Author Topic: Carrying Pepper Spray  (Read 55815 times)

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Offline shepherdhike

Carrying Pepper Spray
« on: March 19, 2009, 12:47:00 pm »
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

Offline Damian

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2009, 01:04:28 pm »
I carry mine in the side mesh pocket of my handlebar bag (Jandd). The elastic holds it nice and firm over bumps, but it's always ready if needed. BTW, I've never used it, but having had--and witnessed--some scary encounters with very aggressive dogs, I like having it handy.

Offline shepherdhike

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2009, 01:26:24 pm »
Hmm. My handlebar bag is adapted from a different type of sports bag. The mesh pocket is too deep. I wonder if I could stitch across the bottom of it so the spray wouldn't drop down in so far. Could it really have been that simple all along?

Nancy

Offline mucknort

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2009, 02:06:37 pm »
If the "pepper spray" you use is Halt!, then this plastic holder allows you to clip it on to your handlebars (and it works great!):

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_119970_-1___
« Last Edit: March 19, 2009, 02:31:09 pm by mucknort »

Offline whittierider

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2009, 02:32:22 pm »
I've put it in my jersey pocket, but found that the wind broke up the stream so much it was ineffective, unlike the situations when I was a pedestrian.  A loud, authoritative yell starting with an explosive sound, like "Back off!" will usually intimidate an agressive dog.

Offline mucknort

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2009, 02:43:13 pm »
I've put it in my jersey pocket, but found that the wind broke up the stream so much it was ineffective, unlike the situations when I was a pedestrian.

That's why you either need to wait until they are close enough to "see the white's of their eyes" or stop, get off your bike, and spray.


A loud, authoritative yell starting with an explosive sound, like "Back off!" will usually intimidate an agressive dog.

I've found yelling "Bad Dog, go home" works well with many dogs.

Offline shepherdhike

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2009, 03:04:24 pm »
The Nashbar Halt holder looks like it would do the trick...if there was any room on my handlebars. I had an idea to make something similar out of PVC to clip on the top tube, but I don't have any tools here.

Offline mikedirectory2

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2009, 03:19:34 pm »
If the "pepper spray" you use is Halt!, then this plastic holder allows you to clip it on to your handlebars (and it works great!):

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_119970_-1___

Thats really good to know!  Thanks!
http://www.bikecarrierdirect.com
May the skies be blue and the road be flat... Happy Riding.

Offline mucknort

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2009, 06:07:33 pm »
The Nashbar Halt holder looks like it would do the trick...if there was any room on my handlebars.
The Halt! holder comes in 2 different sizes, so it is possible to attach it to your frame if your bars are full.

Offline Westinghouse

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2009, 12:49:50 am »
Nancy: I wrote this article quickly, unrevised, for another cyclist. It does much more than just answer the question you asked. In my 34,000 miles of touring I have never had to use any kind of instrument against a dog. The dumb animal is only obeying some kind of genetically imprinted code when it goes bounding across the yard, and out into the road to chase along at your heels. Dogs have held me up many times. Never did it come to the point that chemical or other pain causing insstruments had to be used. I am referring to the friendly, domesticated dogs we are used to encountering in North America.


As for dogs on tour, I have had many experiences with them. Some cyclists might carry pepper spray, which I have done but never used. I saw another advise carrying a water pistol containing a mixture of water and ammonia; this I have never done. The fact is that dogs can be an occasional annoyance or hassle or whatever, but by and large they are not a real danger unless one comes charging at you from out of nowhere, startling you, and causing you to involuntarily swerve out into traffic. It happens.

There is something about the movement of cycling that sets dogs off into a headstrong frenzy of barking and chasing. I mean, you come along, and there is some dog in a yard. It has been lolloing around all day perhaps. It catches sight of you going by on your bike, and it immediately goes nuts. It starts barking, snarling, yelping, and growling, and chasing you at high speed and going for your heels with all its might. I have seen dogs go absolutely bananas at the sight of me cycling, even if I was two hundred feet away from them. I have seen them come charging out at me, stopped only by a fence around thge property. They would follow all along the fence line to the end, and then go ape trying to jump over the fence or tunnel under it.  This kind of reaction comes from dogs of all sizes from the largest dogs to even those little Mexican Chihuahuas. That is no kidding. I wa cycling through some town. Somebody was carrying one of those little Mexican dogs. It saw me. It went crazy trying to jump from its owners arms and chase along.

I have worked out a manner of dealing with dogs. In spite of all the noise and chases not one dog has ever actually bitten me.  However, they do seem to be fond of going for the feet, and some have come close to biting. First, slow down a bit, look at the dog and yell out a loud, sharp report, and when I say loud and sharp that is what is meant; something like you might expect to hear from a marine corps drill sargent. You might have to yell a number of times. The yelling will bring some dogs to a halt. Some will stop temporarily and continue, and slow down or halt every time you yell. Just yell out hut or ha loud, sharp, and clear. If that does not dissuade the cur from pursuing his pleasure or whatever it is he gets out of the chase, come to a dead stop and give him the yell. He will stop. He may turn around and take off. He may tarry a while and snip and growl. He may come close, but my experience is the actual attack will not happen. I have cycled 34,000 miles through 19 countries, and six or more times across the USA, so I know of what I speak.

I have always ridden an upright touring bike, therefore, having a dog running along and chasing at my heels is a different matter from riding a recumbent with the animal more nearly at the vital parts such as torso, head, and throat. My general advice is this. If you are concerned, do what I have told you, and carry a water pistol with water and ammonia in it, if legal to do so, or a very good pepper spray, not one of those little key chain things, but a canister with a real fog or large volume spray that comes out, but do not use it as a first response. If you yell and stop and yell, the dog will stop his pursuit. In other words, do not run and it will not chase. Often, as you are stopped at the roadside waiting for the animal to lose interest, its owner will come out and call it back, and it trots on home. If you stop and it stops and loses interest, it might head back to its territory on its own, but if you take off it will turn around and continue chasing. Dogs, for the most part, are a temporary nuisance, but not a real serious danger. However, I am sure cyclists have been actually attacked, and perhaps even injured.

When stopped, the hound may come close, but will not actually sink its teeth into your hide. If it is particularly vicious or mean, give him a whif of the pepper spray or whatever, but I have never found that to be necessary. If you get off the bike and walk a ways, which you would not or might not be able to do, it could lose interest; get back on and cycle away, and it will pick up where it left off, or just go home.

Try not to let a dog catch you by surprise in close quarters. That happened to me once, and I tipped over injuring my ankle. It was at night on a quiet, placid road. A very large dog came charging aggressively from out of the bushes near the side of the road. All of a sudden I heard this very loud barking and snarling, and saw a blur out of the corner of my eye. In an attempt to stop, dismount immediately, and get the bike beteen myself and the attacking dog, I forgot my feet were strapped into the pedals, and tried to get off on the right of the bike, I fell over and twisted my ankle. Well, at least I fell over away from the dog and not toward it. After all that the dog just stood there looking at me, and turned around and left. It was one of the larger breeds of dog, and I am sure it would not have harmed me, but it caught me completely unexpected, and I reacted unthinking with a start. There was no time to think through what to do. The subconscious mind told me I was under attack and needed to respond, and I did.

You might have dog problems in some areas at times, and no dog problems whatsoever in other places. In 1984 in winter along highway 90 in Florida free ranging dogs were all over the place, and I might add, were often seen dead along the roadside after having been slammed by motor vehicles. In 2007 I cycled 90, and ther was not the first problem with the first dog; very different from 1984. In countrified areas dog owners may be more disposed to letting their dogs roam free. Some may be fenced in, but have some little tunnel dug out under the fence in some bush-covered corner. They actually seem to be smart enough to try and cover or hide their tunnels. Anyway, that is about all I can tell you. If you go into Eastern Europe, you may find canines of a very different stripe; very different from the friendly domesticated kind we are used to in the USA. For some of those dogs I encountered in eastern Europe, nothing short of a 12 guage shotgun would save you. 
 

Offline shepherdhike

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2009, 09:53:57 am »
Hi Westinghouse, Thanks for your great comments. I've not had trouble with dogs so far in my trip, but I have while riding at home. I don't care if a dog wants to bark and defend its territory. But I'm not in its territory. It has no business chasing me down the road, whether it's gonna bite me or not. It's dangerous for everyone. I figure spraying a dog is doing it a favor if it learns to stay off the road. If an owner won't train the dog, I will.

And it's not just dogs I'm concerned about.

Offline Westinghouse

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2009, 05:53:30 pm »
The two legged dogs are the real danger. A 22 derringer would be useful, but only in a serious situation. Even if you are licensed to carry a concealed firearm in one state, it may not be valid in another state. Some gunshops may have a publication listing which states acknowledge licenses for concealed firearms from other states. If you did end up absolutely having to use deadly force in a state where your license to carry were not recognized, it is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. I myself have never carried any kind of firearm or any kind of weapon.

Offline johnsondasw

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2009, 12:56:39 am »

As for dogs, I've been using the same defense for years.  If they get close enough, I have my foot unclipped and kick 'em in the head.  It's been very successful.  They seem to usually sense the danger and back off.  I think they can feel that I'm not afraid of them and am willing to be the "aggressor-in-defense".  Occassionally, they get too close, and get nailed.  I hate dogs that chase bikes, and do not feel bad in the least about teaching them a hard lesson.

There is a hazard in this.  You have to be an experienced, steady rider so you don't throw yourself off balance and swerve into traffic or off the road, or worse, fall.  None of these have ever happened to me.

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.
May the wind be at your back!

Offline mucknort

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2009, 11:48:18 am »
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.

Offline mucknort

Re: Carrying Pepper Spray
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2009, 11:52:42 am »
New-ish to this board and I'm wondering if this topic will get as nasty as I've seen happen on other bicycle forums. OP poster just asked for advice on ways to mount pepper spray. Now we've gone from swinging tire pumps to ammonia additives in water bottles to carrying firearms to head kicking. Here's hoping discussion stays civil.