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Police crackdown on cyclists' wheelies

Herttford police say they'll take action on persistent offenders...

Police in Hertford are staging a crackdown on dangerous cycling following what they say is a ‘craze’ for trying out stunts on the road.

A number of young people have been reported to the force for wheelies on the roads and over roundabouts, and other stunts.

They say warning letters could be handed out to persistent offenders.

Sergeant Michael Clark told the Hertfordshire Mercury: "There seems to be a new craze which involves carrying out stunt manoeuvres, or riding anti-socially on bikes in public places.

"This is not only dangerous to the cyclists themselves, but also puts other road users and pedestrians at risk.

"We've had many calls about this problem and as these groups of young people tend to be aged under 18, I'd like parents to be aware of this issue so that they can speak to their children about the importance of road safety.

"If this behaviour continues, it won't be long before someone is injured or worse.

"My officers will be reporting those that commit road traffic offences as well as implementing Operation Panther for those that continue to ride their bikes in an anti-social manner.

"This will involve issuing warning letters and following up with anti-social behaviour contracts (ABC) if the behaviour continues.”

Earlier this year we reported on probably the most extreme wheelies we’ve ever seen.

Uploaded to Instagram by New York City-based self-styled “extreme bike rider” Rrdblocks, video footage shows a succession of riders popping wheelies as they negotiate obstacles including street furniture, the heads of friends lying in the road and, erm, oncoming traffic.

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44 comments

Avatar
Canyon48 | 6 years ago
0 likes

Nearly got taken off my bike yesterday on my commute home by three kids wheelieing the wrong way down the road through a red light  7

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janusz0 replied to Canyon48 | 6 years ago
0 likes
wellsprop wrote:

Nearly got taken off my bike yesterday on my commute home by three kids wheelieing the wrong way down the road through a red light  7

So the wheelieing was irrelevant. Do police stop kids for riding the wrong way and through red lights?

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nbrus | 6 years ago
5 likes

If the police have time, they should gather video evidence and post it on YouTube.

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The _Kaner | 6 years ago
4 likes

ASCO.
c for cycling.
Must be fuck all for plod to do in Hertford.
Wish I could wheelie.....
I wonder if riding a unicycle gets their goat up too...

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oldstrath | 6 years ago
21 likes

Wow, Hertford must be a truly wonderful place if the police have time to fuss about this. No burglaries, no violence, no shit driving, the worst thing is a few kids on bikes.

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Fifth Gear replied to oldstrath | 6 years ago
5 likes

oldstrath wrote:

Wow, Hertford must be a truly wonderful place if the police have time to fuss about this. No burglaries, no violence, no shit driving, the worst thing is a few kids on bikes.

The strange thing is the police now think they have to respond immediately to a few members of some neighbourhood watch group who complain that cycling is the biggest problem in their lives but if you send video evidence of clear cases of careless driving they refuse to take any action, presumably because those same people aren't complaining  about it, they are doing it. 

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crazy-legs | 6 years ago
11 likes

Some of the kids pulling stunts like that are genuinely very good indeed. I wish I could wheelie that well! With the right support, guidance, peer group etc it's not that far fetched to think that you might well find the next BMX Olympic gold medalist from that sort of background.

Unfortunately of course society seems intent on demonising them, they respond in kind and you end up with a bunch of crack-addled kids in jail and a satisfied police force who've got rid of "the menace"...

 

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CygnusX1 | 6 years ago
19 likes

Kids being kids shocker

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brooksby | 6 years ago
5 likes

I've never done a wheelie in my life (not even as a child).  I now feel like I've missed out on something... 

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Yorkshire wallet replied to brooksby | 6 years ago
3 likes
brooksby wrote:

I've never done a wheelie in my life (not even as a child).  I now feel like I've missed out on something... 

There's still time. Seriously, go on YouTube and some 50 odd year old has a manual tutorial (manuals being the real mark of balancing skill).

Tempted to take my bmx off the garage wall and roll down the high street on the back wheel. Will probably flip it (no brakes at all) and go under a police cars wheels.

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Redvee replied to Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
1 like

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

Will probably flip it

 

I did that on my bike in Bath shopping centre, long before the new development, outside Sainsburys. We had rode to Bath from Bristol and I showed off by pulling a wheelie but flipped it and landed on my back with zero sympathy, quite rightly, from my Dad. Luckily only ego and pride hurt.

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Jimnm replied to brooksby | 6 years ago
4 likes

brooksby wrote:

I've never done a wheelie in my life (not even as a child).  I now feel like I've missed out on something... 

I could never get it up either lol  3

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brooksby replied to Jimnm | 6 years ago
0 likes

Jimnm wrote:

brooksby wrote:

I've never done a wheelie in my life (not even as a child).  I now feel like I've missed out on something... 

I could never get it up either lol  3

(To which I think the only appropriate response is "fnar-fnar!")

Avatar
Metaphor | 6 years ago
1 like

Naughty naughty!

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