# Police patrol Bikes, iForce?



## RollingAround (Sep 26, 2011)

Apparently these USA made police specific bikes are bad-ass and no citizen/recreational bike is as tough and meets the demanding abuse of an officer patrol including being slammed to the ground in pursuit of a suspect on foot.

They look awesome and top shelf stuff. I wonder if a non-police unit could get a citizen version....same bike, but no police graphics or lights?

I may have to email the company. iFORCE Patrol Bicycles - Home


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

It's probably useful if you are riding on paved road or down the stairs but I'm not sure if the geometry is friendly enough for full time offroad use, plus the rear rack is not exactly useful offroad.


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## Caffeine Powered (Mar 31, 2005)

Most PD's are using Trek and Raleigh. When Dallas PD started their bike patrol in the early 90's we sold them the bike and did their service. The bikes aren't MTB's so much as they're Crown Victorias.


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

Well, I must say, the iForce is the first police bike I've seen that's really impressed me. It looks like they've done a nice job integrating the lights and siren and rack and so forth so that an officer can just ride and not have to ever fuss with anything. The component spec is nice enough too. Sram X7 and a Tora fork is a decent build. 

For mountain-biking however, I would go with a traditional mountain bike. Just as patrol offices have needs, so do mountain bikers. When iForce says their frames are built for "intense usage that exceeds recreational models", they are comparing against department-store models, not against full-on mountain bikes. Plus, it could be that their frame is heavy and thick-walled, and you really won't want that on a mountain-bike trail because your needs in riding for recreation are different than a police officers needs in riding to chase someone.


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## jeffgothro (Mar 10, 2007)

Looks like a crappy dept store or low end LBS comfort "old man" bike to me. If I were an officer of the law I would prefer to build my own bike, and I promise you it would be a much nicer bike than this iForce thing.


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## Caffeine Powered (Mar 31, 2005)

Lights and siren? That's a laugh. It's added weight to the bike that could be used to carry donuts.


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## Aceldama (Jan 18, 2005)

It's probably a decent city commuter. It looks like a boat anchor though.


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## huffster (Nov 14, 2011)

If I was a cop, I wouldn't mind getting to ride around on that for patrol. Getting paid to exercise sounds good. Certainly many other bikes I'd rather ride. I do agree that its laughable to have lights and sirens. Just picture someone getting pulled over by a bicycle cop. LOL!


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## RollingAround (Sep 26, 2011)

LOL about the siren and lights!

If I go tpulled over by a bike cop with lights blaring...I don't think I could take it seriously lmao.

It's like getting pulled over by a cop on a segway, just too funny.
Seriously...If I were a cop and had to drive a segway...I'd not be a cop anymore lol.
Who could actually keep a straight face when a cop pulls up on a segway looking all serious and official? I'd literally piss my pants trying to hold my laughs to myself..LMAO.


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## RollingAround (Sep 26, 2011)

I really do not see the advantage of having all those strobe lights, wires and battery pack on a police bike. I mean seriously...they aren't going to pull speeding cars over so why have all that extra weight and stuff to get in the way. A siren? really? I'd feel like some little kid wheeling down the street pretending I was a cop with a siren lmao... 

I think the uniform is good enough to show people that he is a cop...All he has to do is yell out "get out of the way" if he is in pursuit. What does a bike cop do anyways? Patrol beaches giving parking tickets and arresting people walking nude? A crime going on 5 miles away, a bike cop would be useless. Plus I'd be afraid of getting shot by anyone driving by..it's like a way easy pig kill.


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## Tony777 (Jul 19, 2010)

RollingAround said:


> All he has to do is yell out "get out of the way" if he is in pursuit. .


I vote for a bell to clear the area........


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

RollingAround said:


> Apparently these USA made police specific bikes are bad-ass and no citizen/recreational bike is as tough and meets the demanding abuse of an officer patrol including being slammed to the ground in pursuit of a suspect on foot.


Demanding use such as riding down stairs or curbs, riding "hundreds" of miles a month, or dropping the bike on concrete? Ummm, ok, sounds pretty tough .... but nothing any standard mountain bike could handle. Heck, I ride my skinny-tired road bike hundreds of miles a month, off and up curbs, etc., and it has lasted 4 years w/o a problem.

I bet the iBike is beefed up compared to the average dep't store hybrid bike, but I don't think it offers any strength or durability that a decent hardtail wouldn't.


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## RollingAround (Sep 26, 2011)

I'd love to be at a trailhead and have a bike patrol pull up and ask me for identification...

I'd be like "If you can catch me down this trail, I'll let you see it....Now let's ride, *****.

*sirens and lights come on and officer flies over the bars on first root impact*


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## RollingAround (Sep 26, 2011)

Seriously though I suppose it is effective in like state parks or patrolling parking lots and such. The lights, battery, siren seem to bulky and heavy....I'd rather ditch that stuff and be faster/lighter if I were a bike officer.

What a dream job though....Biking around parks and things telling people not to litter or park wrong.


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## jeffgothro (Mar 10, 2007)

Anybody see this?

Police Bike Store : Official Bicycle Dealer


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Well here in Canada, our police departments are using mostly Rocky Mountain's bikes, 26" hardtails with Reba forks, XT drivetrains, Shimano hydraulics, MTB fenders and all the gear for lights and flashers, radio, etc. I've spoken with one of them last week, they said the frames had to be replaced every 5 years or so from fatigue. The gear the bike needs to carry average the 25lbs mark, plus the officer (they're all tall and fit) and his gear. But at least our bike patrols are well chosen :thumbsup:


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

David C said:


> Well here in Canada, our police departments are using mostly Rocky Mountain's bikes, 26" hardtails with Reba forks, XT drivetrains, Shimano hydraulics, MTB fenders and all the gear for lights and flashers, radio, etc. I've spoken with one of them last week, they said the frames had to be replaced every 5 years or so from fatigue. The gear the bike needs to carry average the 25lbs mark, plus the officer (they're all tall and fit) and his gear. But at least our bike patrols are well chosen :thumbsup:


You're Canadian?

Well a friend of mine got a ticket doing donut in an M5 in Santa Monica by a bicycle cop, it was a head on encounter and the cop just turned on the siren and threw the bike in front of the M5, that was a few years ago, it was the only ticket he's ever got in that car. Btw, his lawyer got the ticket off the record by sending him to a racing school, how cool's that


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## jeffgothro (Mar 10, 2007)

David C said:


> Well here in Canada, our police departments are using mostly Rocky Mountain's bikes, 26" hardtails with Reba forks, XT drivetrains, Shimano hydraulics, MTB fenders and all the gear for lights and flashers, radio, etc. I've spoken with one of them last week, they said the frames had to be replaced every 5 years or so from fatigue. The gear the bike needs to carry average the 25lbs mark, plus the officer (they're all tall and fit) and his gear. But at least our bike patrols are well chosen :thumbsup:


Shes hot...I'm down for a ticket if shes writing it, might have to make her catch me first...


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## monzie (Aug 5, 2009)

jeffgothro said:


> Shes hot...I'm down for a ticket if shes writing it, might have to make her catch me first...


Doubtful you'd make it hard for her to catch you.


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## jeffgothro (Mar 10, 2007)

monzie said:


> Doubtful you'd make it hard for her to catch you.


:lol:

pun intended I'm sure!


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## RollingAround (Sep 26, 2011)

David C said:


> Well here in Canada, our police departments are using mostly Rocky Mountain's bikes, 26" hardtails with Reba forks, XT drivetrains, Shimano hydraulics, MTB fenders and all the gear for lights and flashers, radio, etc. I've spoken with one of them last week, they said the frames had to be replaced every 5 years or so from fatigue. The gear the bike needs to carry average the 25lbs mark, plus the officer (they're all tall and fit) and his gear. But at least our bike patrols are well chosen :thumbsup:


I could outrun err.


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## LTWalk (Nov 9, 2010)

I purchased a Fuji police bike from PoliceBikeStore.com several years ago and it's been great. Mostly I'm on pavement, but it performs well off-road too with the addition of more aggressive tires than those that come with the bike. After doing much online (and in-store) research, I got the best components for the best price with the Fuji. Incidentally our local city police force uses Fuji bikes as well. "Police" decals come off easily with a hair dryer.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)




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