MUGGED ON Q1

[jimbo1964]

I know a lot of ED residents must commute by bike to central London so just flagging this up. I commute along the Peckham Quiet route and join up with the Q1 cycleway near the Old Kent Road and ride to London Bridge. Last week at 6.30 in the evening I was jumped by two masked youths, dragged off my Brompton and the bike was stolen. This happened in the backstreets near the old Hartley's Jam factory. They weren't violent and didn't hurt me which is at least one thing. By the speed it happened they've obviously done this before. I have travelled this route for two years with no issues but if you use this route it's worth being vigilant.

[JohnL]

Even if you're insured and mitigate the financial stuff - It still effects you though - I am from something different before Xmas.

Not nice at all - hope the police find them.

[rendelharris]

Really sorry to hear this and glad you're not physically injured. I noted on here a while ago that several times when riding that route after dark I've had people standing off the path shout things to me like "Mate you've got no lights on" (did) or "you've got a puncture" (didn't) which I assumed were attempts to get me to stop or slow to facilitate taking the bike. Take care everyone!

[niall]

not to trivialise your experience but first time i read that i thought it said mugged on QI.

always though that Sandy Toksvig was a bit shifty.

hope you're cool.

[jimbo1964]

One of my colleagues was also robbed for their bike on the Q1 late one evening. He was ambushed by a dozen or so youths who surrounded him on a quiet stretch. He just handed the bike over to them. Very frightening. If I get another bike I'm not sure I'll use this route again.. Which is sad as it's very safe compared to the Old Kent Road.

[rendelharris]

jimbo1964 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> One of my colleagues was also robbed for their

> bike on the Q1 late one evening. He was ambushed

> by a dozen or so youths who surrounded him on a

> quiet stretch. He just handed the bike over to

> them. Very frightening. If I get another bike I'm

> not sure I'll use this route again.. Which is sad

> as it's very safe compared to the Old Kent Road.

Hope you can, I know it's hard to get back out after an accident let alone something as horrible as this. If I might suggest, a good and quite safe way which avoids the canal path is, from Elephant, to take Brandon Street and Portland Street down to Albany Road, do a quick left and right and take Wells Way through Burgess Park, join Southampton Way and come through to ED via Lyndhurst Way/Bellenden Road.

There is an inherent problem with Quietways in that their quietness can facilitate this sort of thing - I know I stay off the stretch from South Bermondsey round the back of the Den when it's dark as it feels like an easy place to get trapped. Not ungrateful at all for the Quietways which are brilliant in the day, but there's not much point to steering cyclists out of the frying pan into the fire.

[uncleglen]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> jimbo1964 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > One of my colleagues was also robbed for their

> > bike on the Q1 late one evening. He was

> ambushed

> > by a dozen or so youths who surrounded him on a

> > quiet stretch. He just handed the bike over to

> > them. Very frightening. If I get another bike

> I'm

> > not sure I'll use this route again.. Which is

> sad

> > as it's very safe compared to the Old Kent

> Road.

>

> Hope you can, I know it's hard to get back out

> after an accident let alone something as horrible

> as this. If I might suggest, a good and quite

> safe way which avoids the canal path is, from

> Elephant, to take Brandon Street and Portland

> Street down to Albany Road, do a quick left and

> right and take Wells Way through Burgess Park,

> join Southampton Way and come through to ED via

> Lyndhurst Way/Bellenden Road.

>

> There is an inherent problem with Quietways in

> that their quietness can facilitate this sort of

> thing - I know I stay off the stretch from South

> Bermondsey round the back of the Den when it's

> dark as it feels like an easy place to get

> trapped. Not ungrateful at all for the Quietways

> which are brilliant in the day, but there's not

> much point to steering cyclists out of the frying

> pan into the fire.

Thanks for publicising another potential bike crime hotspot rh....

[jimbo1964]

Thanks. Yes I know that way. I've pretty much tried every route possible. I love cycling and it takes a lot of the stress out of the morning commute but thinking about it there have been a couple of times on various routes home, including Burgess parked where I was followed on a scooter for a bit, where I felt uneasy. And sometimes possibly recklessly rode home late at night through those quiet paths. I might get another Brompton and ride in then get the train home (especially in the winter months).

[rendelharris]

uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Thanks for publicising another potential bike

> crime hotspot rh....

Yes, I'm sure the villains of Bermondsey are reading the EDF and thinking gosh, a long dark stretch of deserted path, I'd never have thought of mugging anyone there. Try not to be a total %&$@& at all times, you know, give it a rest once a week or something.

[malumbu]

Sad to hear of your experience - was it targeted or bad luck? Your bike may have ended up on Gumtree, which seems to be one of the main sources for selling on stolen bikes. A separate unit of the Met Police funded by TfL can help but are pretty under-resourced https://lcc.org.uk/articles/what-to-do-if-your-bicycle-is-stolen-1

On the positive side I have never experienced this in 30 years of London cycling including Peckham Canal, back roads around Heygate and Burgess Park at night. Bikes stolen, yes, of course.....

[jimbo1964]

I think I was targeted. I've sent pictures of the bike to the lcc and the police handling the case. I'm not expecting to see the bike again. But I'd love it if they were caught.

[JohnL]

jimbo1964 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think I was targeted. I've sent pictures of the

> bike to the lcc and the police handling the case.

> I'm not expecting to see the bike again. But I'd

> love it if they were caught.

Unless they need you as a witness - they maybe caught, jailed without you even knowing. The guys that stole my stuff tried to take money from branches of my bank numerous times and must have been on CCTV - but doubt I'll ever hear of any result.

I logged my losses on https://www.immobilise.com/