Lime bike jousting is performance art, say organisers

The organisers of two Lime bike jousting events in east London have said they wanted to bring people together in a free experience to help them “feel alive”.

On Saturday, actor Cameron Carnegie-Brown, who jousts as Camtholomew the First, and artist Jack Carden met in London Fields Park, Hackney for a second duel on the hire e-bikes, with the match raising funds for five charities.

On Friday, a professional jouster from Leeds said that jousting on the Lime bikes was “absolutely a legitimate form” of the medieval sport.

Lime previously said its bikes were “not for jousting”, and added: “While we appreciate the medieval spirit, safety must always come first”.

Both Carden and Carnegie-Brown said that crowd safety was their “biggest priority”.

Carnegie-Brown told BBC London that after the large turnout at their first duel, the pair had planned a bigger space for the joust, with an action zone, a dead zone and a spectator area.

They said they had stewards to help with crowd control, and health professionals were on hand.