Conversation

@enby_of_the_apocalypse @foolishowl Cops already use motorcycles to harass protesters. France and Greece are notorious for this (see the Deltas). Bikes aren't so nimble even if they give speed. You can't hop a wall or even minor barriers, and with the increased speed, injuries become worse. Bumping your front tire on someone is going to send you and everyone behind you down. I don't really see this happening on foot so often, as a comparison point.

I think bikes could be interesting for causing chaos on the edges of an action that force cops to spread thinner, but often people hope to be "part of the masses" so they can yeet stones and be protected by others. Small bicycle squads lose a lot of that. Maybe the hardened core @'s could do that, but I'm not sure it would be broadly appealing.

But often the most interesting target of an action is the thing most heavily protected by the police with portable barriers, so I don't see bikes helping with that.

Maybe if we got real advanced and mostly hit softer targets when the main targets are well-guarded, and if we got much better at small autonomous groups causing chaos, that *could* be viable, but oddly I don't see much of a path toward that.

Other notes: can't "debloc" as easily (small group of cyclists might stand out regardless). Can't duck into a store as a cop car whips past. Can't hide in pedestrian traffic.

I love bikes, but I don't see them being as effective as one might imagine. Someone prove me wrong please.