Thanks for all of your advice and empathy. I was able to give a fairly good description of the van to the emergency operators. However, not ever being behind him, I didn't get a license plate number. I just wanted to hide at all costs. I doubt a situation like this will ever come up again, but if it does, I'll be certain to whip out the cell phone first and try, try, try to get to a busier area.

On the weekends, I most always ride with a group. During the week, with my friends' conflicting work schedules, it's not always feasible. I really try to be safe and ride in those places with lots of activity. I never thought for a minute that a short ride around my neighborhood (especially on a busy Sunday afternoon) could have been dangerous. To this point in my short biking experience, my concern has been more with traffic issues and staying safe than worrying about some psycho/sociopath wandering around our streets. Lots of lessons learned today.