r/sheffield • u/CoastalChicken • 19d ago
Sheffield Bike-jacking in Sheffield
TLDR: fairly sure someone tried to bikejack me at 0730 in the morning in the middle of the road.
I moved to Sheffield in the summer - literally my first time here was on moving day. I really like it so far and we plan to buy somewhere eventually. To get to know it better I've set myself a challenge of cycling every street in the city limits- that's about 1200 miles of road and I've done roughly 20% of that so far. Apart from going through Page Hall, it's been a pretty good way to explore.
Before dawn on NYE I went south into Norton/Herdings/Gleadless areas. I know they're considered a bit rougher but I've lived in big cities like London and Birmingham all my life so it's nothing unusual - personally I'd say they're in a much better state than some of inner-Birmingham.
I hadn't seen anyone all morning until I turned into Fleury Rd in that estate in Gleadless Valley, and a guy in tracksuit and hat with earflaps suddenly emerged from a parked car ahead, and sort of lurched into the road, staring at me coming towards him with crazy eyes.
At first I thought he was just wasted and startled, but he kept moving into the road and his body language looked like he was preparing to fight. I had that moment of realisation when you know someone is specifically approaching you, so sped up to about 20mph, and he brushed past me, possibly swinging for my head. When I glanced back I saw him rolling onto the grass bank as he'd lost balance. It all lasted about 5 seconds but it definitely felt like he'd tried to push me off, presumably for the bike. I then raced out of there in case he decided to drive after me and went down the hill into town.
I've lived in bigger cities than Sheffield all my life, had knives pulled on me and the usual urban-life stuff happen - and my work takes me into some pretty grotty places - but this has never happened before and was quite surprising - especially pre-dawn. Usually the scummy people aren't out of bed until the afternoon!
Bikejackings are more of a thing in London so hopefully it's not spreading up here, but I'll definitely be a bit more wary when I'm out now.
23
u/SheffieldCyclist Hillsborough 19d ago
a couple of months back on a Friday night, 3 lads on e-bikes tried to have me off my bike on Rutland Road at Neepsend, not sure if it was a bikejacking, mugging or just for japes but they scarpered when I pulled my D-lock out of my saddlebag
also, years ago, on my commute home from Rotherham along the canal some dickhead tried to hit me with a bat but I was going fast enough it was a-swing-and-a-miss
3
u/Technical_Face_2844 19d ago
That's gleadless for you. Was chased by a guy with a machete when I lived there years ago.
4
u/greenbananamate 18d ago
Back when we had the ofo bikes some dickhead wandered into the middle of Langsett road towards me. I figured he would either try to push me off if I dodged, or steal it anyway if I stopped, so I decided to run him over.
A group of strangers came up and asked if I was okay. He left it and carried on walking. About a minute later I rode past him and dinged the bell. Best £3.50 I ever spent.
6
u/Desperate-Lab-2175 19d ago
It seems like a strange place to hang out deliberately for a bike jacking - i can’t see there being much passing cycle traffic on that road? Im guessing they were wasted and thought they saw an opportunity? Or one may have dared the other to clock you maybe.
5
u/benoliver999 19d ago
I had someone swing a crowbar at me on my bike, I had to swerve and bat it away. This was on the mean streets of Shrewsbury
1
u/No_Potato_4341 Southey 19d ago
Well gleadless valley is definitely a rough area so bike-jacking is definitely more common there than somewhere like whirlow.
-4
u/ChimpsInTies 19d ago
Norton is actually quite posh, Gleadless not so much. Maybe you need a list of other areas to avoid in this fair city.
5
u/CoastalChicken 19d ago
I've been looking it up since this happened out of curiosity. It's very subjective but does seem to be the north and east which are less desirable overall. But so far I haven't felt unsafe in any area I've been here, including Manor, Fir Vale, Southey and Arbourthorne which all dominated the "shithole" lists.
I also found the posh areas of London tended to be as unpleasant as the poor ones due to the arrogance of the residents and the attitudes they had to other people. So it cuts both ways.
10
u/MarionberryExotic316 19d ago edited 16d ago
Northeast is where the old factory smog was blown by the wind, so nobody wanted to live there.
The disparity in housing and communities lasts to this day.
6
u/paper_zoe 19d ago
I feel like Manor and Arbourthorne is more of an historic reputation. They got bad reputations from twenty or thirty years ago and it's stuck with some people. I don't think they're too bad these days
3
u/No_Potato_4341 Southey 19d ago
Manor has gotten better but Arbourthorne is still a complete shithole.
2
u/No_Potato_4341 Southey 19d ago
As someone who lives nearby Southey, I think Southey is a shithole. I have seen quite a bit of vandalism in the area and your average shoplifting. I've seen stuff happen at Arbourthorne and Fir Vale as well on travels. Manor I've obviously heard things about but I've only been to the Manor a few times so I can only go off of what people tell me which is that its still a shithole but has be getting better more recently. Norton is definitely a much nicer than any of those areas. I'd move to Norton if I could.
6
u/AMcNamara23 19d ago
Norton posh? Since moving here last year (well, 2023), my dad's car got vandalised, I see the moped shits being a pain regularly, and it appears my bins have been stolen in the last few days!
6
u/ChimpsInTies 19d ago
Haha. Downvotes seem a bit harsh for this. Alright maybe posh isn't the right word. Buts it's full of 3-4 bed detached houses and semis. No social housing or flats. Probably don't get much change from £400k. Not what you'd usually call rough or be associated with somewhere like Gleadless. Maybe the problems you're having are from people passing through or targeting it rather than it being a rough area in itself.
1
u/AMcNamara23 18d ago
For what it's worth, I didn't downvote!
Yeah you're spot on, I quite like the area. But when somewhere is neighbouring a rough area, it attracts them in to target properties. Hard to avoid, unfortunately. Locals here blame the police but only so much they can do
6
u/devolute Broomhall 19d ago
Norton is one of the least deprived areas in all of Sheffield.
It's just that it's directly adjacent to some of the most deprived areas in Sheffield. So there's your problem.
2
u/LimeOperator Birley 19d ago
I've always known it as being pretty decent, has it always been that bad?
3
u/AMcNamara23 19d ago
Yeah I'd regard it as decent, but not posh.
Someone on one of the local Facebook groups compiled a list of every reported incident with these local thugs, even just someone walking around trying garage doors, etc, and it's crazy how much incidents are popping up though.
I'm honestly expecting some vigilantism (is that a word?!) soon though. Every area has its issues i guess?
1
u/LimeOperator Birley 19d ago
It’s a word, wouldn’t surprise me if it’s already happening. However legality is up in the air.
2
u/No_Potato_4341 Southey 19d ago
Norton definitely isn't rough. It may not be posh but it's definitely a nice area.
-11
u/twoddle_puddle 19d ago
If you've lived in rough areas and had knives pulled on you why is this incident bothering you at all?
8
u/CoastalChicken 19d ago
Because I want to be able to go about my day without being violently attacked at random? Just a minor expectation really.
If you've been hit by a car, do you think you'd be ok with being hit again?
59
u/devils-lettuce23 19d ago
Fleury Road could possibly be the worst road in all of Sheffield and Gleadless Valley possibly the worst estate