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Police bicycles

Old 06-12-19, 02:43 PM
  #51  
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Old 06-12-19, 02:51 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by Hr1
True. But I do think the issue of bike patrol could, in some areas, actually be broken down into a mtb AND a road bike division w/ each patrolling areas which math up better w/ each type of bike's advantages. For stairs, dirt, uphill/downhill areas the MTB or long, flat areas where alot of miles would need to be patrolled the RB would definitely be better (especially outfitted w/ minimal equip.). A fully loaded police MTB has to weigh around 100lbs whereas a lightly outfitted RB probably wouldn't weigh more than50lbs. That's one helluva HUGE difference, especially after the first 50 miles of a shift's patrol.
I'm sure a cop is really going to appreciate being sent out to patrol with minimal equipment. That wouldn't feel like being a vulnerable rolling target at all.

Seriously, have you ever actually met a cop?

If it's long, flat and a lot of miles, it's going to be patrolled by a car. Zooming around all day is not what a bike cop does.

Right now, you're the guy who's never seen a basketball game writing the rulebook for the NBA.
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Old 06-12-19, 02:51 PM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by Hr1
None. Never been here before but it looks like I have a heckuva lot more going on than some posters for sure.
I'm sure your credentials are quite scary. Advanced degree in troll-threading?
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Old 06-12-19, 02:55 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Hr1
True. But I do think the issue of bike patrol could, in some areas, actually be broken down into a mtb AND a road bike division w/ each patrolling areas which math up better w/ each type of bike's advantages. For stairs, dirt, uphill/downhill areas the MTB or long, flat areas where alot of miles would need to be patrolled the RB would definitely be better (especially outfitted w/ minimal equip.). A fully loaded police MTB has to weigh around 100lbs whereas a lightly outfitted RB probably wouldn't weigh more than50lbs. That's one helluva HUGE difference, especially after the first 50 miles of a shift's patrol.
Police already have road bikes.




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Old 06-12-19, 03:03 PM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by Hr1
A fully loaded police MTB has to weigh around 100lbs
LMAO!

This doesn't even weigh 100 lbs.

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Old 06-12-19, 03:05 PM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Advanced degree in troll-threading?
More like an associates degree.
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Old 06-12-19, 04:00 PM
  #57  
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I'll bet LEOs have their own cycling forum somewhere. We could really gum up the works there with several posts about chain lube.
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Old 06-12-19, 05:49 PM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Skipjacks
There is an International Police Mountain Bike Association?

That is a very specific group.
They must be the ones with the radar guns at Midpen
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Old 06-12-19, 06:32 PM
  #59  
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A cyclist cop is probably THE fittest LEO there is. It's the only kinda cop I'd love to be.
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Old 06-12-19, 06:41 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
LMAO!

This doesn't even weigh 100 lbs.

A police mtb (Fuji, Cannon., Spec., etc.) weighs around 35lbs, the police equipment weighs around 50lbs. Voila' 85-90lbs.
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Old 06-12-19, 07:26 PM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by MEversbergII
My local police force has bikes. According to one of the officers I'd asked a while back, the point of bikes isn't really top speed pursuit. Some stuff I remember him saying:

1) A PR thing - people seem to like to see police on bikes and they appear more accessible when they're not in motion.
2) Accessibility - bike cops can patrol places cars can't really fit. Evidently this decreased crime in a number of hot spots as a result (a foot path and an alley way).
3) Quiet - On at least one occasion, the police were able to drift right up on top of some suspects without them noticing and affect an arrest (they do train take-downs from the saddle).
4) Recon - easy to stop in odd spots and watch, easier to keep an eye around themselves than in a car.
My wife is a cop, and has worked as a bike cop for two 6-month rotations. One other task they have here is they handle all the protests/demonstrations. The bike can be as an impromptu barrier if needed.

As for the idea that a bike needs to be fast like in the OP... that isn't very realistic. Most of the bike cops here aren't in great shape. They aren't going to be chasing down any serious cyclist (nor would they likely be allowed to unless the crime was serious... just too dangerous). They can easily catch someone on foot with a mountain bike though. Really, it's more important to have a bike that is tough, low maintenance, and reliable.
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Old 06-12-19, 08:37 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by Hr1
A police mtb (Fuji, Cannon., Spec., etc.) weighs around 35lbs, the police equipment weighs around 50lbs. Voila' 85-90lbs.
Which is not 100 lbs. More to the point, you know that how? Every policeman carries the same stuff? Everywhere in the world. The U.S.?

Long overdue addition to my iggy list.
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Old 06-12-19, 08:39 PM
  #63  
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I was riding with with one of our city's bike patrol officers today. He was helping our last bike safety class for the school year with their "graduation ride". He helped us teach our group of 5th graders the skills needed to navigate real city traffic. Bike patrol is a very small part of his duties, and he is a real asset to our community. When he uses a bike, it is a mountain bike

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Old 06-12-19, 08:43 PM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
Which is not 100 lbs. More to the point, you know that how? Every policeman carries the same stuff? Everywhere in the world. The U.S.?

Long overdue addition to my iggy list.
Don't do that! Next he's starting a thread about how dog catchers should ride tandems so they have a seat for the dog.
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Old 06-12-19, 09:35 PM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by Skipjacks
The value of a cop on a bike who can just put a foot down and stop and talk to the public is HUGE

Especially in urban environments where police are accused of being distant from the population

It's why cops used to have foot patrols. So they would walk around and interact with the community, make friends with people sitting on their porch who would tell them when something wasn't right. It was healthy.

Then cops started driving in cars and that interaction stopped. Police started being less trusted. The relationship with the public became toxic in a lot of places.

But on a bike...that's all back. You now have a foot patroller who can cover 10 times as much ground without giving up that friendly face that talks to the public.

Baltimore has them, but only in the touristy spots. Bikes are great for interacting with people and keeping purse snatching to a minimum. They aren't so great in hardened drug neighborhoods controlled by gang violence. Cops still use cars in those neighborhoods.

As for a cop's speed on a mountain bike....they spend all day every day on that mountain bike. I'd venture to say they can ride that mountain bike faster than most human beings can ride a road bike.
Good post, I walked a beat downtown when I started my LEO career and it was great community interaction (even responded to a bank robbery on foot ) but it was a different world back in the late 70's, we eventually got bike's but the guys that got them were our street crime units and they made good use of them but we always backed them up in patrol cars and occasionally they would roll up and backup a zone car....ironically I now own and ride a 2008 Trek police bike
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Old 06-12-19, 09:54 PM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Don't do that! Next he's starting a thread about how dog catchers should ride tandems so they have a seat for the dog.
Great idea!
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Old 06-12-19, 10:13 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by Hr1
True. But I do think the issue of bike patrol could, in some areas, actually be broken down into a mtb AND a road bike division w/ each patrolling areas which math up better w/ each type of bike's advantages. For stairs, dirt, uphill/downhill areas the MTB or long, flat areas where alot of miles would need to be patrolled the RB would definitely be better (especially outfitted w/ minimal equip.). A fully loaded police MTB has to weigh around 100lbs whereas a lightly outfitted RB probably wouldn't weigh more than50lbs. That's one helluva HUGE difference, especially after the first 50 miles of a shift's patrol.
Say I need a definition for the phrase "Unclear on the concept" as it relates to "refuses to accept factual information." Can anyone help?

Never mind. Hr1 stepped up.

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Old 06-12-19, 11:08 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by Skipjacks
Baltimore has them, but only in the touristy spots. Bikes are great for interacting with people and keeping purse snatching to a minimum. They aren't so great in hardened drug neighborhoods controlled by gang violence. Cops still use cars in those neighborhoods.
Yep, saw them down at the Inner Harbor a few weekends ago. One of them was side-hopping up a short flight of stairs, which was pretty cool.
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Old 06-13-19, 11:24 AM
  #69  
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Walked by 4 bike cops during lunch. Raleigh MTBs. Each bike had only a rear rack with a modest trunk bag attached. Unless each bag was stuffed with lead batteries, no way did one of those bikes weigh 100 lbs.
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Old 06-13-19, 12:06 PM
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The weight of the bike cops' gear includes the regular cop gear which is 20-30 pounds, I hear---vest, radio, cuffs, clips, firearm, taser, first aid kit .... whatever else they need to carry.

Whatever. The OP is clueless or more like deliberately feigning cluelessness so why bother.
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Old 06-13-19, 12:14 PM
  #71  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
Walked by 4 bike cops during lunch. Raleigh MTBs. Each bike had only a rear rack with a modest trunk bag attached. Unless each bag was stuffed with lead batteries, no way did one of those bikes weigh 100 lbs.
I take it it didn't go over well when you asked "May I search your bag?"
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Old 06-13-19, 12:20 PM
  #72  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs

Whatever. The OP is clueless or more like deliberately feigning cluelessness so why bother.
I know. Just thought I would bring it up since it happened.
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Old 06-13-19, 05:41 PM
  #73  
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Moved on to another user name?
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Old 06-13-19, 07:16 PM
  #74  
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i was out past curfew on my bmx bike as a kid and a mtn bike cop tried to pull me over. i took off and he gave chase for a few blocks, but i hopped over this curb that had a 3 foot or so ledge on the other side. i heard him swear loudly followed by a crash which must have been him going over the ledge, but i didn't stop or look back to see what happened.

that has been my only interaction with a bike cop ever, though i saw them harassing the homeless a lot when i was living in sf.
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Old 06-13-19, 08:15 PM
  #75  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
At this point, I think we're beating a dead bike.

Silly thread from a low information OP.
HAY! That was funny!
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