Britain’s Most Wanted Motorbike Gangs?


Britain’s Most Wanted Motorbike Gangs?

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This programme contains strong language

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BikeLife is an underground movement which sees motorbikers performing dangerous stunts on public roads.

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See the police in the bushes behind me?

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It's become a worldwide phenomenon that started in the US,

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and has now exploded across the UK.

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They want to label us thugs, and we're not thugs.

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For the riders, it's a way of life, but the police see them as gangs,

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and are determined to crack down

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on the criminal menace they bring to our roads.

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They've killed two people in the space of two years on bikes, chasing them.

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You're lucky you're a police officer, innit,

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-I'll tell you that now, innit.

-They can lock up ten people,

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doesn't matter, you know how worldwide BikeLife is?

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I'm in south-east London to meet Wavy,

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one of the UK's most notorious riders.

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While I'm on the bike, I don't want my whole face in there.

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I don't want that on camera, bruv.

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We show respect when we're riding, we respect the people that are on the...

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We respect pedestrians, we respect other cars, know what I'm saying?

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And we even try and respect the police.

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Go on the left side of me, yeah?

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We're on the Thamesmead estate,

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one of the most deprived places in the UK,

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where Wavy and other riders

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regularly take over a strip of road to perform their stunts.

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But there's a battle brewing with police,

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who have fears for public safety.

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It doesn't take long for them to turn up in force.

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Wavy can't resist a bit of showboating to taunt the officers.

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They see we're not doing nothing wrong.

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They've sent the fucking chopper out.

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All that taxpayers' money

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to come out and watch us do a few tricks up and down the road.

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Cos they're not going to catch no-one from this.

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As you can see, everyone's got their faces covered.

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We're not going to run from them. They've killed two people

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in the space of two years. On bikes. Chasing them.

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Kids under the age of 20.

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They're the terrorists, they're the hooligans,

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they're the ones that cause the trouble, not us.

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BikeLife is never going to stop, you know what I'm saying?

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No matter how many choppers you send, no matter how many police cars

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you send, BikeLife's never going to stop.

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It's true that two riders have been killed

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whilst being pursued by police,

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but in both cases the police say they were responding to reports

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of robberies by people on mopeds.

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With the police buzzing round the strip,

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the guys decide to load up their bikes and head to a nearby flat.

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Wavy introduces me to fellow riders Cones and Bubbles.

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You see the guys, the bus drivers, out the window, going like that.

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Doing the wanker sign when we drive past.

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With police pressure mounting, the guys are feeling defensive.

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In the papers, we're all drug dealers.

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We're not drug dealers, I've been at work all day.

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You think that people think that you're all criminals,

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riding around on stolen bikes?

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Exactly. My bike's bought and paid for. I own it outright.

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If anyone steals a bike, it's the fucking police.

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They steal our fucking bikes.

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-Yeah. For real.

-See them tearing round the streets,

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popping the wheelies, and they think you're criminals.

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Police rolled up next to a man, the policeman said,

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"I hope you fall off and die." And spun off.

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Going through puddles, trying to splash the bike with puddles and shit,

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you know what I mean? Trust me, they're scumbags, man.

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People think we're endangering the public, I'm not going to lie,

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there's scatty riders that jump on and off pavements.

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When we ride, it's like we're legit, but we're just doing wheelies, like,

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30-40 mile an hour wheelies, maybe even slower,

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do you know what I mean?

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What happens if a kid runs out from behind a car?

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What happens if a kid runs out from behind a car and a bus is coming?

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What happens if a kid runs out behind a car and another car's coming?

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If a kid runs out in front of you, what can you do about it,

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-do you know what I mean?

-Yeah, what happens?

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For people that don't know the scene,

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people that have never ridden a bike,

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they're going to be like,

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these guys are putting themselves in danger.

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Why do you keep saying we're putting ourselves in danger?

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Cos, well, you kind of are.

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Imagine you've done nothing all your life,

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you've played it safe all your life,

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and then you get run over by a bus leaving your house.

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How would you... How...

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Your soul leaving its body would be like, "You wanker, you wanker,

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"you've wasted me all my life!" Know what I'm saying, like?

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I'm out here living.

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Wavy's meeting his brother at a boxing gym.

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I tagged along to find out what drives him to take such big risks.

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Come to see my little brother, striving to be a professional boxer,

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training hard and that.

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I'm just trying to be a professional rider, know what I'm saying?

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Professional stunt rider.

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That's what our goals are, know what I'm saying?

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We just want to turn pro and everything.

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It's go hard or go home, innit?

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This is my little brother, Jordan.

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Show them how you hit that.

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So casual.

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I always used to try and copy him on the pedal bikes, you know,

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trying to do my own wheelies and stuff, it just never happened.

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From our dad, I took the riding skills,

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and he just took the boxing skills.

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He's got the more disciplined side of things.

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I was the reckless side of things.

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When I went to secondary school, I met the wrong people,

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and I was doing the wrong things, I didn't have time for boxing no more.

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Basically, when we was younger everyone used to, like,

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steal mopeds and steal cars and shit.

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One time, I was on a pizza bike, I look to my right,

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and my mum was sitting at the lights with my dad

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in the passenger seat, sitting at the lights, the first car.

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They're like this...

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Watched me go past.

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Literally, like, I'm looking at them, like, phone was ringing,

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know what I'm saying? I got home, like, "That was not me!

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"I was at school all day! I was at school all day!"

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Know what I'm saying?

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-They knew.

-They knew it was me, yeah.

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Wavy, you seem to like to do things that relieve stress,

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like punching a bag, riding a bike.

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To relieve stress, innit?

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What do you want me to tell you?

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Well, what is it?

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What's so stressful about your life that you need to relieve

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-stress all the time?

-No-one wants to pay me for anything,

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everyone wants everything off me for free. It's stressful.

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Even though many people see BikeLife as a menace,

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Wavy tells me there's another side to it,

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which I start to see the next time I'm on the estate.

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So do you try and unload as fast as you can?

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You've got to get your bike out the van and get away from it, lock it,

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fill up and keep it moving.

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-Don't give the police any chance to stop you.

-No.

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I'm surprised to see young kids there,

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watching the riders perform their stunts.

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I asked them why they come down to watch.

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What do you think to the BikeLife?

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Great.

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Wheelie, that's what they do, that's their thing.

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They're just sick at riding.

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It's just a good environment, like, to be round for me,

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-cos I love motorbikes.

-We just come down here to watch,

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have a bit of fun and learn tricks when we drive motorbikes,

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-when we have motorbikes.

-What does your mum think about it?

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She thinks it's all right.

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And she's OK with you, like, coming down here and seeing...

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-Yeah...

-..these guys.

-Yeah, she's all right with that, cos, like,

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she knows, kind of like, yeah.

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It's like they like it more than us, do you know what I mean?

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Like, like I said, when I was that age, 12, nine and shit,

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all I was thinking about was bikes, you know what I mean?

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And when I seen bikes,

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I would be running to see that person on a bike,

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-if I hear them over the field.

-Do they teach you things, then?

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Yeah, Cones is teaching me stuff all the time.

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Popping wheelies, stuff like that.

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Whenever I see him, he says, "try this, young Cones",

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stuff like that, so I try it.

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They're going to be the next ones out killing the bikes

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when we're too old to hurt ourselves,

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they're going to be the ones we're watching.

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Gotta show the kids love as well, man.

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What were you like before you started riding?

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I didn't even care about school. I didn't even really want to go.

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So, now, just, as soon as I get home, I do work.

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I go to school, do my work, come home, get dressed,

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go straight on my bike.

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Wheelie around with my mates. So if I had a stressed day at school,

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it'll calm me down, going on my bike.

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They look up to us, you know what I'm saying?

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Like, it's more positive than looking up to a gang member

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or whatever, you know what I'm saying?

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In America, it's guns down, bikes up.

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Out here, knives down, bikes up,

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same thing, you know what I'm saying?

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Teach kids about bikes, they'll never have money for drugs.

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These things ain't cheap, mate, you feel me?

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HE LAUGHS

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The more time I spend on the Thamesmead estate,

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the more the BikeLife scene surprises me.

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It's clear the boys on the estate see the older riders as stars,

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but what I wasn't expecting

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was the riders spending so much time teaching them new skills.

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Another big surprise is when Wavy tells me he's treating himself

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with a trip to Miami.

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But once again, it's all about BikeLife.

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Boy, this is my second trip to the US,

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so going Miami this time.

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For the MLK Rideout.

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Yeah. One of the biggest rideouts of the year.

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There's going to be hundreds and hundreds of bikes there.

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South Beach is the spot.

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Look, there's people riding around with no helmets on.

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Wavy might be one of the top riders in the UK,

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with over 50,000 followers on Instagram,

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but the American scene is so much bigger.

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See, Miami Weekend is the weekend.

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Hundreds of riders from across the States take over the Miami streets

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on Martin Luther King Day.

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It's not only the place to be seen,

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but also a great event to show off their skills via social media.

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But for Wavy to take part, he needs a bike.

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After travelling so far, he doesn't want to miss out on the main event.

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Everyone's bikes is booked up from early,

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so you've got to know if that person's got the bike or not.

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You feel me? Especially if you're coming from fucking London.

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Desperate to ride,

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Wavy is turning to other riders to see if anyone can loan him a bike.

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Hey listen, I'm going to just go to Jimmy's crib, bro.

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But I want to see if there's a bike there I can ride.

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-I need to ride, fam.

-Fed up with waiting, Wavy?

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Yeah, man, I can't wait, bruv. I'm out here to ride.

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Like, I didn't come out here to stand outside shit.

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So, Wavy, you riding?

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Maybe. Hopefully.

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What did homeboy say? Nah.

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A rider Wavy knows through Instagram finally pulls through.

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Look, this is my bro, yeah?

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-What's it? Harlem? Where are you? Queens? The Bronx.

-From the Bronx.

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Bronx? Get me?

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BX to fucking 305 North London to the 305...

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Trust me. Bikes bring bonds.

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Holding me down.

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So we're doing it, trust me.

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He brought a bike from fucking...

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all the way from NY to Miami, just for me to ride.

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Having got himself a bike, Wavy finally gets to ride.

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Seeing Wavy on his bike, I'm beginning to understand

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why he takes such extreme risks on the road.

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It's what we love to do, innit?

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It's what makes us feel most alive, innit?

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You don't feel more alive than when you're dancing with death.

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But Wavy's Miami ride doesn't last long,

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as the police are out in force.

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It was only for, like, 20 minutes, man.

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They had task force out,

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undercover police cars parked at fucking all the gas stations.

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Like, parked near them.

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So when they saw the bikes pull in, they just swerved out, innit?

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It was all mad. It was all mad yesterday.

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People was getting fucking bikes taken left, right and centre.

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And there is worse news.

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Remember Shiny? He fell, like an hour ago, had to go to the hospital.

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-You witnessed an accident. What happened there?

-Yeah, man.

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I see a guy crash his bike

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and basically, I don't know, apparently...

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Apparently he died.

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But, yeah, he was...

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He crashed his bike right in front of me, basically.

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Does that not make you think that you're taking your life

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-in your hands when you ride?

-Yeah, course, I know that, though.

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Listen. Everyone ain't me.

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Certain people got it, certain people haven't got it.

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Know what I'm saying? No matter what he was doing,

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nobody deserves to go out like that, you know what I'm saying?

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Came out here to have fun and didn't make it home.

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Who knows if he has a family, whatever, you know what I'm saying?

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He didn't make it home.

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He didn't make it home, it's fucked up.

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Back in the UK, and the Thamesmead estate has been attracting riders from across the country.

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The increased action has brought more police attention,

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so Wavy is looking for a new spot to ride.

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It's not always been like this.

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What's happened to make it like this now?

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Some dickheads that don't know what they're doing

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and just want to cause trouble,

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kicking police cars and all that bullshit.

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What do you look for, like, when you're looking for a new strip?

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You can ride there at night, that's the best.

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If it's lit up and it's smooth,

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away from houses where there's going to be at least people

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who could, like, complain, you know what I'm saying?

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I'm just trying to see if we can go to, like, a different strip, innit?

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Change it up a bit. Cos it's getting a bit hot there.

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Every time we go there, the police come.

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Is that what you have to do, then? Keep finding new strips?

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I try to. Not out here to terrorise the police.

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I've been looking at this one here.

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Wavy leads us into an industrial estate.

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That's a private road as well.

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These are all private roads here.

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For riders, private roads make better strips,

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as they believe police can't make an arrest

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without a complaint from the landowner.

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No, I like this, I think this one's calm, man.

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I've heard that Cones is in trouble,

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and could be facing serious jail time because of BikeLife.

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Basically, I went up to Manchester,

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was having a little ride around on the street,

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and then the police come,

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started following us in helicopters and all that.

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The chase went on for three hours. Obviously, yeah, I'd got caught.

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One of the police officers said that I actually ran over his foot,

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then I tried to ride back to run him over.

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So that's why it's been transferred to Crown Court,

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but that's basically a lie, do you know what I mean?

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I wouldn't use my bike as a weapon against police or anyone.

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The case don't look too good because of what the police officer's saying.

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I'd do anything not to get a custodial sentence right about now.

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I've pled guilty. I've put my hands up to what I've done,

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but I've always been brought up

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that riding bikes or whatever is not a serious crime.

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You can make it serious,

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like going on the roads and getting into crazy chases,

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and, yeah, if you crash into someone, it's a serious crime.

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But, to me, I've not looked at BikeLife like it's a serious crime.

0:14:030:14:08

27-year-old Cones has a young daughter.

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And with the prospect of going to prison,

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does he really feel BikeLife is worth the risk?

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-Do you ride every day?

-Nah, I don't ride every day.

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I try to ride as minimum as possible now,

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because... you know,

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I live on the estate where we ride, so I'm well known around here.

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I can see, even with this, there is a lot of risks to it.

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For me, personally, I'm taking a lot of risks, do you know what I mean?

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Cause, you know...my flat, if I get caught for riding,

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I'll lose my flat, I'll go back to jail, you know what I mean?

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It's going to affect my daughter and staff if I go back to jail,

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so, yeah, I'm taking a lot of risks,

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but, at the end of the day, I love this.

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They'll literally have to take my arms so I can't grab a bike,

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you know what I mean, before I stop riding.

0:14:510:14:53

Talking to Cones, I can see how much BikeLife means to him,

0:14:530:14:56

despite the trouble he's in.

0:14:560:14:58

He loves riding and the thought of giving it up is killing him.

0:14:580:15:02

Outside, he introduces me to the mechanic of their group.

0:15:030:15:06

I'd do anything for these boys. It's like family, innit.

0:15:060:15:10

23-year-old Liam, a plumber,

0:15:100:15:12

also has a family, and he too has something to say about the police.

0:15:120:15:16

I'm not a criminal. I'm a man with kids.

0:15:160:15:19

A missus. I've got shit going on in life,

0:15:190:15:22

you know what I'm trying to say, but I just love riding my bike.

0:15:220:15:25

Today's ride will have to wait,

0:15:250:15:27

as the cat and mouse game with the police continues.

0:15:270:15:30

Just another day in Thamesmead, the bird's out.

0:15:300:15:32

If they're looking for someone on a motorbike,

0:15:320:15:35

they should be putting their money to better use.

0:15:350:15:37

Once the coast is clear, they make their way through the estate

0:15:370:15:40

to the strip.

0:15:400:15:41

The strip is usually quiet but it's still a public road.

0:15:470:15:50

There are learner drivers and pedestrians

0:15:500:15:52

who find themselves getting in the way.

0:15:520:15:54

The situation is far from ideal.

0:15:540:15:56

I've heard bikers say they need a proper place to ride

0:15:560:15:59

but I'm unsure how this will ever happen.

0:15:590:16:02

Liam is quick to defend the riders

0:16:020:16:04

and their reputation as a public nuisance.

0:16:040:16:06

They want to label us thugs, yeah, we're not thugs.

0:16:060:16:10

We ain't thugs.

0:16:100:16:11

No-one can take this away from me.

0:16:110:16:13

Otherwise jog on, that's the way I look at it.

0:16:130:16:15

No disrespect to anyone, but we're not kids, we're just having fun,

0:16:150:16:19

releasing that inner stress.

0:16:190:16:21

I don't want to go home and take stress out on my family,

0:16:210:16:23

-so I take it out on this bad boy here.

-How is it having a little one?

0:16:230:16:27

Don't get me wrong, you have to be careful, because if I hurt myself

0:16:270:16:30

I can't go to work, then I can't feed him.

0:16:300:16:31

I have to always think about them, you know?

0:16:310:16:34

This is my freedom, this is me, this is my time,

0:16:340:16:36

but I've still got them on my mind.

0:16:360:16:38

But this is BikeLife, I love it.

0:16:380:16:40

You know what I'm trying to say, I love this shit.

0:16:400:16:44

The riders all seem to love the risk of riding, but I wonder if there's

0:16:440:16:47

anything that could ever stop them.

0:16:470:16:49

The next time I see Liam, he's in hospital.

0:16:520:16:54

Can't really see the full extent,

0:16:540:16:57

but my bone's come through my foot.

0:16:570:16:59

While riding the strip,

0:17:030:17:04

Liam came off his bike after hitting another rider.

0:17:040:17:07

So I'm just here a couple more days then I'll be riding soon.

0:17:090:17:12

What's going to happen with work and stuff?

0:17:130:17:16

I'm self-employed, so now this has done me.

0:17:160:17:19

I can't even earn a penny.

0:17:190:17:21

I've got friends and family,

0:17:210:17:23

support which I'm very grateful for, but being a man,

0:17:230:17:26

that depresses me because I can't earn my money.

0:17:260:17:29

I'm fucked, basically.

0:17:290:17:31

There's no insurance, there's no pay-out, there's nothing,

0:17:310:17:34

it's just suffer.

0:17:340:17:36

Like I say, this is the risk we're all taking.

0:17:360:17:39

This is the risk that, yeah, we're aware of

0:17:390:17:41

but we don't really think of.

0:17:410:17:43

I want people to see this and know that we have to deal with stuff

0:17:430:17:45

like this to get to the level we're at.

0:17:450:17:47

Do you think if there were somewhere for you to ride,

0:17:470:17:49

-this might not have happened?

-Yeah, no, I don't think, I know.

0:17:490:17:52

If we had somewhere properly to go, yeah,

0:17:520:17:55

supervised proper place, this wouldn't happen.

0:17:550:17:57

None of this would happen.

0:17:570:17:59

But like I say, that's the risk we take.

0:17:590:18:02

BikeLife. BikeLife till I'm dead, you know.

0:18:020:18:05

I'm not stopping.

0:18:050:18:06

Sunday is usually a big day for the riders in Thamesmead.

0:18:080:18:11

But today something is different.

0:18:120:18:14

It seems as though Wavy was right to start avoiding the strip,

0:18:140:18:17

because police are here and are carrying out a major crackdown.

0:18:170:18:21

Tell me what's going on.

0:18:300:18:31

We're down the strip, waiting for the bikes,

0:18:310:18:34

but loads of police turn up,

0:18:340:18:35

and they're just blocking the roads off.

0:18:350:18:37

The police are over there, and then the bikes don't want to get

0:18:370:18:40

caught, so he's obviously gone back because he's on his own.

0:18:400:18:43

It's unusual to see the street so quiet,

0:18:430:18:45

but police have blocked every entrance to the estate

0:18:450:18:48

in a major operation.

0:18:480:18:50

I don't really see the point in the police trying to stop them.

0:18:500:18:53

They're not doing any harm.

0:18:530:18:54

There could be people out there shooting, robbing these houses,

0:18:540:18:58

burning them and all stuff like that,

0:18:580:19:00

and then spend it on there, like, look, like this, yeah.

0:19:000:19:03

And then they come down here

0:19:030:19:05

and then just start spoiling all their fun for no reason.

0:19:050:19:09

They just get annoyed with it,

0:19:090:19:11

that's why they argue about it by saying, "Give us somewhere to ride."

0:19:110:19:14

It's true, though.

0:19:140:19:16

With no-one on the strip,

0:19:200:19:21

I take a ride with Bubbles to find out what's going on.

0:19:210:19:25

Obviously, they've got some sting operation going on.

0:19:250:19:27

They've been pulling up the motorbikes today.

0:19:270:19:30

But it's not long before we attract attention ourselves.

0:19:300:19:33

Now we're being stopped by the police.

0:19:330:19:35

The police are behind us, yeah?

0:19:350:19:37

-This is Joel from the BBC.

-OK, mate.

0:19:370:19:40

OK, can you tell us why you've stopped us, please?

0:19:400:19:43

We're being stopped because of the BikeLife sticker on Bubbles' car.

0:19:430:19:48

Whilst we're split up, the police do a search of the vehicle.

0:19:480:19:51

After finding nothing, we are let go.

0:19:520:19:54

Just got stopped by the police, and now they're sort of like,

0:19:550:19:58

they went over the car but, obviously, the police have got

0:19:580:20:01

a big operation going on, as you can see.

0:20:010:20:03

Look, we're back on the strip and more police.

0:20:030:20:05

It looks like they've shut it down today.

0:20:050:20:07

No bikes are coming over here at all,

0:20:070:20:08

because the police have blocked off all the roads.

0:20:080:20:11

The police are taking a zero tolerance approach

0:20:110:20:13

towards anyone that looks like they could be part of BikeLife.

0:20:130:20:16

The moped rider has been stopped due to a faulty mudguard.

0:20:180:20:21

I've done nothing wrong.

0:20:210:20:23

It is roadworthy, it's got three years' warranty,

0:20:230:20:25

three years' MOT, three years' tax, three years' everything.

0:20:250:20:28

This is the highlight of your day, to come and bully me.

0:20:280:20:31

There's people robbing shops and burgling people and that,

0:20:310:20:34

and you can go and stop them right now, but you've got one, two,

0:20:340:20:37

three cars and a riot van driving up and down here just for us.

0:20:370:20:40

Come on, really? We're not causing trouble.

0:20:400:20:43

This is keeping us out of trouble.

0:20:430:20:44

My bike's all legit and now they're telling me it's not legit.

0:20:440:20:47

They're telling me my bike is not legit on the road.

0:20:470:20:49

even though I have insurance, MOT, tax, everything.

0:20:490:20:52

They're telling the front wheel's out of line, everything.

0:20:520:20:54

They're just lying. They just lie, man, look.

0:20:540:20:56

They're going to try take it off me,

0:20:560:20:58

I don't know what they're going to do.

0:20:580:21:00

It makes you feel better when you go home and sleep at night.

0:21:000:21:02

Sweet, mate. You don't need all this police.

0:21:020:21:05

For one bike and a couple of pushbikes!

0:21:050:21:07

The police say the bike's not roadworthy.

0:21:070:21:09

They think the front brake is defective.

0:21:090:21:11

Ha, you's lot, you're just bullies, innit?

0:21:110:21:14

If I chuck that on the floor, you going to do me for littering?

0:21:140:21:17

Can be done.

0:21:170:21:18

They give the rider two hours to get home,

0:21:190:21:22

and the bike will need a new MOT before he can legally ride it again.

0:21:220:21:25

That's your fault, you know. You're lucky you're a police officer, init.

0:21:270:21:30

I'll tell you that now. If you weren't a police officer,

0:21:300:21:32

I'd whack you in the jaw, you know that.

0:21:320:21:35

It can't be denied that the police have made a big difference

0:21:350:21:38

to the Thamesmead estate today,

0:21:380:21:40

but I can see how angry some of the young men now are.

0:21:400:21:42

Your mums don't love ya!

0:21:420:21:44

I asked the police about this.

0:21:460:21:47

They won't appear on camera, but in a statement they tell me that

0:21:470:21:50

dangerous and reckless riding has been affecting the safety of the

0:21:500:21:53

community, and that they've made five arrests for offences including

0:21:530:21:57

being unfit to drive and other traffic violations.

0:21:570:21:59

I find out one of those arrested is Cones,

0:22:020:22:04

who was visited by the police at his home

0:22:040:22:06

and then immediately sent to prison.

0:22:060:22:08

I was meant to meet Cones down there on Sunday,

0:22:080:22:10

but I heard he got arrested Sunday morning, you know what I'm saying.

0:22:100:22:13

Like, police, they came early Sunday morning,

0:22:130:22:16

raided his house, basically,

0:22:160:22:18

and arrested him for riding a dirt bike on the road.

0:22:180:22:21

Because he's on a ban.

0:22:210:22:22

It's messed up, what they've done. They raided him when it was just him

0:22:220:22:25

-and his six-year-old daughter in bed.

-Exactly that.

0:22:250:22:28

They're going to traumatise a six-year-old girl

0:22:280:22:30

who's going to see her dad getting arrested,

0:22:300:22:33

at six years old, over him riding a bike.

0:22:330:22:35

Now people are going to wonder why she hates police all her life.

0:22:350:22:37

-Trust me.

-You know what I'm saying. That's why, because they came in

0:22:370:22:40

and they've took her dad away from her while he was looking after her.

0:22:400:22:44

Strange men came in the house...

0:22:440:22:45

-Not even for murder, for riding his bike.

-It's crazy.

0:22:450:22:50

The police say Cones was arrested because they see him as one of

0:22:500:22:53

the main BikeLife organisers on the estate.

0:22:530:22:55

Do you think it would try to help if you try to open up a dialogue with

0:22:550:22:58

the police? If you tried to speak to the police and say,

0:22:580:23:00

-"Look, just give us..."

-Tried it.

0:23:000:23:02

-You tried that, what happened?

-We always try things like that.

0:23:020:23:05

"Oh, we'll be in touch with you..." They're enjoying that,

0:23:050:23:08

they love that, they love chasing you, they get a thrill from it.

0:23:080:23:11

Just like we get a thrill from wheelieing down the road,

0:23:110:23:13

they get a thrill from chasing down a bike, you know what I'm saying.

0:23:130:23:16

What's the future for BikeLife if the police carry on like this?

0:23:160:23:19

It's going to carry on going the same way it's going now.

0:23:190:23:22

Getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

0:23:220:23:24

This doesn't, this is not a scratch

0:23:240:23:26

on the surface, you don't understand.

0:23:260:23:28

They've locked up one person through BikeLife.

0:23:280:23:30

Or they lock-up...they could lock up ten people, it don't matter.

0:23:300:23:34

Do you know how worldwide BikeLife is?

0:23:340:23:37

Saudi Arabia.

0:23:370:23:38

Africa.

0:23:380:23:39

Jamaica. They see us as a gang.

0:23:410:23:43

We're not a gang. We're a movement.

0:23:430:23:45

Liam is out of hospital,

0:23:520:23:53

and his injuries have earned him respect with the boys.

0:23:530:23:56

How did he do that?

0:23:560:23:58

Disgusting.

0:23:580:23:59

See, you know he's a true rider.

0:24:000:24:02

I head over to his house to check in on him.

0:24:020:24:04

How you doing, mate, you all right?

0:24:040:24:06

-What's happening, mate, how you doing?

-Good. How's your foot?

0:24:060:24:09

Getting better. Getting better, mate.

0:24:090:24:11

Are you worried that you could be nicked soon?

0:24:110:24:13

In a way, yeah, they could, they could nick anyone.

0:24:130:24:16

But, at the same time,

0:24:160:24:18

what can I do? I can't be worried about it.

0:24:180:24:21

Yeah, I'm worried in a way,

0:24:210:24:23

but give me somewhere to go and I won't ride there.

0:24:230:24:26

Obviously, I understand, they've got a duty to do and whatever else,

0:24:260:24:29

but I believe they're doing it in the wrong way.

0:24:290:24:32

Do think you you might be trying to get your message to them or to other

0:24:320:24:36

people in the wrong way by riding on public roads?

0:24:360:24:39

Yeah, don't get me wrong, we are.

0:24:390:24:41

We shouldn't be doing it and we know that.

0:24:410:24:43

I worry that a kid's going to step out into the road.

0:24:430:24:45

Yeah, I worry about that all the time, don't get me wrong.

0:24:450:24:49

It can happen. My missus takes my dogs for walks, my son,

0:24:500:24:53

I don't want to have them in danger by people riding dirt bikes.

0:24:530:24:57

I want him to do wheelies and that if he wants,

0:24:570:24:59

but it's not something I'd ever push him into, though,

0:24:590:25:02

because it's a dangerous sport.

0:25:020:25:03

Hello. You going on the motorbike?

0:25:030:25:05

What does a motorbike do? Does it go "bing"?

0:25:050:25:08

Bing, bing!

0:25:080:25:10

Can you go like that? Bing, bing!

0:25:120:25:14

Does he like riding a bike?

0:25:180:25:20

He loves them.

0:25:200:25:21

Trust me, he comes on them with me.

0:25:210:25:24

He's got a little helmet and whatnot.

0:25:240:25:27

I just literally hold on to one side and he rides it,

0:25:270:25:30

does the throttle a little bit.

0:25:300:25:32

It's been the last, like, month or so,

0:25:320:25:34

he's been able to actually move the throttle

0:25:340:25:36

so it actually brings it obviously on,

0:25:360:25:39

and yeah, we pootle about.

0:25:390:25:41

It's quality. Right, he wants me to get off

0:25:410:25:43

because he wants to do it himself.

0:25:430:25:45

See what I mean? Look. See?

0:25:450:25:47

He's not even two yet.

0:25:470:25:49

When's he going to get his first bike?

0:25:490:25:51

I keep saying for his third birthday,

0:25:520:25:54

but I'll probably end up getting it before.

0:25:540:25:57

There. Help me service it.

0:25:570:25:59

Look, my chain, look.

0:25:590:26:00

See, he wants to do it, he knows about tools

0:26:010:26:04

and he tries to help as if he's fixing it,

0:26:040:26:06

so I let him think he is, do you know what I mean?

0:26:060:26:09

His mum hates it, because we get all filthed up and dirty but he's a kid,

0:26:090:26:12

he's a boy, I would never let him get hurt.

0:26:120:26:14

I'm going to take him in anyway.

0:26:140:26:16

There's the chopper out now.

0:26:180:26:21

-Someone's riding.

-Someone's probably out riding now.

0:26:210:26:23

For many of the young men on the estate,

0:26:270:26:29

BikeLife is something they are born into, and while Liam can see

0:26:290:26:32

the dangers it might pose, I can't ever see him giving it up.

0:26:320:26:35

I catch up with Cones's girlfriend, Kirsty,

0:26:440:26:46

to see how Cones's prison stretch

0:26:460:26:48

is affecting her and their daughter, Lily-Mae.

0:26:480:26:50

-Do you understand why he rides?

-I do and I don't.

0:26:500:26:54

It must be the adrenaline.

0:26:540:26:56

It's in his blood. His parents were both riders.

0:26:560:26:59

I think he probably had his first bike when he was probably younger

0:26:590:27:03

than our daughter is now.

0:27:030:27:04

Is it hard sharing Luke with that side of his life?

0:27:040:27:07

It can be. But I don't know, I suppose...

0:27:070:27:09

..if you don't let him go and do what he wants to do,

0:27:110:27:13

it wouldn't really be fair.

0:27:130:27:15

I obviously look after our daughter,

0:27:150:27:17

and he obviously goes out and has fun.

0:27:170:27:19

-Is it hard now he can't be there for her?

-Yes, of course it is.

0:27:190:27:23

Because now I have to look after her and try and struggle with work,

0:27:230:27:26

but that's life.

0:27:260:27:28

Life could get even tougher for Kirsty because Cones

0:27:280:27:30

is facing another 18-month sentence for the Manchester case.

0:27:300:27:33

If the sentencing doesn't fall in Cones's favour,

0:27:350:27:37

then that affects you in quite a big way, won't it?

0:27:370:27:40

Yeah, of course it will,

0:27:400:27:41

because I'll be left on my own with my daughter again.

0:27:410:27:44

It seems the police operations have worked,

0:27:500:27:52

as the strip is still empty with no signs of bikes at all.

0:27:520:27:56

The police are saying they'll continue to crack down on any bikers

0:27:560:27:59

in the area, in an effort to shut down BikeLife for good.

0:27:590:28:02

People in that area might be like, "The police seem to have done a good

0:28:020:28:05

"thing here and stopped the bikes from coming."

0:28:050:28:08

Well, they're in for a shock.

0:28:080:28:11

Them ones, they are in for a shock because the police didn't do it,

0:28:110:28:15

nothing of the sort. We decided not to go there any more.

0:28:150:28:19

It was a decision that we made.

0:28:190:28:20

We'd like to find a new strip anyway.

0:28:200:28:22

Going to the same place is boring.

0:28:220:28:24

Cones is out of prison. He served eight weeks inside

0:28:260:28:29

for his London arrest and got another driving ban

0:28:290:28:31

with a suspended sentence for the previous Manchester case.

0:28:310:28:34

He seems relieved to have avoided any further jail time.

0:28:340:28:38

It gives you enough time to reflect on your life,

0:28:380:28:40

and it has made me think,

0:28:400:28:41

when I come out I want to do things different.

0:28:410:28:43

You know, I'm not going to be out there,

0:28:430:28:44

getting my face out there, doing wheelies up and down in places

0:28:440:28:48

where I know that it's a risk of me getting caught.

0:28:480:28:50

I have to keep my nose clean for 18 months,

0:28:500:28:52

or I'm going away for 15 months.

0:28:520:28:56

All I want to do, really,

0:28:560:28:57

is just dedicate most of my time to my family.

0:28:570:28:59

I've got a lot of making up to do.

0:28:590:29:01

Just try and stay out of trouble,

0:29:020:29:04

but I'll be back on the crosses again,

0:29:040:29:06

don't worry about that, do you know what I mean?

0:29:060:29:08

As soon as my ban's out of the way, Thamesmead, wow,

0:29:080:29:11

they are going to have the worst day of their life when my ban is over,

0:29:110:29:14

because I'm going to be out there absolutely taking the piss.

0:29:140:29:18

Despite all the battles with police over Sewell Road,

0:29:180:29:21

Wavy is still 100% BikeLife and has already found a new place to ride.

0:29:210:29:25

It's not like I'm pulling out my bike

0:29:250:29:27

to come and terrorise your street,

0:29:270:29:29

and get in your way and be a nuisance, know what I'm saying?

0:29:290:29:32

All I'm doing is, I'm coming out and putting my work in,

0:29:320:29:35

like, if you're a boxer you're going to go to the gym and train,

0:29:350:29:38

spar, hit the bag, you know what I'm saying?

0:29:380:29:39

If you're a runner, you're going to go to the track and run and train,

0:29:390:29:43

you know what I'm saying? If you're a swimmer you'll go to the pool

0:29:430:29:47

and train. I'm saying, like, I'm a rider.

0:29:470:29:49

I need somewhere to train.

0:29:490:29:51

If you ain't got the resources around you,

0:29:510:29:53

you've got to make it happen.

0:29:530:29:55

That's why we have to hit the streets.

0:29:550:29:57

The only way I'm going to stop riding

0:29:570:30:00

is when I'm buried and I'm six foot, you know what I'm saying,

0:30:000:30:03

when I'm six foot deep?

0:30:030:30:05

BikeLife to the death, to the fullest, that's it, simple.

0:30:050:30:08

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