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news
Video: Would-be thief tries to snatch bike from moving car in South London
A would-be bike thief in London was filmed this weekend in one of the most brazen attempts we’ve ever seen to steal a bicycle – given it was attached to a moving car.
The attempted theft happened on Sunday afternoon on Tower Bridge Road, with the bike’s owner, Musa, being given a lift home by his girlfriend Chloe after taking part in the London Revolution, reports Mail Online.
The thief, himself riding a bike, twice loosens the fastenings securing the Mekk Primo bike to the car’s rear rack.
Chloe told the newspaper: “Musa is doing the London Revolution bike ride this weekend, so he'd just finished 80 odd miles that day.
“I picked him up from Lee Valley and we were driving down Tower Bridge Road.
'There were quite a lot of traffic lights so we kept stopping and starting.
“When I noticed a guy cycling along behind me, I thought he was a bit close to the back of the car.
“But I just thought he was being silly - because if I had to brake, then he was going to hit me.
“I thought: well he can do what he likes - he's only putting himself in danger.
“The next thing I knew, we were at the last set of lights before you accelerate onto the dual carriageway, and I heard a beep from the car behind us.
“As I looked into my rear view mirror, that's when I saw the cyclist twiddling the top fastening of the bike. Just then, the light went green so I started to accelerate.
“From what I could see, the bike was still attached - so I decided to carry on because I knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with the car.”
The man dropped his own bike and ran after the car as it approached the Old Kent Road roundabout in a final, desperate bid to steal Musa’s Mekk.
“He tried to chase us for quite a while before giving up,” said Chloe. “Then, once we'd got a few hundred yards down the road, I pulled over because I could see the bike was slipping.
“I think he'd been watching from somewhere - probably because he knew there were a lot of traffic lights and I'd probably have to stop,” she continued.
The footage has been sent to the police, and Chloe added: “The focus for us is to try and catch the guy - but we also want to warn other cyclists and car owners to be vigilant.
“Musa has a lot of cycling friends who would be similarly gutted if their racing bikes were to be stolen.”
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.
Latest Comments
- stonojnr 3 hours 44 min ago
it feels a conveniant donkey to put the tail on imo, and Im not saying some members didnt quit BC because of the Shell thing, but Im not entirely...
- espressodan 4 hours 20 min ago
I'm never convinced how helmets with built in cameras and lights can be acceptable safe. Sounds like a good way to get a camera embedded in your...
- Rendel Harris 4 hours 28 min ago
Did I mention that it costs £580?
- chrisonabike 4 hours 28 min ago
Yeah - and one of the passengers had the gall to say that the *driver* had taken a wrong turn!...
- chrisonabike 4 hours 45 min ago
Don't worry! They've got plenty of others they can use!...
- Rendel Harris 5 hours 1 min ago
Well what is that way? Are you suggesting that every bend on every descent can be barriered over a 180km mountain stage?
- slappop 9 hours 14 min ago
Hopefully it'll still be allowed for recreational use.
- Bungle_52 10 hours 6 min ago
Well Gloucestershire are getting better. I'm being told whether or not action is to be taken, but not what action, within a few days of each report...
- Surreyrider 12 hours 35 min ago
Churnalism nowadays - mostly clickbait stuff and regurgitation in the local rags/comics and beyond.
- DogOfOB 12 hours 47 min ago
I'm glad the barrier wasn't damaged. Whew, close one there! \s
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39 comments
serious question. I have never used car bike racks, really ... do these not have locking devices built in. Is that the same with roof racks?
A keen cyclist.
..which is why I drive an estate car.
"Hey!"
"He touched your bike......"
"Really!"
Priceless. The thief really looks like he after skag to be fair.
Another setup video.
who is so worried about the world today they purchase a rear facing video camera for their car but doesnt lock their biketo the bike rack..................?
Wouldn't surprise me. It's all about those viral $$$ these days. They probably brainstorm all day to come up with stuff that will cause everyone to get on the outrage bus.
Could be, but I'm beginning to wonder what it will take for questions over "fake news" / prank video *not* to be raised nowadays. I think we're becoming terminally cynical/suspicious, as a society. The death of history will happen not because people will believe anything, but because they'll believe nothing. Erm: IMO.
Another reason I prefer roof-mounted carriers
I keep a robust metal shafted pen in the cubby hole next the handbrake for such occasions as this, one of the best 'weapons' for in close work you can legally carry.
How typical though of the driver behind doing absolutely fack-all to make the victims be aware of what was happening, society really is down the shitter far far too often!
Rear view mirror?
If the back of the car was piled high with bags etc, the driver/passenger may not have noticed. Car behind hooting could be anything so they may not have been craning their necks round to find out what it was.
If it was my car and I'd ahve seen it happening, I'd have accelerated to a speed the guy could just about keep up with then slammed the brakes on and hit reverse.
"terribly sorry officer, a cat ran into the road and I had to brake hard. reverse? no, must be mistaken, he ended up underneath the car like that"
"Hey, you wanna buy a cheap bike, innit? I took it up Ventoux, right, but now I want sumfin more aero like, innit?"
The police, as usual, won't give a shit.
Lesson learned hopefully to the bike owner though - I never put my bikes on the rack without a couple of locks. A long cable for the wheels, and a D-Lock to the rack.
No one else notice that this guy appeared to have a buddy?
Good spot!
Something about his appearance. He just looks like a retard scum piece of worthless shite, even before his thieving fingers start going about their evil business. This creature needs to be deleted from the gene pool!
I mostly lock my bikes to my Thule racks, but will make sure I do 100% of the time now. What a douche.
Sort that bloody saddle out, nose is definitely pointing too far north!
I still don't get why at no point did the driver not get out and confront him
Perhaps because getting a knife in the gut is not worth making a point to someone who isn't going listen?
Guess they just don't make 'em like they used to, or Londoners are cut from a different cloth from a scouser but that lanky streak of piss would have been on the deck before he could have said boo to a goose if that was my bike!
With Bad to the Bone playing on your car radio and a convertible-load of underwear models coming over and giving you their numbers cos of how macho you are.
Yeah, it's easy on the Internet, eh?
Judging by the voices the lady in the car only noticed in the last ten seconds or so, by which point they'd driven off.
Looks quite out of breath chasing after the car. Lol. Love how the person in the car behind did not even beeb. Was probably too busy on his Mobile. I think I would have been tempted to run over the thug's bike but that probably does not belong to him neither ....
He'll get a small a fine at court that he can't pay because he doesn't work and a community order to do unpaid work which he will fail to turn up for. Nevermind his 73 previous convictions, social pressures caused him to stray from the path bless him.
I would have shot him in the head. One less scumbag for the rest of us to keep. Ok I wouldn't have shot him. Because I don't have a gun.
This. I had a bike nicked in broad daylight from under the giant screen in Canary Wharf. They used a car jack to break the D-lock. Luckily, a policeman spotted the 5'4 thief riding a 60cm road bike down Poplar high street in jeans and trainers and gave chase. I got my bike back after it had been crashed causing £400 of damage. For some reason the court decided the thief should pay half of this. Did I ever see that £200? Did I fuck.
Shame he didn't fall off his own bike and smash his face into the tarmac.
Kinda wish someone would have stolen his bike while he was running after the better one.
You assume it was 'his' bike he was riding in the first place...
lols.....I admire his determination.
If I was the car behind I defo would have driven over his wheel, buckling it for good.
I'd have gone slow to see how long it took him to realise he wasn't going to succeed as my bike rack has locking clamps for all bikes, and a locking clamp to the towball. It would also mean he'd failed to spot the backup (and discretely located) thick cable-lock low down on the frames.
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