Shot w/pellet gun on bike - now open carrying!

Don't count on it changing the plans of idiots. I've had drivers threaten me and try to run me off the road when I was open carrying a .450 Marlin levergun. Never underestimate the profound idiocy of humans.

I'd say if you're finding a belt carry comfortable that's fine. Personally I don't like wearing belts while cycling more than a few miles.

in french there is a quote from a known movie...:

"les cons ça ose tout.. c'est d'ailleur à ça qu'on les reconnait"..

which means..

"Idiots dare anything.. Which is how you recognise them"


I'm not sure open carry will be enough to proove it wrong.. But I hope for you !

Not a magical wand

Just a thought but the only actions you will change just because you carry a gun on your hip will be your own. No one else will be as affected by your choice as you will be

Another roadie says crashing on that shooting iron is REALLY going to hurt.

Not a bad idea.

I just hope you aren't one of those spandex clad types that insist on riding with trAffic when there is plenty of paved shoulder available that doesn't require everyone to drive super slow bc you must pretend to be lance Armstrong durong morning rush hour.

Another roadie says crashing on that shooting iron is REALLY going to hurt.

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That may be, but I believe a concealed weapon should always be on your person. That leaves out putting it in some sort of bike bag - too easy to be seperated from it. I used to ride as my main source of transportation and have just started that again - ten weeks so far without driving. I carry a carry a 642 in a Smartcarry on my strong side and wouldn't be without it. Lot's of whackos, pinheads and vicious animals, both two legged and four legged, out in the world.

I just hope you aren't one of those spandex clad types that insist on riding with trAffic when there is plenty of paved shoulder available that doesn't require everyone to drive super slow bc you must pretend to be lance Armstrong durong morning rush hour.

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A bicycle is a vehicle and has every right to be on the road that you do.

wait...bicycle or road bike?

So.....Are you gonna shoot the kids if they shoot at you again with the pellet gun ???

That will surely keep that dog at bay, he won't dare chase you now.

man i hate people....thats retarded, why try and start crap by doing that. shooting some1 with a pellet gun. ive had it done to me before, cept it was in a neighbor hood and i was in my Z, oh the look on the kids faces went i stopped the car and help them till the officers showed up

Yes a bike is vehicle so is a unicycle and a kids powerwheels difference is they know it's a bad idea to weave in between 1000+ lb objects going four times as fast. I think cycling is good exercise but don't play in traffic. Use the shoulder whenever possible it's just good manners and good sense. Just my .02 I used to ride motorcycles a little when I was younger and couldn't imagine being on pedal pusher surrounded by SUVs and idiots on cell phones. Braver than me do what you want but remember, "right of way" or not when cars hit motor/bicycles the cars win and it ain't pretty. Be careful, ride safe, and make sure you are visible to others. Best wishes.

Its not a bad idea to be armed when riding (concealed or openly), but remember you can not (legally) use (or threaten the use of) deadly force except under very restricted conditions.

Presumably, you are counting on both kids and dogs seeing your openly carried weapon and having that be a "deterrent".

Pepper spray is probably a better answer for the dogs....(for a variety of reasons), and "kids" either won't notice or will just wait until they reach a spot where they can turn off before popping you.

Be observant. Even if you can't get a license plate number, you can still give police a good description of the vehicle, where it was headed and maybe even what the occupants look like.

Use the shoulder whenever possible

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I would love to ride on a shoulder where available IF the young first time beer drinkers would stop throwing their bottles out of the window. I hate flats. I live in a town that is not bike friendly (no bike paths, road grates that will flip you if you are not careful, etc.), but that isn't going to keep me from riding. And, to keep tis gun related, I always have a gun when I ride. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Did 30 miles yesterday with my Glock 27 on my side. I did not open carry though.

Flintknapper said:

Its not a bad idea to be armed when riding (concealed or openly), but remember you can not (legally) use (or threaten the use of) deadly force except under very restricted conditions.

Presumably, you are counting on both kids and dogs seeing your openly carried weapon and having that be a "deterrent".

Pepper spray is probably a better answer for the dogs....(for a variety of reasons), and "kids" either won't notice or will just wait until they reach a spot where they can turn off before popping you.

Be observant. Even if you can't get a license plate number, you can still give police a good description of the vehicle, where it was headed and maybe even what the occupants look like.

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No argument from me. But I have read of folks dying from BB gun wounds. A pellet would be even more deadly.

id look into a shoulder rig seems like it would hurt less to fall on

Have you considered carrying in a Tri-Bag or Frame Bag? My Mousegun fits nicely in a tri-bag attached to the top tub and stem ccessed. This way I don't have to worry about landing on it or having it fly away if I go down.

I wouldn't want to carry a full size like Lbmii. There are hills where I live and I am a bit of a weight-weenie.

Far be it from me to discourage someone from carrying a gun. It is not a bad idea for riders to carry.

That being said, most of the time when I see bicycle riders talking about how they need to start carrying, it is for very bad reasons, reasons that indicate to me that that person probably should not be carrying a gun.

They generally fall into two categories:
1 Dog attacks.

Don't carry a gun to ward off dog attacks, especially on a bike. Carry bear spray or something similar. I wonder what you think you are going to do about a dog with a gun? You can't simply gun down any dog that runs near you and barks. Many dogs do that. Many of them will never get close to you, for all their bravado barking and chasing you, they are scared to come within a few feet of you. By the time you know you are in trouble with a dog, by the time you would have the legal right to start discharging a firearm in a populated area, you are too late. What are you going to do, fire from a moving bicycle at a dog that has it's jaw around your leg? Start shooting after you are already down? All I can picture is some panicked cyclist firing wildly at a dog in a populated area with kids and houses all around him. I can't see it ending well.

2. Asshat drivers/people throwing things at you/paintball or bb gun attacks.
First, this probably isn't a lethal threat. However, even if you could argue that it is, these people are not trying to kill you. When the first hit fails to kill you, they don't turn around and try again. By the time you know you are under attack, even if you had your gun in hand you would still have no target but their backs as they drive off. If you plan on shooting into the back of a car that is driving off because they threw something at you or shot you with a bb gun, you are going to find yourself in some serious trouble.

For dogs, get a spray. For driver problems, pay close attention, and if it becomes a huge problem, find a way to attach a camera to your rig so that it records the license plates of your attackers. Make a big issue out of it with the police, don't let them brush you off.

Nothing wrong with people carrying when riding, but most of these threads seem similar to someone asking what kind of gun they should carry because they are having problems with people making fun of them at work.

I just hope you aren't one of those spandex clad types that insist on riding with trAffic when there is plenty of paved shoulder available that doesn't require everyone to drive super slow bc you must pretend to be lance Armstrong durong morning rush hour.

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That's wrong with that? Bikes are legal to ride on-road, and the shoulder is often covered in debris that will slow a bike way down and increase the risk of spills. broken glass and other sharp objects lurk on the shoulder that will shred a road bike tire.

As for the harrassment, there doesn't seem to be any way to avoid that

You know, back in the day, the british had an entire class of revolvers designed to fend off dogs...how times have changed.

Bad idea, don't want to carry anything on your hip when cycling or motorcycling. Remember that spill? Think about what damage would happen if you landed on that brick strapped to your hip.

BTW where in NW VA? I used to live in Winchester.

I run and bike year round here in western Washington state. I've been attacked by dogs, had soda cans thrown at me from car windows, had guys in pickups play chicken with me, and constantly have near misses by absent-minded drivers who don't see me in the crosswalk right in front of them. I even had a lady accuse me of "casing" her house and threaten to call the cops.

The thought of carrying a gun hadn't crossed my mind. Pepper spray and a cell phone come in handy though.

I agree with other posters here; the only people who'd see your "open carry" piece in time for it to cause them to consider it, would be the homeowners calling the cops on you for "brandishing a weapon", however misinformed that may be. Unless you're gonna pull your gun and start shooting at the fleeing teenagers who just shot you with their pellet gun, I don't see what good it'll do.

I'd think weapon retention would be a problem with a paddle holster on bike or running shorts anyway.

InkEd said:

Not a bad idea.

I just hope you aren't one of those spandex clad types that insist on riding with trAffic when there is plenty of paved shoulder available that doesn't require everyone to drive super slow bc you must pretend to be lance Armstrong durong morning rush hour.

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Guess what? In most places I know of, if you're turning left at an intersection on a bicycle, you have to use the left turn lane, just like a car.

Very few of us "spandex clad" types purposely interfere with traffic {except when we're protesting the lack of consideration that we're shown in many cities. But, that's an organized event}. We're afraid of all the moron's in cages that have permament road rage disorder. But like any activity, there's always idiots out there that ruin it for the rest of us.

What's that got to do with the OP anyway?

Can't we all just get along? People in cars harassing cyclists and cyclists not following the rules of the road.

Let's be tolerant and have a little empathy and we can all share the road.

So.....Are you gonna shoot the kids if they shoot at you again with the pellet gun ???

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So if someone shoots at you are you gonna ask "is that a pellet gun or a real rifle?" With the power that todays pellet guns have. Yes, I will return fire.

I believe Gamo has a video of a wild Hog being shot in the head and dropping in its tracks.