How far would you go to defend yourself while riding your bike? Would you install big red flags off your back rack to make sure drivers give you safe space while passing? Would you mount dozens of high-powered lights on your bike? Would you wear a jersey that says, ‘Armed Cyclist’? Would you carry a gun so they know it’s not a hollow threat?
On the way back from a family vacation in Montana on Monday, I looked up and saw a guy doing all three while riding on the shoulder of Interstate 90 just east of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
The multiple flashing lights raised my eyebrows right away. As we zoomed closer, I grabbed my camera and snapped off a few frames from the passenger seat of our minivan. When I looked at the images, I was amazed at what I saw. This guy was not messing around. His purple Co-Motion road bike (which was made in Eugene by the way), was cluttered with electric wires, computer displays, lights, and other adornments. His waist had several packages strapped to it, one of which I assume held the gun he so proudly advertised on his jersey.
When I posted the photos of him on Twitter, several folks recognized this as Florida man James Whelan, aka the “Armed Cyclist.” He’s a minor celebrity for his YouTube channel and Instagram account where he shares videos of his interactions with police. Turns out a lot of drivers are uncomfortable with his set-up and he tends to get pulled over by cops responding to their complaints. In one of the videos I watched, Whelan outsmarts two officers and simply rides away from them mid-questioning. The way Whelan sees it, he’s doing nothing wrong. He has a right to carry a gun and he isn’t required to explain himself to police if they can’t produce any legitimate reason to hold him.
I don’t take the same steps Whelan does to stay safe out there, but I totally understand where he’s coming from.
In Oregon, the law that governs transport of a firearm in a vehicle is covered under ORS 166.250. Unfortunately the language doesn’t refer to bicycles specifically. Therefore we might be able to assume that “vehicle” also applies to a bicycle. However, since bicycles don’t have a “locked glove compartment” or “center console”, we’ll have to assume that a pouch on your hip would suffice as “other container.” All this being said, it appears that the transport of a gun on a bicycle is yet another legal grey area for cycling Oregonians. If any legal experts out there can shed light, please weigh in.