How many of you carry a gun as part of your cycling equipment?

Doctor Morbius

Can't run. Have a lower back condition. That's why I have to ride. Cycling is my 2nd choice for aerobic exercise ... ok, ok, it's my third but I don't want to scare the girlies away from the forum.

Nobody wants to have to shoot anybody (at least I hope), but as a guy in his mid-40's I can't do the street brawls anymore. Almost got into one last Summer with some guy about my age. All I could think about was what the Judge would think about two middle-aged guys out in the street duking it out ... one in lycra shorts, helmet, cleats and sunglasses the other in a camouflage T-shirt and shorts with a fanny pack. We looked like the 5th and 6th members of the Village People out in the middle of the street ready to throw down. It was pathetic.

Joe West

Please... tell me you are joking. Do you think that my entire post was centered around a comment about homosexuals? Dude... I was creating an imaginary scene which pointed out where a handgun on a bicycle might be nice to have... did you completely stop reading after you saw the word "gay"?

What in the world are you doing even LOOKING at a post like this? You need to go to www.warmandfuzzyalloverforums.com or www.politicallycorrectpleasedon'tmakemethink.com

JW

Joe West

Let's be honest here. You don't carry lethal weapons because you are NOT ALLOWED to carry lethal weapons.

That being said; you are correct, flight is better than fight and CS is better than a gun.

You will notice that my post started with running, followed up with pepper spray, and ended with a firearm. Exactly what you stated below.

JW

Joe West

Carrying a gun doesn't make me "feel" anything. It provides me another option to protect myself and my loved ones.

As you will notice in my post... running was indeed the first option. Only fools think that real life is what you see in the movies. Stopping a threat with a handgun is the ultimate last resort and it can and will change your life forever. If you make a judgment mistake; it can ruin your life forever. Not something to take lightly. I hope that I never face such a situation... it is my second WORST nightmare (the first being that I can't protect myself or my family and something bad happens to them because I'm not prepared).

JW

Joe West

For those who said people aren't interested or this is off-topic... I suggest that Eleven Thousand views of this topic place it in the
"On topic and interesting" category.

JW

Weisse Luft

Ever fought a redneck who is high on speed? That is why I carry something more than a .22 or a .25 ACP. No martial art is enough for such a turd.

Weisse Luft

If the risk to my person is great enough for me to draw, I am going to fire. The opponent will not have the chance.

But mind you, using deadly force is the LAST resort and using it means there are no limitations. This is no duel.

stormer94

I don't pack on a ride, but I have a concealed weapons permit. I'm a collector, sport shooter, (don't hunt) and find myself with firearms in my vehicle all the time. Going to the range, an event, picking up some new hardware, etc. I felt that I might just be a bit safer with my hobby if I had a permit in the event "Johnny Law" pulls me over something and wants to know whats in the backseat. Has never happend, but.....

That said, I bicycle in Montana... Sometimes I'm 30-50 miles from town, in the middle of nowhere... AND I MEAN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. I may not see another living soul for hours. I was riding last summer, way out of town, and this car goes past me in the opposite direction, real slow, like 30 where the speed limit is 55. I keep an ear out behind me, he keeps going, and within about 2 minutes, he's behind me, pulls out and passes really slowly. He goes up the road, turns around in the middle of the road and comes back again. Goes by, goes down the road a bit, turns around and comes up behind me (let me tell you a few things, I was scared 'crapless', and wished I had a 'some protection' on me). I finally get the bright idea to pull out my cell phone and pretend I'm getting a call. Sad part is, we were so far out, I didn't even have a signal... He drove by one more time and that was it. I still remember the license plate number. Scared me for quite a while. I had the cops run the plate, turns out the guy works for the railroad, and he was checking out the tracks, not me.......... *whew*.... (the tracks ran along side the road). STILL though.... pretty creepy when it happens to you.

I'd have been thankful for any kind of defense (and although I am an accomplished marshal artist, you're gonna hurt yourself trying to pull some kicks in a bicycle shoe on asphalt, "plop", on the ground you go, stupid no traction shoes) Anybody else ever fall down the stairs in their house with bike shoes on... *uh.., errr, yea, Uhhhhh, me neither...* . I'm still more worried about getting hit by a car or truck. But some scary stuff, just the same. Hasn't happened since.

"what you got in that pocket on your back?" "Oh, just a few tubes, some patches, some cO2, few gel packs, a $5 bill, Glock 17, a bannana, cell-phone..."

Yea, I know the 17 is to big for the shirt pocket, I was trying to add some humor. I saw a little Derringer that would be perfect to pack on a ride. Hmmm, may have to look into that.

__________________
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"Was" 39 year old guy Blood pressure: 143/84, Resting Pulse: 68, weight: 230
"summer 2004" 40 year old guy. Blood pressure: 121/66, Resting pulse: 45, weight: 175
1-1-2005 Blood pressure: 115/55, Resting pulse: 44, weight: 170
6-1-2005 Blood pressure: 105/52, resting pulse: 40, weight: 175
40k-TT, 1:05

Joe West

Stormer94,

Great story... while it turned out the guy meant you no harm, it could have just as easily been the other way. The problem is; you NEVER know when something is going to happen, and to be properly prepared, you need to be ready all the time. Small pocket 380s are relatively inexpensive and light and are small enough to fit in a tool pouch.

By the way... if you've never shot an eyeball-gun... it takes some practice to become accurate. If you do pick up a smaller firearm; shoot 500 or so rounds through it to get the feel of it (and to verify reliability).

Joe

Carrera

I once had an experience when I was cycling way out in the country and a car full of hoodlums closed in behind me. The morons inside the vehicle began to hurl abuse and insults and I though they might try to openly attack me. I was very tired as well as this area has some of the biggest climbs in the region and I have been cycling and climbing for 2 hours already so it would have been tough to put up a fight at that moment against such odds.
In the end they sped past jeering.
On other occasions I had people spit on me as they drove past.
Usually when I have encounters with car drivers and they get out the car, at least I know I'm the one who's in better shape and I'll give as good as I get.
I once had a friend who was a street fighter but was very small and short with 17 inch arms. His aggression was phenomenal. You would have big guys picking a fight with him (in one case a pro boxer) and he would pulverise them. Once someone made the mistake of jeering at him when he was out jogging in his shorts and made comments to the effect he must be effeminate, while the guy's girlfriend was laughing. He simply layed the guy out with one punch then carried on jogging.

Carrera

A commentator took the p++s out of 2 pro cyclists who got into a fight - the clip was shown on an out-takes program. It was quite humerous. Both guys were skinny and the punches were more akin to slaps. Finally the two resorted to a kind of:
"Kick my bike will you? Well, I'll kick yours!"
Both adversaries then began to kick each others bikes. I thought that was a total direspect for quality engineering but the commentator found the whole thing quite amusing.

stormer94

Joe, I hit that route today, thought about it the whole time. Figured out how I imagine it would go down. Firstly, if a guy just wants to run you down for a laugh, you're toast and it's gonna happen. But if it's a deliverance kind of thing or a "get the gimp" deal, they're gonna want to take you whole. I suspect that there would be some kind of reason to flag you down, you'd stop and they'd over power you. Toss you in the trunk of the car, and go on about their business with you.

Given that second scenario, I'd pull up short. leave 10 feet, talk to them, find out what the deal was. They make a move for you, you pull your piece. They start backing up (hopefully). You get them away from the car, get them to lie down, and promptly leave your bike and them on the ground and steal the car and drive to the police station and get it handled. You have to take the car, you can't just ride off on your bike, and let them mow you down after you pulled a gun on them, even if it was a self defense thing. After you show your piece, if they meant you harm in the first place, and you can identify them, it's gonna take them about 10 seconds to realize that unless they kill you, they are in big trouble. I'm guessing people like that have done this kind of thing before, and don't need the law poking into their past.

(gives me shivvers) don't like to think about it. But luck favors the prepared. I think I'm gonna start packing. In fact, I'm looking forward to finding the right weapon to pack. Just on long out of town training rides. Today I was about 20 miles from town and thought about this thread, the entire ride.

__________________
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"Was" 39 year old guy Blood pressure: 143/84, Resting Pulse: 68, weight: 230
"summer 2004" 40 year old guy. Blood pressure: 121/66, Resting pulse: 45, weight: 175
1-1-2005 Blood pressure: 115/55, Resting pulse: 44, weight: 170
6-1-2005 Blood pressure: 105/52, resting pulse: 40, weight: 175
40k-TT, 1:05

spacefuzz

thats awsome! Thankfully I have never had to fight someone like that.

As for a redneck on speed, cant chase you with broken knee caps no matter how doped up he is. And someone pointed out that you cant kick with cleats on, good point. But theres always escrima and jujitsu that could work.

Weisse Luft

You have not had to deal with a redneck on speed. I had one run me off the road on purpose, blocking my egress. There is no martial art that is sufficient to take out such an animal. Ask any law enforcement officer. They can take a full hit from a baton without losing stride. A broken patella would mean nothing. Only a compound fracture of the femur will stop them. Or a CNS shot.