The victim of a violent bikejacking in London last month says he is still recovering from the psychological impact of the attack, which saw him forced off the road and cornered by two thieves riding Lime bikes and mopeds.
The violent robbery in south-east London is just one of several bikejackings reported by cyclists in the capital in recent months, as “brazen” criminals appear to be targeting people on bikes in ever-increasing numbers.
The victim, who does not wish to be named, was cycling on Whateley Road in East Dulwich, on his way to Regent’s Park when he was ambushed in what he described as a “co-ordinated and aggressive” manner by two thieves, one on a moped and the other riding a Lime bike.
The incident took place on 6 August 2026 at around 6.20am – in “broad daylight”, as the cyclist notes – near Whateley Road’s junction with Lordship Lane.
“They used the familiar tactic of a coordinated and aggressive method to force me off the road, box me in on the pavement, and violently steal my bike,” the cyclist tells road.cc.
“After calling 999, I waited on the side of the road for about two hours for the police to arrive, being told the shift had just changed. Thankfully some kind residents stayed with me to make sure I was okay.”
After arriving on the scene, an officer informed the rider that the Lime bike used by one of the attackers, and left on the pavement, had been paid for, presumably by the bikejacker. The cyclist was also told to check Facebook and other online marketplaces for his stolen bike, a blue Canyon Ultimate CF SL.
“Afterwards I posted on Reddit and a resident who lives nearby was able to provide doorbell footage. Unfortunately, you only see me ride past and then hear the shouting, moped acceleration as they stole the bike. I provided this to the police,” he says.
Since the incident, the cyclist claims there have been numerous delays in the Metropolitan Police’s investigation, including contacting Lime, who may be able to trace the identity of the person who rented the bike prior to the attack.
Last week, it was reported that the hire bike company used its GPS system to help City of London Police track down an e-bike rider caught on camera directing an offensive gesture at a pedestrian while riding on the pavement.
The police said that the case “demonstrated how technology can help identify riders involved in anti-social cycling offences, potentially helping the force tackle wider offences in the future”.
However, it appears that the same cannot be said for the Metropolitan Police and its approach to bikejackings, with the cyclist claiming that it took the force over a month to contact Lime about his case.
“I haven’t really been told much else from the police,” he tells road.cc. “I approached them a few times and they explained why there were delays to any updates, due to sickness and absences. They also said they were unable to find any more footage.
“The incident happened on 6 August and in an email reply on the 28th they said they hadn’t contacted Lime. On 8 September, I had an email to say that had approached Lime and were waiting for a response.”
When approached by road.cc, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the force was unable to comment on an “isolated incident”.
Nearly two months on, the cyclist says he has struggled to “move on” from the attack.
“While I feel incredibly fortunate to have escaped with only minor bruises, the psychological impact of being forced off the road and targeted in broad daylight is deeply unsettling,” he tells road.cc.
“Not only for myself, but for other members of my cycling club and the wider community as evidenced by the engagement with my post on the East Dulwich Form and Reddit.”
The cyclist says he has since written to his MP, and current Attorney General, Ellie Reeves, along with councillors and his local Safe Neighbourhood team in a bid to “raise awareness”.
He says Reeve’s response has been “positive and understanding, but whether any action can be taken to remove this threat remains to be unseen”.
He continued: “I’ve accepted that I shall never see the bike again. That is okay, it can be replaced. What I would like is for this to never happen to anyone else and for the cycling community to feel safe doing something that we enjoy.”
The East Dulwich cyclist’s decision to share his harrowing experience comes at the same time reports of bikejackings, and intimidation of cyclists by people on mopeds or illegal bikes, are on the rise in London.
Earlier this month, we reported that a 12-year-old boy was riding in Richmond Park when his mountain bike was stolen. Meanwhile, Richmond Park Cyclists, an association of several local cycling clubs and riders, has collated at least seven further incidents of masked riders on illegally modified electric motorbikes harassing and intimidating cyclists through the park.
In March, Jakroo Handsling, an elite British domestic racing team, warned of “organised and brazen” criminals targeting cyclists for high-value bikes after they had one bike stolen and another senselessly damaged by moped-riding robbers wearing balaclavas in south-west London.
The previous month, two motorbike-riding thieves, allegedly brandishing a knife, were also caught on camera stealing a women’s bike outside a busy café in Bermondsey, where Met officers once again took two hours to arrive at the scene.
road.cc also understands that there have been a number of as yet unverified reports of bikejackings at the entrance to Victoria Park in Hackney in recent weeks.
The spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the force was unable to comment on this recent spate of reported bikejackings because “they are not linked, given they are in different areas”.
The Met has previously been criticised for its allegedly passive response to bikejacking incidents in the capital. Last year, fter a group of club cyclists training in Regent’s Park asked for neighbourhood policing to patrol the area in the early morning, saying they felt like “sitting ducks” for criminals, they were told the officers were “unable to change our working hours”.
A Freedom of Information request made in 2023 found that an average of two bikejackings a day are occurring in London alone, with most thefts taking place in the early morning, when working people are most likely to be out riding higher-value road bikes.
Sean Epstein, the chair of Regent’s Park Cyclists, told us that bikejacking “keeps happening and there’s no plan to do anything about it”.
8 thoughts on “Lime and moped riders force cyclist off road and steal bike in “deeply unsettling” attack as London bikejacking reports on the rise”
If ever you needed proof of how seriously police treat bike theft, this is it. One of the bike hackers paid for a lime bike rental and two months on, nothing. Make a rude gesture and it’s game over, tracked down in a matter of days.
@Barraob1 Handy Guide to Met Police prioritisation:
Violent Mugging / Bike Theft – Not a Priority
Antisemetic marches / banners – Not a Priority
Illegal eMotorbikes – Low / No Priority
Drug dealing – Low Priority
Hurty Words online – Top Priority
This may be a little unfair but if they can’t even be bothered to get the hirer details of a lime bike involved in a violent mugging they can hardly claim to be effective as a force.
@open_roads “hurty words” – well, it’s a lot easier to wrap up cases if the defendant has documented their own offences, of course.
Of course it seems a large number of masked paramilitary types appearing and intimidating folks (the blackshorts) didn’t get police priority (even with some advance notice), while nonviolent hippy types and old folks holding up not-very-hurty words written on paper did. So if you feel they’re not just it’s not that they’re being partial, just arbitrary…
That brings it home rather too forcefully, just a few streets and half a mile away from my door. Thankfully an extremely uncommon event around here, in fact I can’t actually recall such a thing happening in East Dulwich in the two decades since we moved to this particular (and particularly lovely) neighbourhood. Not that that is any consolation for the rider of course, for whom many sympathies. Absolutely disgraceful reaction from the police, imagine if someone had been pulled from their car by thieves who had then driven off with it, five will get you ten that the area would have been flooded with squad cars, they’d probably have sent the chopper up as well. It’s an indication of how far down the priority list cyclists and bicycles are; most forces/officers seem to regard bikes as, in the phrase so beloved of motoring forums, “children’s toys” and prioritise their theft accordingly.
Can you imagine if it was a car jacking incident with one of the thieves using a hire car, they’d just hired? Call me cynical, but I can’t believe the Met wouldn’t contact the hire car company a little quicker.
“‘Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello. Had our expensive bike stolen have we, sir?”
“Maybe you should consider yourself fortunate to have been able to buy one sir? And think of those less privileged, sir. Also there are some would argue that you shouldn’t be on the road because you don’t pay road tax, as well as slowing motorists, sir.”
“I hope we didn’t retaliate or use any foul or threatening language, sir. We will be checking doorbell cameras just in case, sir. We don’t condone that type of behaviour.”
Institutionally anti-cyclist, but we’ll never get an inquiry into it.
Perfect example of doorbell camera footage being used to pursue a criminal by passing the video evidence to police.
Though in this case the police response has been woefull.
Would any driver complaining about cyclists using camera footage to report them object to this case, or others where a different crime was caught on camera?