copper on mountain bikes in central londres....
Discussion
...does anyone know if they go through much training to hold a position such as this?
I only ask because on my commute down old street I see them quite often. They frequently have stings where they nick people going through red lights.
I had to laugh today at one set of traffic lights just past the old street roundabout (outside the weatherspoons PH) where a particularly fat young man on a boris bike went through a red light, and then, out of no where, an equally plump copper on one of these bikes comes out of a side street to give chase at about 5 mph, his legs spinning at about 10,000 RPM.
It was like something out of a film.
Part of me wonders whether it would be worth a laugh it to risk the 30 quid fine to commit a minor road traffic infringement, and then see if I could out run one of them. Apparently though, my mate who is a courier in town, says there is one copper who can really shift - and there aint no chance of getting away from him.
(nb I would never deliberately goad a bib into giving chase - at least I dont think I would, although I have done some fairly silly things in my time)
I only ask because on my commute down old street I see them quite often. They frequently have stings where they nick people going through red lights.
I had to laugh today at one set of traffic lights just past the old street roundabout (outside the weatherspoons PH) where a particularly fat young man on a boris bike went through a red light, and then, out of no where, an equally plump copper on one of these bikes comes out of a side street to give chase at about 5 mph, his legs spinning at about 10,000 RPM.
It was like something out of a film.
Part of me wonders whether it would be worth a laugh it to risk the 30 quid fine to commit a minor road traffic infringement, and then see if I could out run one of them. Apparently though, my mate who is a courier in town, says there is one copper who can really shift - and there aint no chance of getting away from him.
(nb I would never deliberately goad a bib into giving chase - at least I dont think I would, although I have done some fairly silly things in my time)
This reminds me of going to the Emergency Services day at Brooklands a couple of years ago.
For anyone who hasn't been, they have all sorts of Emergency Services vehicles, from 50s ambulances to currently serving traffic cars and even the odd smaller fire appliance going up the test hill.
For those who don't know the test hill, it's 350 feet from bottom to top, with the first third being 1 in 8, the second third being 1 in 5, and the final third being 1 in 4.
On this particular year, 3 police cyclists decided to have a race up it. One guy made it about 50 feet in before he had to get off and push. The second got nearly half way, but the third cleared the entire hill.
As they were coming off the hill, I heard the second turn to the first and say "yeah, but doing it on a mountain bike is cheating!
For anyone who hasn't been, they have all sorts of Emergency Services vehicles, from 50s ambulances to currently serving traffic cars and even the odd smaller fire appliance going up the test hill.
For those who don't know the test hill, it's 350 feet from bottom to top, with the first third being 1 in 8, the second third being 1 in 5, and the final third being 1 in 4.
On this particular year, 3 police cyclists decided to have a race up it. One guy made it about 50 feet in before he had to get off and push. The second got nearly half way, but the third cleared the entire hill.
As they were coming off the hill, I heard the second turn to the first and say "yeah, but doing it on a mountain bike is cheating!
bigandclever said:
Yes, yes, it's the grauniad, but linky
link said:
He and Notley then show me their method for tackling fugitives. With all the skidding about it's a bit like The Sweeney but with a mountain bike instead of a Ford Granada. Aveling demonstrates the various ways to deal with potentially violent ne'er do wells. The most dramatic involves propelling the bike forwards into them, handlebars first. This would hurt, given the weight of equipment the bikes carry in panniers.
Saddle bum said:
Some plod bikes are marked "Smith & Wesson". I have a pikkie taken last year on the Isle of Wight, cannot find it at the moment. They are also seen in Bromley, my LBS used to service them.
I don't believe S&W make bikes, could be some characters idea of promoting a macho image.
They didn't make them but saw a gap in the market as Police forces started to buy mountain bikes (with very limited experience of what they needed). They started to produce two bikes in the USA and a company in the UK started importing them for sale here. They were outrageously priced, as in C.£600 and they replaced (in our force anyway) Spec hardrock and GT aggressors which were both far cheaper and perfectly adequate. The stories are, the woman in the procurement department bought the contract with no experience of cycling or even cycling equipment. She's just heard of Smith and Wesson and went for it. Our force has now had several frame failures on the bikes where they've snapped around the gusset between head and top tubes.I don't believe S&W make bikes, could be some characters idea of promoting a macho image.
On the matter of out riding coppers, we have two in our division who race internationally for the Police and can do sub 25min 20k tts. We also have several who will die soon from doughnut abuse so you takes your chances!
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