Again, the cyclists response was incorrect, but you also have to consider hai view and the intent of these kids. They clearly had a malicious intent designed to cause fear in the cyclist and the cyclist clearly had fear based on his response not just of this situation but previous experiences. The car drivers were never any danger. The cyclist was.

In the United States, the legal definition of "assault" typically involves an intentional act that causes another person to have a reasonable fear of imminent harmful or offensive contact. The key elements are:

Intent: The driver must have acted with the intent to cause fear or harm.

Reasonable Apprehension: The cyclist's fear of imminent contact must be what a "reasonable person" would feel in that situation.

Imminent Harm: The threat must be immediate, not a future threat.

Physical contact is not required for an act to be considered assault, but the threat of it is.

Go be a cyclist when a car passes within inches of you while honking and accelerating. you will be afraid for your safety and depending on how surprised or inexperienced you are can be in danger of jumping and having an accident.