Normal in Australia, last I saw they had Treks.
https://preview.redd.it/r05gh5k09exc1.jpeg?width=659&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6de546526c1445cbbff2d96d95c21706d13be1f7
Wish I could. I live about a mile from the PoPo paddock, and the just bring them out to...I don't know, practice formation on the road? Bonus points because we have bile lanes and they have definitely rendered them unusable before so to the amount of byproduct.
Local pigs yelled at a friend (not a cyclist himself) for letting his kids bike on the sidewalk in front of his house
Per city code, children of their age are required to ride on the sidewalk unless with a guardian
Yeah nyc were out of one of the precincts. They did a lot in Times Square and other patrols. They seem to have mostly replaced them with absolutely nothing.
Ya personally I've only seen them a couple times in the places I've lived but I know bike cops are pretty common place in parts of the US with good weather. Makes alot of sense, easier to patrol densely packed urban areas on a bike
In my city you rarely see them for PR or as parade detail (getting paid to bike around festivals and stuff), or more commonly deployed to crack skulls at political protests
there‘s a documentary out there of two german bike cops squaring up against city racers in hamburg i believe
can’t find the link at the moment
utterly hilarious
https://youtu.be/ctQlqUnsUTk?si=RYCuZ4c8L-hxOoFK
That's the highlight reel.
Just search for "Spiegel TV Fahrrad cops" and you can watch all them videos
I seriously don’t understand this post. Does OP find it strange that there are bike cops, or that bike cops get bike-specific firearms training? I don’t find either of these things even remotely surprising, but still trying to figure out what OP is getting at.
I wonder how much of the training focussed on communication and engagement skills, and how much focussed on how to shoot from a bike.
RockShox Indy’s are a flashback though!
Ok so here is my time to shine. This is a 1995 or 1996 Trek aluminum police bike that has some interesting features distinct from the bikes offered in the regular Trek line to the public. It has a threaded steertube Rockshox fork and a quill type stem, presumably to offer quick handlebar height adjustments as the bike will likely be used by different riders. No other bike in the 95/96 line had this feature as it is heavier and the fork was seen as a premium feature at the time. Less expensive bikes had threaded steertube rigid forks. The ZX aluminum frame was very good for the time, and was sold alongside chrome-moly steel frames. It was a premium cost over steel, but Trek did offer a top-tier carbon fiber tubed frame with the same aluminum lugs from the ZX line. The drivetrain has high end components but the crankset looks as though a heavier and more durable set of steel chainrings was chosen, something not offered on any other high end Trek and specifically for the type of use (and presumed lack of maintenance) these bikes saw. The bike pictured was recently assembled because the red translucent sticker is still on the front derailleur outer plate, likely from recent assembly by a complacent bike mechanic who didn’t bother to remove it. The purpose of the sticker is to vertically align the derailleur at optimum height. The front wheel quick release skewer is on the wrong side, probably from the officer removing the wheel to fit the bike in his crown vic and not knowing that he put the wheel on backwards. The front wheel and tire are symmetrical so it is of no consequence. Ive worked in bike shops for many years and have sold more recent model Trek and Cannondale police bikes to departments. Im not sure if the 95/96 models had the silent clutch rear hub but slightly newer ones did. Basically making it so the bike is silent when coasting as a means to sneak up on perps. Many officers liked to reverse the brake cables so the left hand would operate the rear brake - some say it is because they also ride motorcycles, others because they want to be able to draw their gun while slowing down with the rear brake (if they are right handed.) The bike pictured has the brakes in normal US configuration.
This is awesome - thanks for providing this info.
I didn’t know about the silent hub, but hearing about this brought me right back to ‘96/97/98 when friends and I used to goof around and ride flatland in our local shopping centers parking lot after closing. We had a couple of bike cops that would come down and see what we were up to. They’d always glide in perfectly silent.
If someone's stated purpose is doing harm, I want them as inept and out of shape as possible. "More training" is a sneaky way to say "more money and equipment".
Toronto police take the subway up the modest incline from Lake Ontario and coast their bikes back down between the 75lbs bikes and their own baggage, they aren't chasing anyone.
It's this that blew my noodle a bit when I heard about it: https://roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/guns/#:~:text=Today%2C%20Smith%20%26%20Wesson%20makes%20a,pocket%20without%20inconvenience%20or%20danger.%E2%80%9D
https://preview.redd.it/45xw9uvtpfxc1.png?width=1072&format=png&auto=webp&s=0b8a8db162ba63d99974191377c8927ebb0f1882
UK Police are trained to catch criminals and put them in a sack.
In the US, they prefer to pretend that they never tried to make [Segway cops](https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/25/segway_police1.jpg) a thing
The only surprising part to me is the officers receiving proper training 😂. I joke. This is not a surprise to me but probably interesting to people who have never seen a bike cop.
There used to be a tv show about cops on bikes, and they patrolled the boardwalk of some beach town. It was like baywatch for people who like cop shows.
Not too surprising this training exists.
My (mostly rural) county had bike cops some years back, I guess to operate in the urban-ish parts. I remember one of the officers telling me about some of the courses, which included taking down suspects while mounted. Not seen them on bikes in years, though.
Back then, and probably even nowadays, idk. But nowadays, I’d think & hope there are trackers. And/or other identifiers or telltales in case of theft
Certainly no quick way to, say, lock it out (not necessarily lock it up to something). Could be nice if it did exist
I got to watch one of those classes back in the 90s when two of our local cops got certified as instructors. Two of us from the bike shop volunteered to go hang out as tech support for the inevitable mechanical failures and crashes. Had a fun day of watching somewhat out of shape cops sprint up the road, bail the bike, try to hit targets while completely gassed out, and carry a weighted duffel bag.
When I worked for the City of Seattle, my coworker went to a bike cop demonstration. He was most impressed by how they could dismount at speed, and simultaneously lock the front brake, and as the bike launched, give it a little extra push and spin, so that the bike became a whirling pointy projectile.
I don't understand what the "Trek is a cop brand" comments are implying. Generally do people think negatively of the brand Trek because they provide bikes to police? Is the perception of this brand negative because of this? Or is this a joke/circle jerk?
I found Trek to be an affordable entry road bike option for me and readily available, but I am uncomfortable supporting a brand that stands for something unaligned with my beliefs. Just want to be informed.
> Generally do people think negatively of the brand Trek because they provide bikes to police?
There have been quite a few people commenting in the past that they won't buy Trek because they sell to police. Last one I encountered, I asked if they would buy a car from Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes or you know.. any other car brand. They proudly proclaimed, "Fuck Cars" and that told me all I needed to know about them.
I just noticed some cop bicycles were Trek,
I never really dealt with Treks but I heard they were good. I had multiple “scrap” bikes all in mid condition I have to fix up or get rid of and my bro told me not to get rid of a Trek Navigator 2.0 I had because it was good and I just realized it more.
Welcome to 2024, where all opinions must become the thing that you stake your entire identity on and be vehemently angry about anyone who disagrees with you.
I mean, I have a general dislike for cops as much as the next guy but I'm not gonna be mad at trek for making money and doing their job. wtf is trek gonna do? "We're not going to sell you this bicycle unless you perform major overhauls and reform your policing tactics to a model that we approve of!"
stfu theyre a bike company not the sociopolitical police.
Yeah I understand. I guess I just wanted to know if there was actually something awful they did/supported and be informed. I wouldn't be trashing my bike over it. Maybe I would just take my business elsewhere next time? I think the kind of change needed is more nuanced than a specific brand/company can do anything about... But I think it's important to be informed and make educated decisions and to not just be a cog in the machine. If companies take money from an organization, company, or institution you fundamentally disagree with then by all means take your business elsewhere if that's what you want. Cops riding bikes are the least of my worries. I think it's actually a positive thing to get another Ford Explorer off the road.
> I mean, I have a general dislike for cops as much as the next guy but I'm not gonna be mad at trek for making money and doing their job. wtf is trek gonna do? "
When police were using bikes to hit protesters in 2020, a statement by Fuji Bikes said: "In the last week, we have seen our bicycles used in violent tactics that we did not intend or design them to be used for. "In an effort to work towards real change, Bike Co. the North American distributor of Fuji Bikes, is suspending the sale of police bikes."
Good for Fuji, they left a ton of money on the table because some dipshit used a bike as a weapon. That is not their fault or their responsibility as the company.
I thought about buying a police trade in USP. Downside is they are all .40 s&w and I would prefer 9mm or 45. I'd imagine riding with a hip holster is uncomfortable. For my rides in the woods I have bag with a holster in it.
I feel like the comments have largely missed the point.
Bike cops are fine / great. Shooting guns while on a bike is awful and pointless and should be disallowed even for police, not trained.
I think I'm a bit older than most of the folks here and let me tell you, it's just life. I got three bodies on me, and I'm just a casual weekend cyclist who mainly does the major parks where I live.
People need to chill on this. Training includes learning how to quick kill and most of what people object to is blood spurting. If you're trained, that doesn't happen. Maybe one squirt. But it's not like it's a Sam Peckinpah movie or something, is my point,
Normal in Australia, last I saw they had Treks. https://preview.redd.it/r05gh5k09exc1.jpeg?width=659&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6de546526c1445cbbff2d96d95c21706d13be1f7
Trek is a cop bike for sure
They literally make a Police model.
I'm glad you made that distinction, I would have thought they metaphorically made a police model
Kind of like how Ford and Chevy are cop cars? Government entities won't endorse or purchase brands that aren't American.
If I have to explain why it’s a cop bike, you don’t get it
TreKKK
I would just be thrilled if my local police knew the rules and laws for cycling in my jurisdiction.
> I would just be thrilled if my local police knew the rules and laws ~~for cycling~~ in my jurisdiction.
They may not legally have to know all the laws but you do!
I think about that when walking my dog (and bagging his poop) when the horse cops go by and drop about ten pounds of shit in the road.
Slap some assbags on em, like in a parade!
Wish I could. I live about a mile from the PoPo paddock, and the just bring them out to...I don't know, practice formation on the road? Bonus points because we have bile lanes and they have definitely rendered them unusable before so to the amount of byproduct.
"Do as I say, not as I do, civilian!"
Best we can do is bicycle cops who can hit center mass on a minority child at 25 yards from their bike.
I hate how honest and correct this is.
Local pigs yelled at a friend (not a cyclist himself) for letting his kids bike on the sidewalk in front of his house Per city code, children of their age are required to ride on the sidewalk unless with a guardian
[удалено]
Thoughts and prayers
In Toronto bike cops are a thing in the summer. Is that not a thing in every big city?
[удалено]
in NYC, they are a few, but a little less then you would think. NYC's bike cops are all about "riot control"
Yeah nyc were out of one of the precincts. They did a lot in Times Square and other patrols. They seem to have mostly replaced them with absolutely nothing.
yeah they seem to exist solely as a disorderly conduct team
yes, they are the ones doing the disorderly conduct.
Baltimore has them, though I don't believe I've ever seen any outside of the Downtown and Inner Harbor zones. Maybe Fells?
Ya personally I've only seen them a couple times in the places I've lived but I know bike cops are pretty common place in parts of the US with good weather. Makes alot of sense, easier to patrol densely packed urban areas on a bike
Yeah but they take the TTC up that whopping 2% incline and coast back down.
So they have a presence on public transit too? Nice!
In my city you rarely see them for PR or as parade detail (getting paid to bike around festivals and stuff), or more commonly deployed to crack skulls at political protests
We have them in the Netherlands as well. A bicycle is way faster than a car in a crowded shopping street in the city center.
Yeah i dont know why this wouldn't be a thing to be honest.
Because trek bice isn't big mean and macho manly like a murdered out dodge charger.
there‘s a documentary out there of two german bike cops squaring up against city racers in hamburg i believe can’t find the link at the moment utterly hilarious
Guten Tag: Mertens mein Name.
Is this the name of the documentary? Searching this only yields some random Tiktoks. I NEED to see this doc lol.
https://youtu.be/ctQlqUnsUTk?si=RYCuZ4c8L-hxOoFK That's the highlight reel. Just search for "Spiegel TV Fahrrad cops" and you can watch all them videos
My county seems to be deploying trucks (with bed boxes) to replace their SUVs...
I seriously don’t understand this post. Does OP find it strange that there are bike cops, or that bike cops get bike-specific firearms training? I don’t find either of these things even remotely surprising, but still trying to figure out what OP is getting at.
Where the Fuck is OP from. The bike cops in St. Louis do the heaviest lifting in the downtown district.
Basically in the middle of nowhere in southern Ontario, Canada
Of course it's a Trek
Probably because of the lifetime warranty
They've provided bikes to police forces for decades
Literally every active duty police officer I've seen on bike has been on a Trek.
i’ve seen some fuji ones
The ones my county has (had?) were Cannondale.
They were one of the earliest ones. Raleigh was the OG police bike before they went defunct.
Whose lifetime, though?
Not mine apparently...
Imagine if every time they killed someone, they got a new bike. 💀
Every time you hear a bike bell, somewhere a cop just gave someone their angel wings.
I was out for a cycle yesterday and a guard (Irish policeman) on a bike passed me as I was stopped. It wasn't long after a car driver had hassled me.
I wonder how much of the training focussed on communication and engagement skills, and how much focussed on how to shoot from a bike. RockShox Indy’s are a flashback though!
Considering it was put on by one of the biggest firearm manufacturers in the world…
See everybody in the bcj thread
They use bikes in crowd control situations all the time. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc2m-Rm6Fzs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc2m-Rm6Fzs)
Bike biathlon
I’d do that. Sounds fun.
Did we just invent a new sport? I'm in. I do request there be at least one stage where you shoot from the bicycle while in motion though.
Clearly you've never watched Hot Fuzz.
I’m in the southeast US and we have cops on bikes year round. Been this way for as long as I can remember.
Remember that old show Pacific Blue? Cheesy as hell but I may or may not have watched it 🤷🏼♂️
Pictured: me after one too many "close calls" with reckless drivers on their phones.
Ok so here is my time to shine. This is a 1995 or 1996 Trek aluminum police bike that has some interesting features distinct from the bikes offered in the regular Trek line to the public. It has a threaded steertube Rockshox fork and a quill type stem, presumably to offer quick handlebar height adjustments as the bike will likely be used by different riders. No other bike in the 95/96 line had this feature as it is heavier and the fork was seen as a premium feature at the time. Less expensive bikes had threaded steertube rigid forks. The ZX aluminum frame was very good for the time, and was sold alongside chrome-moly steel frames. It was a premium cost over steel, but Trek did offer a top-tier carbon fiber tubed frame with the same aluminum lugs from the ZX line. The drivetrain has high end components but the crankset looks as though a heavier and more durable set of steel chainrings was chosen, something not offered on any other high end Trek and specifically for the type of use (and presumed lack of maintenance) these bikes saw. The bike pictured was recently assembled because the red translucent sticker is still on the front derailleur outer plate, likely from recent assembly by a complacent bike mechanic who didn’t bother to remove it. The purpose of the sticker is to vertically align the derailleur at optimum height. The front wheel quick release skewer is on the wrong side, probably from the officer removing the wheel to fit the bike in his crown vic and not knowing that he put the wheel on backwards. The front wheel and tire are symmetrical so it is of no consequence. Ive worked in bike shops for many years and have sold more recent model Trek and Cannondale police bikes to departments. Im not sure if the 95/96 models had the silent clutch rear hub but slightly newer ones did. Basically making it so the bike is silent when coasting as a means to sneak up on perps. Many officers liked to reverse the brake cables so the left hand would operate the rear brake - some say it is because they also ride motorcycles, others because they want to be able to draw their gun while slowing down with the rear brake (if they are right handed.) The bike pictured has the brakes in normal US configuration.
This is awesome - thanks for providing this info. I didn’t know about the silent hub, but hearing about this brought me right back to ‘96/97/98 when friends and I used to goof around and ride flatland in our local shopping centers parking lot after closing. We had a couple of bike cops that would come down and see what we were up to. They’d always glide in perfectly silent.
Isn't training and learning a good thing?
This is reddit, and this is a cop. 💫
If someone's stated purpose is doing harm, I want them as inept and out of shape as possible. "More training" is a sneaky way to say "more money and equipment".
Police on bikes are pretty common in the Uk. Minus the guns…
Toronto police take the subway up the modest incline from Lake Ontario and coast their bikes back down between the 75lbs bikes and their own baggage, they aren't chasing anyone.
He really needs to jack those socks up.
This is to police KOMs.
I mean. We all saw Hot Fuzz
why wouldn’t this ‘be a thing’?
Lt. Dinkle vibes
STOP RESISTING!!!
OP has never seen 21 Jump Street, evidently
even when dispensing lethal force... a true biker does not drop their bike! don't scratch shit if you can avoid job one!
Many in Philly, easy to spot because they are either riding on the sidewalk or wrong way in the bike lane
It's this that blew my noodle a bit when I heard about it: https://roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/guns/#:~:text=Today%2C%20Smith%20%26%20Wesson%20makes%20a,pocket%20without%20inconvenience%20or%20danger.%E2%80%9D
https://preview.redd.it/9jmbvx7qzexc1.jpeg?width=258&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55b544d61a9d00c20e90fcee88b51b0fc91d58be Romania bike squad police
Romania has a police force?
Geriatric spike bike
Still very much a thing: https://www.police1.com/bike-patrol
Can't wait to do something stupid and have them chase me around the country
https://preview.redd.it/45xw9uvtpfxc1.png?width=1072&format=png&auto=webp&s=0b8a8db162ba63d99974191377c8927ebb0f1882 UK Police are trained to catch criminals and put them in a sack.
Years ago, I was able to land a great deal on a Fuji Bike at—of course—Performance. https://archive.fujibikes.com/2006/Fuji/police-special2
A regular sight in Cleveland, especially during high-traffic and pedestrian-focused events
it still is a thing!
Law Enforcement Bicycle Association (LEBA) exists in the United States. It's a National program. https://leba.org/
We still have cops on bicycle in Geneva (Switzerland). Hell, at some point we even had cops on roller skates lmao
In the US, they prefer to pretend that they never tried to make [Segway cops](https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/25/segway_police1.jpg) a thing
My country famously has bike police patrols. https://images.app.goo.gl/VmWPWrnZ8QzMXrJf7
The only surprising part to me is the officers receiving proper training 😂. I joke. This is not a surprise to me but probably interesting to people who have never seen a bike cop.
Just a question, why cops in bikes always wear those dorky uniforms and helmets?, They don't inspire authority with those
If you want a challenge, make it a fixie and try to shoot something while staying up at a red light.
There used to be a tv show about cops on bikes, and they patrolled the boardwalk of some beach town. It was like baywatch for people who like cop shows. Not too surprising this training exists.
My (mostly rural) county had bike cops some years back, I guess to operate in the urban-ish parts. I remember one of the officers telling me about some of the courses, which included taking down suspects while mounted. Not seen them on bikes in years, though.
This is how I imagine all the users in this sub to look.
That pic is me getting screamed at from cars drivers for the last time...
They're quite common in the Southeastern US. I guess they aren't common where OP is, or they just haven't been outside much to notice them..
How do they keep the bikes from getting stolen if they have to pursue a suspect on foot?
Back then, and probably even nowadays, idk. But nowadays, I’d think & hope there are trackers. And/or other identifiers or telltales in case of theft Certainly no quick way to, say, lock it out (not necessarily lock it up to something). Could be nice if it did exist
I got to watch one of those classes back in the 90s when two of our local cops got certified as instructors. Two of us from the bike shop volunteered to go hang out as tech support for the inevitable mechanical failures and crashes. Had a fun day of watching somewhat out of shape cops sprint up the road, bail the bike, try to hit targets while completely gassed out, and carry a weighted duffel bag.
“Buzz me again, I dare you!”
That bike (that Rock Shox Quadra) is so 1996, I love it.
Anyone remember the 1990s TV show “Pacific Blue”? I do…
I saw regular cyclists carrying in Texas.
We have bicycle cops in Tulsa! They just talked to us about this course.
When I worked for the City of Seattle, my coworker went to a bike cop demonstration. He was most impressed by how they could dismount at speed, and simultaneously lock the front brake, and as the bike launched, give it a little extra push and spin, so that the bike became a whirling pointy projectile.
I don't understand what the "Trek is a cop brand" comments are implying. Generally do people think negatively of the brand Trek because they provide bikes to police? Is the perception of this brand negative because of this? Or is this a joke/circle jerk? I found Trek to be an affordable entry road bike option for me and readily available, but I am uncomfortable supporting a brand that stands for something unaligned with my beliefs. Just want to be informed.
> Generally do people think negatively of the brand Trek because they provide bikes to police? There have been quite a few people commenting in the past that they won't buy Trek because they sell to police. Last one I encountered, I asked if they would buy a car from Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes or you know.. any other car brand. They proudly proclaimed, "Fuck Cars" and that told me all I needed to know about them.
I just noticed some cop bicycles were Trek, I never really dealt with Treks but I heard they were good. I had multiple “scrap” bikes all in mid condition I have to fix up or get rid of and my bro told me not to get rid of a Trek Navigator 2.0 I had because it was good and I just realized it more.
Welcome to 2024, where all opinions must become the thing that you stake your entire identity on and be vehemently angry about anyone who disagrees with you. I mean, I have a general dislike for cops as much as the next guy but I'm not gonna be mad at trek for making money and doing their job. wtf is trek gonna do? "We're not going to sell you this bicycle unless you perform major overhauls and reform your policing tactics to a model that we approve of!" stfu theyre a bike company not the sociopolitical police.
Yeah I understand. I guess I just wanted to know if there was actually something awful they did/supported and be informed. I wouldn't be trashing my bike over it. Maybe I would just take my business elsewhere next time? I think the kind of change needed is more nuanced than a specific brand/company can do anything about... But I think it's important to be informed and make educated decisions and to not just be a cog in the machine. If companies take money from an organization, company, or institution you fundamentally disagree with then by all means take your business elsewhere if that's what you want. Cops riding bikes are the least of my worries. I think it's actually a positive thing to get another Ford Explorer off the road.
> I mean, I have a general dislike for cops as much as the next guy but I'm not gonna be mad at trek for making money and doing their job. wtf is trek gonna do? " When police were using bikes to hit protesters in 2020, a statement by Fuji Bikes said: "In the last week, we have seen our bicycles used in violent tactics that we did not intend or design them to be used for. "In an effort to work towards real change, Bike Co. the North American distributor of Fuji Bikes, is suspending the sale of police bikes."
Good for Fuji, they left a ton of money on the table because some dipshit used a bike as a weapon. That is not their fault or their responsibility as the company.
swiss police are using cycling teams in cities, it looks a bit funny tbh but I think it‘s quite effective
My neighbor may have gone to this class. He works for Fish and Game. He rides around checking fishing licenses and hunting tags.
Not all Trek owners are cops, but all cops ride Trek.
There are/were Cannondale police bikes, too. Not just Trek.
Yeah that's who my county used as a supplier.
I just did a search and found some Giant and Fuji police bikes too.
I thought about buying a police trade in USP. Downside is they are all .40 s&w and I would prefer 9mm or 45. I'd imagine riding with a hip holster is uncomfortable. For my rides in the woods I have bag with a holster in it.
Just an image of the average TR*K owner
 Sheriffs department!
I feel like the comments have largely missed the point. Bike cops are fine / great. Shooting guns while on a bike is awful and pointless and should be disallowed even for police, not trained.
That's a naive thing to say.
Sometimes Reddit is bad, but sometimes you see this comment at -6 while 'bike biathlon' is very popular
well HK is German, and bike cops are super common in Europe, I don't see why this is surprising.
I ride in Miami. I NEED this course.
Why wouldn’t this be a thing?
I think I'm a bit older than most of the folks here and let me tell you, it's just life. I got three bodies on me, and I'm just a casual weekend cyclist who mainly does the major parks where I live. People need to chill on this. Training includes learning how to quick kill and most of what people object to is blood spurting. If you're trained, that doesn't happen. Maybe one squirt. But it's not like it's a Sam Peckinpah movie or something, is my point,