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Saw a gang of the f***ers going down Leckhampton/Bath road a few months back, No regard for traffic, pedestrians etc. I wouldn't be surprised If the police have a good idea who is involved. But a) proving and b) being arsed might be harder.
I can't see the problem with these things ending until the police are given free reign to use suitably equipped drones to chase and physically bring them to a stop. Which they won't, so this problem is here to stay, get used to it.
The police / government should reimburse people for damages to their vehicles for ramming Surrons ****s off the road *.
*I'm a few beers deep
Does anyone buy and use Sur-rons legally?
Quite shocked to hear this. It's the place I do most of my riding, though I haven't been up there solo at night for a few years. There were a couple of Sur Rons reported on the hill back in April, but nothing since then.
Is this MO to nick a bike happening in other areas of the country?
The man is described as being in his 20s, white, 6ft in height and of a stocky build. He was wearing a hooded black top with a dollar sign on the chest, dark trousers and had a scarf pulled over his lower face.
The other two suspects were described as being smaller in build and were also wearing dark clothing.
That's the uniform and it (intentionally) makes them pretty much impossible to individually ID.
Feel bad for the Victim, hope the attackers get caught, but doubt they will...
Does anyone buy and use Sur-rons legally?
My mate is thinking about getting one [slaps head emoji].  60 years old, hoping to retire next year, ridden motorbikes forever, owns a small business. He's talking about buying one, getting it road legal, registered, etc.. and using it for "pottering about" and legal use on our local green lanes (BOATs). I've tried to discourage him; pointing out that he will look a tit, is likely to get mugged for it, etc. He's actually been a bit put off by the fact that he's found all the retailers of these to be utter knobs too. I've suggested he gets an emtb instead.
Very much time to AirTag everything!
Come to think of it. Â Stealing and selling phones dropped off dramatically when Apple and others added the ability to track and brick phones. Â Could the governments force ebike manufacturers to do the same?
Report its position every time it’s activated or charged.  Make it impossible to remove the electronics from the rest of the bike.  Make it use multiple communication formats to make it hard to disrupt.
We've had a motoX bike ragging up and down the road a lunch time this week. I reckon you should be allowed to rent paintball guns from the police station loaded with indelible ink and radioactive tracers.
Still enjoying the memory of seeing a swearing, agitated ned trying to get its non responsive Sau-ron going again in Leith the other day.  Our local  'kends hang about with someone on a modified BSO that has a two stroke engine. They have been buzzing around for months without consequence.  Same "uniform".
Suppose it's what they do before they put their big boy pants on and start driving cars with exploding exhausts around.
Report its position every time it’s activated or charged.  Make it impossible to remove the electronics from the rest of the bike.  Make it use multiple communication formats to make it hard to disrupt.
Some of them already do this. I've got a Bosch Smart System one and it has a tracker in it. You have to pay 40 quid a year or so for it to work. The phone unlocks the bike and you need fingerprint or passcode to unlock the phone.
there is actually very little legal use for them – only off road with the landowners permission.
Whilst that may be generally true for the ones arseholes rag around its not 100% true.
https://sur-ron.co.uk/light-bee/
https://powercut.co.uk/product/sur-ron-lbx-road-legal/
Can ride with a CBT, 20-60 mile range.
FWIW you can pick up a Seat Mo/Silence S01 for the same price which is a 125 equivalent, faster and with better range but needs a Cat A1 provisional on top of the CBT. They're 2 grand second hand by the look of it.
I've seen precisely one being ridden legally on L-plates. So yeah, there is a legal use for them, but it's mostly scrotes.
Is this MO to nick a bike happening in other areas of the country?
Richmond Park and Regent's Park in London have both had several similar incidents. Mopeds or Surrons, driver and pillion passenger both masked, pull up alongside a cyclist, the passenger will kick or shove the cyclist then they can grab the bike and sort of wheel it alongside them as they escape.
There's a well-known road out of South London, common route for dozens of roadie clubs getting out into the North Downs that also had a spate of these attacks because it was quite remote. Once you were on the road there were no witnesses and no easy means of escape.
Saw one guy on a Surron hanging around near Leeds Urban Bike Park the other day as well - not sure if he was spotting cars leaving with expensive bikes on racks or on the lookout for people cycling to/from the venue but exactly the same "uniform", mobile phone in hand.
Absolute scum.
 the total weight is just 47kg.
That's impressive. Some people on here think that's a reasonable weight for a hardtail!
There's a surron and stupid scooter dealer next to my work.
I periodically report them to the police for antisocial behaviour of both their customers and their staff 'testing' the bikes up and down the pedestrian area next to the shop.
Scum.
Does anyone buy and use Sur-rons legally?
I was asking similar questions about Buckfast and the Buckie drinkers this morning whilst picking up shards of dark green glass bottle from the kids play park (it's usually the grounds of the primary school but they must have fancied a change of scene).
Can't help but feel that there must be some kind of government clampdown coming here, the useage of these bikes is just so ludicrously weighted towards the toe-rag end of things.
I was driving home on the M1 earlier in the week near Loughborough, it was pitch black
The overhead signs were displaying 40mph, cyclist in the road. I thought 'whatever' as the signs often display a load of nonsense that isn't true
Next thing I see a light coming up the hard shoulder - a Surron came flying up the hard shoulder riding against the flow of traffic. Madness
A friend of mine was attacked for his bike in a similar manner last year.
In the heat of the moment he fought off the attacker and even managed to stab the lad in the leg with a handy stick! ?
He realises this so could of ended differently but it all happened so quick there was little thought to it.
– a Surron came flying up the hard shoulder riding against the flow of traffic. Madness
I imagine that when you're desperately trying to evade the local constabulary or a rival drug dealer little niceties such as 'no entry' signs or the safety of other road users aren't really your primary concern.
Had a Surron zip past me the other night, as I was waiting for the lights to change to turn right. Guy came up so fast, straight through a busy intersection and off up the unlit 100kmh road into the distance. As he went past me, from my left came a 'crosser also with no lights and he went across me, seconds after the Surron had gone through. Would have made a humorous crash. I'd have been straight on the phone to the ambos......(once I'd got home, stuck the kettle on, etc etc).
Next thing I see a light coming up the hard shoulder – a Surron came flying up the hard shoulder riding against the flow of traffic. Madness
Made local BBC iirc
A cycling mate's son is police and when his dad complains about Surons , dodgy ebikes and the rest, he says they haven't got enough resources to catch real criminals! It's only a matter of time until a Suron Scrote manages to get himself killed when I am sure the police will have to get involved.
Suron Scrote manages to get himself killed when I am sure the police will have to get involved.
There were 2 lads killed in Cardiff, (think, might be wrong on the location) a couple of years ago. A police van had been following them shortly beforehand. Started a couple of nights of riots. The risk of this happing is largely why the police don't get involved.
Falls firmly in the realm of **** around and find out IMHO, I suspect some here will firmly disagree.
Was out for a ride a week back near Stockport and a gang of lads went through a red, wrong side of the road. There must have been 4 different bikes, most with 2 lads won each. All were balaclava shod. They had a good look at our bikes on the way past but thankfully kept going...
I have to say it has made me want to ride my road bike on the dark evenings much more than the MTB since I can remain in street lit busy areas rather than the focus being on more remote unlit country tracks where these gangs seem to favour following riders.
Although not surrons here is a video of a gang on scooters attempting to steal a man's e-bike but fights back which is a good watch Cyclist fights off gang of robbers trying to steal his e-bike - YouTube
Surrons were used to steal some safes from a flat in Edinburgh recently... Unsettling moment masked bike gang break into plush flat and steal cash and jewellery - Mirror Online
The pond-life scum seem to be able to roam about the streets of Edinburgh with no consequences as you see them out and about most nights wheelying through the centre of town.
Made local BBC iirc
Did they say what the tossbag was up to?
I was working in Swansea a few years ago - balacava'd teen riding down the pavement on a full on MX bike - no helmet, no plates - police car drove past, didn't even react
@dano, I live in the area, and it's often a gang of four. Most likely Brinnington based TBH - I use the Alan Newton Way, and it's doesn't half poop you up when coming round a blind bend near Pear Mill and there are four of these coming at you, out of control on the gravel.
Two of them very nearly got themselves six feet under a couple of years ago - they flew past a junction at high speed as a car was pulling out (20 zone) - both crashed into car and were injured badly - road was closed. Local village facebook page wasn't holding back, until one of the 'adult lads' sisters came on. They were known 'scallies' - both OK in the end, but local sentiment was not 'sympathetic'.
At least years ago, you could hear an MX bike coming - these things are quite difficult to hear with wind and traffic noise.
There were 2 lads killed in Cardiff, (think, might be wrong on the location) a couple of years ago. A police van had been following them shortly beforehand.
That was the one where it turned out the cops hadnt actually been following them but were just behind them wasnt it?
So whilst anyone noncriminal might get paranoid and make sure they follow the highway code to the letter they remember from when they did the test the "lads" panicked and tried to escape.
I do think the police should set up a discount surron dealership and rig the bikes with gps and remote disabling widgets and then wait a year or two before using it.
Was watching local (Marple) riding vids on youtube and this popped up from a few months ago
Did make me think twice about riding alone.
That was the one where it turned out the cops hadnt actually been following them but were just behind them wasnt it?
Yeah, they weren't actively chasing them as far as I remember, but we're maybe scouting around the area when the crash happened. Dunno what the outcome of the inevitable police complaints service investigation was.
I had a literal run in with a scroaty Mx bike lifer a few years ago.
I'm in my LWB Transit crew van with rear side windows. Parked on the opposite side of the road, checked mirrors - nothing either way indicated, pulled out, checked rear side window. Next thing flash/bang and something hit the bus shelter alongside.
There was a new Beta Enduro bike on the floor and Scroat#1 wearing AirMax & shellsuit - he was wearing a helmet. Ambulance and police rung.
Scroat #2 turns up in a popping and banging Golf offered to pay cash for my van repair if he could remove the bike before police arrive.
Ambu took scroat to hospital, bike impounded.
Scroat got 6points and lost his job as truck mechanic. No further action with me.
Then insurance involvement........
loss adjuster visited, his report was nothing like my version so had to be amended numerous times till correct. Scroat put a £25k no win - no fee claim in for damages (smashed shoulder).
My insurance* wouldn't contest it and paid out. My premium went through the roof so I sorned the van for a year.
*Popular van insurance B****Acre. Shower of shits.
That is absolutely infuriating to read. Could you not contest it in any way?
No - apparently case law from some years ago where two scroats on MX bike hit a car, not wearing helmets. One needed long term care, case went in their favour.
I rang the local Beta dealer to see if anyone had one pinched but nothing so I don't know where the bike came from but it wasn't his.
The bus shelter is still bent to this day.
2 lads undertook me and ran a red light in Muirend (Southside of Glasgow) the other evening, no helmets, all in black. First time I’ve seen this local to me. Little sh*ts
RustyNissanPrairieFull Member
Thank you for your service.
E-scooters, Surrons and the like are all over the place here too. The rules are really strict, but nobody seems to care. I think a lot of parents just see it as easier than driving their kids to places.
I nearly ran over two kids on the same e-scooter last year when they crashed in front of me. I can't say i've heard of them being used for crimes, but the hospitals are recording statistics of the accidents and fatalities from all the crashes.
However local police did a weekend operation where they pestered the crap out of everyone not following rules. They even released a video.
A while back we nearly totalled a kid (maybe 10) riding a Husky 501 without a helmet in a country town. My wife was about to turn into a car park and he came down the inside narrowly missing us - then had the cheek to look back at us like we'd done something wrong!
The clue with these is - are there two on a moped?
We got chased similar near Rother Valley. Managed to get through one of those metal stiles.
My thought process has always been you're better away from the edges of towns and cities in the hope they don't leave their territory too much. But they're now popping up everywhere.
There's always been off roaders around here but never really had any problems in the pre-covid era. So when did they turn from off-roader to marauders?
I suspect is was with the cheap imports of quads and bikes.
So when did they turn from off-roader to marauders?
When super-quiet electric jobbies that can still do 50 mph and which you can mail order from China no questions asked became a thing.
Coupled with an overstretched and underfunded police force and the emergent belief amongst the scrote population that not wearing a helmet means they won't chase you.
There's not really more scrotes than there were 10-20 years ago, they're just highly mobile and much harder to catch and therefore can engage in general scrotiness with much greater efficiency over a much wider area.
I saw a youtube video last night of a pari of moped car jackers with two-up on each trying to block then rob a van (it was all dash cam footage). The van driver just ploughed through the bike trying to stop him. I chuckled!
DrP
then had the cheek to look back at us like we’d done something wrong!
I could just visualize the 'Scrote Scowl' and textbook "What you looking at dik hehd?" as I read that.
@chambord, that's near where I live and 'scalley alley' is aptly named on Strava (the farm track) - that's the Woods over in Woodbank, and the escape into Bredbury. I use that farm track regular on both the CX, commuter and the MTB. I've come across the sur-run lot round there often.
Seen a few surrons round here in the Rhondda but it is mostly illegal mx-bikes that come out at the weekends and ride the local hills - occasionally a police helicopter will be out for them, but mostly they ride uninterrupted.
Often the trails and paths are in a bit of a trashed/rutted state but also some of the paths are kept in reasonable shape because the bikes have used them and kept them clear.
Sometimes when you are out walking you think you've found a new path down the hill, but it then turns out just to be where the mx-bikes have gone down it and then turned to climb back up, so you've walked down it only to be faced with a rutted walk back up the hill again.
A lot of the coal tips have big rutted line up them where the mx-bikes have been doing hill climbs.
In two minds about it - one it is illegal, but 2) there is not much else provided round here for entertainment.
"In two minds about it – one it is illegal, but 2) there is not much else provided round here for entertainment."
I'm very clear about this. It's illegal, noisy and damaging. If they need somewhere to ride so be it, but find somewhere that it is legal to ride. Even then/ there it may be an inappropriate place because of the damage caused. If a place can't be found then tough, don't ride. As you say, the damaged tracks and trails throughout the hills above the Rhondda, Cynon, Dare, Aman, Afan and all the other valleys is dire. So much of the old coalfield area is treated by some so selfishly. It's been going on for years and it just isn't acceptable.
In two minds about it – one it is illegal, but 2) there is not much else provided round here for entertainment.
You wouldn't buy a cow if you didn't have a field.
I assume that neither of you ride "cheeky trails" or footpaths?
Cheeky trails, all the time, footpaths not so much, but I'm not complaining about illegal mx bikes on old coalfield areas.
First they came for the MXers ....
First they came for the MXers ….
They said that twenty odd years ago when the laws were changed to restrict motorized vehicles to a smaller proportion of the network, and the trend is still (very slowly) towards improved cycling access. That and there's a big difference between legal and illegal use, it's like arguing we should allow muppets to speed because if we don't the next thing you know they'll ban us all from driving to Tesco.
Speaking as a councillor who has to frequently deal with residents objections to cycle infrastructure the number 1 reason I hear for why some people don't want traffic free cycle routes near them is because 'We'll get motorbikes speeding along them.'
Whilst this kind of objection has always existed in one form or another, the emergence of Sur Rons and the antisocial douchebags who ride them has been utterly corrosive to local public support for improved cycling infrastructure and given a certain section of society that just hates all bikes a big, pointy stick to beat us with.
Did make me think twice about riding alone.
I had every sympathy for him, right up until he was steaming along the roadside on one wheel at the end, at which point I was rooting for the scrotes.
I put his exuberant riding and wheely-ing down to adrenaline from the situation. It was still dickish though.
Say you can’t do a manual without saying you can’t do a manual ?
When I saw this thread I thought about that spray marker as a deterrent/ weapon. I saw a vid where the police were using the dna marker spray on moped riders in London. They seemed to be using the tactic of knocking them  off their mopeds at speed with a patrol car then dousing them with that marker spray if they get away. Seemed like a good idea and might. Be a worthwhile investment but caution needs to be exercised if confronting idiots like that. In that vid posted of the guy with the spray one of them seemed to have a welding hammer.
The spray is called Farb spray - it's a permanent paint and it will wreck clothing and dye your skin for a few days - doesn't wash off that easily.
Is the FARB spray legal? I mean, this amazon link seems to say it is: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Criminal-Identifier-Defence-Multi-Function/dp/B076KDXG4Y
It also seems relatively cheap. Almost Secret Santa cheap.
It's supposed to be as a non-irritant, but you never know. Deep Heat or Linx and a lighter (flame thrower) may be better
Is the FARB spray legal? I mean, this amazon link seems to say it is: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Criminal-Identifier-Defence-Multi-Function/dp/B076KDXG4Y
It also seems relatively cheap. Almost Secret Santa cheap.
If you scroll down on that amazon link you get this "Meat tenderiser"
I'm not sure the local constabulary would agree with that description if they found it in your camelbak.
I’m very clear about this. It’s illegal, noisy and damaging.
Stats show that in areas where a cycle pump track has been built then the local anti-social behaviour and crime is reduced (when they were asking for volunteers to help with the track near Barry Sidings they linked to this information).
If they could do something similar for the mx-bikes it might help, maybe several areas rotated on a fallowing basis. Health and Safety though would be a problem though, would need to do something like track inspections like Swinley Forest do so they can get out of liabilty.
They've been riding these things here for ages it seems, they aren't going to stop it so maybe the best option is to manage it.
I was walking past Treorchy cemetery just after last xmas in the latter stages of a long walk and there was the drone of mx motors so I looked around and these is a big dirt area there were a bunch of kids around 10 years old were looping around on their small mx-bikes they had been bought for xmas.
I spoke to some parents who were helping load the bikes back into their van after their kids had been riding, and they said that getting their kids hooked on bikes would hopefully keep them away from drugs/other crime, etc. They had a point.
As you say, the damaged tracks and trails throughout the hills above the Rhondda, Cynon, Dare, Aman, Afan and all the other valleys is dire. So much of the old coalfield area is treated by some so selfishly. It’s been going on for years and it just isn’t acceptable
But consider that a lot of this area was coalfields and the area was pretty trashed by that industry. It has recovered to a good extent but designating areas that can be managed with controlled amounts of damage, rotated to allow recovery, would be feasible.
Complaints about preserving and protecting the countryside round here run hollow when a lot of the countryside and hills are manmade and huge areas of trees are regularly harvested from the hills, leaving big areas of debris and damage.
Another vehicle that is popular roound here is the snorkle equiped Suzuki Jimny with jacked suspension and extra large wheels and tyres. You see a few of them up on the hills often burnt out, and bits of drivetrain scattered about.
I spoke to some parents who were helping load the bikes back into their van after their kids had been riding, and they said that getting their kids hooked on bikes would hopefully keep them away from drugs/other crime, etc. They had a point.
True, Once hooked on MTB's and or Dirt bikes you can't afford drugs 🙂