Four men wearing balaclavas and carrying knives attacked two mountain bike riders in Hopwas Woods on the edge of Tamworth, kicking one victim and threatening to stab the other before stealing their bikes. The incident occurred on Sunday, August 16, at around 10:30 am.
Attack in Hopwas Woods
The four suspects, riding Sur-Ron e-bikes, approached the two men on mountain bikes. Armed with knives, they attacked one of the riders, kicking him and dragging him from his bike. They then threatened to stab the other rider, taking his bike as well, before heading towards the canal and trails.
The stolen mountain bikes are a blue-and-black Canyon Torque and a silver-and-grey Nukeproof Mega 275, each worth approximately £2,000.
Victim's account and community response
One of the victims posted online about the incident, stating: "[On Sunday], a friend and I were violently robbed of our mountain bikes at Hopwas Woods/canal bridge. A group of pr**** riding Sur-Ron e-bikes assaulted and threatened me with knives and what looked like bear spray before making off with my bike towards the canal/trail network. The incident has been reported to the police."
The victim urged the public to watch for the bikes on local trails, canal towpaths, and selling platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and eBay across Tamworth, Lichfield, Birmingham, and the wider Midlands. "They got both my bike and a friend's bike. One Nukeproof mega and one Canyon Torque," he added.
Wigginton and Hopwas councillor Robert Pritchard described the attack as a "troubling incident." He said: "A group of four lads brandished knives and stole bikes. If you were nearby or saw anything that might help, please contact Staffordshire Police. Even small details can make a difference. Hopwas is a strong, close‑knit community. Please take extra care on the paths over the next few days, check in on neighbours who use the route regularly, and continue looking out for one another as you always do."
Police investigation and bike details
Staffordshire Police confirmed it is investigating the robbery. A police spokesman said: "Officers are appealing for witnesses following a robbery in Tamworth. At around 10.30am on Sunday (August 16), four men in balaclavas approached two men riding on trails in Hopwas Hays Wood, off Lichfield Road, and stole their mountain bikes. When one of the victims refused to hand over his bicycle, he was repeatedly kicked and dragged away from it. One of the suspects threatened to stab the other victim before taking his bike too. Following the robbery, the suspects left the area on two off-road motorcycles."
The police provided detailed descriptions of the stolen bikes. The Canyon Torque is a custom 2019 model with a Stans Flow wheelset with Hope Pro5 hubs—the rear hub is blue and the front hub is black. It features Rockshox suspension and dropper seatpost, a custom DMR stem and handlebar, and silver Sram brakes. The bike has numerous stickers, including the word 'committed' in white on the top bar and a white sticker of a coffin on the seat tube. The Nukeproof Mega 275 has an aluminium frame with Michelin Wild Enduro tyres, which are non-stock. It has a small paper tag with a QR code on the bars, an entry tag for a bike park, and a significant scratch on the top tube on the left-hand side towards the front by the headset.
The police spokesman added: "Officers have been carrying out enquiries, including examining CCTV. We’re keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time, or those who may have witnessed anything suspicious. Call us on 101 or use Live Chat on our website, quoting incident 307 of 16 August."
