Nature Lover or Kook?
Police arrest Berkeley man for allegedly using a handsaw to attack a bicyclist
Michael J. Vandeman has long had a thing about mountain bikers.
For more than a decade the Berkeley resident has been railing against them in Internet chat rooms and on environmental and bicycling websites. He maintains a number of websites where he complains that mountain bikers destroy important habitats and should be banned. He calls them one of his “peeves”.
Vandeman’s vendetta seemed to be a verbal one. Until recently.
UC Berkeley police arrested Vandeman, 67, on May 28 after he allegedly used a handsaw to attack a bicyclist on a fire trail above the UC Berkeley campus. Vandeman also allegedly confronted another bicyclist in the same area in the summer of 2009 and used a sharp tool to puncture his tire. Vandeman was arraigned Wednesday and is being held on $12,500 bail in the Oakland city jail.
“This guy is a well-known kook in the mountain biking community,” said Brent Englund, president of the Bicycle Trails Coalition of the East Bay. “He has spent years and years railing against mountain bikers.”
Vandeman would spend hours on the Internet writing negative comments about mountain biking, said Englund. If someone posted a comment on a chat site, Vandeman would often call up that person’s boss and suggest he be punished for going on the Internet on company time. Vandeman was so persistent that he became known as a “troll,” or someone who deliberately tries to mess up Internet conversations, said Englund.
Vandeman’s emails were so prevalent that the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance in Washington even created a Web page to explain who he is and what he did. Here's an excerpt:
Q: What exactly is the point to Mike Vandeman’s posts?
A: He hates mountain biking, and wants it banned. It conflicts with his desire to hike on trails he wants to himself. He doesn’t want you mountain biking past him when he’s hiking, and really gets pissed when it happens on a hiker only trail. … [H]e thinks all mountain bikers are destructive, and behave the same. It’s bigotry, plain and simple.
Despite Vandeman’s history, Englund does not think he is dangerous or even that he meant to attack a bicyclist with a saw. He thinks Vandeman probably grazed the bicyclist accidentally.
“I don’t think he jumped out from the bushes and tried to hurt someone,” said Englund.
Still, many mountain bikers are relieved at Vandeman’s arrest. A number of them attended Wednesday’s hearing, where Vandeman was charged with misdemeanor vandalism for the 2009 incident and misdemeanor assault for the 2010 incident.
The incidents both took place on the upper section of the fire trail that runs from Grizzly Peak Boulevard to Strawberry Canyon, east of UC Berkeley's Memorial Stadium. Hikers are allowed on that trail; bikers are not.
Becky O'Malley
Why does the writer think Vandeman now lives in Berkeley? He's written many letters to the Berkeley Daily Planet over the years and always has included a full San Ramon address and telephone number.
NAParish
The San Ramon address he always uses is the local HQ for AT&T, which appears to be his employer. As the author of this article notes below, online phone directories have a listing for him with an address on Bateman -- and public records available online show that he is the co-owner of that house.
Kate McGlashan
I once spent an afternoon in restraining order court (as a plaintiff), and the pattern there seems to be repeating itself here.
A person has an initially very valid complaint (here, bikers on hiker-only trails, concerns about habitat) but then thinks that that justifies all of his or her subsequent behavior, no matter how aggressive.
please delete my profile
The charged language here makes Vandeman sound like a pretty terrible guy, and the mug shot doesn't hurt either. I appreciate Englund's extensive take on the incident but could you address whether Vandeman declined comment?
Frances Dinkelspiel
I am the reporter on this story. Two responses: Vandeman did not comment because he was in custody at the time the story was written. As for his address, I looked it up.
Mike Vandeman
I was approached today by a guy soliciting donations for Bay Citizen. He said that it is trying to better journalism than the sensationalistic mainstream media. You proved that false. Your coverage was shallow and sensationalistic. You ASSUMED that the mountain bikers were telling the truth (we all know that mountain bikers trying to keep their illegal activities secret would have no reason to LIE, right?!). Bad assumption! Both of the charges that led to my arrest were thrown out. Did you follow up, to see how this all turned out? NO! Did you investigate the illegal mountain biking and trail-building that goes on in the Ecological Study Area? NO! Might that lead to your having to write an apology? YES!
It's interesting that Brent Englund is the ONLY mountain biker who told the truth about this. Everyone else ASSUMED that the mountain bikers were telling the truth, even though mountain bikers are NOTORIOUS for lying about their activities and about the harm that mountain bikng does. I guess you didn't know that, huh?
How about helping to prove that Bay Citizen does better journalism than the mainstream press? ...
phoca2004
Who hikes with a saw? Was this guy doing self-appointed trail maintenance? It sounds like he latched onto this issue and allowed it to define his sense of self to his detriment.
What healthy avenues exist for lodging complaints about illegal use of trails? What avenues are worked by the mountain biking community to expand access - particularly to single track, and to discourage abuse of hiker only trails? Are there any examples of cooperation between hiker/biker communities? Are there any examples of the mountain bike community giving back on trail maintenance?
EBMTBiker
Local cyclists are indeed involved in many activities throughout our local communities. Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay, maintains an active trail work program (with trail days in Joaquin Miller Park, Dimond Park, Mission Peak, Mt Diablo, and Crockett Hills, in the last several months), the Youth Mountain Bike Adventures program for undeserved kids on what is often their first visit to a East Bay park, the Oakland Bike Patrol, which is affiliated with the National Mountain Bike Patrol, as well as participating in numerous community service projects and partnering with local businesses and groups. www.btceb.org
Also check out the East Bay Area Trails Council. The EBATC is composed of public agencies, equestrians, hikers, bicyclists, and conservationists who are committed to furthering the protection of the scenic and recreational resources of the East Bay. www.ebtrails.org
Terri SF
Mountain bikers hate Mike Vandeman because he is effective. The worst they can say about him is that they hate what he writes. The bottom line is that those who oppose mountain biking in sensitive areas cost the mountain bike industry a lot of money. Gary Fisher told me that himself. I'm sure the court process will show that Mike is innocent of any crime. Intimidation will never stifle free speech, as much as the mountain bikers try.
julia gilden
my impression is that these particular mountain bikers hate that he attacked them with a saw much more than they hate what he writes.
Terri SF
There was no attack.
julia gilden
"UC Berkeley police arrested Vandeman, 67, on May 28 after he allegedly used a handsaw to attack a bicyclist on a fire trail above the UC Berkeley campus. Vandeman also allegedly confronted another bicyclist in the same area in the summer of 2009 and used a sharp tool to puncture his tire."
I guess there will be a trial to determine whether the victims or Englund, who wasn't there and is therefore dubiously qualified to speculate about what happened, is right about what happened.
Richard Jacinto
The suspect was holding a handsaw and cut one of the victims across the chest with the saw.
You can view the full report here: http://police.berkeley.edu/crimealerts/2010/10-052810-37NC.htm
EBMTBiker
Terri Alvillar is also a well-known hater and should be ignored by anyone interested in promoting a community of trail users.
Mountain bikers want to see the forests and mountains where we ride protected in their natural state. Bicycling draws young people to outdoor activities and improves their stewardship of public lands as adults. Bicycling is a sustainable, low-impact activity and a viable economic redevelopment option for many communities.
The Bicycle Trail Council of the East Bay is a non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve great trail experiences for mountain bikers throughout the East Bay.
Since 1987, BTCEB has been bringing out the best in mountain biking by encouraging low-impact riding, volunteer trailwork participation, cooperation among different trail user groups, grassroots advocacy and innovative trail management solutions.
www.btceb.org/join
voltairesmistress
Perhaps if the authorities provided evidence and materials about how mountain biking harms habitats, the bikers themselves would refrain from using the trails they are banned from. As it is, it just seems like one more regulation to kill joy.
As a hiker, I'm grateful the bikes are banned from most single track trails, but I always thought that was because of risk of injury to fellow trail users. It would be interesting to know the true impact of biking on different kinds of trails.
Lemoore
The last sentence of this article says it all. If Vandeman had friends and supporters, he could have pushed for enforcement and left his handsaw in the toolshed. Shame on Vandeman and the riders. Both wrong. 100%
Russ Mitchell
The last line of this story bears more discussion. I am an avid mountain biker, and while I do not advocate violence, I get pretty upset when mountain bikers use hiker-only trails. Handsaws are not the answer, but better enforcement of park bike rules would help. Many of us are lobbying the park district to expand mountain bike trails -- but these ass-clowns using the hiker trails make it less likely they ever will.
Terri SF
Richard Jacinto as a bike distributor has a financial interest in quieting Mike Vandeman. He will do or say anything to stifle Mike's freedom of speech.
Siskuwihane Sees-koo-wee-han-ay
Terri SF is Terri Alvillar, personal friend of Michael Vandeman. She makes comments about Michael Vandemans freedom of speech being stifled but fails to mention Mike did that very thing to many people who disagreed with him. He is famous for contacting the employers or IP of posters over comments made online. Terri and Mike only believe in freedom of speech if the views being expressed are the same as theirs.
Mike said that horses are ok on hiking trails but one has to wonder if that has anything to do with Terri being an avid equestrian?
Siskuwihane Sees-koo-wee-han-ay
Terri SF is Terri Alvillar, personal friend of Michael Vandeman. She makes comments about Michael Vandemans freedom of speech being stifled but fails to mention Mike did that very thing to many people who disagreed with him. He is famous for contacting the employers or IP of posters over comments made online. Terri and Mike only believe in freedom of speech if the views being expressed are the same as theirs.
Mike said that horses are ok on hiking trails but one has to wonder if that has anything to do with Terri being an avid equestrian?
Cecilia Cummings
That is understandable that money can make people independent. But how to act when somebody does not have cash? The only one way is to receive the <a href="http://lowest-rate-loans.com/topics/business-loans">business loans</a> and just collateral loan.
Mike Vandeman
Doesn't anyone know the meaning of "alleged"? I was found innocent of the vandalism charge, and the assault charge was dismissed "for lack of evidence". But the mountain bikers continue pretending that the charges were valid, because they have a big need to discredit anyone who tells the truth about their selfish, destructive sport -- mountain biking. Actually, I have been assaulted several times for simply telling a mountain biker that they aren't allowed on that trail. They NEVER obey the law. They are an outlaw culture -- just like the Old West.
By the way, a pruning saw is for pruning (e.g. French broom, an exotic species that doesn't belong here).
Mike Vandeman
Doesn't anyone know the meaning of "alleged"? I was found innocent of the vandalism charge, and the assault charge was dismissed "for lack of evidence". But the mountain bikers continue pretending that the charges were valid, because they have a big need to discredit anyone who tells the truth about their selfish, destructive sport -- mountain biking. Actually, I have been assaulted several times for simply telling a mountain biker that they aren't allowed on that trail. They NEVER obey the law. They are an outlaw culture -- just like the Old West.
By the way, a pruning saw is for pruning (e.g. French broom, an exotic species that doesn't belong here).