Riding Solo - staying safe

[Catrin]

Pepper spray doesn't necessarily work - don't ask me how I know - but I know from experience. Nothing wrong with having it but it is good to keep that in mind.

I ride solo most of the time, both trail and road, and have no weapon with me. I won't go armed, for lots of complex reasons that don't matter to this discussion. I do need to get back to letting someone know where I am planning to go though.

[kamikazejane]

I wish I lived in a gun-friendly state. Best thing I did was take firearm classes - fun and it may just save my life one day. I hope you find the perfect holster soon, and trust me, they're out there. There are many women who pack heat even at the gym, so they must have a sweat-proof holster.

Agreed. Best class I have ever taken as well. Well worth it and totally believe in the right to carry for personal protection. To many loonies out there these days. Stinks your state isn't so friendly. I did check out those links and saw some stuff that might work so thank you. Appreciate it.

[colorisnt]

Can't recommend going to the range and asking some questions enough. My Dad carries on his bike as do some people I ride with. When I get my carry permit, I will look into it. An older guy I used to ride with says that it is really a good idea for a girl like me to have on me. One thing I worry a lot about is getting accosted when I am stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere. If I can outrun someone, I have a chance, but in road shoes, that isn't likely.

When I was a kid, Jill Berhman was killed. She was a student at my alma mater. She was abducted while out cycling. Ever since then, my mother has worried incessantly about me going out. The good news is if I am out too long, my roommate will know. Before when I lived alone that wasn't an option.

[tulip]

geeez, I hardly said anything at all. My apologies.

No apologies necessary, I get that you were expressing a personal opinion. But remember that to you that comment may be hardly anything at all, but to others it might be a really big something. I've been on these boards long enough to know that these sorts of things can escalate and get pretty ugly in no time. We try, with only limited success, to keep things neutral as much as possible, that's all. Otherwise it's just no fun, and what's the point of that?

[Crankin]

I won't even enter the above discussion, but I must say I rarely feel unsafe or creeped out when I ride alone. I live in a suburb that's a little rural, but there's tons of riders around, houses, and cars. I have my phone and I generally let someone know what route I'm going on if I'm alone. I used to live a little further west of here when I started riding, but again, even though it was a little more sparse, not like rural in other parts of the country.
The most creeped out I have ever felt is when I was riding with DH and our friends in Barre/Hubbardston, MA, which is very rural. We were on the way back to our car and tired. DH and my friend's DH were ahead, I was in the middle, and my friend far behind. I couldn't see any of them, although DH was not that far ahead. A pick up came by and 2 creepy guys yelled out, "Nice azz." It was disconcerting, but when I got to where DH was waiting, he informed me they yelled the same thing to him and the other male! Equal opportunity, I guess.
I don't live in fear and won't let it rule my life. Cyclists are all over on the roads here. I also don't put myself in stupid situations, like walking around Harvard Square at 3 AM... 2 rapes in the past 10 days. Yeah, well, don't hang out in the city at 3 AM.

[Bethany1]

Are there better places for you to ride so you don't feel the need to carry a weapon? I would hate to spend every ride wondering if this was the day I needed to use a gun.

It's hard enough for me having Generalized Anxiety Disorder and fighting the need to stuff a pack full of everything "just in case" everyday when in reality it's all good. Adding a weapon would be too much for my mental health.

Also, since I'm bipolar, I'm not legally allowed to carry/own a weapon so it hasn't been an issue.

[DarcyInOregon]

In all of my years of cyling, and in different state, both urban and rural, humans with violent tendancies were never a cause for alarm. Instead:

1) Bike around a curve on a rural road and there is a brush fire with flames leaping as high as my bike and the asphalt of the road is bubbling under my tires. Solution - sprint.

2) Bike down a steep hill. In the opposite lane was a pickup carrying a load of old washing machines, driving up the hill. Behind me I heard the mechanical crashing noises of washing machines falling out of the truck and bouncing down the hill towards me. Solution - sprint.

3) Biking on a rural road. Speeding towards me in the opposite lane is a large farm truck with high sides in the back, billowing smoke over the top of the cab. The truck makes a sharp turn to its right, into a farmyard, and the side silhouette shows me that the contents of the back of the truck are in flames, with the flames shooting high. The truck slams to a stop in the farmyard, and the driver gets out and runs. One quick glance shows me that the fire engulfed vehicle parked next to a propane tank. Solution - sprint.

My motto is to bike light and be able to sprint when necessary.

[TrekDianna]

I usually do a close by MTB trail alone or with my partner. Alone though for the last week since she had a knee replaced on Wednesday. I am used to crashing and coming home bleeding, but a couple of recent incidents have me being a bit more careful. The first one...at the top of a climb I hit a rut that was under some tall grass that was laying down and I fell. There was gravel embedded in my knee and and lots of blood. No problem though - one of the reasons I love this trail is the 1.5 mile downhill then flat then downhill again. It's about 3.5-4 miles back to where I parked. As I started the downhill with blood droplets flying off, I suddenly remembered the cougar-killed deer that had been there for a week or so (only vultures eating now). I hoped the cougar wasn't in the area and didn't feel like chasing wounded prey. They second incident was last night on the same downhill stretch when I came around a corner and almost hit a deer. I think I need to sing while I ride. Usually it's just bunny-hopping over snakes though and nothing poisonous here.

[Wasp]

It has never occurred to me to carry a gun while cycling. I've never felt unsafe on any of my rides. The worst thing that's happened so far, was on one occasion being chased by a not so nice Pitt bull. And on another ride alone on a trail I encountered a deer on the side of the trail. I carry a whistle, so I stopped and used it thinking it would scare the deer, but the deer had other ideas and started trotting towards me. Obviously I turned around and started pedaling and the deer trotted behind me (just like a dog..lol) for acouple Km's. I ended up having to take the long way home that day!.
Seriously I can't imagine living in a area that I'm so concerned and afraid for my well being that carrying a gun would be the solution, never mind a loaded gun. Maybe you need to move?

[Crankin]

Yeah, I wanted to say that, too.
I have deer and turkeys crossing my property routinely. I must say I was a little "shocked," earlier in the summer when I was starting on one of my early AM rides. To leave my house, I have to go up a short rise in the driveway, which crests and flattens out before you go down about 600 feet to the street. Right when I got to the top, at the flat part a deer jumped across the driveway, scaring the sh*t out of me. It was kind of lit up like a picture by my headlight and it also triggered my neighbor's motion sensor lights to go on.
A little adrenaline at 4:50 in the morning.

[redrhodie]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mickey-shun...9#.UC-D-KEtE9w

I saw this story on one of the morning shows today. Very sad. Weapons were involved.

[Tri Girl]

You can only do everything you know to do to be safe. Otherwise, it's out of your hands.
Mickey's murder makes me so sad. She fought as hard as she could, but it wasn't enough.
Could be any one of us in her situation (riding home alone in the dark- I do it). Scary, yes, but it won't stop me from riding my bike. When it's my time to go, it's my time to go and I'd rather it be on my bike doing something I love than from obesity sitting on the couch.

I stay as aware as I can- always looking around and keeping an eye on things. Carry my cell phone, let my hubs know the route I'm taking, check in periodically. It's all we really can do. I'm afraid to carry mace or a weapon (for my own safety). I'm so clumsy and don't react well in panic situations. I'm afraid I would mace myself or shoot myself instead of a predator. I do carry one of these while running, tho. I fully expect that one day I will stab myself unintentionally.

[velo]

I'm thankful that where I live is not so unsafe that I need to think about arming myself. Really, if it were to that degree, something more drastic would have to change. Mostly, I think that as solo female riders, we can take reasonable precautions and that was what I was really thinking about.

I like the idea of having a trackable GPS. We still have dumb phones, so I'll have to explore that as an option. Varying times and routes seems like smart, reasonable precautions to take, too. As I said, I do a lot to stay safe and always stay aware of my surroundings.

While I want to stay safe, I will not let any worries dampen my enjoyment and enthusiasm. I think if I felt so unsafe that I had to think about firearms, I wouldn't ride solo at all. It would take any joy out of riding.

[LovelyGirl]

Lots of thought-provoking responses to the OP on this thread! In turn, it has made me think more about the subject as I read the responses. The more I turn it over in my mind, the simple fact is: victims of violent crime didn't expect to BE victims of violent crime. Otherwise, they would not have been at that place or doing that activity or trusting that person. So, what happens if you can't just simply avoid an evil person?

I know people who have been attacked in broad daylight in grocery store parking lots in "nice" parts of town, and maybe you do, too. The undertone of some of the posts is that it is overkill or paranoid of a woman to be legally carrying a gun. Well, I don't know, is that really a fair statement? I know that it is highly unlikely that my house will burn down, but I have smoke detectors. I know that odds are I will complete my errands without being in a car accident, but I still wear a seat belt every time I go. I don't think that makes me paranoid. I think it makes me prepared.

Fear of firearms is also expressed - I might shoot myself, etc. I have big, huge kitchen knives that assist me to whip up a mean dinner for DH when he walks in the door. Do I worry that they are potentially lethal weapons and that I might hurt myself using them? No. Because I'm careful, responsible, and I know how to use the knives. And I feel the same way about my own gun. I'm careful, responsible and I know exactly how to use it.

The OP's original statement was this:" But I would want to do everything in my power to ensure my safety." We owe her an honest response. However we personally feel about guns, they are the great equalizer. A gun in the hands of a 75 year old woman makes her more powerful than a 20 year old violent man. Just like any other potentially dangerous tool we use (cars, knives, chemicals, etc), we need to know how to use them properly and safely and obey the laws that govern them.

The goal of my response is to provoke further thought and not emotional responses. 2012 was the year I had to confront my thoughts about firearms (never having had one or wanted one or needed one before). I realize a gun isn't the answer for everyone, but let's do try to consider all of our options to keep ourselves safe.

[shootingstar]

The latest I've cycled at night was around midnight which was pretty rare for me.

But then again, the local cycling group here, goes out for casual bike rides that end at midnight at least once a month....if this gives anyone any idea in our city...of 1 million people.

There are rural areas outside of our city, where one would worry more about bears and deer ..than human beings on trails or road. However I agree, that precautions for personal safety off and on bike are always necessary.

Note: it's illegal in Canada to have a concealed handgun. It's been like this for ....decades.