Do you mountain bike alone?

[han-grrl]

i tend to ride alone, because of scheduling, and my own training plans...

i try to not do too technical, or i leave a note on my dash board that i am on the trails and will be back at a certain time...

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I will have to find a road ID, you are right, it's better than rifling through my bag to find out what happened, and as in the case of my friend who dirt bikes, he was launched off of his bike and knocked out. Some kids took off with his backpack. He woke up and do you think they called help? A very extreme example but you're right. I should have something on me.

I keep forgetting to put a copy of my insurance card in there too.

The map thing is something I learned in a wilderness guide class a while ago. Always leave a map in your car (not where people can read it walking by but folded on the seat) so if something happens someone can find you. A couple of years ago a guy was mtn biking in Tahoe and it was in Oct. He either fell and hit his head or just wrecked and lost his bearings. He wasn't that far from the trailhead but he died from exposure and couldn't be found until spring. I just don't want that to happen to me.

Yesterday when I was riding I realized how far out I go and what kind of creepy people could be lurking behind the trees. I don't know how to explain it but I always feel like someone is looking out for me. Not something you want to rely on, but yes, it's sad that women have to be doubly concerned being by themselves. I guess I'm too hardheaded to let that stop me. I have to agree with some of the other posters tho, I ride most of the time alone and I love it because it's so therapeutic!

[sundial]

Having it is very empowering.

[Becky]

Having it is very empowering.

Y'know, I've actually considered this....but I wonder what I would do if put in a situation that called for that level of force. I don't know if I could actually draw a weapon....

[Irulan]

Y'know, I've actually considered this....but I wonder what I would do if put in a situation that called for that level of force. I don't know if I could actually draw a weapon....

well, if you are licensed to carry you've been through all the training which would imply the confidence to know what to do....

[Becky]

well, if you are licensed to carry you've been through all the training which would imply the confidence to know what to do....

I've been target shooting since I was little, but I don't have a CWP, and I'm not sure I'd want to face the issue of taking a life. It's more the moral issue than the practical ones....

So hard to know what you'd do until you're actually in a situation.

[Miranda]

Having it is very empowering.

well, if you are licensed to carry you've been through all the training which would imply the confidence to know what to do....

In lieu of things I've encounter this summer (road too besides trail), I've seriously considered this. One of my friends said well, the weapon could potentially be used against you. I assume this is a common question while you are trained, and what to do. From what I know, it's a means of last resort. I think some people assume that if you are a person that carries a weapon, you are some risky fighting person. To me, tactic #1 would be use head, and get out if possible. People I know who are responsible weapon owners are those that really never want to have to use them. Options can be a really good thing. I think being in the situation first hand, one might be surprised at what you are capable of doing. If someone were going to take the life of my children, well, protecting them would be at any cost. The rest I would have to settle up when I met my maker.

[ima_bleeder]

Some of the coolest things I've seen out riding, I only got to see because I was alone. And usually at dusk or at night. A lot of deer, a coyote, more recently a bobcat. So I love riding alone!

But I always try to be prepared, and I ride very cautiously when I'm alone. There are no maps of the trails, so I always ride areas I'm very familiar with, and in a pinch I've got the GPS. I save the technical stuff for rides with friends (and I try to get out with friends whenever I can). I've always got a lot of water and some food, a multi-tool, tube, and pump. As the days start getting shorter, and I'm pushing daylight, I'll start riding with lights. (I should always keep a small emergency light in my pack, but haven't gotten around to replacing the old one). I should also carry some sort of first aid kit ... I'll have to get on that.

I try to be prepared, but I don't spend time worrying about what might happen. I'm most likely to encounter wildlife, and the wildlife doesn't let me get very close, so these encounters are always at a distance. And when I do run across other people they're typically bikers, and there's a decent chance now (after mountain biking in these woods for a few years) that I'll recognize somebody in the group. It's a small town.

And, I'm just not much of a worrier. I try to be prepared, but I'm not happy when I'm worrying. And I like to be a happy person.