Sorry to hear this CC. I occasionally ride on a trail that has had a few assaults and am looking forward to a new trail that passes through a similar area to get me to a nice route out of the city. I take solace in the fact that the vast majority of riders on these trails never have a problem. Unfortunately when you do the consequences are significant. I recently broke my collar bone on a trip to France (standard fall, not assault). That is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but it keeps my off the bike for a few months. Getting pushed off your bike is effectively the same thing - the results can be anything from an inconvenience to life threatening. But the intent of the assault is much more unsettling than a simple fall. I hope you keep riding.

By the way, congrats on your weight loss. I did pretty much the same thing a few years back (195 to 160) and feel great as a consequence.

Thanks for all the support!
donheff Thanks for the weight loss nod. I'd let myself creep up a bit, but over the last 6 weeks I've worked very hard to drop 20 pounds (down to 145!) I have a reunion with a group of old friends and I used my vanity as motivation. So now here I am with a huge amount of swelling and bruising on my left side that looks just like a big roll of fat. Crap.

mcmoose, no offense taken. It was a perfect cyclist comment and made me laugh. One of my friends told me that he was sad that my ride not only got me hurt, but had no achievements.

For how pretty the state is, it sure is a shame that she is so rife with problems. I have a theory, but I am not sure I want to get into it here--a good discussion for p&r maybe--suffice it to say the state attracts a lot of people who do not fit in anywhere else.

The only fighting back you can do anymore is to mount up and move on. What that means is determined by the individual.

Heal up and move on.

And California is far from unique.

Curtis, may you heal well and soon.

That's crazy. These kids probably aren't homeless. but I'd heard of some people living off the rail trail near me in NY. There have always been some homeless heroin addicts and just down on their luck people living off another rail trail over by the college. they've been there since before it was an official trail. On my side of the river one of the homeless people supposedly shot themselves right on the trail last winter maybe spring. Ever since there have been way fewer girls on the bike path.

People talk about why women dont ride as much because of safety. Not just the danger of road riding or mountain biking itself but many of these trails even paved bike paths are remote, possibly dangerous. Me, I wander stupidly around third world slums taking pictures of poverty tourism (I know its wrong). Came closer to getting beat up for taking a picture of some old guys playing chess than being robbed. Can't let it stop you (maybe in my case it should). You dive into the swamp and take your chances. Never carry all your money. Easy for me to say. May want to be careful in that area though until these kids are caught. Looks like it's not too far from some neighborhoods. Middle school kids probably don't go too far and live right there.

We used to run from cops as a kid and go through some yards, jump some fences and we were out but as an adult I think it must be (have been) easy enough to recognize them walking down the street the next day even if they couldn't catch us.

In most State the law says you are allowed to use "reasonable force" to reple an attach. Have recently has a situation with a bug killer in a company vechicle who threatened to run me down the next time he saw me riding in the street. I ask a local sheriff if I could pepper spray the guy if he came at me. He replied yes, and if there is time warn the person verbally.

What a terrible incident, but I need to point out that homeless people are generally the victims, not the perpetrators of mugging.

That's terrible Curtis.

Get well soon from the other side of the pond.

All it takes is one armed cyclist to blow away scum like that, and heavy news reports so everyone know about it. Attacks will drop off dramatically.

Years ago here in town some perp tried to climb in a window of an eighty year old school teacher. She helped him back out the window with both barrels of a 12 gage shot gun. Pretty much blew his head off. She was not charged. Then------------breaking and enterings in town dropped to near zero for a long time. Crime doesnt pay!!!!

Somewhere I read, "We must civilize each succeeding generation or be overcome by them". Guess there is room for improvement.

will read later

Practiced,
Accurate,
I am prepared as I can be to defend myself.


“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough: we must do.”

“Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.” ,,,,, Bruce Lee

I'm sad to hear this. I can't offer much except condolences. I've been attacked too, a bike jacking at a corner one block from what would become a notorious gang street. They got the bike, but the curly cable in my backpack absorbed the blow from a 2x4. I vowed that they might have gotten my bicycle, but they wouldn't get my bicycling. The next night I set off on my commute to class and knocked 10 minutes off a 10 mile commute in 1 night. Paranoia power!

I hope you heal quickly.

Antioch from what I've read is full of gangstas and shootings. I'd avoid that town along with Oakland.

We don't seem to have these problems down here..

Most 'Gangstas' around here are very aware of the saying, "An Armed society Is a polite Society", Yeah people around here don't call the police much, we are all real 'Polite' down here....

That really stinks, to put it far too mildly. :notamused:

Sure hope you heal quickly... physically, mentally and emotionally.

You don't ever want to shoot someone. Back in the early '90s a friend shot and killed 2 crack heads that broke down his front door and came up the stairs with machetes threatening to kill his family. It cost him a fortune to stay out of jail. Not to mention the deceased crackhead's families lawsuits. The government only allows the police to kill with impunity.

Not to mention he said it screws with him to this day he killed someone.

Not to hijack the thread but in which yuppie liberal state did the shooting occur???

Glad you are "OK". sorry to hear this had to happen at all.

I'd say 'bout 600 or so miles north of you. Also known as California east.

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/funny/1/...ce-yawning.gif

Massachusetts? Come on, don't keep me guessing.

Geography not a strong point? Mass. would be about a thousand miles.
































Maryland.

In the animal world there are two kinds of animals, predators, or prey. If you are not prepared to turn into a predator for as long as it take to only defend yourself unil the predator attacking you retreats. You will become a victim.

Cops have a saying some of you may or may not have heard. Treat ever person you encounter like you would want someone treating your grandmother. But also have a plan to deal with them if they become a predator trying to hurt or kill you.