Editor’s Note: This account contains strong language and violence. Reader discretion is advised.
According to a first person account published on DrunkCyclist.com, a mountain biker was assaulted by a trail runner while out riding North Table Mountain in Golden, CO.
According to the report, the mountain biker in question was looking to pass a trail runner from behind, but the runner was wearing earbuds and did not move over even after the rider called out his intention to pass. Another rider came from the opposite direction, and told the runner that somebody was behind him and wanted to pass. The runner moved over, and as the first rider passed from behind, he shook his head at the runner, as the runner was completely oblivious to the people around him. In response, the runner said, “shake your head at me again, and I’ll beat your mother fucking ass!”
The rider encountered the runner again later on in his loop, coming the opposite direction, and as he pulled over to yield the trail to the oncoming runner, the runner said, “I remember you.” What follows is the first person account of the attack:
“…then suddenly and aggressively [he] moves towards me. Unprovoked, he grabs me by my throat and starts forcing me towards a boulder on the side of the trail. He manages to shove me on top of the boulder, all the while punching my head, jaw, helmet, and anything he can reach. Once he had his fill with his fists, he moves on to stomping my back and ribs. He decides that he’s had enough and heads over to my bike, picks it up and says “Shake your head at me again” before throwing my bike off the trail and down the steep mountainside. Pleased with himself, he heads off down the trail. Still in complete shock, I pick myself up and slowly start to walk after him in hopes of getting a picture. As he’s moving down the trail, he’s obviously keeping tabs on me, and rather than chance some more punches to the head, I walk away. The entire incident couldn’t have taken more than 30-45 seconds, but it has been playing in my mind ever since. Why hadn’t I tried to get a swing in at him? Why didn’t I charge at him when he picked my bike up? Could someone really be that pissed off about me shaking my head?”
The wheels on the rider’s bike were so badly damaged that he had to walk it out to the nearby road. He called the sheriff’s department and filed a report. At one point the police thought they had located the perpetrator, but he then disappeared into a nearby subdivision.
Local area mountain bikers and trail users in general should travel cautiously and be on the look out for an aggressive man meeting this description:
“…white male, somewhere in his 30s-40s, 6 feet tall, and somewhere between 180-190 pounds. On that day he was wearing black shorts, wrap around headphones, and a black or dark blue shirt with either ‘COM’ or “COR” on it.”
If you have any information about this incident, please call the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (303) 271-0211, or the Jefferson County Open Space at (303) 271-5925.
Update at 6:56pm MDT on 3/28/17:
Additional reporting on this incident from 9 News:
People wearing headphones on singletrack always have been, and always will be the absolute dredge of their respective sport.
Wanker. Tell you mate I woulda loved to have had your back on that one. Probably some army arsehole.
Dont let that intimidate you, the shock can be horrible I know. Hope you get well and back on the trails asap.
“Some army asshole”? WTF? That’s one of the most ignorant comments I’ve seen in a long while Oki.
The worrisome thing is that someone who carries that much anger and desire for revenge forward over time, especially for such a seemingly innocuous provocation, is certainly a dangerous human being. Someone likely to hurt another person far more seriously the next time.
That was my first thought as well, Scott. This is a dangerous person. I would hate to think that he’s going home to a family, and if so, what that home life is like for his spouse and/or his kids. Hopefully he’s single.
What a mess. What a jerk. Hope the police catch the guy. Great response John (Fisch); just don’t go up there and do any damage to anyone. =) I come across hikers with earbuds fairly frequently in the US. I just try to be friendly and patient. A runner would present a more complicated situation. I’m a mountain biker and a trail runner. IMO, earphones/buds just shouldn’t be used on the trail, but to each his own.
I don’t think I would carry a gun but I respect that others have the constitutional right to do so. I carry pepper spray. I have seen all sorts of wildlife on the trails. I have seen bears in several places, Rampart range areas, on the Air Force Academy and even areas of Colorado Springs that back up to the mountains (bears dumpster dining).. I think that pepper spray would be an appropriate response to someone trying to choke me in an angry fit of rage. I also think that it is totally appropriate for someone to wear earbuds if they want to listen to music on the trails, much preferable to the hikers I have seen playing music from their phone to a bluetooth speaker so everyone within earshot can hear (2 people at Palmer park doing this on different occasioun) People should be free, and using earbuds does not infringe others rights. But common courtesy should be practiced. Check often to make sure you are not holding someone else up on the trail. Hikers complain that a majority of mtbers ride too fast on the downhills, making it dangerous for everyone. I could see how hikers get frustrated with mtbers for going too fast but physical violence is not called for and should be prosecuted
If I ride and listen to music, I use traditional corded headphones and only have one earbud actually in my ear. I let the other dangle, with cord wrapped over my ear and held there by my helmet chin strap. The volume is low to medium and thus I can still hear it, but I can DEFINITELY hear anything around me, and most especially other riders, or animals.
What an a-hole. Sounds like a case of roid rage to me.
Guns and Pepper spray are added weight and I am going on a ride to forget about things, not prepare for the worst, plus my bike is heavy enough. Carrying a gun on a mountain bike is like bikers who carry ball bearings for car windshields, it’s just going to attract that situation. Why put that negative energy out there? So you lost a fight…that sucks, learn from it. I personally would rather take a severe beating than shoot someone. I think that if people were not so afraid of getting beat up then we would have far less shooting in general. We are now to a point in society where you can kill someone because you were “scared”, that’s just sad. I like guns but I think some people are way too eager to use them.
Keyboard Warrior warning:
I am going to assume this was a bigger stronger individual who had him off-balance and pressed up against a boulder, his choices were limited at that point. I think you should have a mental flowchart of how to handle a situation like this. You can call it violent fantasies if you like but analyzing a situation like this helps you be ready should it ever occur. You don’t need to take years of martial arts to handle a situation like this. What I mean is have one or two dirty tricks and be prepared to use them. If someone is attacking you and you feel its a losing situation go for the best B.E.T. That is the balls, the eyes, and the throat. Then get back on your bike and sprint away, hope to not get shot in the back. There is not such thing as a fair fight unless it’s planned and agreed upon.
One trail I ride requires runners to run the trail in the opposite direction of the mtber’s. I wish more trails would do this. It would improve everyone’s experience on the trail. One thing this guy could’ve done to help protect himself is to have put his bike in between himself and the assailant. But he probably never thought he would’ve been attacked by this guy over a simple shake of the head so it probably didn’t occur to him at the time.
North table top and green mountain areas could get really crowded at times, and theres a lot of new riders that have no clue there’s such thing as trail etiquette. They even pissed me off sometimes. On top of that are riders after their KOMs that wont even acknowledge you for letting them pass or are just riding too fast in a multi-use trail.
And I encounter some of these uptight runners, even ladies, who will curse just for being on the wrong side of the trail. But beating up somebody, man that’s just different level of anger. I agree with @Ngeorgiagoldrush, its road rage. That guy needs anger management, or better yet, some jail time.
Horrid story, a case of a really nice person actually not being able to process that they’re being attacked. His self defense response didn’t even kick in. Attacks do happen suddenly when they happen sadly. You actually need to be mentally prepared and trained for it. This is exactly the reason why it’s a very very very bad idea to let just anybody run around with guns. No training, no barriers to entry. Most people don’t have the properly trained reactions to deal with a situation like that. The adrenaline kicks in but the mind can’t process so you don’t know what to do. In this guy’s case he just got beat up and let it happen.
On the other hand the worst of trail obstacles on the benign side is the guy with headphones or earbuds on walking in the woods in a state of stoned out bliss staring up at the trees completely in their own world. No anger issues with these types but good luck getting their attention.
Peace out,
Heal up soon sir.
I have had more issues with rude downhill riders than others, not yielding to uphill users the big complaint. Still, dumbness accumulates; earbuds on trails is stupid. Stay home on your treadmill or trainer if Tunes take priority over the outdoors. They diminish your awareness and exaggerate your special bubble, in not a good way.
Such a violent reaction seems blatantly off, but circumstances are ambiguous. Provocation alone never justifies escalating to violence, and the number proclaiming their right to murder over such a minor conflict is more troubling than this incident by itself. Really, proud to brag about your armaments? That so many are sharing the same trails with the willingness to use lethal force at some level of random ‘trigger’ incident makes me worry about everyone I see out there. Thanks a lot for your respect and consideration.
Is it me or is it always the Amateur-Professionals sulking in their Strava times angry they weren’t cut out for the big times, you can spot a mile away. They never acknowledge you, and if you say “Hello” they give you some death stare.
They always seem to think they own the trail, cause they’re dressed in full race kit. Thankfully they seem to gather more in roadie and xc racing circles.