noglider 

Holy crap, your story scared me! I've been jumped. It's awful.

Please file a police report. They probably won't catch the dude, but it's important to collect accurate information and add it to the statistics. That was a really close call.

jyossarian

The serial #'s on the bb shell under the bike. Write it down, take a pic of it, and the bike, and attach any receipts you have, and file it away for future reference. If it's ever stolen, that's the only way to identify it as yours.

Mr. Underbridge

Absolutely no question about it. You're on a bike and capable of sprinting up to 30mph if you need to; he's a crackhead who might be able to manage 10. Getting the hell out of there is the definite first option.

But if you go to the trouble of getting the mace in hand, if he gets in range it's time to point and shoot. I imagine it's like owning a gun - once you aim it, time for negotiation is over.

As you've no doubt noticed, the best thing to do is to stay out of range. I've heard of these idiots waiting with sticks to jam in spokes, which is far more effective.

knobster

I think a Tazor would be a better self defense tool than mace or pepper spray. Most of the time the person coming for you will probably be on you by the time you're able to pull out the spray. The Tazor works fine in that situation. Gun is a very poor idea. Usually people get killed with their own gun in this kind of situation.
I don't think I'd alter my route or time. From what it sounds, it was unusual for someone to be out in this area at this time so chances are you'll never see them again. Keeping alert and being able to crank it up to 400w is your best defense really.

Stay safe out there!

beerfilter

If you alter your route then the terrorists have won. You need to do what I did: hunt the guy down and teach him a lesson. The guy was hanging out on that corner waiting for a victim to rob and convert their possessions into a crack binge.

Or you could alter your route and hope the next bike commuter is as lucky as you were.


beerfilter

fordfasterr

go out even earlier next time, and try and spot the guy... then take your revenge.

KitN

File a police report! It doesn't matter if it's been days since the incident. The police need to know what's going down and where to look out for this criminal activity. By not reporting it you let the crooks win!

I'm glad you're okay but the next time something like this happens, yes, outrun or outgun him. Once you're at a safe distance/place, immediately call the cops.

SSfreak

I think pepper spraying him will just get him that much more pist. File a report with the police.

rumrunn6

You never filed a report did you? You should also tell other riders you see in the area especially smaller men or any women. Sounds like that punk needs a punch in the head.

thebeatcatcher

I'm going to now, and I'm definitely telling the few people I know who commute that route.

dwr1961

Many propellant-type deterrants will spray 20 feet or more... But you basically only get one shot. If the thug sees you pull an object out and aim it as he approaches, he's probably gonna pull up short... Unless his drug-addled brain won't process your threat.

In that case you'd better be in the right gear for a fast getaway.

If you've never seen those toads before, chances are your encounter on that corner was by happenstance... The thugs' universe just intersected with yours for one unhappy moment. Still, be careful - and prepare for a route change if you see them again.

Good luck!

tanguy frame

That happened to me in Boston in 1976. I still get an adreneline shot when I remember it. Regular commmute - going up a hill on the way home, spacing out and relaxing, then out of the corner of my eye I saw a guy running at me on a diagonal looking like he wanted my bike! I sprinted away and managed to escape just in time as his fingers brushed my back. ugh! Also got chased by the high school bully on my new 10 speed. He would have crushed me and sold my bike for sure. Another up hill sprint! I never did alter any routes...

Hoz

What route do you ride? I'm from Indy also.

Artkansas 

I'd be surprised if the police do anything. Once I had a situation where I was being followed on bike by 3 gang members and another gang in a car saw the situation and pulled ahead of me and slammed me to the curb with their car. I couldn't out fight all seven people and the last I saw of my bike it was up in the air with a gang on either end.

I walked to the police station two blocks away, and they weren't even interested in taking a report until a witness called in and even identified one of my assailants. Then they hopped into action and took the report.

Another time years later, a teenager ran his back wheel over my front, dropping me. I was commuting to work so there was no choice in route. I caught up to him and as I passed him he stiff-armed me into traffic. My rear wheel tacoed bringing us both down. This time I did not report it to the police as I was in the original home area of the MS 13 gang and feared reparations.

lukasz

I'm imagining beatcatcher pulling one of these babies out as this guy moves into position. Funny friggin' scene. I think the guy would either start running in fear or fall over laughing

Anthony87

Football? AHH! you mean padded Rugby!

thebeatcatcher

I take the Monon towards downtown. I teach at Herron High School on 16th and Penn so I've been taking 17th over from the Monon. This happened about 2-3 blocks off the trail on 17th. Now I think I'll just go down and ride on 16th (more cars, bigger road, stop lights).

JoeyBike

Glad the Scum didn't succeed.

Cycling in New Orleans most of my life, scumbag capitol of the USofA, I have several such tales - but this is your thread.

thebeatcatcher

Anyone ever succeed? Was it hard to ride the next time?

de-bug

I live just a few blocks away from there, around 15th and the Monon. Please do report it. If those guys ventured on the Monon around that time, it's very possible they'd be captured on the video surveillance cameras (closest to there I think is at 16th and the Monon).

I'm always alert for anything out of the ordinary; since I'm towing my son to/from daycare and barely 100 lbs to boot, I'd be a particularly easy target. Though I love the Monon and ride it frequently, I don't use it for commuting for this reason. I prefer to stick to streets that will see more traffic than the Monon on weekday mornings.

If 16th is too busy (it is for me), you might consider dropping down to 15th. There's a turn off in the soccer park that takes a path straight over to 15th.

BTW, I hear good things about Herron. It's definitely a school we'll be looking at in the future.

StanSeven

Are you texting? If not, try upper case to start a sentence and some punctuation. It makes it easier for people to read.

AsanaCycles

file a report!

buzzman

stories like this freak me out if I think about them too much. I ride in a lot of iffy areas once in a while. I'm 6'3 and pretty fast but you can't do much against a group or even one guy with a weapon. But I'm less freaked about myself than I am when I think about my wife riding home alone on the bike path in the dark, which she sometimes does.

A colleague of mine was jumped on his late night ride home one night- he's a pretty small guy- but he literally screamed at the top of his lungs and they left him and his bike alone. He did have a pretty serious shoulder injury from hitting the ground hard.

I'm glad you're okay. You were smart and alert- it makes a difference to stay aware at all times.

AsanaCycles

I had rode down to LA (from Monterey) to visit family.
on the way to Union Station along Wilshire Blvd, past McCarthur park.

anyways...
a guy on a nice old Nishiki, had past me a couple of times, checking out my bike (custom Hunter 29er cruiser style.. more like an old school board tracker)

i said hello a couple of times, but he said nothing.

I past him at an intersection, while he was on his cell phone (or at least was holding something to his ear as if on a cell phone)
then where the curb was clear (rare in LA) a loading zone...
he rode up from behind me on my left, and started to lean into me.
i simply taped the brake, let him glance by, stood up, and reversed the move
escorted him to the curb, parallel, until he scrapped into the curb, then i just rode away.

a couple of blocks later, its the Financial area, where all the big banks are. i.e. Deutsche Bank, World Bank, etc...

i stopped at the first Security person, told him the story, he called the cops, etc...
i was informed that bikes are jacked from people all the time.

unfortunately, there is a whole scene to this kind of stuff.
unfortunately, the profile goes somewhat like this:
you see all these guys on fixies, looking the messenger part, riding on what you know is expensive stuff, and more than likely... its hot.

it blew my mind. while visiting in LA (melrose/fairfax area), on more than one occasion, from various people, it has been suggested that a whole world of illicit activity is proliferating in the bicycle scene. from what i've heard, unfortunately, it has to do with open "flea market" type of commerce. bikes are stripped down immediately, and parts go everywhere...

frames are rattle canned, and thats that...

CCrew

But you also have to consider motion/wind. The same spray you use against an attacker can come back in your face if you're moving.