Yes. I live where there is a good population of Grizzly bears. Only once I've pulled it out, as it was a mix of panic, shitting myself, and going for my gun...when in fact the brown shaggy beast in front of me was not a grizzly bear, but a musk Ox. But it was good to know that I could get it out in a hurry, and that I was a "clincher" not a "releaser" in a panic situation.

I have had someone pull a gun on me before and I would say that about 2x a year I get in really significant road rage incident. Granted I do 99% of my cycling alone. When it comes down to it I still get more scared by dogs, than people. Never carried and no plans to.

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I own firearms. I have a license to carry. Never carried while training biking or otherwise, and never needed despite most of the riding on 2-lane rural roads.

I only really had two car "incidents" ever. One big truck trying to run me off the road. What was I supposed to do? Shoot their windows out if I had a gun? Expect to survive a crash and then shoot after them if they rammed me? Laughable. Second incident was an overconfident shit for brains in a giant 80s convertible who was convinced I cut him off (HAHA!) when I went left into the left turn lane. I actually signaled he didn't see it. That didn't go past verbal abuse.

I've found the thread very interesting as well, despite it getting away from its intended purpose. What I find particularly interesting is the amount of people who don't seem to understand or want to understand the rules/laws of conceal carry. Use of the weapon is the last resort when there are no other options.

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"For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't understand, no explanation is possible."

I have a concealed carry permit and own a number of guns. I have never carried and wouldn't even think of it while riding my bike. I will always try to de escalate, I would much rather have a slightly wounded male ego than make a widow.

Cars and trucks are too big to argue with.

Dan,

I am an avid sportsman and have a license to conceal carry in my state of PA. (I would like to say that if anyone has ever pulled there firearm in anger I highly recommend not carrying it in the future) That being said I have never concealed carried while on a bike. The thought process behind this being that the reason I carry is to protect my family. I usually ride alone or with my buddies. I figure most people who would be looking to commit the sort of act I would need my weapon for would be looking for a woman or younger adult. Although I live in a rural area and 2 cyclists were recently robbed at gunpoint out on a back road about 2 miles from me. They would have had to shoot me.....there is no way I would have stopped.

On another note I am looking for a good rig to carry a crossbow and rifle (1 at a time) on the mountain bike for hunting. If anyone has suggestions let me know.

I have mine mounted to a k-edge bracket beside my go pro on the handlebars. Saddle has a rear-mount pepper spray dispenser. Cycling is crazy-dangerous, you never know what could happen.

That's the key. Most of the road rage situations escalate either protecting one's ego, or the feeling of not being in control and attempting to regain control of the situation. Drop it. Both if it. Just come home safe. Someone flips you off or comes too close? Smile.

here in New Zealand, handguns (wouldn't ride with an AK) are arguably impossible to get hold of.

In riding situations I've had motorists stop only a couple of times. One time, an apology, even tho I was in the right, defused the situation. In the other, the motorist was arguing the rules of the road. I claimed the road code said I was right. He grabbed a copy of the road code out of the glove box and asked me to show him where it said I was right. I thumbed through, found the clause and said "There". From the passenger seat, his wife said "I told you". He spun on his heel, hurled some abuse and stormed off. I suspect she got a black eye from him when they got home, but I got away safely

If I lived in the land of the hand gun, I don't know if I'd carry or not. Probably not, until I got shot at, then I'd carry.

I used to carry my 'driving instructor' which was an old seat post, carried in a spare pump clip. I used that once to take out the rear 1/4 window of a Mercedes that smeared me into the curb one morning. Another time 3 girls hurled full cans of coke out the car window, trying to hit me. I caught them at the next traffic lights and used the driving instructor to remove the side view mirror.

I switched bikes and have never got around to installing the driving instructor on the new bike.

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

"I have had someone pull a gun on me before"

yeah, but you piss a lot of people off. was it another pro triathlete?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Depends on my route. Yes I have carried on the bike, no I have never pulled it while carrying on the bike.

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http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com

Lol, no it was not another triathlete at all. Just a regular pick-up truck loving, cyclist hating peep.

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fascinating thread on this.

Indeed.

Since you are asking, as you know, I live in Canada, thus, to the best of my knowledge, it would be illegal for me to be carrying any sort of firearm, loaded and ready to go, concealed or otherwise while on a public roadway.

I've ridden a bike all over the place for over 30 years in Canada and in the U.S., and I have never, ever felt like I would be in a situation when/where I would need a firearm.

Now, I've been on a few rides in areas of the U.S., where I am sure "locals" would have advised me either not to go, or perhaps arm myself accordingly. I recall one ride, a one and done affair when I was passing through Savannah GA. Headed straight inland, on some beautiful back roads - big trees, Spanish moss, the whole bit. As I carried on, the houses got progressively more dumpy until they were more shacks than houses. Everyone seemed friendly. Waving from the front porches, and elsewhere. Road an hour in and an hour back. The guy at the front desk of the hotel I was staying at near the Interstate, thought I was crazy. Told me he never goes back in that area!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

While living up in the mountains I would carry while mountain biking and trail running. But that was more an issue of wildlife than anything else (Moose are F'in aggressive and bear spray doesn't do jack). I used a chest pack which also let me carry food/ID etc.

As I said in the other thread, I never carry when training on my road bike.

I think the last resort debate is interesting as it appears from various news sources and professional police officers that this is very much in debate. I'm not saying anything but I know for myself that if I'm biking and my heart rate is already up that I might be prone to make the wrong decision.

I wouldn't consider riding with a gun and I never have. Having one wouldn't have helped in the few encounters I've had with angry motorists. I've never dealt with a large carnivore while on a bike ride. I don't ride through the 'hood late at night. I can't imagine trying to pull a gun out of a holster/fanny pack/camelback and shooting at the dogs that have chased me while I'm still trying to ride my bike.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

just funnin' wit ya ;-)

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

 I totally respect anyone's decision to own or not own a gun.

But what baffles me are the people that have concealed carry training/license and firearms but yet don't bother to take it when they are cycling. Why carry it everywhere else if you're not going to carry it when you're out isolated by yourself surrounded by angry drivers? It's not hard to dismount and brandish a weapon if god forbid need be. I've had far more scary scenarios while cycling than I have in general public. If I were going to carry it anywhere that's exactly where it would be!

It's only January, maybe a little early to be breaking out the post of the year material?

x2.....like Fleck live in Canada and do plenty of riding yearly all over the US. I'd rather be shot dead or slammed into by a car than having to carry a firearm to protect myself. I'd done some seriously dangerous riding in parts of Asia and Africa and the risk of death was from other traffic, not people shooting. The chance of someone pulling a firearm on me while I ride is beyond infinitely low and even it they, they are likely going to mss. I would think getting in a gunfight would result in a higher risk of death than simply slam on my brakes while someone shoots at me (because if I brake, they will shoot at where I was supposed to be, not where i end up). I am trained (as a former serviceman) in firing various firearms. They are harder to aim and shoot at a moving object going 20-25 mph (me on my bike) than most people would like to think, especially if they are moving in a car too. I'll take my chance that the guy will "miss" than engaging in a gunfight during which I become stationary and by the time i would get to my firearm, probably be shot dead.

Welcome to America, where your odds are now just as likely to die of gun violence as in a car accident :-/

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm

This is good. They guy in the car planning to shoot me will hopefully die in an accident before he gets to the point of exercising the odds of killing me with a gun. I'll take that chance and go unarmed. I probably have higher odds dying of a heart attack on the bike, during my run or in the pool anyway, without anyone shooting at me.

I have a CC license but rarely carry (generally only when I have to go into sketchy neighborhoods) and will not carry when riding.
Before Illinois allowed CC, I actually had a gun pulled on me while riding. I worked in downtown Chicago and our office building finally set aside a room to lock our bikes. I live in the western suburbs and would have to ride through the westside of Chicago to commute. I researched a route that seemed popular with other commuters and planned my first ride. I carried pepper spray and had my cable and lock ready. But I was trying to be super vigilant and watching my surroundings and avoiding any trouble. The first part of the commute was sketchy and I questioned the wisdom of this commute. But then things calmed down and I hit a more industrial area. During a lull in traffic, I approached a kid on the sidewalk walking towards me. He was about 13, nicely dressed and a little pudgy; not like the drug-dealers and gang-bangers I had passed earlier in the ride. I dismissed him as a threat. Then his eyes locked onto me, he pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it at me and told me to give him the bike. At the speed I was riding, I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to, so I ducked down, pedaled as hard as I could and wondered if I would get shot in the back. He never fired and I made it home and never rode that route again.
Having a gun on me would have not helped me that day. And I've had more close calls in good and bad neighborhoods getting doored or hit by cars. I feel more exposed in my car in bad neighborhoods because it is not so easily to escape. On my bike I can ride between cars, jump the curb, etc. For that reason, I really wouldn't want to carry while on a bike.

More than two-thirds of handgun deaths in the US are suicides.