A lovely bicycle ride on one of Houston's popular bike trails suddenly isn't as carefree as it used to be.
Bike trails have become the new popular place for thieves, especially the Columbia Tap trail. The trail that stretches from East Downtown to Braes Bayou is now a hotbed for bicycle thieves. One victim, who managed to recently narrowly escape an attack on the trail, tells KHOU that police officers told him that a gang of thieves has attacked at least a dozen cyclists on the trail.
Expensive bikes and cellphones have been stolen from the knocked-over riders.
Facebook posts on the "Critical Mass Houston" page also detail crimes on Columbia Tap:
Think that's scary? Earlier this week, a group of bike riders on the Heights Hike and Bike Trail were fired at in an apparent pellet gun attack.
“At first I thought it was fireworks or somebody popping off a firecracker,” Charles Achord tells KHOU. “And I heard a pop, pop, pop, pop, very rapid sounding.”
The group was riding under the Hogan Street Bridge when the attack happened. After the attack Achord wrote a post on the "Critical Mass Houston" Facebook page to warn others.
The Houston Police Department is urging bicyclists to watch for suspicious activity.
Owner Robin Berwick took inspiration from hotel bars for BBOP. Photo by Vivian Leba