Birmingham cyclist has mountain bike stolen in violent attack

A 47-year-old man from Birmingham has shared details of a shocking incident that took place along a city towpath on Tuesday afternoon, when he was attacked with a metal pipe and had his bike stolen by a group of young men.

David Frisby, the 47-year-old, was cycling home from work on his mountain bike, when three young men attacked him, stealing his Trek ProCaliber 9.7 mountain bike worth £3,500. 

Frisby suffered multiple injuries to his arm, wrist and back following the incident, while his attackers also threatened to stab him. 

The three suspects, described as Asian males aged between 18 and 22 and dressed in grey tracksuits and black trainers, attacked Frisby as he passed beneath a bridge on the canal path.

Frisby wrote on Facebook: "I do not normally post negativity on social media, but I am saddened to say that I was attacked today at 17:01 on the Grand Union Canal today. I was forcibly knocked clean off my bike, threatened with being stabbed and hit with a pipe and my Trek ProCaliber 9.7 mountain bike violently taken from me.

"Whilst I am quite shaken (and very frustrated), I’m not posting this to gain any sympathy; rather, a small request for anyone that reads this to please share this post within their networks in a hope that someone will be offered the bike in Small Heath (it’s a very distinctive bright orange) and the culprits identified and hopefully arrested in a sincere hope that it doesn’t happen to anyone else - frankly, it was a very brutal experience."

Following the post, Frisby revealed that two cyclists contacted him to say they had been targeted in the area shortly beforehand, but managed to escape without their bikes being stolen. 

He also told BirminghamLive: "It was a bit of a shock. There were three lads in tracksuits waiting at that bridge. I thought they were just messing around. One grabbed my arm as I cycled by. I came down with a wallop and hit some railings.

"I jumped on the bike, but I must have hit the railings so hard that I popped both the tyres. They caught up with me and pulled me off the bike. One of them had a pipe or a stick and hit me over the back.

"One of them turned around and said that if I didn't let go of the bike they'd stab me. I didn't see a knife, but as soon as they said that I let go of the bike. It was over quite quickly."