Niagara Falls Woman Shares Near Attack on Bike Path
- Niagara Action
- Jul 22
- 2 min read
A Niagara Falls woman is urging others to stay alert after a disturbing incident on a local bike path this past weekend went viral on social media.
Bianca Falsetti, who frequently rides solo along the scenic path overlooking the Niagara Gorge, said she had an unsettling encounter on Saturday afternoon around 4pm.
According to her, a man approached and grabbed her bike's handlebars, stopping her from moving forward.
"I literally just froze and did nothing and was in disbelief,” she said during an interview to WIVB News 4.
She wasn’t sure what the man's intentions were, but said his words didn’t make sense and his behavior made her feel unsafe. With the man holding the handlebars, she felt unable to escape.
Fortunately, a couple riding bikes nearby noticed the situation and stepped in to help. Falsetti said the woman’s forceful command startled the man enough for him to release the bike.
"The wife was just like, ‘get off of her right now, are you crazy?’ And I think she spooked him a little and he backed off and let go of my handle bars,” Falsetti said.
Following the incident, she shared her experience on social media to alert others in the area, especially women, about the potential dangers of being alone outdoors.
“Women and everyone in general just need to be safe,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of women reach out and say something similar has happened to them, either on this path or on a different area near us.”
To help others stay safe, Falsetti recommended practical safety measures such as riding with a buddy, carrying a noise-making device like an air horn, and sharing real-time locations with trusted contacts.
“I know so many people are like, oh go somewhere that’s safer, go somewhere like this place or that place, but this was a friendly reminder that things can happen anywhere,” Falsetti said.
“It doesn’t matter how nice the neighborhood is or where you are. My message was about situational awareness, if you can ride with a friend, and always be vigilant.”
Niagara Falls Woman Shares Near Attack on Bike Path Encounter to Warn Others
Had he been caught.. should he would receive an appearance ticket? That my friends.. is the question. Any description of the handle bar grabber? All we know is that it was a man.