What's The Best Way To Carry A Handgun On A Bike?

[Phriend]

I'm thinking about moving to Florida, where I'll be spending a lot of time riding my bike around. It's hot there, so I'll probably just be wearing a T-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts.

That said, what is the best way that I could carry a handgun under these conditions? (Also, what is the best way that I could carry a backup handgun while riding my bike?)

Which type of carry/carries would you most recommend?

Thanks!

 

[Steve C]

Many bikers just open carry in a belt holster here in AZ. I've also carried in a fanny pack on in the tank bag taking it with me when I leave the bike. A Walther PPK/s fits well in the inside pocket of my jacket for those times when its cool enough you have to wear a jacket.

Open carry is unrestricted here in AZ. Concealed requires a CCW.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Years and years ago, when I was stationed at Fort Benning, I did a lot of bike riding. People there would sometimes coast up behind you, yell or take a swipe at you, and so on.

So I got what the law then called a "Pistol Toter's Permit" and rode with my .45 on a GI web belt, in a GI holster -- and never had another probem.

 

[eagle45]

My wife and I ride together, more in the warmer weather though. I usually wear just a pair of sweat pant shorts when I ride, with a light shirt of some kind. I use a smart carry, but I turn it so the holster portion is on my right side (since I'm right handed) and use a lightweight revolver. My shorts have pockets, so I carry a speed strip in each one. It is comfortable, and since the revolver is on the side it doesn't 'get in the way' as I pedal. Works great for me.

 

[MillCreek]

I am a serious road bicycle rider and therefore wear the typical jerseys and spandex shorts. I carry in a handlebar bag while on the bike and a small pouch or fanny pack off the bicycle. My typical carry is a Taurus 651 in titanium that weighs 19 oz. loaded. There is no way I could carry this in a jersey pocket, and road shorts typically do not have pockets.

 

[putteral]

I live in Florida and ride my bike all the time. Always carry my KP95. Just wear a belt over my shorts use my Inside the waist holster and let the shirt cover it. Good to go. The hotter the better.

 

[S&Wfan]

In rural Georgia I generally carried a Kel-Tec p32 OR a lightweight officer's sized 1911 in the little bike bag under the seat . . . and a can of pepper spray hooked the handle bars.

I've only had to use the pepper spray a couple of times . . . on hostile rural dogs.

HOWEVER . . . a local cyclist couple finally got more aggressive against the dogs, after the man was knocked off his bike by a German Shepherd that cut in front of him. My friend landed on his HEAD . . . and only his split helmet saved him from serious injury.

After my friend went to the dog's owner and asked him to please keep his dogs safely on his property as required by law . . . the dog's owner (a deputy sheriff) just laughed at him.

So . . . my friend's wife got a NAA Black Widow revolver in .22mag and loaded it with rat shot . . . and she started shooting every dog that went after them aggressively. Dogs give 'em a huge berth now . . . every danged dog in several counties where they ride!!!

A NEW WEAPON IN THE ROCKIES . . .

My brother-in-law out in the Colorado mountains has found a VERY effective tool against folks in cars who hassle them (they'll race in front of a cyclist on a steep incline and then slow down to literally a crawl right in front of the cyclist.

The "secret weapon?" A cellphone having a camera to "shoot" the car's license plate. When that camera is aimed at the back of the car . . . the driver hauls arse immediately . . . never to be seen again. By then though, the car's license plate is recorded.

 

[Shawnee]

Speaking just for myself, I think it's a very bad idea for cyclists to "carry".

The animosity between cyclists and drivers is too "charged" as it is and, fact is, good cyclists are like good hunters - they get a bad rap for all the "slob" cyclists out there - and there are tons of 'em. For every story you can tell about being ruded by a driver there are ten drivers who can tell a story about cocky, snotty rude-as-Hades cyclists... and thas'sa Fac, Jac !

Also, if you want to get in a heap of trouble in a blazing hurry - just shoot someone's dog like one of the above posters speaks of. In a rapidly increasing number of places such an act will bring you a felony conviction for animal cruelty/abuse so fast your head will spin. Remember too that along with a fine and jail - felony convictions bring the loss of the right to own/handle firearms. And if you happen to plug someone's registered hunting dog they have about $5000 in you are going to be absolutely astonished at how bad your life gets and how fast it gets there.

ALWAYS use your best judgement before you use your best gun.

 

[Javelin]

P3AT in your pocket.

People there would sometimes coast up behind you, yell or take a swipe at you, and so on.

Sounds like you were riding on Victory Drive Vern.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Let the bicycle carry it, perhaps in a handlebar bag or in a soft case suspended from a frame tube.

 

[Phydeaux642]

Like eagle45, I use a Smartcarry when on the bicycle (next time I will try Thunderwear). I prefer to have the gun on my person instead of on the bike in a bag in case I get seperated from my bike in a desperate situation. Just my .02.

_________________

"Phydeaux, bad dog....no biscuit!"

 

[Shawnee]

His S&WFan...

Was in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park this passed Sept. and witnessed exactly what you describe - someone in a car getting in front of a biker on a steep grade. Obviously a very crummy thing to do but, I gotta tell Ya - it reminded me immediately of the many times I've seen cyclists around Auburndale and Winter Haven, Florida amuse themselves by blocking the lanes until they had a long line of cars backed up on Old Dixie Highway.
So I had to wonder if the driver I saw harrassing that mountain biker was "just returning a "favor" they had been done by some slob cyclist somewhere.

Personally, I think cyclists (like hunters/shooters) should spend a lot of time policing their own ranks, and doing it in no uncertain terms, too.

As always, local opinions may vary.

 

[Tokugawa]

Hey MILLCREEK, am I gonna haf'ta worry about running you off the road in Utah now too? Big smile icon here please! (this is a joke about our Utah CCW class folks- don't get mad!)

 

[Comanche180]

bike carry

I ride quite a lot although I've never carried while riding. A couple times I wished I had, but it's better I didn't, the judgement thing. I've had people try to grab me, throw things at me and try to force me off the pavement. A couple red necks in a pick up hit me in the ribs with an object launched from an air cannon. I've been knocked down twice by drivers who weren't paying attention. I stick to the rural roads these days where there is less traffic.

As far as dogs go, the most effective deterrent I have found is a squirt from my water bottle in the eyes of an approaching dog, stops them every time. You guys with those backpack water systems are SOL in this case. I have been bitten by a dog working in a pack which got in front of me, slowed me down and one of them got me. When I see a loose dog, it's usually a good time to throw in a sprint.

 

[LKB3rd]

I used to cycle a lot before i owned firearms, and have been thinking of getting back into it. I will definitely carry if i do. A lot of motorists get crazy about cyclists. Just yesterday, a friend told me he got repeatedly buzzed by some lady, and he says he thinks she would have run him down if there weren't other people around.
I have had motorists buzz me before, and one time this happened when i was riding with two other guys, and the driver stopped and got out of his car slightly up the road. We got off of our bikes, and i guess he thought better of whatever he was thinking of doing and got back in his car and drove off. I would want to be prepared for some wacko getting out of his car with a shotgun or something lol.
I'll probably carry in a fanny pack or maybe a pocket holster in my rear shirt pocket (cycling shirts have pockets on the lower back area).

 

[Pilot]

I carry in a fanny pack when I ride both my road and mountain bikes.

 

[Shawnee]

Hi Commanche...

"I've had people try to grab me, throw things at me and try to force me off the pavement. A couple red necks in a pick up hit me in the ribs with an object launched from an air cannon. I've been knocked down twice by drivers who weren't paying attention. I stick to the rural roads these days where there is less traffic."

Such knuckleheadery is even less funny if you're on horseback. And that pavement looks real hard when your head is 10-11 ft. off the ground.
Even in the state and national forests horsemen have to be alert to people on ATVs and mountain bikes. The ATV types are mostly considerate but the biker types are often a problem simply because they are not "horse-saavy" and do things without a clue about the potential danger of the deed. Even worse, the kick of a horse can send a biker to The Happy Peddling Ground in a heartbeat and then the horseman is in trouble for something he really didn't cause.

I had a mountain biker type come around a sharp curve in the trail right "in my face" and glance off my horse's left shoulder in passing and then wreck nearly under the horse behind me. Luckily I was on a bombproof horse or the biker and I both would probably have gone to the hospital.The horse behind me spooked and dumped its' rider badly enough that she couldn't remount for about 30 minutes. But that wreck wasn't my fault OR the biker's - we both got surprised.
If the bikes (or horses) made some kind of noise on the dirt trails it would be a lot easier to avoid any surprise meetings but I've met exactly zero cyclists who sing while peddling and there isn't a single "beep" in my saddlehorn.

I don't know what the Answer is and, Yea - sometimes, especially along the highways, I would smugly enjoy having my Super Blackhawk visible on my hip but - Discretion being the Better Part of Valor, it's probably best that I don't.

 

[slide]

Well, Shawnee, if you can't trust yourself to behave responsibly when armed, then never go armed. That doesn't mean all of us are like that.

I also dispute your claim earlier that the rudeness is 10:1 against bicyclists. Sure, many times cagers (car drivers to you) resent bicycles because either they go slower than cars or they can make progress when the cagers are stuck in traffic. However, the frustration that cagers feel is their own problem. Bicyclers tend to be law abiding and it's the cagers who won't give them the proper right of way or who feel anger for some internal reasons of their own.

The fact is that I on my bike mass maybe 100 kg where even a modest cage is 10x that amount. I CAN'T be rude and live. The rudeness of a bicycler is mostly in the mind of the cager plus the arrogant attitude I get from both cagers and horsemen that they OWN the right of way.

I'll find horsemen rude when they stop to pick up the horses**t they lay over the trails. Say what you will about bicyclers, but the wake of a bicycle is a darn sight nicer than that of a **** horse.

 

[Shawnee]

"...cocky, snotty rude-as-Hades cyclists"


Thanks for illustrating my point, 'Slide", but it really wasn't necessary.

 

[MillCreek]

If you ever want to really stir up a tempest, go to www.bikeforums.net (I use the same user name there) and post this same question. It turns into a political discussion right quick, but you would be surprised to know just how many bicyclists do carry. There is some useful information on carrying while biking, for example the debate over on the bike vs. on the person carry from the standpoint of safety in a crash, for example and speed of access.

I myself ride defensively and do not block traffic or harass drivers, although plenty of cyclists do, especially in packs. I have had some unpleasant experiences on rural roads with drivers where there are no witnesses and some people think they can get away with things, especially in packs.

Very interesting comments about mountain bikers and horse riders unexpectedly encountering each other on a trail. I don't run into this very frequently, but I always dismount and move to the side of the trail until the horses pass or if I am overtaking them, I call out and ask the riders what they want me to do. If we are both going uphill, I will dismount and push the bicycle past them and then remount. Is this the recommended approach?

 

[slide]

I have and I"m a member there. I suppose with guys like Shawnee running bicyclists down in his car and on his horse, you can't be too surprised that some are armed.

Here the way to address the horse / bicycle problem is for the bicyclist to dismount and move to the side of the trail unless directed to differently by the horse guy. The problem is that where I am, many trails are in brush so you do get the surprise encounter which is bad for the horse, apparently. My take is if the horse is incapable of being controlled on multi use trails, don't put that stupid animal on those trails.

Horse riders demand all this courtesy from everybody else while leaving disgusting piles of s**t behind them. WE all get along (dog walkers, runners, walkers, nature lookers, bicyclers) but he horse contingent demands special treatment (right of way over everybody) and does the greatest damage to the trails. Even the dog bunch picks up after itself.

 

[Shawnee]

Hi Millcreek...

Yep... am familiar with some of the "politics" (good, bad, or ugly) as practiced by cyclist groups - and also some of the attitudes of horsemen.

Personally, I very much prefer to cede the "right-away" to the cyclists on the trails. It's easier for a horseman to move off the trail than it is for a biker. Also, it is generally safer for me to re-position a horse so they can watch the biker move passed rather than have the biker stop and then I have to ask the horse to move passed (at close distance) a stationary biker. That's because if the horse can see the biker moving by at a safe distance it is more at ease than if it sees the biker stop close by (the horse may wonder if the biker stopped to eat him).
Since there are often several horses on a trail ride the "re-positoning" of all the horses takes a bit of time and the biker will probably have to slow down to allow for that... and that isn't so much fun for a biker on a woods trail. The alternative is for the biker to stop at a safe distance and wait for the horses to clear the way.
I've ridden with a lot of people and can honestly say 99% of them really want to keep the bikers (and hikers) safe - not to mention themselves and their horses. And the last thing a trailriding horseman wants is a "chain reaction" where one horse spooks and the others decide to follow suit. Few things are as unFun as hitting the ground in the middle of a 7-horse Panic Party.
Sad fact is - many people will go trailriding on horses that haven't been trained to stay calm. Most experienced horsemen I know are really, really careful about who they ride with for that reason but too often it doesn't turn out that way.
Anyway - I am best able to keep myself and my horse and any bikers/hikers safe if I just have enough time to clear the way and I am more than glad to do so. Out on the road I can usually hear cars approaching but not so the bikers. Will be happy to move over for them there too but I gotta know they are coming before they are on top of me.

 

[Shawnee]

"WE all get along (dog walkers, runners, walkers, nature lookers, bicyclers)"



Not so at all, "Slide". I've met a lot of hikers who complain about the recklessness and the "It's All About Us" attitude of cyclists. And I met an elderly couple in Florida who were both knocked down by some bikers who then cussed the old people out and rode off without even trying to determine if either of the couple was hurt.

 

[MillCreek]

Several months ago in this area, a mountain bike rider was cycling along over in the Kitsap peninsula when he rounded a corner and almost plowed right into a black bear on the same trail. It is hard to say who was more startled, but he was mauled pretty good by the bear and had a prolonged hospital stay. The bear was trapped and successfully relocated.

This would rank very high in the 'some days it sucks to be you' category.

 

[USBP 1969]

After years of searching for a good concealed carry method I came across what's called a "Safepacker." It was originally designed as a holster for mountain rescus folks, but has evolved into an outstanding CCW holster.

It has a large belt loop on the back, but I carry it suspended by a 1.5" shoulder strap from the off shoulder. (I cut the rubber sliding thing off.) It fits any handgun from a tiny semi-auto to an "N" frame S&W depending upon the size one orders. Folks can not believe that mine is, in reality, a holster.

It's available at: http://store.thewilderness.com/index.php?cPath=51

Respectfully,
Kent









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