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news
Bristol wheelie (via BBC News).JPGBBC video highlights Bristol youths wheelieing through city and how it helps them keep away from knife crime
A short video from BBC Bristol explores how youths riding their bikes through the city pulling wheelies are helping fight knife crime.
But as with similar group rides elsewhere which are loosely grouped under the Bikes Up Knives Down movement that originated in London, concerns are expressed in the report about the riders putting themselves, and members of the public, in danger.
Such mass rides often attract negative headlines in local media –Bristol Live, for example, spoke last October of a “dangerous new craze youths [are] carrying out while riding in traffic,” accompanied by a video released by Surrey Police.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/video-reveals-dangerous-ne...
However, members of the group featured in the BBC Bristol video, entitled Could Wheelies Keep Kids Away From Knives? spoke of how participating in the rides gives them something positive to focus on with one saying, “It keeps you out of trouble.”
Another said: “The need or the want to be doing anything with a knife anyway isn’t there ‘cause you’re busy.”
“There’s a lot worse stuff that we could be doing and other people would be doing if it wasn’t just doing a wheelie,” a third member added.
One motorist however spoke about a near miss she had experienced with a cyclist pulling a wheelie as she drove in Bristol.
“He came really, really close to the front of the car to the point that if he put his bike down it would have landed on the bonnet of the car.”
Police Sergeant Tom Tooth, interviewed for the segment, together with the leader of the group, known as Urban, said: “Where people are wheeling they are endangering other people or road users, that’s where we would have an issue with it.
“You know, anything that gives young people an opportunity to get together and do something different … “
“Yeah, it’s always a positive,” said Urban.”
“Exactly,” replied the officer. “So if you’re leading this Bristol movement then fair play to you, mate. Lots of good stuff will come out of it, hopefully.”
Previously here on road.cc we’ve highlighted the Bikes Up, Knives Down movement in London, which has given rise to similar groups in other cities around the UK.
> Video: Thousands of young cyclists take to London’s streets in knife crime protest
Those include Liverpool, where last weekend we reported about the Liver Pedlaa Pool group, which was likewise set up to steer youths away from gang violence and gun crime.
Its founder, 21-year-old Blaen Roberts, said: "You can't just say put down knives and give up violence because, some of these lads, that's all they know.
“You need to give them opportunities and life experience and get them out of that circle."
> Gangs of lads on bikes in Liverpool are… just out for a bike ride
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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20 comments
It'd be good if the found a pump track or some disused ground to mess about on. Maybe they could go check out Bristol BMX Club too.
Having them messing about on bikes is a lot more constructive than being involved in crime for sure.
I like the idea of kids being on bikes instead of hanging around in shopping centres on their phones.
I would buy a front wheel 2nd hand of those guys at any time, must be in new-condition!
Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-Sodding-Duplication-if-you-say-it-fast-enough-it-sounds-quite-atrocious...
FFS, just use the delete button!
Talking of redundant...
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Or - they could just lose the redundant front wheel - Gangs of kids on unicycles......
Course, they could even try riding with both wheels on the ground as an alternative to knife crime.
Or they could take up knitting - gangs of youths roaming the streets handing out gloves and scarves, though that could lead to rival gangs that use different colours.
We have quite a few hanging around the City in London at weekends and during school holidays - especially on the Blackfriars underpass where they seem to gather do wheelies, etc. or at least those than can (I can't, I've tried
They can be a bit intimidating (even to someone who's 6ft 4), but ultimately they're just gangs of kids out on bikes...I just tend to compliment them or their stunts and cycle through...ignoring the comments about my shocking pink shoes!
We have quite a few hanging around the City in London at weekends and during school holidays - especially on the Blackfriars underpass where they seem to gather do wheelies, etc. or at least those than can (I can't, I've tried
They can be a bit intimidating (even to someone who's 6ft 4), but ultimately they're just gangs of kids out on bikes...I just tend to compliment them or their stunts and cycle through...ignoring the comments about my shocking pink shoes!
We have quite a few hanging around the City in London at weekends and during school holidays - especially on the Blackfriars underpass where they seem to gather do wheelies, etc. or at least those than can (I can't, I've tried
They can be a bit intimidating (even to someone who's 6ft 4), but ultimately they're just gangs of kids out on bikes...I just tend to compliment them or their stunts and cycle through...ignoring the comments about my shocking pink shoes!
Very short, but that's a good video - concentrating on the positive.
I haven't seen them around town yet, but let's hope more kids get involved.