Going “Code”: A Police Bike Manufactured During Uncertain Times

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by Joel Altman
Ranger

The year 2020 was unlike anything any of us have seen in our lifetimes. A pandemic, massive civil unrest, shortages of all sorts of goods and equipment, a contentious presidential election, and violence and anger towards police officers the likes of which most of us could never have imagined.

It was during this time that, as a peace officer/park ranger in my home state of Ohio, I fell back in love with cycling while working at my current department after a career mostly in the K-9 realm. Officers who are not on bicycle duty are missing out on an opportunity to get out amongst the public whom they serve. Being on a bike enables us to interact at a level that makes us seem more human and not the “bad guys” that the media and politicians portray. I served as a K-9 handler for many years and, after having a dog act as a tool to interact with the public, I found that getting back out on the bike helped me to connect with people and interact on a positive and personal level.

Due to the pandemic, average people also fell back in love with cycling, and bikes and accessories flew off the shelves. Between the increased demand and the supply chain shortages, retailers ran out of products to sell. My sources in the market tell me that things are going to get worse before they get any better. Not only is there a shortage of bikes and equipment for the general public, but also police departments cannot get bikes from manufacturers who have built them for law enforcement for decades. Just as I realized that some of the bikes at my current department were 25 years old, I could not get major bike manufacturers to even respond to my requests.

However, one company, Police Bike Store, out of Rockaway, New Jersey, stepped up and designed the new Code Bikes Code 3 Police Mountain Bike to help get police officers back out on the road. The aluminum-framed, matte black Code 3 is built specifically for police officers and I was able to test one out over the course of the spring and summer of 2021. It does not disappoint.

After leaving federal law enforcement in the Washington, DC, area, I returned home to Ohio and now work at a suburban park ranger department outside of Cincinnati. The district where I work has thick woods, paved and gravel trails, and roads. My district and the surrounding areas were formed during the last glacial ice age and the terrain ranges from flat to ravines and from prairies to creeks. You never know what type of terrain you will encounter, but the Code 3 mastered them all.

The Code 3 was the first bike I have ever ridden that has a single chain ring in front. I found it easy to use and shift gears using the Shimano XT-Rapid Fire system. Changing gears was smoother and simpler than on any of the previous police mountain bikes I had ridden, including ones that were double the price of a new Code 3.

The Code 3 has a 1 x 11 Shimano XT drivetrain, which eliminates the front derailleur on the bicycle, and the shifter controls the rear derailleur through 11 speeds. Despite having fewer gears, the range is very broad, which enabled me to tackle all types of terrain as well as steep climbs. Shimano added a feature to their XT level shifter that allows you to hold it down and shift more than one gear at once in case you need to change gears quickly, rather than having to click through each gear to down or up shift. It came in handy when trying to negotiate through forested terrain or up the slopes of the glacier-carved Gorge Trail.

With the lockout on the RockShox Recon RL front fork, I could seamlessly transition from off-road trail to pavement with no problem, and I did not have to reach down to the fork to do it. The lockout is right there on the handlebar and activates with a simple push of a lever.

The bike is light and agile. Having 27.5-inch Kenda tires allowed for fast acceleration in any terrain. Braking power was excellent with the Shimano Deore brake levers and disc brakes. The Velo Kraton ergonomic grips took some getting used to as I have always had bikes with straight tube grip, whereas the Kraton grips are flared out at the end. But over the course of a month or so, I became accustomed to them.

One feature of the bike I tested that completely blew me away was the C3Sports Max Patrol-600 DLX headlight and integrated taillight with pursuit lights. These lights were unlike anything I had experienced on my previous patrol bikes. My current department did not have any type of lighting system on their bikes and the Max Patrol, once installed, was outrageously bright and the units that house the LED bulbs are built like a tank. The Max Patrol has multiple modes and the battery pack easily disconnects and charges using a standard USB adapter. Switching modes was easy with the two-button activation system. With its 600 lumen LED front light and 400 lumen side lights, the Max Patrol should last a lifetime. I generally kept the lights on during my bike patrols around my district so that people would know that I was out and about, be able to see me coming, and recognize me as a police officer. I like to be visible and let folks know I am out there and keeping an eye out for them; the Max Patrol definitely helped in that regard. Even in daylight, you can spot the lights easily on the road and on the wooded trails.

One night in late spring, our neighboring police department was in search of a missing person who they thought could possibly be in my jurisdiction. It was your typical cold, miserable, and rainy late spring night in Ohio, and before a tracking K-9 could make it out to assist, I mounted the Code 3 and took off through the heart of my park. It was pitch black, but between the bike and the Max Patrol lights, I was able to cover a lot of ground, making a sweep of about 730 acres without any issues at all. Luckily, the missing person returned home later that night, but it was good to have a high-quality bike to search for a critical missing and go places that no cruiser could go. Other than being covered in mud and dirt, the bike performed like a champion.

I did find the clicking of the freewheel when coasting to be a little on the loud side when I was not pedaling, which might be a consideration if you are trying to be stealthy. However, from talking to industry representatives, the Shimano XT Cassette is a top-of-the-line component and the sound you hear when coasting comes from the high-end pawls and engagement points. With more pawls and engagement points, you get faster engagement when you begin pedaling. To quiet this down, you can simply pedal forward very lightly if you need to be stealthier for a few moments. Other than that, there are no complaints about the Code 3 from this police cyclist. I wish my department had an entire fleet of Code 3’s. Maybe one day, we will.

Overall, the Code 3 is an excellent example of what a police mountain bike should be. With so many companies unable to meet the demand of the public, let alone the needs of police departments, the folks at the Police Bike Store have stepped up to keep law enforcement on the road. We need good public relations now more than ever, and being on the bike is one way to help us reach out to make our communities not only safer, but better for everyone. I hope to see you out there on the trail on a new Code 3!

As always…if you encounter members of the public riding without helmets, remind them: IT’S NOT GOOD FOR CYCLING!

For more on the Code 3 Police Mountain Bike, visit www.policebikestore.com. Police Bike Store is an IPMBA Corporate Member and participates in the Product Purchase Program.

Full Specs of the Code 3 Police Mountain Bike:

Frame: 6061 Lightweight Aluminum Butted Tig Welded with Forged Dropouts
Fork: RockShox Recon RL 27.5 100mm of Travel with Remote Lockout Switch on Handlebars
Fork Lockout: RockShox OneLoc Sprint Tall Remote Left Side Mount
Front Derailleur: None
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT SGS 11-Speed Shadow Plus
Shifters: Shimano XT Rapid Fire 11 Speed
Crankset: Shimano XT - FC-M8000 11Speed Hollowtech 15/17” /170mm arms 19/21” / 175mm 32 Tooth
Cassette: Shimano XT 11-46T
Bottom Bracket: Shimano XT BB-MT800 with Sealed Bearings
Chain: KMC X11-1 / 1/2” x 11/128” x 108 Links 11-Speed
Brakes: Shimano Disc - 6 Bolt 160mm with Resin Pads
Brake Levers: Shimano Deore Mechanical 2-Finger
Wheelset: Oval Concepts 200 32H 27.5 Double Wall MTB
Tires: Kenda Kwick Seven.5 Sport 27.5 x 2.0”
Pedals: Alloy Body with Black Steel Cage with Toe Clips
Headset: H115 1-1/8” Semi-Integrated
Handlebar: Kalloy 6061 alloy, flat, 31.8mm, 5degree sweep, 620mm wide
Stem: Dragon 09 alloy, 31.8mm, adjustable rise 90 -110mm
Grips: Velo Kraton Black / Gell Ergonomic with integrated bar end
Saddle: WTB Speed V Comp
Seat Post: Kalloy 27.2 x 350mm
Seat Binder: XC-72 Alloy 31.8mm Quick Release
Color: Matte Black with Code Logo
Frame Sizes: SM-15”, MD-17”, LG-19”, XL-21”
Included Extras: Rear Rack, Rear Mounted Kickstand, Water Bottle Cage

C3Sports MaxPatrol-600 DLX Specifics:

Output Center Low Beam: 240 Lumens
Output Center High Beam: 600 Lumens
Output Side Lights: 400 Lumens
Weight: 230g front light, 140g taillight (optional)
Center Headlight/Taillight Modes: Center High Beam/ Low Beam with Center Red Taillight flashing High/Low (optional). Taillight only on, front light only on.
Side Pursuit Light Modes: Wig-Wag: red/blue, red/blue (or other ordered pursuit color), Rapid Pursuit Strobe: red/red/red/blue/blue/blue (per second). Optional taillight will flash in sync with the front light.
Taillight Off Mode: Hold down both control buttons for two second and the optional taillight will turn off.
LED Brand: CREE LEDs
Battery Type: Lithium Ion Rechargeable 8.4V 7800mAh
Runtime High Beam Center with flashing center taillight: 6:00 Hours
Runtime Low Beam Center/Flashing center taillight: 15:00 Hours
Runtime Pursuit Lights in Wig-Wag mode front and taillight: 13:00 Hours
Runtime Rapid Pursuit Strobe in front and taillight: 28:00 Hours
Battery Charge Time: Approximately 5:30 Hours
Waterproof Level: IPX6
Color: Black
Warranty: One year for the light and six months for the battery

Joel became a certified IPMBA officer in 2006 when he was a federal police officer in Washington, DC. After working for two federal agencies, mostly as a K-9 handler, he returned home and works part-time as a peace officer/park ranger in southwestern Ohio. He also works for K2 Solutions, which provides explosives detection K-9s to major league sports organizations, police departments and private industry. He has won as many Tour de France victories as Lance Armstrong and he can be reached at joelpaltman@fop.net.

Photos courtesy Joel Altman.

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