carry a baseball bat?
 

Went into a local lbs and was looking at tents when I biker chatted me up as he waited for the restroom. He was in full kit and shoes, clearly a roadie. I noticed a handle sticking up his backside near his head and asked what that was and he reached over his shoulder and pulled out a baseball bat "for dogs and cars that get too close". I shook my head and said, "seriously??". He explained how he was ready to use it if he had to and I questioned his ability to get it out fast enough to hit a car and whether it would be a good thing to do. I have a long white beard and am overweight so I doubt he thought I knew anything about cycling so he spoke to me like I was a non-cyclist grandpa (I smiled to myself) and went on about dangerous cars and dogs. Apparently he has never used it. First time for everything. Anyone else carry such things? I think maybe I'll grab a laser sword at Walmart so I can slice a car in half it if gets too close...Can you imagine the bat hitting a car at 50mph and bouncing back and smacking the cyclist? A kid was recently hurt (killed?) when a bat bounced back off a reinforced iron mailbox that they were driving by and smashing...I'll bet the fellow rides a multi thousand dollar bike to which he adds a 5lb baseball bat...I suppose he can lose that weight easier then I can lose my next 5lb but sheesh...

Wow, I've heard people talking about bike lock justice before, but never a baseball bat.

The real question is did the bat match his bike and jersey?

I've seen a bat or two strapped to people's racks, but its always the guys who have like 15 lights and all these weird kludgy additions to their bike.

Sounds to me that the cyclist might be planning to use the bat while at very low speeds or while stopped. If anything, that bat is going to leave a serious mark if the cyclist crashed on the bike.

The last local incident that I recall where a baseball bat was involved, the teen (then) should be up for parole in 13 years, in which they have already served 20.

I rode with a guy that got really tired of the dogs on many of our routes. One ride, he packed nunchucks. Hilarity ensued when a dog attacked him and he had a hard time keeping them out of his spokes.

Personally, I carry a titanium camping axe. Never know when you will need one of those.

Finally! I was waiting for those to be invented. I'm stopping off at Walmart immediately after work.

Clearly not, if he's carrying 2 pound of unnecessary stuff.

I used the force (and my knowledge of it) to create my own. Then again, you might not have anough midichlorians to do such a thing.



Edit:Wow, I can't believe I just typed that. First, because I'm such a nerd. And second because I reference that awful, awful concept from the lesser trilogy.

My wife and I do not discuss the newer works of Lucas. Please do not bring it up again.

I think a baseball bat is over the top. But a frame pump could have other uses than flat fixes.

An assault rifle! Perfect.
 

I gotta get me a plastic water rifle to carry like that sometime for fun. Here in AK I'm not sure it would turn any heads...

I've often thought that a heavy duty frame pump might be a really useful thing. Who cares if it weighs a couple of pounds

Collapsible baton.

Tactical gloves are comfortable and serve two purposes.

http://www.tactical-store.com/ts-bw-...ced-afcfe.html

I've considered carrying one of those small miniature bats that one can purchase at baseball stadiums. I think what would be better is as unterhausen stated to carry a "decent" sized frame pump, or even a 3 D-cell Maglight flashlight.

In that way if one is stopped by an overzealous LEO they can honestly say that what they're carrying is a needed tool and not a weapon.

Also depending on how much or little of the bat is visible when the "roadie" is out riding couldn't it be viewed as a "concealed" weapon?

Maybe it was a titanium cycling bat.

Those're good, but laws vary.

Wood or alu bat?
Hate to see him crash with that bat up his backside . .

I used to use a compression-fit frame pump for threatening dogs. Worked pretty well. I used to carry a sawed-of sledge-hammer handle at work for the same reason. The little Lezyne pump I have now is velcroed to the frame and isn't as threatening. I think it's a good idea.

wait, you carried a big stick around because of threatening co-workers or to threaten co-workers? or did threatening dogs follow you all the way to work, where you switched from the pump to the stick?

N+1

I also have a removable top tube in case of a real emergency . . . Not really but the idea is funny

Car comes too close, you hit car with bat, break window? Guess who's going to be in trouble then?

I've been wanting to get on of these and clip it on a seatstay. It's only for dogs. I like that it's pink and has Barbie graphics on it.

http://www.bing.com/shopping/barbie-...bats&FORM=HURE

Yea...I was going to say I can't imagine wanting to carry a weapon on a bike but honestly I might give this new 'laser sword' a shot.