getting frustrated....help please

[caligirl2]

hi, i am a newb to the cycling world. here in northern california we have "bob cats" and "mountain lions" out on our bike trails.

i have been told to be more afraid of man than beast...ok i get it. i have also been told that bob cats are more likely to run off and are shy. well....i have seen many a bob cat in the last few weeks. yeah, they are cute and all that, but the ones i have come across are definately not shy. they stare me down and do not run away.

then to boot, i have seen many men on our trail walking or riding, who dont necessarily look like the exercise type if you know what i mean, and they heckle as i ride by.

i am getting so angry at all these things, why cant a women just go out and ride her bike and feel safe. it makes me mad, it is a free country i want to enjoy it too. i just feel so many negatives...but i love riding my bike and love the results on my body too.

do any of you gals share this frustration sometimes? i carry my pepper spray, cell and id....i feel like i need a gun sometimes. not fair!!!!

ok...had to vent, thanks for listening to me.

 

[parawolf]

Okay, I never want to live in the USA if this is the way you feel going for a ride...

 

[bikelet]

Hmm i'm in aus too and things aren't always rosy but they aren't that bad...maybe you should ride somewhere with more traffic- theory is ppl are less likely to abuse if there are witnesses around. Although i sometimes think it's best if noone at all is around. Can't guarantee that. I hate how guys can be like that. You don't get taken seriously just cos ur a good looking girl. I think looking professional, fast and aggressive is as good a deterrent as any...you can't help it and thinking about it makes you angry, i think it's good to be positive. Possibly find a riding buddy or dog that likes running (maybe savaging a few bob cats/dodgy men lol)

 

[caligirl2]

parawolf: I love the good ole USA, but jerks are everywhere...just needing to vent. cant do it in front of my kids.


bikelet: thanks, your right about looking fast and professional, i am new so i am not to fast yet....i will get there though.

i am still working on a riding buddy, but it seems to be challenge for my mom friends, and besides alot of my friends are very overweight, i am the skinny one.

thanks for listening

 

[matagi]

Are there any riding groups nearby that you could hook up with? It makes it easier to improve as well, if you have others to "chase".

Yeah, there are jerks everywhere - I'm in Australia as well (like the other two) and I ride on rural roads but I'm happy to say the only problems I've had with heckling males is the usual stupid stuff teenage males yell out of car windows.

Regarding the bobcats, maybe you should talk to a local wildlife person and get some information about bobcats so you can recognise their behaviour patterns when you see them on the trails.

 

[OldGoat]

Bobcats are shy and rarely seen. Odd that they don't run off when you approach. Mountain lions are truely dangerous and have been known to kill and eat runners, cyclists and hikers. Plus, they can run faster than you can pedal....Be sure you know the difference!

Sorry you are bothered by ...well, let's call them what they are....jerks!....on your rides. The suggestion that you find yourself a group to ride with is, I think, a good one. Your LBS should be able to help; ask them!

Around here, all we have to worry about is bears, coyotes, fishers, foxes, raccoons, shunks, and the occasional deer crossing in front of you while at speed on a major downhill.

 

[caligirl2]

OldGoat:

Thanks for your response and Yes, I totally know the differences between the 2 cats....studied alot of it online. Mountain lions are my worst fear for sure and not even sure if pepper spray would even help with them.

I wish the "hecklers" would be more repectful, but to be honest they are never on a bike. the male riders are usually polite as they whiz by.

I will be asking around for some bike groups, Thanks for your advice!

 

[OldGoat]

A fun read for you:
"The Beast in the Garden" by David Baron, about mountain lions returning the the area around Boulder Colorado. And what happened when they did.

http://www.beastinthegarden.com/

 

[caligirl2]

A fun read for you:
"The Beast in the Garden" by David Baron, about mountain lions returning the the area around Boulder Colorado. And what happened when they did.

http://www.beastinthegarden.com/

Thanks OldGoat, I may have to check this one out!

 

[Nitefeatherz]

Bobcats SHOULD run away when you approach. The fact that the ones you encounter don't means they have lost their fear of people. That makes me suspect someone is feeding them. (Probably because everyone thinks they're cute and fuzzy and they ARE- until they bite you/scratch you.)

Is there a different route you can take? Try riding somewhere else? Or perhaps a different time of day when the path is more crowded?

I have never had to really worry about what might happen to me on my route. Where I live it is so crowded my main concern (and reason for going 14mph) is due to all the little kids that zoom out in front of my bike at the last second because Mom or Dad is in la-la land.

 

[Clairelouise84]

Yes, I get this a fair amount and it stinks, and there have been more than a few times that the other half has had to calm me down and stop me from picking a fist fight with a guy twice my size! I stopped about three weeks ago, got off my bike and went right up to the two guys, I know it was not smart but I was so tired of it, they did shut up though. It is just so frustrating and I completely feel for you because who the hell are they to speak to you like that? No one. But the best advice I can give is to always remember that the people giving you abuse are morons.