This is what happens when you let common people ride bikes.
Now is there anyone you remember not waving to on the road before this happened 😉
Check the CCTV for Audi's in the carpark.
Check the CCTV for Audi's in the carpark.
At a trail center? That will narrow it down! 😆
Seemingly I'm the only one here, but I doubt I'd have hit him back, his reaction suggests a total ****t, and I can think of better folk to get into a fight with in the middle of a forest! ! I'm clearly not as tough as everyone here!
So I was out on a group ride today, went round a corner I know to be blind very slowly and collided with another rider coming the other way on the trail
Define "slow".
Does it matter what speed he was doing? Its not a reason to assault someone!
Does it matter what speed he was doing? Its not a reason to assault someone!
One person's "slow" is another person's "fast". Just trying to get a picture.
Define "slow".
"Very" was the term the OP used.
Gee - I wouldn't beat yourself up (sorry, no pun intended there) about not hitting him back. As Oldgit has said the guy punched you whilst you wasn't expecting it and then rode off whilst you was still reeling from it. If you and/or your mates had beaten the crap out of him you can bet Sod's Law that you would have gotten into trouble whilst he gets away scott free.
what a complete **** !
just rest assured one day he will pick on the wrong guy one day - ton/hora and get a kickin
The OP stated he was in a group and they were wearing club kit. So that means they are pretty swift/podium placed, doesn't it?
Which comes back to my point about one person's "slow" is another person's "fast".
I'm just trying to see the big picture, rather than just one person's viewpoint.
Sorry if I'm coming across as a bimbo. 🙂
Someimes I am slow to react. During the week I Spend my time being sharp, but at the weekend I try to refresh by slowing down with people - in short I would have been hesitant and done the same.If your out on the town it may be expected but at Swinley, no way.
Given the over-hyped nature of Swinley and it's 'super tech' trails, I'd probably have punched someone in the face if they'd run into me while I was there. 😉
No need for that sort of thing going on. Maybe he was just upset that he could see your bigger-than-his assets with all your lycra on.
Just to be clear, violence is unacceptable in any situation.
It's interesting to hear other trail users' perception of us and mostly it isn't good. I try very hard to rectify that. Today I ended up in the middle of a drag hunt (twice). Not a problem, I waited until they had all rode past. They were charming, greeted and thanked me, and I enjoyed seeing the horses and foxhounds.
Just to be clear, violence is unacceptable in any situation.
Goodo, not that I thought you was being "racerist" or anything 😉
I am not "racerist"! In the past I have had "sensible discussions" with people but considering most of the time I ride on my own, that is probably not the best thing to do. 🙄
Would rather try and understand other person's viewpoint. Of course, being a woman, it comes naturally. 😉
all I am saying is people can be agressive and sometimes you need to look out for yourself if people start sometimes. Violence is really bad tho IMO.TBH it is always best to walk away.
It's a cr@p that someone gets ****ted like this but I think it's also cr@p that the OPs gettng stick for not skelping him back. I probably wouldn't have hit the guy back either.
For heaven's sake, people can not go around thumping each other 😯
That was not normal behaviour. Should I be worried as a lone female rider at Swinley? Do I need a bodyguard or a pitbull?
I did hear that the local Council received £20K from the HP film company for use of the car park. Interesting huh?
You reap what you sew, even if you cant see it right now.
Would rather try and understand other person's viewpoint.
To be fair to the OP he did say he tried talking to his attacker after the attack but the other guy wasn't interested and rode off.
if someone punched me I'd probably say something like "Is that the best you can do ?"
Not good. Sorry to hear that.
I hope you find out who it was and let us all know their name and description.
Don't know if the law has changed but many years ago when Mark Thomas was doing his informative comedy on C4 he did one about big brother and the cameras that watch us.
One of the things I remember is that if you are recorded, they are legally required to supply you the footage for a fee of no more than £10 if you request it, perhaps getting one of your mates (ideally of the same shape and size as the offender) to go and tell the manager this may get them access to the tapes as they may be too lazy.
As regards your reaction i'd say it is pretty natural to be shocked, I was completely taken aback during a "road rage" incident a few years ago.
If the trail centre finds CCTV of the guy and, for instance, his car's number plate, and if the cops don't feel like doing anything, then you can obtain owner's info from DVLA (preparing for litigation is a legitimate reason to access that data) and then sue him in trespass for assault. Only problem on a practical basis is getting the tape from the trail centre and making sure they don't delete it.
I'm surprised you didn't smack him back and it's bad your mates didn't help. In that situation it's self defence.
I've had MX'ers threaten us at Swinley so as they passed me (very close) I rammed my bike into the guys front brake lever. The police will never catch these people so they need to be dealt with. He's probably done it before and keeps getting away with it.
I see all the STW keyboard warriors are out in force again. 😆
Who would have thought IT managers were so 'ard?
Couldn't you have just curtailed your ride and followed the guy back to his car then taken his details?
And all the virtual hard men appear! No matter what you are gonna be a tad taken aback by somone lumping you whilst put on a ride.
Who would have thought IT managers were so 'ard?
Didn't you know? All those keyboard presses builds your muscles like nothing else.
if someone punched me I'd probably say something like "Is that the best you can do ?"
I'd probably mumble that bit.
baccodaddy - Member...i,d have made him tell me where he lives and i,d have gone and bashed his dog to death with its own kennel
Hahahahahahahahahaha.
Best reply yet!
Clearly a massive over-reaction from an unhinged individual.
However.....whilst I have only ridden @ Swinley a couple of times I did think this sort of thing was bound to happen. I don't quite "get" the Swinley concept. You make a place that in all senses (except for proper hills!) feels like a trail centre with typical trail centre numbers of people riding there but then don't define specific routes or have one way tracks. People smacking into each from opposite directions just seems inevitable - given the number of riders per mile ratio of a typical weekend.
There again, its been a good few years since I bothered going so it may be different now from what I remember.
He's probably done it before and keeps getting away with it.
He'll have told his mates about it in the pub that night. He'll have bigged it up abit and wont think twice if hes in a disagreement with someone again.
I/we've never been threatened or experienced a threat whilst out on the trails. Rude sods not saying thank you so for someone to get soo unchilled in that setting it means he has a real problem.
I t-boned another riders bike once. I was in the wrong and apologised profusely/check his bike thoroughly. Even though he had a bloody nose- not once did he swing at me or become agitated.
****ed if I'd let anyone with me get hit and get away with it. Your riding buddies should always look out for each other.
Anyway- threads laboured abit.
I'm surprised you didn't smack him back and it's bad your mates didn't help. In that situation it's self defence.
It appears the other guy had punched the OP 'only' the once and then stopped. If the OP had retaliated after the other guy had stopped attacking him then I doubt it would have been regarded as reasonable force in self-defence (I guess?)
Ive had a couple of closish ones at Swinley and I only ever go there down the week when its pretty quiet, I think it gets very busy at weekends, most of the trails ride better in one direction but there are quite a few that get ridden both ways with blindish bends here and there.
How about a citizens arrest - tell him you are going to do it and then restrain with your mates if necessary. i would not bother with an actual fight - cleary they are just an violent individual anyway and probably enjoy fighting. I would not have let it pass without something non violent occuring.
i would be a bit peeved that my mates did not jump ojf their bikes and intimidate/square up to the guy react in some way. Shocked or not no one hits your mate without some form of [non violent] reaction.
Even Grum would have done that and then sung him a lullaby to quell his rage if required 😉
Many years ago when I was out on a Xmas party/p!ss up I stumbled into a bloke in a packed club.He spun around & punched me full on in the guts,luckily I saw it & tensed up just before he hit me.When he saw it had had no effect on me he looked a little stunned,I then grabbed hold of his hand shook it & said with a big smile on me face "& a merry Xmas to you too mate". I then went back to stand with the group of blokes I was out with(there were about 20 of us & he was out with his g/friend),told them what had happened & they turned to face him,cheered & raised their bottles to him.Funnily enough he left not long after that....
You don't always need to hit back to get revenge 8)
Personnally I'd have tried to dodge his punch as nothing upsets someone more than not being able to hit the person you wanna fight with,makes them think too...
>Even Grum would have done that and then sung him a lullaby to quell his rage if required
Or waved a copy of the Guardian at him in a non-threatening manner.
just had a look where Swinley is. Surely NDowns/Hombury is better for riding as its not too far away?
Or waved a copy of the Guardian at him in a non-threatening manner.
The funny thing is, I have been involved in the odd altercation - I'm not saying I wouldn't have done something physical in response, it just amuses me how people are basically telling off the OP for being soft.
I once squared up to a load of pissed up football goons on a train cos one of them groped my gf - didn't really think it through and was pretty scared afterwards but didn't even think about it at the time. Luckily one of the others wanted to defuse the situation.
It's very hard to say how you would respond in any particular situation in the heat of the moment, and unless you were there telling him he 'should have hit him' is pretty silly imo.
Even Grum would have done that and then sung him a lullaby to quell his rage if required
Don't think that would quell anyone's rage tbh - more likely to cause trouble.
There's loads of "natural" riding in that area but lots of people can't be @rsed getting a map out and exploring.
Surrey Hills are better riding and better trails but Swinley is good for a couple of hours once you know your way round it, not too hilly so ideal for SSers and you are pretty much always on singletrack as the trails all ling together really well, I can be there in about 20 minutes from home so go there quite a bit.
If I go to the Surrey Hills I always ride for 4 or 5 hours linking all the hills and major trails in a loop so takes a full day pretty much, I can do Swinley and back in a few hours total, prolly why its so popular.
If the op and mates had done this guy in and he'd taken it to the police, they would been easy to trace and (rightly) have been on for an assault charge. And no, not even one punch would have been allowed as self defence.
Doubt I'd have hit him back though it's always something you think about afterwards.
A lycra'd up bloke on an XC bike barged past me once at the jump gully and called me a ****ing ****t (I was stationary in the 'que') then charged up the hill behind, presumably thinking that as I was on a 6" bike I wouldn't follow. I did, he tried to shake me for a couple of k's and eventually ran out of puff, at which point he stopped and apologised in between laboured breathing.
Thats my kind of revenge, BMX bandits style.
I've also had run ins with the blokes on MX bikes, to which I normally stand somewhere within sight and very obviously call the ranger on duty.
