OT: Bike Cops
 

I've never had any real interaction with one before, but I've always wondered about them. Are they bike cops because they're into biking? Or because they drew the shortest stick and didn't get a cruiser? Do they work on their own bikes? Do they have a favorable attitude towards other cyclists? Do they wish they rode sweet tarck bike instead of a white cannondale MTB?

Haha, I dont know why they ride though they all seem to be pretty down with biking where I've interacted with them. A while ago I was riding and one of em just started talking to me about my bike and stuff. I had seen him and so i was waiting at a stale red, and in the middle of the convo he was like "so what are you waiting for, I know you wouldnt wait if i wasnt here" and then like started to ride, so i rode with him and jumped a red, kept chatting for a couple blocks and then raced him to the grocery store for a couple bikes. He seemed way chill. He didnt ticket me for any number of things he could have and our race ended in an all out, out of the saddle sprint down the entire right side of the street.

some of them
most of them
no
Really no, but i never stop for bike cops, they can't mash it
They ride these in Toronto

Through my exposure to them they are worse than Regular cops, but then im biased because i Abhor The police

I have a very hard time respecting them because of the silly clothes they have to wear.

I've never had any run ins with them besides back when i worked at the gas station in the center of my town and Centerville's bike cop would come in and take advantage of our "free coffee to cops" policy.

They are as stupid and lame as any other cop. I got football tackled from behind by one at a street faire because he thought I threw a bottle at him. He also stomped on my fingers while I was down. Class act.

hahaha, Ceterville has a bike cop? The whole town in based around that truck stop.

We used to instigate chases with them in Memphis back when i rode BMX bikes.
Its fun to dust their asses.

The two I talked to in Roanoke said they like to go to all the spots where the kids bmx and watch. They were pretty laid back and stoked to be riding.

My limited interaction with them in Toronto gives me the following impressions:

Some may have opted in for cycling, some I just can't see volunteering for it, so it must be some sort of forced election.
They're on heavyish mix-up of bikes (as well as the Urbanite, I've seen some on Fishers, one even had a yellow fork on their usual white frame).
They're slow.
They seem as carefree about (my) riding as cruiser cops.
The ones I've talked to seem as normal and cool as any other cop I've spoken to has been.

Amazingly, like people, some are dicks, some are cool - most of them seem to react by the way you approach them. I respect police officers (no reason not to IMO), so I approach them with a "Excuse me sir/maam" if I ever want/have to talk with one - no point getting them agitated I figure, I wish to remain a greyman TYVM. My experience with police has been limited by choice. I choose not to get in their face, they tend to reciprocate by not bothering me. Easy.

From what I hear, those cops are mostly there to help people (not to arrest and ticket like the ones in patrol cars).

That urbanite looks awesome. I love touring bikes.

The ones I've talked to in Richmond have been pretty chill. I asked and you have to request to be a bike cop and you get special training. So it makes sense that they're pretty cool guys, at least they like bikes enough to be on one everyday.

The couple that I knew chose to be part of a Community Oriented Policing program. They didn't choose to be on bikes per se, but they chose to be out of the cruiser and interacting with the neighborhood, the bikes just let them do that and be more mobile.

In portland, these guys are pretty common. They usually patrol the parks on their Trek MTBs, although they are often on protest duty. And then they turn into *******s. I watched one beat a 65 year old lady down with his bike because she was too close to the curb.

The key is to not get real bike cops confused with the privately owned and operated Portland Patrol Inc guys, who have no legal rights to tell you to do anything.

The bikes are convenience, not so they can can chase other cyclists.

I think my home town actually has some, saw one at a parade the other day. Curiously, I have never ever seen one on a bike path, though, only time I've ever seen cops there, they were in a car.

They should put all fat cops (90% of cops) on bikes and maybe theyll drop some weight

I've had them harass me while I was pedicabbing before. Didn't like it. Actually, it was twice in one day:

First time:
"Boy, you block traffic again, and I'll have your ass"
"Nyah!"

Second time:
"We don't want you riding on the south side of the stadium anymore. You ride too fast down the hill"

It was really awkward, because not all of my tips are cash, if you know what I mean, so it would've been bad if they'd searched the little trunk under the seat.

Most of the ones I have seen in New Brunswick/Philly/NYC seem to be on a bike because that's where they were assigned. The can most often be seen riding against traffic, cruising at 3 mph along the sidewalk, and looking self-conscious in their shorts. They typically ride hard-tail mountain bikes with a ton of panniers and **** on them.

However, I was in Covington, KY last summer and they had some badass bike cops. I saw two cops on CX bikes with what looked to be equipped with 105 or something similar cruising at a healthy 25-30 down a main road. They were both fit and looked like they were pretty serious cyclists. It was funny seeing a bike cop that could easily dust my ass if he needed to.

Never had a problem with them until a sneaky bike cop (hiding in some bushes, no less) peeped me rolling through a stop sign at an empty intersection. I was on a university campus, it was late and there were no cars or people anywhere in sight. So bike cop rolls outta the bushes and starts pursuing me but hasn't said "stop" yet, so I step it up. I blow another stop sign and then he yells at me. That's when I go into a sprint and drop him like a smoking turd. Long story short: cop calls for backup and next thing I know there's cruisers taking both lanes charging at me head on like they're gonna run me over. I stop, get a bunch of spotlights in my face and they tell me to dismount. No sooner am I off my bike then bike cop hits me with a full tackle. He made sure to grind my face into the pavement real nice with his knee all the while yelling "you're going to jail motherf*cker!" over and over. The funny part is he cuffed me with my messenger bag on and couldn't figure out how to get it off. :)

In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best move to run. But I wasn't looking forward to paying a BS ticket. Instead, I got two traffic violations and a misdemeanor. :o

That was a university cop, though. I've had interactions with Seattle bike cops downtown and they seem a bit more chill. That doesn't mean I have to like them.

one's things for sure, i would love to have a wheelset with their "silent freewheel" technology. that's how they sneak up on ya!

My only real beef with the bike cops I see around here is the fact that they ride almost exclusively on the sidewalk. WTF? Last week I passed two of them on my way to campus. They were riding on the sidewalk and a ped had to move out of the way for them. Lame.

Edit: Oh, and what is it with university cops being bigger pricks than city cops? Back in Columbia, MO, the Mizzou university cops were a pain in the ass ten times as often as the city cops. Unless you were a minority- then they were all bad to you.

[QUOTE=Fugazi Dave;6049509]My only real beef with the bike cops I see around here is the fact that they ride almost exclusively on the sidewalk. WTF? Last week I passed two of them on my way to campus. They were riding on the sidewalk and a ped had to move out of the way for them. Lame.
[QUOTE]

They do that around here as well. It bugs the **** out of me.

my 105 wheels dead silent, so i hate riding with other roadies with load freewheels, I keep thinking my bike is about to explode.


we have two set of bike cops. the blue and yellow actual bike cops ( likethe one i saw drop a 6 pack of tall boys off her bike) they ride hard tail mountain bikes with knobbies and they are kinda rare. I actually see horse cops and motorcycle cops way more often than them. could just be the areas I prefer to ride in but i think they use them at the civic center during special events. Those I dont mess with they will beat you to the ground and handcuff to a curb until a cruiser shows up.

then we have the black and red CAPS or citizens action patrol. they stay in the city center and ride around in trucks and on specialized mountain bikes with smooth tires. they unlock cars walk people to their cars, that sort of thing. they have thrown me off the sidewalk before and i have tried instigate chases. they arent down for it.

bike cops in newport beach all roll front and rear aerospokes.

:yes:

My mountain bike's rear hub is an old Shimano STX-RC with "silent clutch" the quiet wheel thing. I love how quiet it is. Although there is something satisfying about riding an older road bike with a load click to it.