norskagent

yesterday on my shorter "urban loop" ride I approached a group of larger kids sitting by the side of the road, at the bottom of a hill, just hanging, living the thuglife. As I approached, one of them stood up and started into the road, then hesitated. I got the feeling he wanted to covet my bike but thought twice about it due to my approach speed...I waved hi as I went by, then stood up to climb the hill at speed...do bikejacks happen very often, or maybe I read too much into it?

The Seldom Kill

They happen often enough around here. I know of three kids in my area who have been bike jacked this year. One was gotten back later that week.

DCCommuter

I've twice had thugs try to grab me off my bike, both times I managed to keep riding. That was back in the day when DC was in the throes of a crack-fueled breakdown in social order, more than ten years ago.

scarry

If they say "give me that bike".


Keep riding as fast as you can, take evasive maneuvers.

CKxx

That could be quite scary. When we (my friends and I) ride late we are usually in a group of anywhere from 5 to 15, so we are basically our own rolling gang.

...now that I think about it, we ride in such large groups that there is probably a pedestrian-forums.com where people are talking about what to do when approached by a gang of cyclists.

banerjek

I've had bad experiences with this sort of thing. If you're in a situation where you can't get away, let your adrenaline take over and put everything your pedals as you aim at one of the mother f*ckers to make the experience as painful as possible -- chances are they'll jump out of the way at the last second if you act violent enough without self regard. Be sure to call the cops if you've been threatened even if they don't touch you, but cool off before telling anyone about it.

One of the things I normally do when riding through these areas is to ride as fast as I can without looking like I'm even breathing -- the idea is to make them think they may be better off going for a victim who looks easier to subdue. I'm not sure if that helps, but it seems to.

DieselDan

I've had a few rental customers claim to have been bikejacked. I've had a few attempts on my bike, but I've never been victimized. Last time I had two guys give chase on BMX bikes. I taunted them until I came up to one of the few hills, then just dropped them.

banerjek

One thing I really like about the foul weather of winter is that problems with dope addicts and hoodlums become practically nonexistent. Give me hicks in jacked up trucks on the open highway anyday -- I don't think they're nearly as dangerous.

chipcom 

In Beaufort? OMG that little town must have changed a lot over the last 25 years!

FotoTomas

Must have been one of the bridges!

Next time I visit I hope to bring a bike and head to Beaufort from Chechessee and back. I will look for the "hill" by Parris Island.

DieselDan

Pidgeon Point Hill.

JBar

We ride through the 'hood to get to most of our ride routes. Most of the time we get "Hey, man, why don't you loan me your bike.." or "Nice bike" or several times "Man! I really like them shoes!" (Diadora Attack with little prism insets). My buddy got a "Hey, what are you doin' here in those colors?" (red socks-Bloods color, in a Folk neighborhood). The brothers usually treat riders with a degree of respect and seem to be among the most considerate drivers when it comes to bikes (except for the guy who drove me off the road in a U-Haul, yelling "Get your ass on the sidewalk."). That said, one reason I've never tried to commute is that I'd have a few miles of stop and go in some of the roughest parts of town.

The Seldom Kill

I too have had the "gimme your bike" treatment although it's often difficult to hear them over the nasty sounds their bikes make.

On the other hand I rarely pedal mash late at night. I wouldn't want to have a blood sugar nosedive at an inopportune moment.

Speed_Racer

I have had someone pull out a knife and told me to give him my bike. I just pedaled faster and avoided him. I live in Wichita, KS and it is not a very violent place to live. I also read a story in the paper a few days ago and a guy walking down the river got mugged by 2 guys with a gun and pepper spray. After reading this story I am going to get a small gun. There are no conceal weapons laws here and the criminals know it. I will show them punks wassup.

chipcom 

You'll shoot your eye out, kid!

ellenDSD

Goodness! That's taking the bull by the horns!

But seriously, I know that feeling unable to protect yourself is awful, especially considering the many criminals out there who have guns. If you do decide to get a gun, please take the time to learn how to use is properly. Spend some time at a shooting range to get really comfortable with it. Most importantly, try to find an instructor who teaches self defense techniques that include the use of a firearm as well as the psychological aspects of using one in a bad situation.

Be safe out there everyone

cc_rider

On last night's CSI, there was a bikejacking - murder. Part of a getaway from a police chase.

I've never had a problem, but there have been some neighborhoods around DC where I pedalled through fast.

Dahon.Steve

I've never been bike jacked but have had some kid say "give me your bike" and another call me an Ahole but that was all. I still think you're safer on a bicycle than in a car when riding at night in a bad neighborhood because red lights are treated as yields and not stop!

You either peddal faster and take the lane or you ride in a different direction. Simple

San Rensho 

Might be an urban legend but I heard that in the 80's there was a bike race in Central Park where a couple of the stragglers got pushed down and their bikes stolen. Quite an incentive not to fall off the back!

brokenrobot

I think that's urban legend. Everyone knows NOBODY went in the park for ANY reason in the 80s!

catatonic

some areas of san jose was like that too.

I learned to carry my heavy chain lock on my handlebars, and hold it when I suspect something may happen.

banerjek

I do not think weapons are a good idea.

Thugs who aren't morons don't give their victims a chance to mount a defense. They ambush you with a blow to the head or knock out your wheels so you're on the ground before you even know you're in danger. If you have a weapon, its presence will worsen your treatment and it may be used against you.

I have had the misfortune of being assaulted more than once. The smart thing to do if you can't get away is to simply hand everything over because your life is worth more than some stuff and whatever you have in your wallet. However, the feeling of violation is absolutely incredible, so doing the smart thing is much harder than it sounds. If you ever fight and lose, you will be severely beaten at best.

The good news is that a surprising number of thugs ARE morons and most of them are in pitiful physical condition -- this means your odds are decent if you're not knocked down by surprise, hopelessly outnumbered, or facing a gun. The other good news is that in a real situation, you have more at stake than the thugs and your adrenaline will kick in and give you strength, resistance to pain, endurance, and a willingness to fight that you may find surprising.

The bad news is that in real life, you may be ambushed by someone who is not totally stupid, and in these situations, you really need to make life simple for them.