How do you stay safe..alone?

[PinkBike]

i ride at nite since i commute to my swing shift job.
ive had things thrown at me, people yell, people honk, and this is as i'm riding - lit up like the white house christmas tree - and as far right as i can get on the street.
i dont even let it bother me, i consider the source.
however, once i was waiting at a light, and a guy in a car (with a bunch of other guys OF COURSE) in a left turn lane all the way across the street yelled out "show me your ***s." i ignored him, but he got out of the car, started walking towards me screaming "I SAID SHOW ME YOUR ***S" and I just started pedalling down the street like crazy to get away. thats the most intimidated i've been.
hasnt stopped me from riding tho.

[Aggie_Ama]

Jenn- You are not paranoid. I live in a more rural area of our county now I haven't gotten the courage to ride alone by myself. I know living in fear isn't the answer, but I am just nervous. I can ride 2 miles from my house and be on an isolated country road. Good for no traffic, bad for anyone else witnessing anything.

[teigyr]

i
ive had things thrown at me, people yell, people honk, and this is as i'm riding - lit up like the white house christmas tree - and as far right as i can get on the street.
i dont even let it bother me, i consider the source.

You know what, DH and I went for a walk last night at around 10pm on a well-driven street and some people drove by throwing eggs out their car window! One hit my shoe, fortunately they had really bad aim.

People are annoying sometimes. But yeah, consider the source. I would have been a bit more concerned if I had been alone because the group in the car was yelling and kind of circling around. We didn't get their license plate, unfortunately.

[Veronica]

I don't like people. People are scum.

After our burgalries I didn't like leaving our house. But I hated allowing those pr!cks to steal even more from me - my piece of mind and my joy of riding.

Crummy things are going to happen to good people. Hiding away isn't going to keep them from happening. You have to keep living your life and doing what you love, otherwise, what's the point?

V.

[Mr. Bloom]

I really wish you all would carry mace on isolated rides.

I agree that we should not live in fear...but we must respect the possibilities and not take our safety for granted.

[Trekhawk]

I really wish you all would carry mace on isolated rides.

I agree that we should not live in fear...but we must respect the possibilities and not take our safety for granted.

I can't get my head around carrying something like that on a ride no matter how far in the boonies I go. I guess its probably because I come from Australia where mace is illegal.

[Jenn]

I really wish you all would carry mace on isolated rides.

I agree that we should not live in fear...but we must respect the possibilities and not take our safety for granted.

I need to find some!! Where would I mount it on my bike? I have 2 water cages, the pump, my computer on my bars,heart monitor....ugh...do they make one you can wear on your person?

[HoosierGiant]

I need to find some!! Where would I mount it on my bike? I have 2 water cages, the pump, my computer on my bars,heart monitor....ugh...do they make one you can wear on your person?

I always carry Halt! while on the bike -- we purchase it by the case from Performance Bike. Although originally marketed for use against dogs by mail carriers, delivery persons, etc., the only ingredient is capsaicin -- otherwise known as pepper spray, and equally effective. Being absolutely paranoid about these kinds of things, I've carried a mace/pepper spray combination on my keyring since my college days, but that's too long ago to even mention! While mace may not be permitted in some states, pepper spray probably is -- check your local regulations.

We have seen advertisements for holders for these devices, but they were mounted on the bars if I remember correctly. Not an option for me as I already have a Flight Deck and a Garmin residing there. I'll ask DH if he remembers where we saw the ads.

Halt! does have a clip on the side of the canister. Many cyclists in this area just slip the canister over an available cable, but I can't see my way clear to scuffing things up -- I'm vain when it comes to my beautiful bike! I used to ride with it clipped to the outside of a rear jersey pocket -- a visual clue to yut-yuts coming up from behind that I'm "armed" -- but getting it back on was almost an impossibility for me unless I stopped. (And who wants to do that?!) Ditto for clipping it to the waistband of shorts, although I have seen some riders who clip it to the hem of one of the legs so it's on top of the thigh. Not sure I could handle that.

I'm lucky in that the reflective strip across the back of my seat pack is a separate piece. Now I ride with my Halt! clipped there. Then it's a simply reach back to retrieve, and (because the seat pack material has more substance than that of clothing) I don't have any difficulties reattaching mid-ride. We live in a rural area with a gazillion dogs, the vast majority of which run loose -- as many as six per house -- so I've had lots of practice. And, that's the important part -- practice, practice, practice until that retrieval move is as second-nature as grabbing a water bottle.


http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...slisearch=truehttp://www.performancebike.com/shop/...slisearch=true

[Velobambina]

That's a good deal--$4.99 a bottle?

I carry pepper spray/mace and my cell phone--both in my jersey pocket. I ride alone & at times, either after sunset/before sunrise. MS-13 folks sometimes hang out along the trail where I ride, but aside from attempted arson to a wooden bridge & persistent tagging, there I haven't heard of any incidents to humans (not inside the beltway--apparently, there have been some attacks by gangs further west along the W&OD trail in the Ashburn/Herndon, VA area). The only annoying encounters have been cat calls from drunken cretins who drink/pass out in a park that abuts the trail. I just ignore them. My rule is be courteous, mind my own business, and hightail it outta there if I sense danger.

I agree with V, "Crummy things are going to happen to good people. Hiding away isn't going to keep them from happening. You have to keep living your life and doing what you love, otherwise, what's the point?"