Local news in the US is reporting that a mountain biker was attacked while riding last weekend. The rider was on North Table Mountain, Colorado, when he was stopped, thrown from his bike, punched and stamped on.
Photo: 9 News screen capture
The rider, who has only chosen to give the name Andrew, was cycling uphill and passing a runner in his 30s or 40s who had ear buds in. He rang his bell to alert the runner but unfortunately the runner didn’t hear. Andrew shook his head as he went past and the runner shouted: “Shake your head at me like that again and I’ll beat your ass motherf*cker.”
Later in the ride, Andrew had the misfortune to pass the runner again. He told 9 News: “Without me saying anything or doing anything to provoke [him], [he] grabbed me by throat, separated me from my bike and started shoving me down onto a boulder that was off the side of the trail.” He then claims he was punched in the face and stamped on the back.
The runner also threw Andrew’s bike over a steep bank leaving his wheels damaged and his saddle broken – what a nob.
Thankfully Andrew managed to avoid any serious injuries but the runner could not be found following a search by rangers and deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office said investigators were considering the incident a potential assault and felony property crime.
Andrew was philosophical about the incident, saying: “At the end of the day, I went home to my wife and son. It seemed like he was already not in a good mood and really didn’t need much to provoke him to want to hurt someone. If you don’t like how someone treats you on the trail, talk to them first, don’t throw punches.”
Some good news is that the local riding community has rallied round Andrew and given donations to help him fix his bike. Hopefully Andrew will be back out on the trails soon and won’t have the misfortune to come across this one runner with a short fuse.
