Horrible Story:

Bicyclist shot and killed on way to work

Lord protect us.

Truly sad. Perhaps a gun mount is next for the bike, or a helmet gun? Now there is a thought.

Joe

That's terrible news. What a waste.

It certainly makes me think twice about confronting an idiot when I'm cycling.........

disgusting.

seems like we only have a silver of information. i wonder if this guy had enemies or what?

+1

No doubt. You never know whats going to happen next. You can only speculate the future.

Who knew riding a bike could cause such anger...this world is too much for me.

Years ago, a friend was moving from Austin back to his native Chicago. He sent his stuff to his folks house via UPS and set out to ride his bike there, planning to take a few weeks and camp along the way. He bought and packed a pistol. I'm not a gun guy, but i get it and would probably do the same thing.

I have been a longtime runner, and only recently switched to cycling and commuting. I was never without a handgun when running, and I carried that practice over when I swapped my running shoes for a bike. You and you alone are responsible for your safety when out and about.

Being alert, assertive and using your head will almost always keep you from getting into a true self-defense situation. But that is not always enough, and having the ability to defend yourself in that very rare last-ditch survival situation cannot be overstated. I have come very close to having to use my firearm in self-defense while running, and I am thankful that my state has very good self-defense laws and decent carry laws.

Use your head first, avoid confrontations if at all possible, but don't think that it can't happen to you even IF you are the most non-confrontational person alive. I have frequently kicked myself for NOT packing in some situations, but I have never once regretted carrying.

Stay safe...

How exactly do you conceal a gun in cycling kit?

"No, that's not a gun. I really am that happy to see you."

Man, that is sick...

Drivers get so mad when you yell at them when they do something extremely stupid. I've had motorist threaten to kill me a few times after they have run me off the road while I in a clearly marked bike lane. unfortunetly I always for get to get their plate.

it is amazing how people get so angry when you do anything to question their manhood.

Hm, two kids and he's 49...yet he has a fiancee? Messy personal situation maybe? There's not real evidence of that, I'm just sayin you might get shot on a bike and it has nothing to do with the bike.

Amen to that, brother.

There are so many belligerent imbeciles worldwide that it boggles the mind. Always looking for a fight, always with something to prove.

Be safe everyone. <3

Like water off a duck's back, folks. It just isn't worth it.

I'm going to get flamed torched for this but man I'm glad to be in Canada. People just don't "pack guns just in case" ready to pop a cap in someone else in an altercation "because the other guy would have done it first anyway!". Sure the criminal population probably carry guns but at least the average Joe I argue with doesn't. The chance that he does is single to none. So do I carry a gun? No way! It's totally unthinkable here. Yes freaks occasionnaly run around killing people here too, but does having the right to carry guns stop them anywhere else anyway?

You will get people arguing that it does. On the other hand you will hear stories like this one woman who panicked during a road rage incident and shot a woman approaching her car because she thought the other woman might be packing.

Could I get shot while riding? I suppose I could. I could also get struck by lighting or killed in a crash caused by a squirrel getting caught in my spokes. My reasoning for NOT carrying a gun is:

1) I'm a weight weenie

2) The chances of getting shot are very slim

3) By the time I realized I was in imminent danger of being shot (if I ever realized it), it would be too late to grab a gun.

I'm with you there, besides, if I'm going to die, chances are I'm not going to see it coming anyways, so why worry about it? Life's too short to worry about how (or when) you're going to die. I say $@^% it and live.

No flame, but I think miss the poster's point as well as bluntly stating your ignorance of his attitude. Let's leave it at that.

To return to the OT, this is a sad story all one can hope is that the person responsible is brought to justice.

i think it's weird how the reporter keeps mentioning the price of gas in the article.

one might think that if the price of gas were lower, this guy wouldn't be reduced to "having to" ride a bike, and therefore would still be alive today.

If you came out OK, why would you regret not having a gun on you? What would the gun have given you if your goal is to simply stay safe which, assuming you're not typing from an ICU or beyond the grave, you were able to do without the gun?

Tjspiel, your reasons for not carrying are well understood, and I agree for the most part. But, I do carry a Ruger LCP .380 in the right zippered pocket of my cycling vest, because it's just too easy not to. Not a big fan of the .380, but the Springfield XD 9mm is too heavy when riding.

What has always bothered me is that we cyclists/commuters simply look vulnerable and easy pickings for thugs, even if they do NOT have a firearm. Maybe even more so than joggers, but I have nothing to back that up, other than the term "bike ***" has no analog for joggers. So, it is conceivable that said thugs strolling along the Miss. River levee where I ride would decide to take me out, believing that I was effectively defenseless after being knocked from my bike. However unlikely that scenario might seem to many, I feel much better knowing that they will probably cease and desist when looking at the business end of a firearm, if only because it would be completely unexpected on their part. If they continue approaching, then I have a reasonable fear of death or great bodily harm, and I am justified in exercising my right of self-defense by shooting.

I am a CCW permit holder, I shoot competively in rifle, pistol, and shotgun matches, and I have many friends in law enforcement, so I am quite aware of what goes down in a tactical situation. In addition, I can't bear the thought of being defenseless and killed, leaving my wife and 4 kids to fend for themselves. Avoidance of confrontation is always the first objective, but when the situation escalates and extracting oneself from the altercation is not possible, I want the only option left, and that's the gun in my pocket. Like I said, it's not the bigger gun I possess in other situations, but it's better than nothing. My family and I have too much to lose, and I strongly believe that it is a matter of responsibility. For these reasons, I choose to carry.

I certainly don't intend to flame anyone here, but it seems that you have completely missed my point, and your opinion relies more on emotion than logic.

It is bad enough in the US, where people are spoon-fed the notion that "guns are evil and can only be used for evil purposes", but Canada is even worse when it comes to this attitude.

You are lumping all law-abiding gun owners who choose to carry for their protection under the "whack-job looking to kill someone" crowd. Not only is it insulting, but it is flat-out not true. CHL holders commit violent crimes at a far lower rate than the general population. (Feel free to check out the records from various states.) Carrying a firearm does not change your innate personality - it is ridiculous, but people somehow believe it.

As far as guns stopping crime, I won't argue with that one way or another, as it is very difficult to prove ANY particular cause behind crime rates, because there are too many factors. But bear in mind that the CDC (a very anti-gun organization) could not conclusively prove that firearms restrictions helped to lower crime either. (Case in point, Washington, D.C...)

As for me, I would rather have my right to protect myself how I see fit, and allow those who are not comfortable with firearms to choose to not carry. I have been a member of the shooting/firearms community for a long time, and I don't know a single member who wouldn't go out of his/her way to AVOID a confrontation.