Cycle Safety & Defense

[Maylian]

There seems to be more reports of bike jackings / muggings recently, especially here in Bristol with common reports and friends that have witnessed muggings / assaults on the B2B path. I read the following article, which mostly repeats comments from the Bristol cyclists FB group. Whilst I have read reports of bike jackings for years, previously it was white vans stealing bikes of people doing their weekend rides in the country.

https://road.cc/content/news/violent-bikejackings-have-turned-railway-path-wild-west-311229

Having a tracker/tag may help in recovery of the bike, and having a camera may help in recovery and prosecution (unlikely as most wear full face masks/balaclava's), but these are all after the possible event. I remember reading a piece / watching a video of someone using pepper spray or mace to defend themselves.

I'm curious to know what other's think or do in this scenario, do you avoid those routes and cycle on the better lit more frequented roads? Do you carry pepper spray, ride in pairs / groups for your commute?

 

[fossyant]

I rammed them at 20 mph. Not advisable on a road bike, but I wasn't stopping on a 90's super strong MTB.

I do carry farb spray after an attack some years ago, but I won't have time to get to it (it's in my pannier pocket) so full speed ahead and luck saved me. In the evenings I now use the road, and not shared path.

 

[Alex321]

There seems to be more reports of bike jackings / muggings recently, especially here in Bristol with common reports and friends that have witnessed muggings / assaults on the B2B path. I read the following article, which mostly repeats comments from the Bristol cyclists FB group. Whilst I have read reports of bike jackings for years, previously it was white vans stealing bikes of people doing their weekend rides in the country.

https://road.cc/content/news/violent-bikejackings-have-turned-railway-path-wild-west-311229

Having a tracker/tag may help in recovery of the bike, and having a camera may help in recovery and prosecution (unlikely as most wear full face masks/balaclava's), but these are all after the possible event. I remember reading a piece / watching a video of someone using pepper spray or mace to defend themselves.

I'm curious to know what other's think or do in this scenario, do you avoid those routes and cycle on the better lit more frequented roads? Do you carry pepper spray, ride in pairs / groups for your commute?

Pepper spray is illegal to sell, buy, or carry in public in the UK without some good reason (and self defence is not good reason under the firearms act).
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpg...f-certain-weapons-and-control-of-arms-traffic

It is classed as a prohibited weapon under paragraph b of section 5 -
"b) any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing;"

 

[Dadam]

Carrying anything for "self defence" in the UK puts you on a sticky wicket legally.

 

[Drago]

The problem for us is that we're at significant positional disadvantage while sat astride a bicycle.

That is unless, like me, you hold a MIAS instructors ticket and are trained in bicycle specific UDT.

The IPMBA syllabus, which I also held the ticket to teach, is even nastier - as before the less inhibited US law enforcement - and I'm pretty sure cracked ribs or a broken leg would dampen their enthusiasm. A bicycle is a very nasty weapon with the capacity to cause significant injury if you know how. A chainset in contact with anything soft or sensitive will make someone's eyes water.

Steer well clear of pepper sprays. Under UK law theyre considered a S5 firearm and you're likely to end up sharing a bedroom with Bubba if you discharge one in public, even in self defence.

 

[Maylian]

The problem for us is that we're at significant positional disadvantage while sat astride a bicycle.

That is unless, like me, you hold a MIAS instructors ticket and are trained in bicycle specific UDT.

The IPMBA syllabus, which I also held the ticket to teach, is even nastier - as before the less inhibited US law enforcement - and I'm pretty sure cracked ribs or a broken leg would dampen their enthusiasm. A bicycle is a very nasty weapon with the capacity to cause significant injury if you know how. A chainset in contact with anything soft or sensitive will make someone's eyes water.

Steer well clear of pepper sprays. Under UK law theyre considered a S5 firearm and you're likely to end up sharing a bedroom with Bubba if you discharge one in public, even in self defence.

Yeah, I've been looking into it and had seen things like this on Amazon claiming to be legal.

 

[Oldhippy]

As Drago say a bike is a good defence tool and a cycle pump will do wonders.

 

[Oldhippy]

I feel safe generally and would avoid anything I wasn't sure of.

 

[cyberknight]

Given that now most thugs seem to be carrying machetes you have to ask yourself how much do you want to keep the bike if they get nasty .

 

[fossyant]

It's just ink, so 'should be OK', but you'll not have time to use it, unless you've got it at the ready, and that, in itself, could cause a few 'legal issues'. After getting attacked twice by dogs in a local park, the warden suggested getting a dog repellent spray - I could imagine that's potentially classed as a fire arm as it is a slight irritant.

 

[fossyant]

Given that now most thugs seem to be carrying machetes you have to ask yourself how much do you want to keep the bike if they get nasty .

Exactly. You don't have chance so my option was to risk speed and surprise. I did have a hard tail thrown in my path, but it was no match for a 90's tank !

 

[fossyant]

Most of these 'instances' happen on urban 'cycleway' type facilities - easy access, generally isolated, easy escape routes for crims, but they are narrow, so it's easy for a group to block people and mug them. It's not terribly common, but there is usually a 'group' that's behind it - the police usually know who they are, but catching them is difficult. People also know bikes are worth a few bob.

Locally, we had vans of crims waiting for people leaving the local MTB bike park - would mug them as they rode home through the 'nice' housing estate.

 

[wafter]

There seems to be more reports of bike jackings / muggings recently, especially here in Bristol with common reports and friends that have witnessed muggings / assaults on the B2B path. I read the following article, which mostly repeats comments from the Bristol cyclists FB group. Whilst I have read reports of bike jackings for years, previously it was white vans stealing bikes of people doing their weekend rides in the country.

https://road.cc/content/news/violent-bikejackings-have-turned-railway-path-wild-west-311229

Having a tracker/tag may help in recovery of the bike, and having a camera may help in recovery and prosecution (unlikely as most wear full face masks/balaclava's), but these are all after the possible event. I remember reading a piece / watching a video of someone using pepper spray or mace to defend themselves.

I'm curious to know what other's think or do in this scenario, do you avoid those routes and cycle on the better lit more frequented roads? Do you carry pepper spray, ride in pairs / groups for your commute?

I'm lucky enough (well, cost of living notwithstanding) to live in a relatively low crime part of the world; although there have been isolated reports of similar at a part of the tow path I sometimes use.

Really I think anything geared towards legal recourse after the fact is an absolute waste of time. Equally, who's able to coordinate their commute to be able to ride with others?

I think the best approach is going to be avoidance of known-risky areas, then some ability to defend one's self through unarmed combat / martial arts or with a weapon that carries some element of plausible deniability regarding motive for possession - i.e. a heavy D-lock as has been suggested on here in the past.

Obviously you don't want to carry something that's overtly an offensive weapon, since as usual you're likely to come off worse in the eyes of the law than the scroates causing the problem in the first place. Equally I'm not sure that if I was involved in a confrontation that I'd get the police involved.

Truthfully I don't think any of us could know how we'd react to such a situation until it presented itself; and hopefully this isn't something many of us will have to face....

 

[Drago]

As Drago say a bike is a good defence tool and a cycle pump will do wonders.

Especially if it's full of sand!

Yeah, I've been looking into it and had seen things like this on Amazon claiming to be legal.

View attachment 752580

Anything that comes out of an aerosol that is "noxious" would be a firearm. Even if you're found not guilty that's still likely a year or more on bail being heavily restricted in what you can do, even which countries you can visit, with a charge like that hanging over you.

Ultimately a jury decides what is noxious, but case law would suggest that anything that causes harm, irritation, or even disorientation would fit the bill.

 

[Baldy]

Someone did try to mug me on a tow path once, it was a long time ago. When was young and fit and still down lived in Englandshire. He went for a swim. I was on foot at the time not on a bike.
The trouble with resorting to unarmed combat is you never really know how it's going to turn out. And you really do have to be very fly on your feet to pull it off. An army friend was mugged in Belize, he was very good at martial arts and won many completions. He disobeyed standing orders, not to go into Belize city alone, because he thought he was "Hard". He was found in a storm drain, naked with the back of his head stoved in. He never recovered and died three years later.
You're really best to avoid getting into this situation in the first place.