Residents near Ryka’s cafe rail against ‘intolerable’ noise
People living near a century-old biker cafe say they’ve had enough of the noise.
People in the Surrey village of Mickleham say they’re sick of “intolerable” noise levels coming from bikers riding to and from the popular biker cafe Ryka's, and have launched a petition to have acoustic cameras installed.
Mickleham sits just north of Ryka's, straddled by the A24 and B2209 - two roads that riders coming from London are most likely to use.
According to reporting by BBC South East, more than 1,100 people have so far signed a petition calling for the Mole Valley District Council to enact and enforce a public space protection order (PSPO), which would then allow authorities to impose certain restrictions and put up noise cameras.
“[The PSPO] would specify certain prohibited antisocial driving behaviours,” Mole Valley District Council cabinet member for security and services told BBC South East. "We need to first understand the reported issues further and are in the process of developing a seven-week public consultation due to launch in mid-September."
For what it’s worth, the number of signatures on the petition dramatically exceeds the number of people who actually live in Mickleham. According to the 2021 census, Mickleham Parish is home to just 513 residents.
Nonetheless, noise can sometimes be an issue at or near Ryka's, as it is for every biker- or car-focused stop everywhere in the world. And, for its part, Ryka's has a number of signs in its cafe and car park encouraging bikers to be considerate of its neighbours.
It’s worth noting, as well, that Ryka's has been around for more than a century. The cafe was established in 1920 and has been drawing motorcyclists longer than any of us have been riding - quite probably longer than anyone in Mickleham has even been alive.
Residents say, however, that the issue has gotten worse in recent years. Will Dennis, parish council chair, told BBC South East that he blames the yoof.
“Bikers have been coming to Ryka's for years and nobody has a problem with that,” he said. “But when new management extended the opening hours to 9pm a few years ago, it brought a new cohort of younger riders who rev their bikes and pop their exhausts.”
Surrey Police meanwhile, say they are aware of the issue and - as in past summers - have stepped up targeted patrols in the area to address antisocial behaviour and traffic offenses.
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Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
