10/08/08 Wed RIDES

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It was 35 degrees this morning, but by the time I rode down the hill into town and had some hot oatmeal and latte and started my ride, it was about 40.
Beautiful sunny brisk day!
I dressed just right and had to remove a thin item about halfway through my 14 mile ride.

There's a new dog in a neighborhood I ride through regularly. It's a merle shepherd mix that looks something like this:

This is the second time he's come shooting across his lawn like a bullet, barking angrily and headed right for me. There is no fence and no signs of any invisible fence. It's rather scary. Both times I have screeched to a halt in the road and jumped off my bike and yelled at him BAD DOG! GO HOME!....all the bellowing that I have usually found makes dogs go crawling away. But he just stops and keeps jumping around and barking back at me, staying on his lawn a few yards from me. Every time I move to get back on my bike he gets excited and looks like he's going to resume chasing me. I have to keep yelling at him until he finally gets bored and goes back towards his porch. Then he keeps barking at me even as I ride away down the road. I am really pissed.
I have my pepper spray, but I also think this situation is just not right considering how many kids ride that neighborhood on bikes this dog might be frightening, and women with strollers. The dog is staying on his property but it's scary, him coming from out of nowhere, charging at me and then stopping only a few feet away. I don't know what he would do if I kept riding, him being a shepherd and all. I've known other shepherds who bite people from behind when they are given the chance to chase. I am sure some of the neighbors must be watching and listening to me HOLLERING so loudly at this dog on the road, and perhaps his owners listening from inside their house? I want to make a huge scene and get people disturbed enough to talk to those people, or I will have to take a chance and walk up their driveway (!!) to try to talk to them- or will the dog then attack me if I enter the property and try to go to their door?
I don't think lease laws apply if the dog stays on their property.

[wackyjacky1]

I dunno...I think a leash law would apply anytime a dog is outside but not fenced in. How aggravating for you!

As for my commute, I got yelled at this afternoon by a school crossing guard for not riding my bike on the sidewalk.

[7rider]

If the dog gets that agitated, yet stays on its property, it sounds like they have Invisible Fence. The dog gets zapped if it gets close to the current. So, technically, maybe it is fenced in, but geez, owners....a little courtesy would be nice, especially when there's a cyclist off her bike, yelling at your dog. Sheesh. Bummer about the situation, L. Maybe a knock on their door some day and introductions are in order?
There's a similar situation on our group ride. When a group of 20 cyclists go by, the dog just about has a heart attack, but never crosses the barrier. We call him our "Sprint Motivator".

[Mr. SR500]

I've found it's best to slow down maybe even to a crawl if needed, seems to work better then stopping.

[Crankin]

Maybe you could find out who lives there and call them? I wouldn't want to walk in that yard with the dog barking.
How scary.

[redrhodie]

I had a fun ride. I always see this woman riding the same route I do. I've talked to her before, and today we happened to be riding the same way at the same time, so we rode together. It's so funny, she and I have a similar riding schedule and I think she rides the same distances I usually do. It looks like we're going to ride again soon. Maybe we can inspire each other to find some new roads and ride some more miles, and it will be good to have someone to draft with!

When I left my new friend, I headed back home via my new route, and had some road construction workers yell "atta girl!" at me, which was really pretty cute. It was a fantastic day with little wind, lots of sunshine, and not much traffic. Excellent ride!

BSG, I hope you manage to work out your dog troubles. I haven't had to deal with that, so no advice, just good luck!

[cycling_sarah]

I had a fun ride today with the company of redrhodie and am looking forward to more! Friends definitely make the time/miles go by fast!

As for dogs, I've been lucky and just slow way down to go past any loose ones, so I'm not sure what to do in the above situation.

[jesvetmed]

Cool you two met up!

Had a very nice ride this afternoon -- sunny, cool and beautiful. My usual longer loop (when I say longer, I mean 22 ).

Our weather is CHANGING so fast! The chill is definitely here. Had to wear the foot covers and long thick riding tights. My ears were still chilled.
Great day! I LOVE the fall!

Jes

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yes i love the fall too- the BEST biking weather!!

I love being able to wear my wooley layers again, and not having sunscreen dripping down my sweaty neck like icing. (eeeeeewwwwww......)

I like riding over the dancing dry leaves that go skittering across the road.

[skhill]

My Wednesday bike adventure has no dogs, but a little teeny kitten...

I dashed over to my neighborhood hardware store on the bike to pick up a couple little things. Right inside the door was a box of kittens needing homes. Now, I've been thinking all summer that it might be time to get another cat, after having one die over the winter-- but I thought it would be an older cat from the humane society. But I fell in love with this little kitten... She's black, with a white belly, face, and feet...

She rode home in my trunk bag. If I may interpret the kitten remarks I heard from the back of the bike: "mew mew" means "hi there my name is Betsy" and "MEW MEW MEW!!!!!!" means "cats don't ride bikes!"

And I've already caught her trying to climb up the front wheel of my bike, where it's parked in my living room...

[TrekTheKaty]

OK, maybe we don't need a Thursday ride post--but mine went well! I've been taking it easy--tapering for my century this weekend. However, DH coaxed me out onto our neighborhood "Hill" ride this morning. I swore I would hang back and bail before the big hills he planned on tackling later. There are three stoplights out and back on the 16 mile ride (6 total). This is usually where he waits for me, or at the top of the big hills. I rolled up to the first light and he was surprised to see me. I rolled up to the second light and he said, "You're riding fast today." I told him I wasn't--I was taking it easy in the middle chain ring. He made a face and said he was riding hard and he didn't wait long for me. GREEN light. At the third light, he was again surprised to see me roll up so quickly. Again, I told him I was saving my legs by downshifting earlier on the hills--even going into my smallest chainring BEFORE arriving at the biggest hills--I had noticed he wasn't disappearing over the top like usual.

When we reached our separation point he invited me along--nope I'm headed back. He said, "OK, we've got a good average pace going--let's go back."

Once we are off the Highway-Outer-Road and in the safety of the neighborhoods he usually dumps me, and tries to make it to the house and out of the shower before I roll into the driveway--but he was standing in the driveway clipping off his helmet!

Easy is faster. Who knew? I'm sure I read it in a book somewhere. My BIL always tell me I downshift too early on hills. DH insists that was my fastest ride yet--technically it is a tie but my HR was an average of 2 beats lower. YEAH!