Self defence when cycling (and other sports)

[Martin PJ]

I carry a monkey fist weapon which I bought from aliexpress.com. I have since learnt how to make them. It looks like a big key ring, so if you decide not to fight it is likely the attacker won't know what it is.

Cost to make is about R50, 3cm iron ball and 4 m of paracord.

[Robbie Stewart]

Anyone who thinks they can safely cycle and ride with a gun is a moron. End van prent.

How do you think you're going to retrieve your firearm once you've been knocked off your bicycle and quite likely are already hurt? Now you seriously want to convince me that you can draw your weapon, chamber a round and fire all while lying prostrate and probably bleeding?

Like I side, morons . . .

I am not anti-gun, but people need to pull their heads out of their asses and quit thinking that carrying a firearm on a bicycle is ever a good idea. It's barely a good idea in a car, now you want to try it on a bicycle. Folks watch too much Netflix it seems.

 

[BaGearA]

10 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

Anyone who thinks they can safely cycle and ride with a gun is a moron. End van prent.

How do you think you're going to retrieve your firearm once you've been knocked off your bicycle and quite likely are already hurt? Now you seriously want to convince me that you can draw your weapon, chamber a round and fire all while lying prostrate and probably bleeding?

Like I side, morons . . .

I am not anti-gun, but people need to pull their heads out of their asses and quit thinking that carrying a firearm on a bicycle is ever a good idea. It's barely a good idea in a car, now you want to try it on a bicycle. Folks watch too much Netflix it seems.

 

unless you're rding with A revolver I'd assume there's already a round and the gun is cocked 

 

 

If you leave home with A loose round and empty weapon then you fall into the moron cat if you intend on using it for self defense 

[Mamil]

Do we know any stories of any cyclist ever fighting off a thief? I recall one from the tgmtb trails... Someone had a wire across the trail and klapped the thugs with a log I seem to remember.

Most stories I hear involve people being ambushed by superior numbers, knocked off bike and robbed or having the good fortune to spot what's happening in time and run away.

I have pepper spray velcroed to top tube and another on my person. Under no illusion that that's just a security blanket and probably of little use in an actual situation. 

 

[Martin PJ]

45 minutes ago, Mamil said:

Do we know any stories of any cyclist ever fighting off a thief? I recall one from the tgmtb trails... Someone had a wire across the trail and klapped the thugs with a log I seem to remember.

Most stories I hear involve people being ambushed by superior numbers, knocked off bike and robbed or having the good fortune to spot what's happening in time and run away.

I have pepper spray velcroed to top tube and another on my person. Under no illusion that that's just a security blanket and probably of little use in an actual situation. 

 

In 2016 a cyclist killed two attackers near Giba Gorge mtb park.

[BaGearA]

9 minutes ago, Martin PJ said:

In 2016 a cyclist killed two attackers near Giba Gorge mtb park.

was this the oke with the pocket knife ? 

 

 

this is the only one i can recall 

[Martin PJ]

16 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

was this the oke with the pocket knife ? 

 

 

this is the only one i can recall 

That's it. Yes.

[Henryfeather]

BTW guys,what is the most lethal pepper spray (stream type?)availabe locally, I know in the USA bear spray,and pom,but the former is outlawed for private use here,and the latter not available.perhaps as mentioned carrying pepper spray beside having your bike insured is the best solution,but bang for buck would be great.

[capediver]

Defense 101...

 

 

[dave303e]

On 6/15/2022 at 8:11 PM, roodie said:

What saved me was I saw their body language then got off my bike in time and through it towards them and ran the opposite direction..So my first two lines of defence worked out well..I would only as a last resort and when presented with no other options use weapons of any kind. de escelate get away BUt when no other option and my life is on the line I will use what I have and do what I need to defend myself. I promise u those weapons work and I can use.them.

There is your ultimate self defense tool. Awareness. 

Be aware of your surroundings, be aware of others, sounds, movements etc etc. Best defense is avoiding a situation all together, the more time you have to react, the better.

15 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

Anyone who thinks they can safely cycle and ride with a gun is a moron. End van prent.

How do you think you're going to retrieve your firearm once you've been knocked off your bicycle and quite likely are already hurt? Now you seriously want to convince me that you can draw your weapon, chamber a round and fire all while lying prostrate and probably bleeding?

Like I side, morons . . .

I am not anti-gun, but people need to pull their heads out of their asses and quit thinking that carrying a firearm on a bicycle is ever a good idea. It's barely a good idea in a car, now you want to try it on a bicycle. Folks watch too much Netflix it seems.

 

Cycling with a gun, well yes and no. Most that have an incident, go out and buy a gun afterwards, take a 2 day training course and carry from the day their license comes through onwards sonder training- Yes Moron. If you going to carry, you better spend a lot of time training with the weapon, so that it is second nature etc. Yes the odd well trained individual will be carrying and someone like that who is well trained is probably good for most situations because they will likely spot the incident a good 2-3seconds before you would. i.e. gentlemen like the man who temporarily ended a lot of the spruit hijackings a year or 2 back.

A lot of this also applies to day to day carrying.

Also with a Glock- it is draw and fire. The the safety is built into the trigger, not an external safety so once you are ready to take the shot( all decisions have been made, you have no other option and the attack is not avoidable)  you can just present and start firing. You can also carry 1 up(round in the chamber) safely in holster- also extends mag by 1 round(the more the merrier). But again - if someone is carrying, they better be training consistently. This isn't like a little marathon where you can get lazy and then come race day just suffer through. If you get lazy- race day will be a very dangerous situation.

 

But the big old gun debate, it is a big one, and with a bike involved it gets complex

[WaynejG]

Got to agree about being aware. I ride with a cycling buddy and if we come across "pedestrians" off the beaten path, then I will always have a quick glance over my shoulder when we pass them. One can never be to complacent.

A while ago we ended up taking a wrong turn and popped out on the very edge of the Walmer location on a Saturday afternoon. We rode through there as if we where doing a sprint finish with a very elevated heart rate.

[Schnavel]

14 hours ago, Mamil said:

Do we know any stories of any cyclist ever fighting off a thief? I recall one from the tgmtb trails... Someone had a wire across the trail and klapped the thugs with a log I seem to remember.

Most stories I hear involve people being ambushed by superior numbers, knocked off bike and robbed or having the good fortune to spot what's happening in time and run away.

I have pepper spray velcroed to top tube and another on my person. Under no illusion that that's just a security blanket and probably of little use in an actual situation. 

 

 

A few years ago, there were 2 guys roaming the spruit in Joburg, and they attacked several cyclists and injured a few (stab wounds). Some ex-army guys deliberately went to look for them and ended up shooting them - I think one thief was killed and one was injured?

The Spruit was then quiet for a while, but over the past few months, it's been getting dangerous again. So much so, that Jozi Trails has actually rerouted certain parts of the trails to avoid known danger areas.

[The Ouzo]

1 hour ago, WaynejG said:

. We rode through there as if we where doing a sprint finish with a very elevated heart rate.

My theory on this. Yes I want to get out of there ASAP, but, I also want something left in my tank should I need to up the pace some more. 
therefore I tend to ride at only a slightly faster pace, so that I can still be very aware and still have reserves to GTF out of there should I encounter something. 

[Jewbacca]

Not so long ago there was a guy who was hit off his bike with a big stick on Constantia Nek road going into Hout Bay.

One attacker ran and the other struggled to mount the guys bike and ride away, so in one fluid motion he grabbed a rock, tackled the guy off his bike and hit him over the head a few times with the rock.

The second assailant vanished. 

The guy mounted his bike and rode the 1.5km down to the police station in hout bay covered in his and the assailants blood to report the incident. 

I believe the guy in question kept it very quiet and now doesn't ride alone ever and takes the valley road turnoff to avoid the hout bay road stretch to chappies

[WaynejG]

20 minutes ago, ouzo said:

My theory on this. Yes I want to get out of there ASAP, but, I also want something left in my tank should I need to up the pace some more. 
therefore I tend to ride at only a slightly faster pace, so that I can still be very aware and still have reserves to GTF out of there should I encounter something. 

Good point and something to remember.

[porqui]

10 hours ago, dave303e said:

. If you going to carry, you better spend a lot of time training with the weapon, so that it is second nature etc.

But the big old gun debate, it is a big one, and with a bike involved it gets complex

And train and practice while on your bike. (remember this leaves only one hand on the bike)