Lime bike jousting has arrived, and London’s knights are already planning round two

Two people in medieval armour charging at each other on Lime bikes while hundreds of strangers cheer them on. Sometimes an event needs very little explanation. London’s latest viral spectacle has taken the familiar green rental bike and turned it into a knight’s trusty steed, producing exactly the sort of ridiculous public entertainment you would happily abandon your afternoon plans to watch. Artist Jack Carden and actor Camtholomew the First are behind the joust, which drew a substantial crowd to London Fields in Hackney on Saturday 17 October.

The pair committed to the occasion with armour, chainmail, capes and striped lances, riding towards each other as spectators chanted “joust, joust, joust”. There is something especially funny about putting that much effort into looking like a medieval warrior before climbing onto a bike normally used to get to the pub. The crowd clearly appreciated it, and the footage soon found a much bigger audience: one video on Carden’s Instagram clocked up more than four million views in the days after the encounter.

Watching the clips, it is easy to understand the hype. You have two armoured opponents, an immediately understandable contest and a crowd fully invested in something spectacularly daft. Every approach becomes a little occasion. Will either knight land a hit? Will anyone stay upright? How has a London park ended up hosting this? An eyewitness account in The Observer described several passes and falls before Carden emerged as the winner.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jack Carden (@jackcarden.art)

Carden billed the gathering as a free public performance, and the organisers spoke about bringing people together through art. According to LBC, the idea was initially advertised as a joke before taking off locally. That feels like a large part of its charm. Someone had a stupid, funny idea, committed to the costumes and actually made it happen. Hundreds of people then turned up to share in the stupidity. There is room for that kind of creativity alongside exhibitions, gigs and everything else that usually fills a cultural calendar.

Lime itself was less enthusiastic about the bikes’ new sporting application. The company acknowledged the community spirit but reminded everyone that its bikes are “not for jousting”, stressing safety and discouraging attempts to recreate the stunt. The hype has already carried the idea into a second round. ‘Lime Bike Jousting 2’ has been announced for Saturday 31 October 2026 at 3.30pm, giving Halloween an additional helping of armour and questionable transport choices.

If you want to catch the next encounter, keep an eye on Jack Carden’s Instagram, @jackcarden.art, where the events have been promoted. These jousts are announced in advance, although there is no established regular schedule in the available information. For now, London has a planned Halloween rematch and an audience eager to find out what happens when its rental-bike knights meet again. It is dumb, it is theatrical, and the enthusiasm around it makes complete sense.

Topics