How many of you carry Pepper Spray/Mace as part of your cycling gear?

[stone61cm]

I read electric meters for a living and as you can imagine, I come across many dogs. We use Halt and it has never failed to work for me and so I carry it with me on my bike. I've never actually used it off the bike, tho....hard to do when you're trying to outsprint a 150lb pitbull who looks like he could swallow my bike and **** out my big ring without a care.

Did actually have a dog try to get me when I was walking my bike once...I was carrying my cleated shoes and used em as little clubs....worked rather well.

 

[lookitsabike]

Hi!

I don`t carry any pepper spray or a club with me when riding on my bike.Instead of speeding up and thus making myself an even more attractive prey to the dogs hunting after me I just stop and calmly wait how they behave. Most dogs come close and after inspecting me and my bike they bark a few times because they want to provoke me to move on so they can keep hunting the fleeing prey.But I just rest and wait untill they`re overcome by disinterest and leave on their own. Then I move on slowly. The more aggressive ones are shouted at loudly(which hurts their ears) and if they still insist in digging their teeth into my flesh I have to use some Kung Fu to get their respect (and sometimes that of the animal`s rabid owner who didn`t call the dog back and even wants to support it killing a cyclist ).

 

[EoinC]

Okay, First results are in...

Sample size is too small. Crawl back out there and find another one.

 

[EoinC]

Once witnessed an event where a jogger (whose dog wasn't on a leash) kicked a rottweiler (that was on a leash) because it was "threatening his dog"...

Reminds me of an incident many years ago when I took my dog out for a run. We went down to a footy field and this bloke and his son turned up with a greyhound to excercise. He did a rant about said dog and basically told me to take my dog and bugger off so that he could get down to serious business with his 4-legged investment.
There wasn't much to be gained by hanging around down there, so I headed off with my dog up a hill that looked out over the field. We'd just got up to the top when matey and son started excercising the hotshot. Instead of running the length of the field to chase down whatever sonny boy was waving, achilles decided to do a right angle turn and come up the hill for some fun and hijinks.
I've got to admit, this dog was pretty fast. It came barrelling up the path, slobbering and panting. Back home, greyhounds have to wear muzzles out in public, but this one was sans mouthpiece and looked like it may not have had the most honourable intentions for my dog. I waited at the top with my dog, and was lining up to swing a kick at danger-dog's cavorting cranium.
Dad & Dave were, meanwhile, yelling and panting their way up the hill behind.
As our favourite racer came onto the final stretch, it showed no sign of slowing down.....until it suffered a heart attack and fell over dead about 10 feet in front of me.
Dad & Dave were not thrilled, but their star was **** over longer distances.

 

[EoinC]

I own a small bike shop...If the dog is really viscious and you cannot manage to outrun it, and somehow it forces you off your bike be sure to put the bike in between you and the dog for protection...

Your just hoping the dog will eat the bike and you'll get to sell me a new one

 

[Peka]

Re: hitting an attacking dog with your frame pump

Big dogs won't notice if you hit or kick them. If you're going to use your frame pump to defend yourself against an attacking dog, across the top of the snout is the one place where they will feel it. I know it sounds cruel, and it's something I've never had to do, but if it's a choice between you or the dog.....

 

[wheelist]

I'd like to try the frame pump experiment but I use a CO2 pump. I don't think the blast from that would be very effective. I could try to throw a cartridge at the dog but those things cost damn near 3 bucks a piece. Besides, My hand-eye coordination sux which is one of the reasons I ride. Furthermore, I can't believe people actually still carry frame pumps. I never see them in any of the LBS's around here and with the way that the better bikes are designed these days, there's hardly a place on the bike to put one. If you've got a frame pump I have to wonder if the bike was made when the earth was young and dinosaurs roamed it (out of the primordial ooze sprang the first bicycle and it has a frame pump . Does the bike have wooden rims too? Just thought I'd be a smart-ass.

Ah. No frame pump eh?

Well, in this situation my advice would be to place the CO2 cannister vertically in the dogs mouth, such that it provides maximum support (to avoid compression) and thereby prevents the dog from biting.

Obviously this might take a little practise, but I'm sure it'll work.

Well done to those amongst you who have already been out gathering useful data on the frame-pump technique.

Keep on reporting.

p.s. Could someone tell me how to remove splinters. I just got one whilst changing my tube.

 

[shannons dad]

Ah. No frame pump eh?

Well, in this situation my advice would be to place the CO2 cannister vertically in the dogs mouth, such that it provides maximum support (to avoid compression) and thereby prevents the dog from biting.

Obviously this might take a little practise, but I'm sure it'll work.

Well done to those amongst you who have already been out gathering useful data on the frame-pump technique.

Keep on reporting.

p.s. Could someone tell me how to remove splinters. I just got one whilst changing my tube.

You got a splinter changing a tube? How? Is your bike made of wood?

 

[EoinC]

...Well, in this situation my advice would be to place the CO2 cannister vertically in the dogs mouth, such that it provides maximum support (to avoid compression) and thereby prevents the dog from biting.

Obviously this might take a little practise, but I'm sure it'll work. ...

It worked in Jaws. Watch out for those wooden rims. They can be nasty if they're not well sanded.

 

[wheelist]

It worked in Jaws. Watch out for those wooden rims. They can be nasty if they're not well sanded.

They had Rottweilers in Jaws?

Oh, I see, you're referring to the shark/cannister incident. Good point. It worked real well there.

And this gives us a second line of defence: If the cannister in the mouth doesn't prevent the dog from attacking you (with its feet or something)(or maybe just giving you a nasty stare) then pull out your rifle and shoot the cannister.

Now, I imagine there are some of you that are going to question my logic here: why not use the gun to shoot the dog first and save the cannister for the tube?

Well, that would just be cruel, wouldn't it?

 

[wheelist]

I've just remembered this pearl of advice in case of dog attack....

If you're being bitten by a dog and it won't let go, stick your finger up its ****.

Apparently this will loosen its jaw.

A mate of mine told me this the other day when we were discussing my dog. He asked if I'd ever stuck my finger up its ****. I was like: WTF dude?

I suggested he stick his finger up the dog's **** and see what happens.

 

[huhenio]

I've just remembered this pearl of advice in case of dog attack....

If you're being bitten by a dog and it won't let go, stick your finger up its ****.

Apparently this will loosen its jaw.

A mate of mine told me this the other day when we were discussing my dog. He asked if I'd ever stuck my finger up its ****. I was like: WTF dude?

I suggested he stick his finger up the dog's **** and see what happens.

Remind him to take your dog for a nice romantic walk, buy him some treats, and a belly rub first.

 

[EoinC]

... Now, I imagine there are some of you that are going to question my logic here: why not use the gun to shoot the dog first and save the cannister for the tube?...

Because it doesn't make for such a good movie?

 

[EoinC]

I've just remembered this pearl of advice in case of dog attack....

If you're being bitten by a dog and it won't let go, stick your finger up its ****.

Apparently this will loosen its jaw...

It's not really to loosen its jaw - It's just something to do while you're filling in time waiting for the dog to let go.

 

[wheelist]

It's not really to loosen its jaw - It's just something to do while you're filling in time waiting for the dog to let go.

ROFL.

Has anyone tried this? (apart from EoinC?)

 

[EoinC]

ROFL.

Has anyone tried this? (apart from EoinC?)

It's actually quite difficult to do. My tip - You can make it a lot easier by stopping and getting off the bike first.

 

[lehowe0]

I started carrying Halt over the weekend. I did not see any dogs except for really peaceful ones. It made me a little more confident though, just knowing I had it with me.

In the past, I have been intimidated by some big mean country dogs, but I ranged wide this weekend, didn't see a one.

 

[wheelist]

In the past, I have been intimidated by some big mean country dogs, but I ranged wide this weekend, didn't see a one.

I know what you mean. It can be both intimidating and depressing to be passed by a dog on a bike. Especially if it's a Jack Russel on a 10-speed.
A stick in the wheels usually does the trick for me, but I'll try Halt next time.

 

[huhenio]

A chocolate lab passed me on a recumbent the other day .... damn recumbent riders!!

 

[EoinC]

A chocolate lab passed me on a recumbent the other day .... damn recumbent riders!!

Sounds like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. What experimentation do they carry out in a chocolate lab?