Dogs?

[Flybye]

I always always always always STOP - dogs see things moving and want to chase them - it is instinctual. No movement = not prey = no fun.

[beccaB]

I'll never forget that dog that went in the road to greet me and got literally ran over by a car. I saw it in slow motion frames. I still see it in my mind. It was not a very nice thing to have happen on my birthday. The dog survived, but the car didn't stop.

[arielmoon]

+1. I fractured my pelvis in three places (including a doozy from the outside of my ilium to my sacrum requiring a 6" plate and 4 pins to put back together) when two dogs ran out at me from a 90 degree angle. They did not hit my bike because I sped up out of instinct before they got to me, but my DH (who was a little ways in front of me -- a few feet at least) slowed down, and I plowed right into his rear wheel at speed. Scared the dogs right away, but by then the damage was done.

So...if you're going to try to outrun dogs, make absolutely sure there is no one in front of you who might react differently.

I should also mention that I was reaching for my Halt (pepper spray) right before I crashed -- it was right there in a handlebar holster but couldn't keep me safe in this instance!

YIKES!!!

I think I have scared myself out of this thread too ...LOL

Seriously there are so many ways to get hurt on a bike or whatever. Every time you get in a car there is potential for injury. Just have to think positive and hope for the best!

[Skierchickie]

Last week I was riding on the wide shoulder of a 2-lane highway with a friend. We saw a BIG furry, fierce-looking dog in a yard, who moved like he was coming after us - just as quickly as he charged, he suddenly veered off, and the next moment he was grabbing his big furry bunny toy and standing there looking at us with a goofy look on his face, with bunny arms and legs and ears drooping all over. He was pretty cute. We both went "Aaawww".

[emily_in_nc]

YIKES!!!

I think I have scared myself out of this thread too ...LOL

Seriously there are so many ways to get hurt on a bike or whatever. Every time you get in a car there is potential for injury. Just have to think positive and hope for the best!

Absolutely agreed. My father died in a car accident six months after my bike accident mentioned above, and that kept me off the road with serious fears of vulnerability much longer than my own accident did. Horrible, unexpected things can happen at any time. I was determined, ultimately, not to let fear rule my life. I'm really enjoying riding on the road again and am sorry if my posting about my accident scared anyone unduly! I just wanted to point out one of the possible consequences of trying to outrun a determined dog. That said, I still sprint like crazy if one chases me now -- I just make absolutely sure the road ahead is clear!

There are risks in everything we do, but in most cases, the rewards of doing something we love outweigh them.

[Crankin]

+1 to what Emily said. If we worried about everything, we wouldn't leave our houses!
But, I still dislike dogs on or off the bike. Sorry, animal lovers, but there is nothing that could make me like them. It's not so much fear (although there's a bit of that when a dog is chasing you on the bike), but rather, a feeling of grossness I get when near a dog. It's smell, touch, slobber, barking, etc. I know this is hard for most people to understand, but I've always had this reaction. I'm not a particularly prissy person, but I actually almost gag if I get near certain dogs.
I don't ever mention this to my animal loving friends, but come to think of it, I only have one close friend who has a pet.

[tulip]

+1 to what Emily said. If we worried about everything, we wouldn't leave our houses!
But, I still dislike dogs on or off the bike. Sorry, animal lovers, but there is nothing that could make me like them. It's not so much fear (although there's a bit of that when a dog is chasing you on the bike), but rather, a feeling of grossness I get when near a dog. It's smell, touch, slobber, barking, etc. I know this is hard for most people to understand, but I've always had this reaction. I'm not a particularly prissy person, but I actually almost gag if I get near certain dogs.
I don't ever mention this to my animal loving friends, but come to think of it, I only have one close friend who has a pet.

I get it, Crankin! I feel the same way, but about children!

[Tuckervill]

+1 to what Emily said. If we worried about everything, we wouldn't leave our houses!
But, I still dislike dogs on or off the bike. Sorry, animal lovers, but there is nothing that could make me like them. It's not so much fear (although there's a bit of that when a dog is chasing you on the bike), but rather, a feeling of grossness I get when near a dog. It's smell, touch, slobber, barking, etc. I know this is hard for most people to understand, but I've always had this reaction. I'm not a particularly prissy person, but I actually almost gag if I get near certain dogs.
I don't ever mention this to my animal loving friends, but come to think of it, I only have one close friend who has a pet.

I get it. There was a brief period of time in my life when I felt that way, too. It was during about the first year of life of all of my babies. I wasn't a clean freak by any means, but I just couldn't tolerate mixing up the baby-clean with dog stuff. ick.

Karen

[arielmoon]

Absolutely agreed. My father died in a car accident six months after my bike accident mentioned above, and that kept me off the road with serious fears of vulnerability much longer than my own accident did. Horrible, unexpected things can happen at any time. I was determined, ultimately, not to let fear rule my life. I'm really enjoying riding on the road again and am sorry if my posting about my accident scared anyone unduly! I just wanted to point out one of the possible consequences of trying to outrun a determined dog. That said, I still sprint like crazy if one chases me now -- I just make absolutely sure the road ahead is clear!

There are risks in everything we do, but in most cases, the rewards of doing something we love outweigh them.

Sorry about your father and I TOTALLY AGREE that the risks are worth it.