through the traffic and random pads of Tooting though!

I did also think that 😀

I’m actually going to go via Tooting etc tonight, I went that way for years, but haven’t done so for 5-6 years (since discovering the RP route), so it’s more about nostalgia than actually avoiding stabby thieves; I like the morning ride in via the park, but actually on the way home the route is a bit of a slog!

At training every year we do an exercise bloke with a knife 15 feet away versus bloke with baton or gas – the knife guy always gets a stab in and that’s against another minor civil servant not some gee’ed up young **** with a great big zombie knife and a bad attitude to the norms of Richmond Park society.

the american police tend to go with 21 feet – an able bodied man within that distance can charge you before you can draw and fire your gun – as justification for many of their very frequent shootings.