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news
cyclist overtaking wheelie rider falls - screenshot via oneway.bradd on Instagram"Karma at its finest": Impatient cyclist tries to push another popping a wheelie out of the way... and lands flat on his face
A London cyclist who tried to shove another wheelie-popping rider out of the way as he attempted to overtake got what many are describing as "instant karma", as the wheelie cyclist managed to keep his balance and the one on two wheels came off rather worse...
Shared on Instagram by oneway.bradd, a disagreement of some sort can be heard when the footage begins, before the wheelie cyclist strays into the path of an overtaking rider, wearing a blue helmet and on a hybrid bike.
While it's not clear what happened in the build-up – and it's not clear if the wheelie cyclist was aware of the approaching cyclist behind him – what happened next is probably a lesson to us all in how to ride calmly and patiently when using segregated cycling infrastructure.
Amongst the insults and analyses with frutier language than we'd care to share in this article, one of the more measured commenters said: "This person doing the wheelie would be annoying for sure but there’s no need to turn aggressive on him. People are so aggressive these days, motorists and cyclists alike. There’s no need for such behaviour."
Replying to criticism of his riding and accusations he was "blocking the lane", the wheelie-popping cyclist who was shoved, who goes by the name jrzy_nojus on Instagram, said: "That made no sense I didn’t ride in front of him I turned and he pushed me."
Youngsters pulling stunts on bikes in urban areas isn't a new thing, and has on some occasions caused mini spates of moral panic, but in recent years the riding of mostly urban and BMX bikes en masse has started to gain some further traction, and has even been encouraged by the Met Police in London.
Responding to anti-social behaviour complaints about youths 'bike storming' and skating in the Square Mile last year, the Met said youths are welcome to practise their hobbies in this "relatively safe environment".
The Bikestormz event – an annual mass ride in London where riders have been shown weaving in and out of traffic with thousands taking part – has gained the support of London's mayor Sadiq Khan and the Met in the past, and in part is meant as a protest against knife crime.
Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story).
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52 comments
proper way to pass is to ride up in normal speaking range and calmly speak "Pardon, I am going to pass you on your left/right" I have no problem gaining acknowledgement and compliance.
Courtesey and respect - goes a long way.
It's a manual.
I have lived in London for some time and the manners of the people there is disgusting. The people doing crappy cycle tricks and also the man who pushes them. They are all idiots.
Thank you for generalising about a city of 9 million people, we are indeed all exactly the same. I have lived in London all my life but travelled extensively and I've found the general manners of people here about average, better than some places (Paris, for example) and worse than others (Berlin, for example).
You are very welcome. Sorry if my English is not good.
If you behave better I will change my mind, but you are the worst I have ever met so far out of all the places I have gone by a long way.
All 9 million of us, yes? Impressive.
Well in Rakia's defense, Londoners probably do react poorly when meeting someone whose first comment is to insult them.
It reminds me of "if everyone you meet is an idiot, then the idiot is you"
How have you met rendel?
Judging by your comments here and in the live blog, you are another one of these newbie trolls who really need to up their game to have an impact.
FFS That's not a wheelie, that's a manual.
https://riders.co/en/mtb/q/Whats-the-difference-between-a-wheelie-and-a-...
I've nearly done something like this, once. A group of kids on bikes were "swarming" me, deliberately, and I lost my temper and swerved toward one of them. He lost his nerve and swerved away, then said something like "you nearly hit me" in a hurt voice; the others moved out and I carried on my way, but have to admit I did feel a bit sh!tty about it once the adrenaline faded away...
Fantastic example of multiple parties making poor decisions / acting like a dick (you decide).
No one comes out of this looking good, alas the chap on the floor comes out looking the worst.
I do however find it a tad frustrating how open people are to accepting and enabling blatantly antagonising behaviour from 'yoofs'. Whilst they are kids, they are also sticking two fingers up to society with a cheeky 'what ya gonna do about it?' Answer is, nothing, crack on little'uns.
I can't see how that is a healthy situation for society.
God's sake man, he's pulling a wheelie, not beating up blind Vietnamese nuns! I'd say middle-aged men who think they're entitled to use violence against kids because someone has momentarily got in their way are a much greater problem for society. I wonder how someone who reacts in that fashion behaves when behind the wheel of a car? Or with his partner or his own children?
Yes Rendel but, today pulling wheelies, tomorrow bearing up blind, Vietnamese nuns...that's exactly what always happens!
In our current trying times, I have to say that yoofs pulling wheelies is pretty much near the bottom of the list of things to worry about. Disenfranchised kids are likely to seek out destructive/antagonising behaviour, but wheelying doesn't cause any problems apart from delaying people for a few seconds or having the occasional crash which usually just results in bruises. As a society, we seem prepared to accept 'occasional lapses' from drivers that result in life changing injuries and serious property damage - that's far more of a concern.
To my mind, channelling kids anger/frustration into cycle tricks is a very healthy situation for society.
I must confess that the only time I've encountered wheeling youths I just told them how impressive they were and bemoaned my relative incompetence. " 'Fanx mate..." and the mischief was managed.
I encounter them all the time in London and that's exactly my attitude, just say bloody hell mate, that's impressive, I can't do that – can I just come through on your right? Never had a second's trouble.
I thought the correct phrase to use is "Skillz", or am I out of touch again?
I expect you're right but from a 54-year-old man it would look about as stupid as a reversed baseball cap and hip-high jeans!
Combine it with a knowing nod...
My daughter's secondary school sent out a letter to parent's disparaging pupils who ride in packs on the road and pull wheelies/manuals etc. However, when I see these kids, it doesn't antagonise me in the slightest - if anything it puts a little smile on my face (although, I must admit to being a little jealous at never having learnt how to pull a wheelie). I also notice that all but the most entitled motorists give these kids a wide berth - whilst at the same time they actively do their best to almost ram any other kids off the road*
* I don't know what it is about drivers at school run time (who are probably mostly parents themselves) but if they see a bike on the road ridden by a child in a school uniform, they'll do their best to ensure that they are no more than six inches from said bike's rear wheel or handlebars. It doesn't matter if it's a little 10 year old girl on a cruiser or a strapping 16 year old lad on a mountain bike.
Love to see what the reaction would be if the rider that went down was a young women on a dutch bike - I'm guessing it would be very different.
I've seen teenagers do this further up the same cycle path - they really, really do not give a fuck, and I refuse to do the 'leave the poor kids alone, evil mamil blah blah blah' thing here.
Again, to me the whole thing has been blown out of proportion. Neither tried to cause an accident but that's what happened. The older guy could've (should've?) held back to negate the godawful, dangerous riding but also - the teenager shouldn't have shown off like a dick during rush hour traffic. If the hybrid rider has really tried to push him the kid would've gone down no question at all. He didn't.
I'm pretty certain a young woman on a Dutch bike wouldn't think it was appropriate or sensible to go charging through and attempting to push the youth out of her way, aren't you? If you want to engage in whatabouttery, what would the reaction be if it had been a young woman on a Dutch bike who had veered across the path and Mr Bullyboy had charged through and tried to push her off?
I'd fancy the chances of the woman on the English Roadster (ha! Take that Dutchies!) because quite often the seat is rather low compared to a racer and the typically heavy bike also helps lower the centre of mass. But let's be empiricists and put it to the test:
https://flatbike.com/bike-jousting/
Unicycle jousting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acKUQbYSk-w
The rider that went down was trying an overtake - something everyone does in order to make their journey practical. He didn't expect this 'kid' to ride across him and put his hand out. I'm annoyed with the attitude on here that it was an attempt to push someone off - it's really reading something into it that to me, isn't there. It's not a great move by the wheelie rider and the guy that went down maybe should've held back but obviously didn't realise quickly enough what was happening.
I'm not sure why you say this is rush-hour, besides the person filming, the person pulling the wheelie and the person who comes off I can see two other cyclists. In London at rush-hour a cycle lane like that would be packed (anyone know where it is, I can't place it and I thought I knew every lane that size in London).
I'm sure the kids were filming each other, that's what kids do these days, isn't it?
We can argue until the cows come home without resolution about the fallen rider's intentions, it seems absolutely clear to me that he deliberately tried to push the wheelie guy over or at least out of his way, it also seems clear that he was riding aggressively into a dangerous situation; as I said elsewhere, if I see a kid pulling a wheelie I will slow down and call out to make sure they are aware I'm there, I would never try to charge through like that. I'm guessing that possibly the riders had a previous altercation which made the older person more aggressive, but from my point of view he is definitely being deliberately aggressive in his riding, even if it wasn't necessarily his intention to push the other rider over.
ETA if some of the above appears to be a non sequitur it's because EddyBerckx very substantially edited his reply to me, they are replies to his original unedited comment.
Thats because ladies on Dutch bikes are not entitled thugs like the rider in the clip, we have few grounds to complain about being close passed by motorists if we excuse violent thuggery from cyclists in a hurry. He may have served himself some karma, but he also deserves a criminal conviction for assault.
The overtaking cyclist was obviously not aware of Newton's 3rd law. I expect people overtaking me, on whatever mode of transport they are using, to only do so when it is safe. Me being an inconvenience to them does not negate that, in fact it is most often the reason why drivers do overtake me dangerously, simply because I am an inconvenience. The wheely popping kid was cycling dangerously but the overtaker should have held back until it was safe and certainly shouldn't have shoved him as he passed. He did get karma.
I wish I could do a wheelie that good !
Got to admit I've done it myself a couple of years ago. Couple of scrotes pulling wheelies side by side on a main road and deliberately holding up the bus that was behind them beeping and the 20 odd cars behind that , and they knew what they was doing because they were laughing and shouting F**k off every time they were beeped. So I did what that guy done and came alongside them.and basically booted one ferel scrote into the other and they both went down , however I didnt and even got shouts of thanks mate as traffic passed me. When scrotes like those are purposely going out their way to block traffic and other cyclists , sometimes the best karma is when you can stop them and get it right whilst assisting your fellow road users to go about their business.
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