Great Lakes - Cyclist beaten by Cyclists

It seems that being an a**hole to cyclists is not limited to those in motorized vehicles. I especially like the description of the bikes!

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Bicyclist beaten after telling other riders to get lights
By Linda Spice of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Dec. 2, 2008 12:02 p.m.

A 51-year-old man bicycling in Madison suggested that two cyclists passing him put lights on their bikes before they followed him to his home and beat him, according to Madison police.

The victim told police he suffered pain to his head and ribs after being attacked outside of his home on Lakeside Street about 6:30 p.m. Nov. 26, according to a report released today.

The man told police he was riding on South Shore Drive when he heard someone from behind tell him that he would be passing on the left. He moved over and a man and a woman rode past.

As they did, however, he said, "Get a light." The other man turned and asked what he said.

The victim repeated, "Get a light."

The couple yelled loudly at the man, telling him to mind his own business, according to police. The victim said the other man attempted to run him off the road before the couple followed him to his home driveway.

That's where a conversation about lights continued and the woman told the victim that he seemed to have plenty of lights and asked for one. He gave her a light and told police he did not feel threatened.

The other man, however, appeared to still be upset about the original comment and allegedly clamped his hands around the victim's head. The other man then twisted the victim to the ground and kneed him in the ribs.

The victim told police he last saw the two people peddling down South Shore Drive.

The first suspect was described as a white male, about 6-feet tall, wearing a dark-colored jacket and riding a Trek time trial bike .

The second suspect was a white female, about 5-feet-4-inches who rode an Orbea road bike with orange on the front.

:eek::wtf:

I totally thought the jackasses would be riding some rust-ridden squeaky mtb bikes with flat tires.

It turns out they are riding high zoot flashy road bikes.

My whole world is all WTFd up!

whiskey tango foxtrot indeed!!!!

I don't believe the victim. There's got be more to this story.

I don't believe the victim. There's got be more to this story.

Could be. My first thought was that the offenders rode by and heard the guy say "Get a life" vs. "Get a light." But then I read the rest where it says the discussion continued about lights when they stopped.

Maybe the victim got all pissed off and aggressive that these two a**hats followed him home?

I'm with roadfix- there must be more to this story... I hope.

There's definitely more to this story. Something tells me that there was a lot more mouthing off done by the victim.....and it looks like he was dropped to the ground...not beaten as the headline implys. Not that it should matter - he is still a "victim", but he's definitely leaving a lot out.

Guess we'll never know though...unless it was one of you!

so I'll just wait for the update then, where they've been identified by members of great lakes foo...

Really??? :wtf:

Can't we all just get a long??? :wtf:

Just keep to yourself. I don't talk to anybody on the road except my wife.

Just keep to yourself. I don't talk to anybody on the road except my wife.

What a coincidence! I don't want to talk to anybody except your wife either!

people need to learn to STFU and mind their own biz.

What a coincidence! I don't want to talk to anybody except your wife either!

weak.

weak.

I know, but that's my best effort. It's still early in the pre-season.

weak.

Ahh....but see what he did there. He made it funny. Like "haha" funny.

...he amuses me.

I find it vaguely amusing that the "vic" can't ID the suspects beyond "white male," but gives a pretty thorough ID of the bikes the suspects were riding.

I have to add, I find it only slightly disturbing that no BF'er would find this at all odd.

I find it vaguely amusing that the "vic" can't ID the suspects beyond "white male," but gives a pretty thorough ID of the bikes the suspects were riding.

I have to add, I find it only slightly disturbing that no BF'er would find this at all odd.

That's how I identify people. Is there another way?

Guess we'll never know though...unless it was one of you!

Not me. I was uh, uh, polishing the uh, the turkey for Thanksgiving. Yeh, that's it.

Being from Madison, I find this really surprising. I've been riding around here for years and have NEVER seen any biker on biker hostility beyond, hey get out of the middle of the path or whatever. I also have never seen the couple he's describing. I certainly haven't seen any people cruising around the area on a time trial bike. That said, there are way to man cyclists around here that don't use lights after dusk. I just try and avoid them... when I can see them.

Sounds like a JRA story.


"I was Just Riding Along, minding my own business, when...."

Something tells me it was more than a friendly "get a light" comment.

What a coincidence! I don't want to talk to anybody except your wife either!

And you should hear the stories his wife has told me about you!:eek:

...and riding a Trek time trial bike .



damn tri-geeks!

See? Funny like Haha.

allegedly clamped his hands around the victim's head.

Was anybody involved wearing leather?

damn tri-geeks!

beat me too it!

I know there is no way to know this but; He didn't notice that they where following him?
If he did notice then why didn't he inquire as to why they where?
I think a better destination may have been a police station, unless he felt he could drop them.
If they had followed me home, God help them, because I know where a 3' piece of angle iron is sitting.
Why didn't he use the old air pump in the spoke trick?
Something fishy about this whole thing!!!

F'in tri-geek white women on Orbeas are a menace.

What a coincidence! I don't want to talk to anybody except your wife either!

I nearly laughed at that . . .


Ahh....but see what he did there. He made it funny. Like "haha" funny.

...he amuses me.

Oh, that did it!
:D

Turns out that the victim is actually the owner of a local bike shop. Chronometro to be precise. It explains both that he would actually have said "Get a Light" rather than "Get a Life" as well as why he knew exactly what the bikes were and only got a vague description of the riders.

Source: http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/316889

Hmmmm...plot thickens....not necessarily in his best interest to berate potential customers...also...I have always heard good stuff about that place....Maybe.....just maybe the article could be close to what actually happened. There's a first time for everything - even media reporting of bicycle related incidents.

The victim was Colin O'Brien, owner of Cronometro on Willy St.

He's OK, so that's good.

I spoke to several other people in the area, and they think they know who this couple is and where they live, so my guess is that the cops are on top of this. Also good news.

As I said, the number of people that would be out on a cold night in December on South Shore Dr is relatively small ('tho not as small as most communities in the US!) The bikes are fairly distinctive, and we bicyclists tend to see the same people and same bikes go through our neighborhoods on a regular basis. Bicycling is much less anonymous than being inside a car.

Although we would all like to think that bicyclists wouldn't stoop to road rage and violence, there are stupid, aggressive, and unstable people in all groups. Some people just lose it when faced with the smallest criticism. Their choice of transportation vehicle doesn't change that.

..

A lovely (sarc) conversation is going on on this very subject over in A&S (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=491407).

Speaking of that discussion, I should really get out of it.

I find it vaguely amusing that the "vic" can't ID the suspects beyond "white male," but gives a pretty thorough ID of the bikes the suspects were riding.

I have to add, I find it only slightly disturbing that no BF'er would find this at all odd.

What makes you think the victim can't give a better description of the suspects.

A lovely (sarc) conversation is going on on this very subject over in A&S (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=491407).

Dude. The lance wanna bes. They're screwing it up for everyone.

Dude. The lance wanna bes. They're screwing it up for everyone.

That's what I'm sayin'. But, no-one's listenin'. They're all like "Stay out of their bidnez!"

I wouldn'd venture into A&S without helmet, an airhorn, a can of mace, tazer, 36 blinkies, and without taking the lane.

....just sayin.

*sigh*

Turns out that the victim is actually the owner of a local bike shop. Chronometro to be precise. It explains both that he would actually have said "Get a Light" rather than "Get a Life" as well as why he knew exactly what the bikes were and only got a vague description of the riders.

Source: http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/316889

And if the victim is the Colin O'brien that I knew from my racing days in Madison, he is a very mild mannered guy and I have to believe he was the victim.

Ahh....but see what he did there. He made it funny. Like "haha" funny.

...he amuses me.

That's all good PSi, LOL!

And an interview with O'Brien himself.

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9453608

Colin is one of the nicest, most genuine people you'll ever meet. There is no way his actions would have merited this sort of response

The guy on the Trek need to have his ass kicked

The suspects in this case will be found. I'm anxious to hear their side of the story.

Even if the victim told them to get a life it didn't warrant that kind of response so I hope they're found and dealt with by local police.

Colin is one of the nicest, most genuine people you'll ever meet. There is no way his actions would have merited this sort of response


The guy on the Trek need to have his ass kicked

Now where did I put my lantern and pitchfork? :D

Nothing that comes out of someone's mouth should warrant a beatdown. Sticks and Stones and all that.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/317158

haha.