Originally Posted by JoeyBike

Kids love hitting cyclists with baseball bats and such in New Orleans. Even sucker punches. Whenever I see a group of kids in the roadway or semi-blocking the bike path, I make a U-turn and go a couple of blocks over. I realize this is not always possible unfortunately. Just about every cyclist i know has had an attempted (or successful) clubbing/sucker-punch experience. I try to abide by the 21 foot rule whenever possible. You can never relax around here on a bike. Always looking for heads peeking out behind vehicles or groups of kids hanging out near or in the road.

Sorry that happened to you Scooty. Sucks.

Check out the 21 foot rule video. It might save someone's skin literally when it comes to avoiding trouble. If you can't pass a group of suspicious people with 21 feet to spare, take a different route. This video just shows how much ground an assailant can cover before even trained professionals can react and take action. Ignore the firearm training part. Just imagine you are on your bike passing an assailant.