Got shot at

[Irulan]

I have noticed that the high-vis I've seen on roadies can blend right into the fall foliage this time of year. I do think I'm going to invest in some "hunter orange" for either my helmet or camelbak. I also like the idea of bear bells. DH would not ride with me if I had something like that, but I would be glad for them when riding alone.

Hunter orange usually isn't much of an investment. There is a lot of cheap stuff out there. You can also put streamers of orange surveyor tape on your helmet and pack.

[limewave]

I guess it worked. I never got shot except while on a road ride.

Seriously. It totally wouldn't phase me to get shot at on a road ride, I expect that kind of crap. But on the trail . . . that's my sanctuary!

[Bike Writer]

Wow limewave, glad you didn't get hurt and that woulda scared the bejezus out of me. In the last couple weeks of dirt road riding I've heard shots in the distance but these were on large parcels of land (200+ acres) that were agricultural and wooded and something to be expected in those areas. People who hunt that private land are hunters in the know who don't shoot toward roads, rivers or streams.

From the sounds of your encounter you had yahoo hunters out there popping off willy nilly in any direction and that's beyond scary, it can be deadly. At Island Lake State Park it is posted in the trail head parking lot that trails cross through hunting land and I haven't been out on those paths or roads since small game season opened. Last year riding through that park I came across bow hunters in the woods and on the roads I saw hunters walking with .22's down the road back to their vehicle. I go to neighboring Kensington Metropark where there is no hunting allowed, I was there tonight and felt very safe.

Glad you and DH escaped with no injury.

[zoom-zoom]

Lime and I rode together today and no one shot at us--WIN!

BTW, that was really fun. I'll be riding in that park lots more, methinks!

And I am finding bruises in places I didn't know I landed on...ow!

[limewave]

It was pretty awesome riding yesterday and not having to worry about being someone's target practice Zoom-Zoom, thanks for inviting me a long.

And, ahem, Zoom rode over her first log pile on only her second time out on the trail. I saw it, I'm a witness!

[zoom-zoom]

And, ahem, Zoom rode over her first log pile on only her second time out on the trail. I saw it, I'm a witness!

And I said whoohooo when I did it. But I'm not touching that big one, yet...that thing is scary!

[Reesha]

Dh really wants to have a gun for "protection." He is not a hunter at all, can't stand the idea of hurting an animal. There's been a lot of shootings in a neighboring city. I've pointed out that a lot of those seem to be gang/drug-related. But there has also been a lot of home break-ins--at night, when the families are home. I think that some good "motion-sensor" lights and dead bolts would be a better investment. I'm adamantly against guns. But, I also had a close childhood friend killed in a gun incident by a dumb*ss with a rifle. I hate guns.

I absolutely concur about the gun issue... especially keep one at home. I live in the city of St. Louis and while our reputation precedes us as a city, it's never as violent as people imagine. Most of the crime is non-violent, and break ins usually happen when no one is home. Our local police captain advised us to invest in security measures-- motion sensing flood lights, high fences around yard, long steel plates for your door jambs (see below-- a lot of my neighbors have door security pro).