Carrying Pepper Spray

[bobbyrob22]

I was chased once by a dog and when I figured out that the dog wasnt going to give up the chase despite the fact I was rolling about 30 mph downhill I quickly stopped, jumped off my bike and ran towards the dog screaming at the top of my lungs. In a split second that dog turned with  his tail tucked and whinning as I was chasing him back to his territory. The next couple of times I went through there the dog has never even hardly looked at me as I passed by.

As far as carrying pepper spray I do have a bottle (17%) that goes with me everywhere but dogs arent the reason I carry it, those terrible two legged creatures is what I have mine for. But I can see it being used on dogs because some dogs just wont give up and are mean as hell. The only time I ran across a dog that deserved a good spray, I wasnt carrying any at the time and needless to say I thought the dog was gonna tear me a new one until the owner quickly commanded the dog to return. Wish I had some good pepper spray that day.

[BIGRIDE]

I just use halt and I clip it to my waist pack. no problems so far with over 2000 miles in the past yr

[litespeed]

I've never had a problem with aggressive humans in some 25,000+ miles around the US and Canada. As for dogs my favorite tactic is to swerve back and forth (if you have the room). They get hopelessly confused. I have run dogs into telephone and light poles doing this, had two dogs get all tangled up with each other and go down in a cloud of dust, seen them stumble into a ditch and culvert, etc. Usually they just give up totally baffled. 

A friend of mine was crawling up a hill when two fearsome rottweillers came after him. He yelled "Sit!". The two dogs instantly sat down in the road. When he got to the top of the hill he looked back. The two dogs were still sitting there.

[TwoWheeledExplorer]

A friend of mine was crawling up a hill when two fearsome rottweillers came after him. He yelled "Sit!". The two dogs instantly sat down in the road. When he got to the top of the hill he looked back. The two dogs were still sitting there.

As a former K-9 handler, I have to love that one. You have to be careful, as some protection-trained breeds (Rotties, German Shepherds, Dobes) are taught commands in German. (Setz!=Sit, Bleib!=Stay, Nein!=No, Aus!=Out/Break off attack, etc.) but I have found "NO!" in a good 'command voice', as we used to call it. works most of the time for me. I also have found that often just talking to the dog confuses the heck out of them. I have one fat, old Lab in my neighborhood who lumbers out after me whenever I go past his house. I actually slow down and say something like, "Now that you caught me, what are you go to do?" He just stops and stands there.

In the park where I work, when I go by a campsite on bike patrol and a dog (who is supposed to be on leash) comes out of a site after me, I usually stop and remind them (and, by default their owners) that this is "my campground" and they shouldn't be chasing the ranger. I did have one very over-protective Shepherd in a site last year who merited a bit more "correction" borrowed from my days as handler, but it's a rare occurance.

[mikedirectory2]

I have also, in the past, carried rocks when I know there's a bike-chaser on my route.  This has also worked well, especially when I've used the handful of small rocks shotgun approach.

For many dogs, you don't even need to have a real rock. A friend that toured the Hawaiin Islands was taught the trick of bending down and pretending to pick up a rock and cocking your arm back as if you are about to throw. I have used this "fake" on occasion when other things didn't work. Of course, you have to be stationary/on foot to pull this off.

Thank you for suggesting something that isnt cruel to animals.  I am all for protecting yourself, but lets try not to hurt dogs.

[johnsondasw]

I don't see where all this sympathy for bike-chasing dogs is coming from.  I love dogs, have owned several, and think they're wonderful animals.  I controlled my dogs, taught them decent behavior, and never had problems with aggresive behavior from them. 

But when it comes to chasing bikes, I think they need to be dealt with in whatever means necessary, within reason, to protect oneself and deter them from repeating the behavior.  If this causes pain to the dog, well, pain aversion can be a good thing if it means the dog stops chasing bikes.  A dog chasing a biker can get in front of the bike and causer an accident, as happened to me.  Fortunately just severe road rash and bruising on that one.  Or the dog can cause the biker to fall into traffic, resulting insevere injury or death.  Or, as happened to a dog that tore out into the road to chase a friend of mine, the behavior can result in death to the dog--it was hit by a semi passing the biker.

Owners need to control their dogs if they live by a road.  With the stakes being as high as they are, I just can't get into the "don't hurt the dog" thing.  Hurting the dog may teach it to change the behavior, and if the behavior doesn't change, there may be a disaster in the making for bikers, drivers, and dogs.

Again, it's not about cruelty to dogs.  It's about deterrence of dangerous and irresponsible behavior. 

[TwoWheeledExplorer]

If a dog (or any other animal) is attacking you, you have the right to protect yourself. That is not "cruelty". It is common sense. If it comes down to me hurting the dog or the dog hurting me, I am going to hurt the dog.

Sorry, (Well, not really.) but my safety and the safety of my party comes first.

Hans

[2010]

Sorry if this shows up twice. I tried before and it didn't seem to post.

I like to carry pepper spray when I ride, but there is no good way to keep it close at hand. I started my tour with the can velcroed to the top tube, but it wasn't secure enough and kept falling off. I never needed it, but now I'm entering a region where I'd like to keep it handy. Does anyone have an awesome way to carry pepper spray?

Nancy

[Westinghouse]

Easy answer. Put it on top in your handlebar bag, and leave it unzipped. Those little key-chain sized pepper sprays are a joke. Get the big aerosol can that puts out a serious stream or fog. If you must use it, you want to make sure you can get a serious dose of it directly into the face and eyes.

[mikedirectory2]

A friend of mine was crawling up a hill when two fearsome rottweillers came after him. He yelled "Sit!". The two dogs instantly sat down in the road. When he got to the top of the hill he looked back. The two dogs were still sitting there.

As a former K-9 handler, I have to love that one. You have to be careful, as some protection-trained breeds (Rotties, German Shepherds, Dobes) are taught commands in German. (Setz!=Sit, Bleib!=Stay, Nein!=No, Aus!=Out/Break off attack, etc.) but I have found "NO!" in a good 'command voice', as we used to call it. works most of the time for me. I also have found that often just talking to the dog confuses the heck out of them. I have one fat, old Lab in my neighborhood who lumbers out after me whenever I go past his house. I actually slow down and say something like, "Now that you caught me, what are you go to do?" He just stops and stands there.

In the park where I work, when I go by a campsite on bike patrol and a dog (who is supposed to be on leash) comes out of a site after me, I usually stop and remind them (and, by default their owners) that this is "my campground" and they shouldn't be chasing the ranger. I did have one very over-protective Shepherd in a site last year who merited a bit more "correction" borrowed from my days as handler, but it's a rare occurance.

That is very helpful to know the different languages, but I do agree that it is the tone of voice that means the most.

[kemmett]

One simple phrase,

Colt 1911 .45 ACP

no one and nothing will bother you, guaranteed

[bogiesan]

>Colt 1911 .45 ACP

Since we have approached and then crossed the information/power trope of the possibly mythical meanings afforded by various interpretations of our Second Amendment, it should be safe to assume this post has, at last, propelled the thread to meme status and it is no longer a Foucaultian discourse. With that presumed level of absurdity, I continue:

Colt does not list the mass of their products on their Website so I'll guess a WWI replica 45 is about 6 pounds?
Is there an ultralight version of that? Goretex? Carbon?

Here in Iderho, our good folks carry guns for lots of different reasons. If it's not to protect the women and sheep from the jihadists coming out of the Chinese tunnels, it's to protect ourselves from each other's free-range dogs, which are, it must be noted, legitimately protecting us from the reintroduced grizzlies and wolf packs. It's all quite confusing around here because the dog may itself be armed.

david boise ID

[mucknort]

>Colt 1911 .45 ACP

Since we have approached and then crossed the information/power trope of the possibly mythical meanings afforded by various interpretations of our Second Amendment, it should be safe to assume this post has, at last, propelled the thread to meme status and it is no longer a Foucaultian discourse. With that presumed level of absurdity, I continue:

Colt does not list the mass of their products on their Website so I'll guess a WWI replica 45 is about 6 pounds?
Is there an ultralight version of that? Goretex? Carbon?

Here in Iderho, our good folks carry guns for lots of different reasons. If it's not to protect the women and sheep from the jihadists coming out of the Chinese tunnels, it's to protect ourselves from each other's free-range dogs, which are, it must be noted, legitimately protecting us from the reintroduced grizzlies and wolf packs. It's all quite confusing around here because the dog may itself be armed.

david boise ID

 

[DaveB]

Colt does not list the mass of their products on their Website so I'll guess a WWI replica 45 is about 6 pounds?

The standard full size steel frame 1911 weighs about 37 oz and an alloy frame shortened version gets the weight down to about 25 oz. 

BTW, Colt is pretty much out of the civilian firearms business but there are dozens of makers of the basic 1911 and variouss improved upgraded models.

[kemmett]

I would never recommend to anyone to carry a firearm while bike riding, or anywhere in public for that matter.  I wish a keyboard had the sarcasm key or something along those lines.  It was merely a jest, and I hope it was received that way.  Pepper spray is a great idea, just be sure not to carry anything you don't intend to use.