The story about Kelsey Smith is very sad and a good reminder to all of us that we need to be safe. But there is a fine balance too, if we feel threatened enough that we restrict our own freedoms that is a negative too.

If someone is willing to injure a cyclist with a vehicle in order to abduct them, there isn't a lot you can plan to be able to do IMO, but I'd think such a scenario very unlikely unless the person has identified you as a victim in advance. It can be dangerous riding alone when roads are empty. I had a car follow me on my way to the bus stop (commuting after dark) a few months ago, I made 3 stops and the car was there each time and would pull out right after me.

So I'd say that the first step is to notice patterns like that. These sorts of attackers often watch a potential victim in advance, maybe days, maybe hours, maybe minutes. But if you notice in return, and let the person know that by making eye contact, that's the biggest defense you have. You have to keep an eye open in all directions and notice suspicious behavior before it becomes a problem. If you notice that someone seems to be watching/following you, report it to police and vary your usual pattern. And of course carry a cellphone when you ride.

Off your bike, be aware of where people are around you. Pay attention to your peripheral vision; protect your personal space. If someone a lot larger and stronger than you gets a good hold on you, your chances of escaping are not great. You have the best chance of preventing something like that from happening to you by reacting before you are physically restrained.

I took a few years of martial arts and that really gave me a lot of confidence in potentially dangerous situations. Don't get me wrong, I don't live under the delusion that I don't have to pay attention because I think I could kick the a$$ of anyone who tried to attack me. Quite the opposite, I learned my limits and my weaknesses, and how to work around them.

The things that I found extremely valuable (and you can learn these from a good self-defense class) were:

1) a greater sense of awareness, an ability to 'see' what sort of attack is coming from the preparation.

2) the ability to yell. It seems like it will be easy when attacked, but many people panic and can't get a sound out. And I don't just mean a little 'eek!' either, I mean yelling like a crazed psycho that is going to tear someone's eyeballs out. You have to practice that, you have to get over the embarrassment of yelling. The point is partially to attract attention of course, but the other aspect is that it can surprise an attacker enough that they can become momentarily flustered. And that's your chance for escape.

3) learn responses to basic attacks until you know them cold. The point here is not to fight back but to escape. What do you do when someone grabs your neck from behind? If you think about that after someone has grabbed your neck from behind it is already too late; you may have only seconds of consciousness left. You have to have a plan that is physical, not intellectual, which your body instinctively responds with. You don't have time to ponder the e-mail you read which suggested sticking your key in someone's gut. For this reason I'd suggest taking a self-defense course that gives you the chance to practice over time, to get routines down cold and to practice them in front of people who can evaluate your effectiveness.

My two cents,
Anne