CyclingMikey

Last updated

CyclingMikey
Born
Michael van Erp

1972 (age 52–53)
NationalityDutch
Occupations
YouTube information
Channel
Genre Cycling
Subscribers115 thousand
Views71.2 million
Last updated: 8 March 2025

Michael van Erp (born 1972), better known as CyclingMikey, [1] is a Dutch vigilante who films London drivers using their mobile phones, as well as committing other traffic offences, which he reports to the police and later uploads to YouTube. [2]

Contents

Since 2019, he has caught and exposed several high-profile celebrities allegedly committing such offences, including Guy Ritchie, Chris Eubank, and Frank Lampard. His career was prompted by his father's death in a road traffic collision with a drunk driver.

Video content

In November 2019, Van Erp filmed Guy Ritchie using a mobile phone while driving. Ritchie was subsequently prosecuted and banned from driving for six months. [3] [4] [5] In 2021, he filmed Chris Eubank driving through a red light, an offence for which Eubank was subsequently prosecuted. [6] [7] In April 2021, he filmed Frank Lampard using a mobile phone and holding a hot drink while driving, [8] but the prosecution was later dropped, due to insufficient evidence, after Lampard hired lawyer Nick Freeman to deal with the case. [9]

A regular location for Van Erp's videos and reports is a crossroads beside Regent's Park, which he dubbed "Gandalf Corner", where he waits and has stopped many drivers from driving on the wrong side of the road past a pedestrian crossing island to avoid queueing to turn right. [10] [11]

CyclingMikey
Location of "Gandalf Corner" near Regent's Park

In September 2021, while at "Gandalf Corner", Van Erp ended up on the bonnet of celebrity talent agent Paul Lyon-Maris's Range Rover while trying to stop him from making an illegal right turn. Since Lyon-Maris continued to drive with Van Erp on the bonnet, he was charged with assault and dangerous driving, besides the lesser charge of contravening a keep-left sign. Lyon-Maris pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, but he pleaded not guilty to the two greater charges, alleging that Van Erp jumped onto the bonnet while Van Erp claimed Lyon-Maris drove into him and he fell onto the bonnet. [12] A jury cleared Lyon-Maris of both remaining charges. [13]

In November 2022, Van Erp appeared on the BBC television programme Panorama in an episode titled "Road Rage: Cars v Bikes". [14] In April 2024, Van Erp released a video of himself running a red light in Belgravia, London. He stated, "It's my mistake, I hold my hands up, I'm at fault there. ... I missed that the other two traffic lights were still red", and added, "If the police prosecute me, so what? I'll pay the fine, you're not going to see me complaining." [15]

Personal life

Van Erp was born in January 1972 in the Netherlands and grew up in Zimbabwe. [16] [17] When he was 19, his father, while riding a motorbike, was killed by a drunk driver. [16] Van Erp moved to the UK in 1998 to pursue a career in IT. He is now a professional carer. [1] He has also worked as a roller skating instructor. [18] He has two sons, [19] and lives in west London. [20]

References

  1. 1 2 Walker, Peter (5 January 2022). "'I felt powerless – so I started filming': CyclingMikey on his one-man battle with dangerous drivers". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  2. ↑ Grafton-Green, Patrick (31 March 2014). "Debate rages over CyclingMikey Bromley Common YouTube video". News Shopper. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021..
  3. ↑ White, Adam (23 July 2020). "Guy Ritchie gets driving ban after being caught texting by YouTuber". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Johnston, Neil. "Cycling vigilante snatches Guy Ritchie on phone while in Range Rover". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  5. ↑ Dunne, Tristan Kirk, John (23 July 2020). "Lock, stock and a driving ban: Guy Ritchie filmed texting at wheel". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ MacMichael, Simon (4 June 2021). "Cycling Mikey scores points victory over Chris Eubank after filming boxing champ going through red light". road.cc. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  7. ↑ Kirk, Tristan; Dunne, John (4 June 2021). "Exclusive: Activist nails boxer Chris Eubank for jumping red light". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  8. ↑ Kirk, Tristan (3 December 2021). "Frank Lampard drove with coffee and phone, claims 'cyclist activist'". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  9. ↑ MacMichael, Simon (12 January 2022). "Prosecution of football star Frank Lampard filmed by CyclingMikey using mobile phone while driving dropped, CPS confirms". road.cc. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  10. ↑ Volpe, Sam (5 July 2019). "Regent's Park cyclists and pedestrians campaign over dangerous traffic at Outer Circle corner". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "CyclingMikey ends up on car bonnet during confrontation with angry motorist". road.cc. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  12. ↑ Kirk, Tristan (10 October 2022). "Celebrity agent 'drove with cyclist on bonnet after road row'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  13. ↑ "Film agent cleared of dangerous driving after activist jumped on car". BBC News. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  14. ↑ MacMichael, Simon (2 November 2022). "Review: Panorama – Road Rage: Cars v Bikes". road.cc. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Somerville, Ewan (10 April 2024). "Vigilante Cycling Mikey caught running a red light" . Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  16. 1 2 Bennett, Ella (20 May 2021). "Cyclist who has caught and reported over 1000 drivers - including film star". MyLondon. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  17. ↑ Langendorff, Geert (12 January 2022). "'Doe wat je niet laten kan': Nederlander lapt appende automobilisten erbij in Londen". Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  18. ↑ Johnston, Neil. "Cycling vigilante snatches Guy Ritchie on phone while in Range Rover". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  19. ↑ Jager, Nick Rufford | Video by Pauline Den Hartog (18 January 2024). "What's driving Cycling Mikey, Britain's most hated cyclist?" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ↑ Hockaday, James (18 January 2022). "Frank Lampard pictured for first time after driving while using phone charge dropped".
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