A little nervous...

[Grits]

It won't help you today, but in the boating section at somewhere like Walmart, you can get a very small marine air horn that is incredibly loud. I got one after several incidents with dogs, and it worked. I kept it either in my bento bag or tucked between the strap on my bento bag and my top tube, but that scratched the paint. They cost about $8.00

[redrhodie]

Good luck! You'll do great!

[Catrin]

Lol. I am so laughing at the idea of chain mail leggings. In a good way mind you, I bet you would work up some SERIOUS hill climbing legs, so all dogs would stop in awe of you calves. Heck I bet riders would stop in amazement and wonder of their sheer awesomeness.

Shannon

Hmmmm, new meaning to "calves of steel"

It won't help you today, but in the boating section at somewhere like Walmart, you can get a very small marine air horn that is incredibly loud. I got one after several incidents with dogs, and it worked. I kept it either in my bento bag or tucked between the strap on my bento bag and my top tube, but that scratched the paint. They cost about $8.00

I LIKE this idea, certainly better than a chemical spray. I will check it out - I already have a bento bag that I can move from my LHT...

[Catrin]

Nice little ride tonight between the rain drops - and nary a dog in sight! I think it was due to a surprise that arrived in the mail right before I went out for my ride - a wool jersey that I thought was gone. There was a note in the pocket that told me it had returned to protect me from pit bulls

[redrhodie]

Yay, you got it! I didn't wear it, and I kept thinking I should send it back to you. The dog bite was the thing that got me to the PO!

[Catrin]

Yay, you got it! I didn't wear it, and I kept thinking I should send it back to you. The dog bite was the thing that got me to the PO!

I was getting ready to send you a PM, but it was just too sweet so I HAD to say something about it here See, it protected me from other dogs from attacking me! Of course, I was in a park where I am in more danger of deer running in front of me but that is another story...


Tomorrow night I hope to hit my country roads, but I have to be at work at 6am Friday to staff an information booth at the official Ride to Work center downtown so I may have to stick with the park again.

[emily_in_nc]

So glad your ride went fine! I was so scared to get back on the road after I had my crash due to dogs running out at me, but a few successful rides without incident gave me my confidence back. Over the years since then I've had to blow the air horn at chasing dogs a couple of times, and I even had a tiny dog run out super fast and go right between my wheels so quickly I just hung on for dear life and managed to stay upright (dog was fine too). I've found over time that my paranoia about another dog incident has gradually faded away, and yours will too.

Good for you for getting back on the "horse", so to speak!