A cyclist in Reading who was almost knocked off his bike by a motorbike rider who overtook him at as the pair exited a roundabout has posted footage of the incident – and his subsequent exchange of words with the biker – to YouTube, with police keen to track down the biker.
According to the description on the video-sharing site, the incident happened on at approximately 3.25pm on Friday 12 August on Northumberland Avenue, with the motorcyclist who was riding a silver Yamaha R6 with the registration W351JBU speeding past the cyclist with very little space to spare.
Understandably, the cyclist shouts out at the motorcyclist, who returns shortly afterwards, riding on the pavement and an argument – punctuated by swear words – ensues, including the biker asking the cyclist if he has read the Highway Code, and later trying to grab his camera.
The cyclist who shared the footage, who goes by the name uphillfreewheeler on YouTube, said: “The registered owner had recently sold the vehicle and the police would like to speak to this rider on suspicion of careless driving and public order offences.
“If anyone has any information about the rider or the whereabouts of the vehicle please contact Thames Valley Police [on 101] quoting Crime Number 43160223664.”
He added that he had also reported the rider of a second motorbike, a black Kawasaki Ninja, to police. That motorcyclist undertook him on the roundabout moments after the first rider had sped past.
Last year, another of uphillfreewheeler’s videos went viral after he was involved in an incident in which a driver made a close pass on him.
After subjecting the cyclist to verbal abuse, the motorist jumped out of his vehicle to chase after him on foot, only to crash to the ground.
Footage of that incident, uploaded to YouTube under the title A Clown Takes a Pratfall, has been viewed more than 6 million times.
A 51-year-old man from Henley-on-Thames was later cautioned by police after he admitted committing a public order offence, assault, and making threats to commit criminal damage.
40 thoughts on “Video: “WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!!” Police seek motorbiker after very close pass on cyclist”
I love the irony of a bloke
I love the irony of a bloke riding down a pavement on a motorbike telling a cyclist he shouldn’t be on the road and should be on the path. And then he starts having a go about not having lights and reflectors on the bike in broad daylight!
DrG82 wrote:
Because clearly they would have overtaken him properly and in accordance with the Highway Code if he’d had lights and reflectors…
By the law of avarages in a
By the law of avarages in a couple of weeks and we’ll be reading about same motorcyclist riding into a tree or a wall at double the speed limit.
Housecathst wrote:
lols
Housecathst wrote:
Something I fervently hope for…
Firstly, I think
Firstly, I think uphillfreewheeler shouldn’t have followed the motorcyclist. That does seem aggressive and no matter the rights or wrongs that will never help the cyclist’s cause.
The motorcyclists were both wrong and he should have simply went to the police with the footage and let them track down the riders. After that yes upload the footage to try and help finding the riders as long as it doesn’t disadvantage any possibility of charges to the riders.
I’m sure UHFW wanted to educate the motorcyclist, but in the end UHFW lost. The motorcyclist used his ignorance to the full and had him trumped with experience…
I’d a motorist pass me yesterday, the passenger proudly showed me his IQ using his middle finger, only one hand used too! Why, I think it was because we were riding two abreast on a wide straight road and made them use the other side of the road to overtake us instead of the 6inches of clearance he wanted to give us. TBF he never slowed or swerved, so I couldn’t see the problem, so gave him a big smile and a wave to acknowledge them.
This, probably annoys them more, but is better than confronting god knows what cocksockets there are going about.
Silly motorbiker, doesn’t he
Silly motorbiker, doesn’t he realise that his chosen form of transport is not essential to the economy, and therefore the police might actually be willing to put some effort into chasing this up.
What I saw was a cyclist forced into taking the first exit from the roundabout by being overtaken on both sides by motorcyclists. For all he knew there could be more of them following, so it was quite sensible to carry on for a short distance before turning around. Which is what he appeared to be doing when the first motorcyclist came back to have a go at him for shouting. And who wouldn’t shout? Those machines are designed to make ear-splitting amounts of aggressive noise, precisely with the intention of provoking a response, so their riders can relieve the frustration of being a nobody at work or unloved at home by being antisocial to as many people, and over as wide an area, as possible.
His cam is really good!
His cam is really good! Caught the no. plate at speed. Anyone know what he uses?
There should be a cyclist cam award every year for the best footage. He’d definitely be in my top 3 for that Pratfall one. Hard to beat that
Ah, good old Whitley. Full of
Ah, good old Whitley. Full of imbeciles like that, especially on scooters and motorbikes. Struggling to understand how the Police haven’t identified the rider given they have the registration plate, bike make and model… and the footage. Needs his licence (and bike) taking away in case he hurts someone before/when he kills himself.
MOT due at the end of the
MOT due at the end of the month.
What are the odds it was a
What are the odds it was a cash sale, no receipt… he didn’t give me his name…
It does seem a pity that
It does seem a pity that cyclists need to protect themselves by having to use video camera(s) when they cycle. Nethertheless, those cyclists who do use video cameras are providing a measure of safety for other cyclists and road users. If other road users need to think whether their behaviour is being recorded they are more likely to take greater care, or curb their berhaviour. I do like the checks that users are making using reg info and publishing it on this website.
Had something very similar
Had something very similar with a motocyclist, who rode his bike at me because I had the nerve to point out that it was illegal for him to use the ASL, verified by another cyclist, and similarly, stolen/unregistered.
The funniest thing is his claim that it’s legal to ride 25 feet on the footpath. Must try using that argument next time a pedestrian tells me not to ride on the pavement.
burtthebike wrote:
Motorcyclists and scooters sit in ASLs all the time: I think they figure, “Well, we’re on two wheels too…” and want to avoid the lorries the same as cyclists. They don’t consider that their internal combustion engines and rate of acceleration are part of the reason that the ASL is there in the first place.
A vehicle can be driven 15
A vehicle can be driven 15 yards along a right of way but only to park, only if it does not cause an obstruction (1988RTA section 34) and only if the landowner agrees. Riding as he did he commited an offence under section 72 of the 1835 highways act which is subject to a FPN. Pitty being a total got isn’t an offence
(Both) bikers’ leg ware is a
(Both) bikers’ leg ware is a bit of a give away. Having said that, there’s a moustachioed, fully leathered bellend* who prides himself on dangerously using cycle lanes in central London, but in the main, proper kit = proper biker.
*Phnaar/snork etc
This cyclist seems very
This cyclist seems very unlucky, first he had the “pratfall” experience, admittedly that was hilarious but a hairy experience all the same. Then he gets these f*cktards on motorbikes being total f*cktards. Hope they catch and punish the f*cktards. Good luck to uphillfreewheeler, bringing justice to f*cktards!!
waldner71 wrote:
Not unlucky, just average judging from my experience. If you ride every day, you’ll have incidents like this regularly, it’s just a matter of time.
Perhaps it’s time that cyclists received some sort of allowance for policing our streets? We seem to catch many more imbeciles using motor vehicles than the police do. Free vidcams for cyclists anyone?
burtthebike wrote:
I dont know if its regular, its something that happens every so often IME, but maybe its because I dont video my rides I dont have the ability to review them back. So they happen in a blink of an eye sometimes, you maybe swear (and that motorbike rider must have exceptional hearing fwiw), shake your head & carry on,then maybe moan about it on the internet later and try to forget about it. whereas if i recorded it all, posted it on youtube, slowly it becomes a back catalogue of videos that makes it feel far worse and Im then getting weekly incidents/confrontations.
burtthebike wrote:
I guess I’m referring to the whole situation/confrontation/bring chased rather than just being overtaken at close range. I ride almost daily/commute etc and I certainly don’t have incidents like that regularly.
Motorcyclists are the same as
Motorcyclists are the same as car drivers I find….99% are ok, 1% are cunts. Handy for organ donations though.
Cupov wrote:
It’s like anything though, mostly drive your car – everyone else is a cunt. Mostly ride a motorbike – everyone else is a cunt. Mostly ride a bicycle – everyone else is a cunt.
Best thing to do which ever form of transport you’re using is assume everyone else is a cunt. So far it’s working, until the day I come across an utterly out of control cunt and then it’s a roll of the dice.
The moron on the motorbike
The moron on the motorbike does not seem to understand that even if the cyclist had been in the wrong he still has an obligation not to travel at a foolish speed around said cyclist. Isn’t that something taught to all road users? “Assume that the other users may be foolish, unlucky, ill, distracted and conduct yourself so as to leave a reasonable margin for error”?
Love the Paul Calf mk.III variant.
Come to Reading and see how
Come to Reading and see how you get treated on a bike…
“The registered owner had
“The registered owner had recently sold the vehicle”
Of course they did. That’s why its still taxed to the end of the November. :-/ lying to the police is a serious offence.
And what about the other biker?
Guanajuato wrote:
I thought that now, when you sell a vehicle, DVLA send you a refund for the months you had left… so it becomes untaxed as soon as you sell it. New owner has to tax it straight away if using on the road. If they can’t trace the rider, presumably it’s not in the database as insured either then? Pretty good reasons to find this twunt, along with those on display in the video.
I don’t want to ride with a
I don’t want to ride with a camera, but I’m glad others do. In my opinion, if it makes the general public, the non-cycling public, think about their driving, and give cyclists just a little bit more room, it has to be a good thing. It’s a shame the police gave up having coppers in cars and went all out for fixed speed cameras…
Scary stuff. Camera has good
Scary stuff. Camera has good sound too but I couldn’t ride with that awful clatter coming from below. I think he probably spends more on his camera than his bike.
the dickhead’s riding his
the dickhead’s riding his motorbike at speed with a pair of tracky bottoms on. Clearly as thick as two short shits. Even a fairly minor bump is going to be serious trauma needing several square feet of new skin.
terrahawk wrote:
Pretty normal for Whitley.
No worries, like it was
No worries, like it was mentioned before, we’re in dire need of organs for sick kids. The universe has a way of providing everything we need. Pretty cool.
unconstituted wrote:
If someone on a motorcycle site said that about cyclists, you would all be frothing at the mouth demanding retribution.
Double standards perhaps?
freespirit1 wrote:
1. That’s an exaggeration.
2. Maybe double standards, but entirely predictable given the difference in vulnerability. If they said it about pedestrians, wouldn’t it seem so much more sinister?
The double standards to get worked up about here concern the safety of different types of users, all of whom have the same rights to use the road.
freespirit1 wrote:
I didn’t say it about motorcyclists. I said it about douchebags.
Sanctimony, perhaps?
I am a biker and a cyclist.
I am a biker and a cyclist. Just as most of us, not all I know, also drive cars. A dickhead is a dickhead, is a dickhead. Based on my 20 plus years biking, he’ll not be an issue is 6 months or so…. Natural selection.
Know that area well, he’s
Know that area well, he’s lucky not to be in the Royal Berks with stab wounds
In my 40k+ miles of road and
In my 40k+ miles of road and city cycling here in southwest Ohio, I have been buzzed once by a motorcyclist. The idiot was on his Kawasaki crotch rocket. And only once has a person on a motorbike told me to get on the bike trail.
I consider anyone on two wheels, motorized or not, a brother or sister. I find that it is usually reciprocated. This area is very conservative and can be very red neck-like in some quarters. It’s hard to believe that such hostility exists in the UK between motorbikers and cyclists. I do expect such crap from drivers.
Maybe uphill needs to turn it down a notch even when he’s in the right . He can also attach a rear blinky light to go with the camera. It will help.
I consider anyone on two wheels, motorized or not, a brother or sister.
Yeah, me too.
I find that it is usually reciprocated.
Yeah, me too.
It’s hard to believe that such hostility exists in the UK between motorbikers and cyclists.
Come and commute in London.
Maybe uphill needs to turn it down a notch even when he’s in the right.
Agreed. Shake yer head, post the video when you get home (or give to Plod).
[/quote]
Breecho; who hassles you more
Breecho; who hassles you more relative to respective volume, cars or motorcycles? Just can’t believe so many on the latter are such wankers.
Breecho; who hassles you more
Breecho; who hassles you more relative to respective volume, cars or motorcycles? Just can’t believe so many on the latter are such wankers.