# Get a free Mountain Bike by being "antisocial"



## JohnHenry (9 Jun 2011)

*Caerphilly Residents Get 'Back On Track'*
Tue, 10 May 2011 Courtesy of: Gwent Police




After the huge success of last year’s Back on Track scheme Gwent Police has teamed up with the Caerphilly County Borough Children and Young Peoples Partnership and Halfords, to offer free bicycles as part of an scheme to reduce the number of off-road bikes being illegally ridden around the area. 

Caerphilly residents are being given the opportunity to have a free mountain bike and accessories, in return for giving up their off-road motorbikes, trikes or quad bikes. The illegal use of off-road bikes is an issue that residents often raise at the local PACT (Partnerships and Communities Together) meetings. It is currently a PACT priority for the Penyrheol ward.

The scheme is being made possible thanks to funding received from The Children and Young Peoples Partnership and Halfords is also supplying the equipment at a reduced price. It’s simple to take part. Everyone who surrenders their mechanically propelled vehicle (such as an off-road motorbike), will be given a voucher, entitling them to a mountain bike, helmet, cable and lock, bicycle lights, puncture repair kit, riding mitts, high visibility arm and leg bands, as well as a three year bike care plan – all for free! Vouchers will be issued on a first come, first serve basis. 


*“By trading in your mechanically propelled vehicle, you’ll get a cycle, cycle accessories and three-year bike care plan”*
Residents from Aber Valley, Morgan Jones, Penyrheol or St Martins will be able to take part in the amnesty over of four week period in June. They will need to surrender their vehicle and pick up their vouchers during one of the designated slots. 

Sergeant Andy Elias from the Caerphilly Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The illegal use of off-road bikes on local green spaces and along pavements and paths is a real concern to residents in the Caerphilly area. Not only are off road bikes dangerous, posing a risk to the riders and local community, they impact the quality of life for residents. Along with our operations – Back on Track is another way of helping to get these bikes off the road.” 

Cllr Phil Bevan, Cabinet Member for Education, Leisure and Lifelong Learning said: “This excellent initiative was a great success when it last ran back in 2010, and I am hopeful that it will be as positively received once again. This amnesty is a good way of helping to get off-road bikes off the road, which are deemed a nuisance by many, while promoting the health benefits that cycling has”.



He continued, “I hope Back on Track will have long-lasting benefits for the local community”.

John Woolley Store Manager at Halfords Caerphilly said: “This scheme is a great way of helping people discover cycling as a practical mode of transport. By trading in your mechanically propelled vehicle, you’ll get a cycle, cycle accessories and three-year bike care plan, all of which will keep you safely on the road, with no running costs, for the foreseeable future.

“Cycling is good for your health, saves you money on transport costs and also benefits the environment – come down to Halfords and see how our expert bike technicians can help you.”

Terms and conditions will apply – for example, residents must be able to provide proof of address for Aber Valley, Morgan Jones, Penyrheol or St Martins wards in Caerphilly and the vehicle must be in working order. Anyone wanting to take part in the amnesty must be over the age of 18, or be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please pop into Caerphilly Police station for a full list of the terms and conditions.


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## ColinJ (9 Jun 2011)

It sounds like the illegal motorised vehicles are surrendered and will be sold to subsidise the scheme, in which case it sounds like quite a good idea.


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## theclaud (9 Jun 2011)

I like the idea. Although it's a shame it excludes under-18s, and the mtbs need to be half-decent.


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## coffeejo (9 Jun 2011)

It doesn't exclude the u18s, just that they have to be accompanied by an adult. 

It sounds like a great scheme.


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## Dan B (9 Jun 2011)

Could it be extended to motor vehicle owners in general?


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## coffeejo (9 Jun 2011)

Dan B said:


> Could it be extended to motor vehicle owners in general?


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## theclaud (9 Jun 2011)

coffeejo said:


> It doesn't exclude the u18s, just that they have to be accompanied by an adult.
> 
> It sounds like a great scheme.



My mistake. All good then!


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## hotmetal (9 Jun 2011)

It'd be a lot quieter round my way if they could persuade the local chavs to pack it in. And that from me, a passionate biker of the motorised and non-motorised variety. Begs the question of whether scrotes will start nicking triallies just to get a free mountainbike? Sort of 'bicycle laundering'. I can't imagine someone who is predisposed towards antisocial behaviour chopping in the thrill of caning an illegal trially for a mountain bike and hi viz arm bands, but the article seems to suggest it has been successful, so fair play. If it works, I'm in favour.


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## Silver Fox (9 Jun 2011)

Good idea if it works but can't help but think the anti-social element of society are being appeased. They probably have access to more than one off road motorbike anyway so trading one in for a free bike won't be a big deal.

But putting my cynic head to one side, it's worth a try.


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## hotmetal (9 Jun 2011)

Silver Fox said:


> Good idea if it works but can't help but think the anti-social element of society are being appeased.



Agree with you about that though. Whatever happened to 'crime doesn't pay'? 
It sucks that we have to bribe yoofs just to respect the laws of common decency these days.


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## huxley (10 Jun 2011)

so my next plan is to go on e-bay and biy a srap moped for £50 hand it in to the police for a bran new bike and add on's fab LOL


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## Cubist (10 Jun 2011)

It ain't bribery, it's distraction. We once solved a one-boy crime wave by sitting him down and asking why he was doing all the stuff he did. it turned out he was angry because someone had stolen his roller blades that he'd been given for Christmas. He was absolutely devoted to skating, and without his blades he felt lost. His family couldn't afford to replace them. We got him a pair out of the petty cash and he never looked back. 

Don't for a minute think that the bikes available on this scheme will be anything other than a basic apollo by the way! You'd be better off bidding for a secondhand MTB on ebay with your 50 quid. 

Given the absolute abject misery that off-road bikes and quads cause, I shall be looking to implement a similar scheme here.


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## Rhythm Thief (10 Jun 2011)

Is there any mileage in a scheme which would provide people with somewhere legit to ride motocross bikes in the first place?


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## Cubist (10 Jun 2011)

Rhythm Thief said:


> Is there any mileage in a scheme which would provide people with somewhere legit to ride motocross bikes in the first place?


Two main issues here, are that if we or our partners condone riding anywhere there's an entire swathe of bureaucracy and public liability to wade through. Secondly, we once managed to earmark a bit of land, but the locals complained about the noise. 


There have been a number of really successful schemes, such as BUMPY http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co....oother_ride_ahead_for_bumpy_project_1_2133588
where young people are taught to ride and fix bikes etc. They all, without exception,learnt to respect the bikes, the laws of physics but most importantly themselves and others.


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## Alembicbassman (10 Jun 2011)

I'm guessing the bikes will be the Halfords Trax range then


Take all the scrotes to the top of Snowden in the winter and get them to ride home.


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## Angelfishsolo (11 Jun 2011)

Anything that encourages people to give up those motorised monstrosities is a good thing. Whether or not the scheme will work remains to be seen but it is good to see action being taken.


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## Fiona N (12 Jun 2011)

If the m-bikers are anything like round here, I doubt that giving them a mtb will be enough - probably too much physical effort involved.

A local children's playground has been ripped up by these illegal off-road idiots and when anti-motorcycle gates were concreted into the entrance, they were ripped up a few days later and taken some distance away before being dumped in someone's garden. There was good evidence to indicate a tractor had been used to 'uproot' the gate.


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## Angelfishsolo (12 Jun 2011)

Sadly that has been my experience as well. No matter how hard the governing bodies try to prevent access to M-vehicles somebody will come along and destroy the efforts. The end result being that the area is only fit to be used by said vehicles. A crying shame. 

That said the two options seem to be
1. Punishment such as bike seizure and crushing which results in more stolen machines and worse condition bikes of the trails

2. Appeasement such as the OP scheme which could have a positive result.

Only other option as I see it is shooting the idiots on sight which probably wouldn't go down to well with Human Rights Lawyers and such. BTW that was a joke. 


Fiona N said:


> If the m-bikers are anything like round here, I doubt that giving them a mtb will be enough - probably too much physical effort involved.
> 
> A local children's playground has been ripped up by these illegal off-road idiots and when anti-motorcycle gates were concreted into the entrance, they were ripped up a few days later and taken some distance away before being dumped in someone's garden. There was good evidence to indicate a tractor had been used to 'uproot' the gate.


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## Rhythm Thief (12 Jun 2011)

But then again, it's possible that if there was somewhere people could go and legally use motocross bikes - motocross being, after all, a legitimate pastime, whether people like it or not - there'd be far fewer instances of them breaking into children's play areas and riding antisocially. Just a thought, and it seems to me to be a more obvious solution than swapping a trials bike for a cheap 'n' nasty MTB. I wouldn't do that if I had a motorbike.


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## vernon (13 Jun 2011)

As Cubist mentioned there's a cart load of bureaucracy to contend with when setting up such a scheme. How many suitable tracts of land are available where riding will not disturb the peace and quiet of neighbouring houses? Who will fund it? Who will insure it? Who will enforce riding hours and noise control?


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## Angelfishsolo (13 Jun 2011)

How do riders get to said piece of land? I'm sure most of the illegal m-bike riders do not have access to cars and trailers.



vernon said:


> As Cubist mentioned there's a cart load of bureaucracy to contend with when setting up such a scheme. How many suitable tracts of land are available where riding will not disturb the peace and quiet of neighbouring houses? Who will fund it? Who will insure it? Who will enforce riding hours and noise control?


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