Armed Cyclist

[Veebee]

My sincere 2c. Look at the number of deaths resulting from bike jackings, I'm not sure I can recall any. If cyclists start carrying guns there might be, though.

 

Get insurance, hand over your stuff and walk away alive and unharmed. Report it to the cops, maybe they get caught, maybe they don't. Then go home to your family and start planning what new bike you're going to get.

 

problem is that in a few cases, the guys are NOT walking away unharmed. Not too long ago there was a rider stabbed in Inchanga. I don't want to be in that situation, but will be happy to plug the guy after he takes my bike or "harms" me in anyway.

 

if the message goes around that cyclists are no longer taking $#$$ and if a few of these punks lose their lives, then maybe we will have safer roads to ride on. Yes not a good thing to say, but its the reality.

 

made the wrong choice with the G17, should have gotten something smaller.

[leeubok]

My sincere 2c. Look at the number of deaths resulting from bike jackings, I'm not sure I can recall any. If cyclists start carrying guns there might be, though.

 

Get insurance, hand over your stuff and walk away alive and unharmed. Report it to the cops, maybe they get caught, maybe they don't. Then go home to your family and start planning what new bike you're going to get.

 

 

I get what you're saying. It's not worth risking your life for your bike. BUT, dammit, we all work our asses off to be able to afford expensive bikes. It's not only the original purchase amount, but it's the monthly (or daily) maintenance, insurance etc. Then some box jumps out and demands it, and we have to just bend over and hand it to him?  That's just not right..

[Dirkitech]

Guys go and speak to cyclists that have been hijacked.....first thing they all say ""it happened so fast"

 

How are you going to get your gun out from under your shirt while riding??

 

How will you drawn it if you laying on your back?

 

Like mentioned before, if you plan on getting a gun, train regularly. Also, just like when driving your car you have to anticipate other drivers doing stupid things, you have to anticipate being attacked on low visibility/busy roads, corners, or wherever you ride. The attacker's mindset is already set to "attack", your mindset has to already be in "defend" and not "ride"- which may be a burden on the enjoyability of your ride.

 

I see a lot of people saying just hand it over and get it replaced by insurance. That doesn't solve the crime on cyclists any more than every cyclist carrying a gun, because perps/syndicates will learn that cyclists are easy to make part with their bikes.

 

Me and my girlfriend are looking at getting concealed firearm licenses, but so many people are advising on staying out of the license system as the names are being sold for targeting. One thing I will advise, assuming you've had the proper training, is to carry a knife with you while cycling. A switchblade or okapi, ready to pull, but as mentioned before, you need to be in the "defend" mindset just as when you were carrying a gun

[Edition 507]

I always ride with a side arm! Actually I have two, a left side arm and a ride side arm :-)

[Barry Stuart]

problem is that in a few cases, the guys are NOT walking away unharmed. Not too long ago there was a rider stabbed in Inchanga. I don't want to be in that situation, but will be happy to plug the guy after he takes my bike or "harms" me in anyway.

 

if the message goes around that cyclists are no longer taking $#$$ and if a few of these punks lose their lives, then maybe we will have safer roads to ride on. Yes not a good thing to say, but its the reality.

 

made the wrong choice with the G17, should have gotten something smaller.

 

Escalation though. You might get away unharmed (unless you end up in the slammer because the guy turned and took the bullet to the back). But when word gets around it won't be that "cyclists are no longer taking **** so we should find a new line of work even though there's huge demand for their bikes", it'll be that if you want to jack a bike don't give the guy or girl a chance. In other words, a dead cyclist will now be the better option rather than a live one that might shoot back.

[leeubok]

problem is that in a few cases, the guys are NOT walking away unharmed. Not too long ago there was a rider stabbed in Inchanga. I don't want to be in that situation, but will be happy to plug the guy after he takes my bike or "harms" me in anyway.

 

if the message goes around that cyclists are no longer taking $#$$ and if a few of these punks lose their lives, then maybe we will have safer roads to ride on. Yes not a good thing to say, but its the reality.

 

made the wrong choice with the G17, should have gotten something smaller.

 

That's the point I'm trying to make. We are soft targets, and expected to just hand over our bikes. The more it happens and the more these okes get away with it without cyclists putting up a fight, the more skelms will join in on the fun. Easy and safe for these perps.

 

I think it depends on the situation really. 1 cyclist against a group of robbers, or a guy with a gun, no use in trying to fight. But if the cyclists outnumber the robbers who only has a knife or knobkierie, I'd say fight for your bikes

[IH8MUD]

I am so getting sick of this shyt.  

December there was also a serious stabbing of a cyclist in the trails here in Windhoek. 

They did not even take his bike . . . . .

 

Just last night my brother was telling me about his planned 1000km solo bike packing trip in BC. 

No worries about this issues there. 

[Kapenschtaten]

I don't think carrying guns is the answer, you will be mugged for your gun by a bigger and more organised group. A firearm is worth more than a bicycle to a criminal.

 

Get a GPS, hide it on your bike. If you are mugged, then you can hire a really aggressive person to retrieve your bike for you. I believe you are unlikely to be killed in a bike mugging.

I personally know of someone who was riding early morning along a main road and BAM! out of nowhere a brick hit him on the side of his head. Fractured skull and jaw, Now has permanent damage to his eye sight on that side. Bike stolen. I think the violence of the criminals these days has escalated, I don't think they even give a rats whether he lived or not.

I personally was mugged so fast, I had no time to react at all. I somersaulted off my bike and broke my coccyx clean off. I was on my back in pain on another level. If I had managed to pull out a weapon, they would have smashed me with the bricks they had in their hands for sure.

Ride in big groups, thats the only answer.

 

[scubes]

The SCCY CXP2 is a well made compact American pistol with 10+1 rounds of 9mm. It is also relatively affordable. Some people use a kidney belt or maybe a fanny pack. Need to have the gun on you if you are attacked and fall. But then will you be able to reach it and get it out and load one up and shoot calmly and well aimed?

 

There may be more than one attacker and you may end up with a stolen firearm. Similar to a car jacking. Only here it is easy to get someone to fall off a bicycle if you ambush them. And when you fall you are disorientated and do not know what you will land on. Tempting to carry when cycling alone but these are the dangers.

 

A firearm in South Africa currently is best used for home defence if you have practiced with it and will be defending your life in your home after someone broke in and is inside and the situation looks like it will endanger your life. Pity that such a beautiful country has so much violent crime even in the outdoors and that we have such a crappy government. If I could find a job overseas I'm gone cos this stress is not what something like cycling is about.

[gummibear]

Cyclists will always be soft targets......and riding bikes that cost the same price as a car doesn't help.

 

In a car you will often see someone approaching your car as the area is open.On a mtb you are in the bush and areas where criminals can hide to attack you.

 

They have the element of surprise.

 

When you are knocked off your bike you are disorientated and that's to their advantage.In most case you will be injured and that makes fighting back hard.

 

They attack in numbers...usually 2 or more.

 

Try not to cycle alone.

[Sp!ke]

Guys go and speak to cyclists that have been hijacked.....first thing they all say ""it happened so fast"

 

How are you going to get your gun out from under your shirt while riding??

 

How will you drawn it if you laying on your back?

 

I was jacked about 9 years ago whilst out on my MX bike. Took a water break at a favorite jump spot, a guy walking along the road greeted me as he passed, I thought nothing of it. Next minute I have a very nice Glock pointed in my face. 

Fortunately he only took my hydration pack with my cell phone, emergency money and, *sob*, my KTM tool kit. I don't think he had the appetite to try steal the bike.

 

I've often thought about the 'what if'? All I can say is it happened fast, very fast. If I had a piece on me and I had tried to get it out I would be dead. I'm not Chuck Norris and real life is not Hollywood. A jacking you walk away from is a good one. A bike / cell phone / etc can be replaced. I never did replace the KTM tool kit though.

 

I'll carry mace. If I feel threatened I'll get it out and try be prepared but you rarely get a chance to prepare.

[Juanhein20]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkEFhPsrfvU

 

This is a silly video clip but this little  2 shot ballistic pepper gel gun can be used in windy conditions and give you about 4-5m distance between you and the attacker. 

The gel won't get blown into your face and will give you chance to get away.

It fits in your back pocket and you can hold it in your hand concealed if you see anything suspicious. 

it won't help you against a group of attackers but will help you against a single individual.

[nonky]

This country sucks - BIG TIME.

We are soooo deep in the ####, we cannot even see daylight anymore.

The unpalatable has become the new normal.

The fact that this thread and many similar exist just shows how inured we have become to violence and threats to our personal safety, as well as to theft of our treasured possessions.

The guys who are leaving or have left are the only people thinking rationally about this, the rest of us are just in denial.

[sirmoun10goat]

I'm developing a patent pending holster that fits in your bottle holder specifically for these situations. 

SWAT - storage, water, (fire)ARMS, tools...I'm sure specialized is already busy with this

[ewep]

2 "gentlemen" tried to hijack me 2 years ago.  Cycling along, keeping my eyes open, on a busy road, with the 2 walking on the opposite side of the road.  Movement in my peripheral, and then a helluva shot hitting my leg.  I just kept on pedaling like mad (even though my right leg was NUMB)!  Had a nice huge bump on my right quad, and I got the surprise of my life, but I got away.

 

Point of the story, it happens so so fast.  If I carried that day I would never have had the chance to point and shoot, even though I practice quite often.  These guys don't look like skelms (they had Mittal overalls on), and that's where they have the upper hand.  As those that did township duty know, everyone is a suspect, and I really don't want to go there again.  I now carry a knife with me as I want to be able to defend myself, but carrying a firearm to me is dangerous and tempting fate.

 

As for the guys that are leaving this hell-hole, think of us that need to stay behind!

[Paul Ruinaard]

Are there any people out there - on the forum - or even anecdotal - that managed to defend against a hijacking or assault by drawing a weapon they were carrying for that purpose?

 

Would be interesting to hear of them and from them.