yote223

I was not speaking directly to her. My apologies if taken wrong. I was speaking of society as a whole.
As for dogs, Milk Bones do wonders. Just carry some of the little ones and toss a few out when Fido comes a running.

downtube42

I don't think anybody can tell you what level of risk is acceptable to you; that's a personal choice. We can tell you what we think are the most likely scenarios and how to prepare and handle them.

40+ years and who knows how many miles, and here are the things that have actually happened to me.

1. Flat tires. Several. More than several.
2. Chased by dogs. Several
3. Yelled/honked at by motorists.
4. Two flat tires on the same ride.

These things happened once:
- Bottom bracket unscrewed itself (darn French BB). I phoned for a ride. I could have walked the 10 miles in 3 hours, but I was too lazy.
- Three flat tires on the same ride
- Crashed by a dog (rode home)
- Crashed on a fast descent. (Good samaritan drove me to the hospital. A cell phone would not have helped).
- Crashed on a wet curve (finished the ride).

All of my crashes - every one - was my fault for riding too aggressively for the conditions (even the dog crash). So assuming you are not as stupid as me, my experience would suggest you'll have flat tires, be chased by dogs, and have motorists honk and yell at you. Be prepared for those, and you're prepared for the most likely events. Add a cell phone and the ability to walk home if needed, and you're pretty darn covered.

The real risk of being harmed by ill intentioned humans is difficult for us to judge. Knowing the area helps, knowing safe places as Machka suggests helps. Ultimately that's going to be your choice; I only hope your decision can be based on actual risks rather than overblown risks.

muzpuf

RIGHT all alone on a country road and pull out your soon to be stolen 600.00 cell phone

Deal4Fuji

Machka I realize now I overlooked the fact that this forum is international and 911 service is not available everywhere. All great points above. Another self defense option that is now available for less than $50 is a tazer or stun-gun. I don't think I promote a culture of fear in my family, but we do try to have situational awareness. Don't expect the worst in people, but know that it is always a possibility and try to have a plan if you find yourself in a bad situation.

Deal4Fuji

So what's your bike worth ?

Machka 

Many areas do have an emergency number, but I can tell you that if you felt the need to contact emergency services from a country area of Australia (the country where I live now), and if you dialed 911, you would not get emergency services. I'm not sure what you would get, but it wouldn't be what you are after. Down here the emergency services number is "Triple Zero" ... 000.

But even if you do know the emergency number for your area (it can vary ... even rural areas within North America may not use 911), and even if your phone did have service, we are talking about cycling in country/rural areas here. It could be a long time before emergency services got to you. Help is not likely to be pulling up within 5 or 10 minutes.

Until just recently, I lived for 4 years in the state of Victoria (here in Australia), approx. 100 km north of Melbourne just within the Great Dividing Range mountains, where the nearest "large" town was 2500 people, mobile phone service was not guaranteed (especially if wind was blowing or there was cloud cover) and emergency services were not necessarily quick. The First Aid course I took there was the outdoor survival course. They didn't even offer the city version I took last month now that I live in Hobart. The presumption in rural Victoria was that you'd better be able to help yourself or the people with you for at least an hour. If help arrived before that, great. But it might not.


And regarding any sort of weaponry ... tasars, pepper sprays, etc. ... again, this is an international forum. These things are not necessarily allowed everywhere. You'd want to check the legality of tasars and pepper sprays before rushing out to get them. I'm not sure where the OP is from, so I'm not sure what's legal and what's not where she is.


But one of the things I like about cycling in rural areas (and I've done quite a lot of it over 24+ years) is that there are often a lot of really nice people out there. When you start to get to know the people in your rural neighbourhood, they tend to give you more room on the roads and slow down to wave, they'll call out friendly greetings from their yards, they'll call off their dogs when you go by ... and if you run into trouble, they'll be there to help.

Deal4Fuji

In the case of a personal confrontation I was never expecting help to arrive in time to "save the day", but most people realize that everything that is said to 911 is being recorded. So a description of who's confronting you and the vehicle they're in is "on record". The time to get on the phone is before the confrontation...that's fairly common knowledge here in the US and could make a bad guy think twice about initiating any contact. Naturally, be doing this while fleeing but I'd make sure they see me pull out a phone and dialing.

Machka 

This is the Triple Zero site:
Triple Zero (000)
Triple Zero (000)

And some information regarding placing the call via mobile phone:
Calling Triple Zero from a mobile | ACMA


I'm guessing that jencyclist70 might be British ... in which case the number would be 999 or maybe 112.


NOTE: I am NOT saying that a person should not bring a mobile phone on a ride ... they can be useful sometimes. I'm just saying that we should not put our whole dependence on them. They aren't necessarily all that reliable ... especially in rural conditions.

ratdog

Great idea, reward the dog for chasing the bike.....very thoughtful of you.

yote223

I have made a number of K9 friends with that method. I learned it from my Uncle who was a Letter Carrier for 40+ years. Skip the psycology lesson.

suzcruzrides

There are a lot of interesting comments here, let me add my two cents worth. I just started seriously biking last year & only had 3 months of summer to do so. I live in a small city where you can be in the country surrounded by fields & farms in less than 10 mins. Even though I don't have a diagnosis of anxiety I would find myself getting very anxious as I was getting prepared to go for a ride. Most of my riding at first has been within city limits while I got comfortable on the bike. We have a "bike path" which crosses many streets (frequent stops), I encounter elderly out for a stroll, women with strollers and/or dogs, kids playing in the middle of the path, joggers & other cyclists. When I approach someone from behind I always alert them ("on your left!") but they turn & give me dirty looks like how dare I be on the bike path on a bike! LOL!

This year I too want to get out in the countryside, get in more miles, etc. The way our area is, we have signs on the side of the roads that say "Share The Road". At any time, you can come upon an Amish horse & buggy, cyclists, joggers, walkers, skiers training on roller blades, etc. & of course on those narrow country roads there is no shoulder.
Another hazard is wildlife. We often encounter moose, deer or bears crossing the road in front of us at will. I've already come way too close to a mother bear & cubs while I was walking on a nature path!
Sometimes my husband goes with me but 99% of the time I am alone. With all of these obstacles, my biggest fear is being hit or crashing & injuring myself.
All of these things could deter me from riding but once I'm out there for a few minutes I relax a little. I still stay very much alert & aware of my surroundings, but the anxiety dissipates.

jencyclist70 - if you could find someone to ride with you a few times on those longer rides until you get comfortable with the road & your surroundings it may help ease your anxiety. There is comfort in familiarity. My husband rode with me a few times in one area then I ventured out on my own & felt more comfortable once I was familiar with that area. I hope you can be at peace with this & get back to the joy of cycling...afterall that's what it's all about....

eja_ bottecchia

Put a CL ad? Seriously? That's an open invitation to every weirdo and creep out there.

Nay on the CL ad.

Asking around at the local bike shops is a far better idea.

I am a man and I have 3 daughters, two who ride and one who runs. As men, we sometimes forget the anxiety that women often feel when they engage in activities that potentially place them at risk. To the OP, my suggestion to you is that you look for self defense courses taught specifically for women. Check with your local college and/or police department.

having the confidence that comes from knowing how to defend yourself may relive some of your anxiety. Also, become familiar with basic bike maintenance, including how to quickly change a flat tire. That will also make you more comfortable on your rides alone.

Good luck to you and happy riding!

sknhgy 

Mentally, I concentrated on my ride. As long as I was cruising along I didn't feel spooked. I only felt spooked when I stopped, at night, in the middle of nowhere.
We recently moved from a very rural area. I often rode alone, at night.
I made sure my bike wouldn't break down. I strongly recommend you put Mr. Tuffies in your tires. They are better than flat-proof tires. Even better than Schwalbe Marathons. And they are easier to fix if you do get a flat.
I stayed ON the more heavily travel roads. More likely to get help if needed.
I used HALT because people there felt their dogs deserved to run loose, even though it was against the law.
Being out riding alone, on a quiet night, with no one around was a most excellent feeling.

Little Darwin

I had never thought of that, it is an interesting idea. My mind always wanders when I consider new ideas... Would a dog then see a bicyclist as a friend, or as a potential source of food if chased? My guess is no harm either way, so why not choose the positive approach?

I usually ride rail trails, so dogs aren't typically an issue, but I may have to have a few doggy treats on hand during road rides now.

ratdog

Nobody cares how many dogs you make friends with, it's the behavior you are reinforcing that the next cyclist has to deal with. Perhaps you should think about that before you hand out your advice and dog biscuits.

CbadRider

I did some clean up and deleted the gun comments, since we all know those belong in the P&R forum. Carry on.

CbadRider
Forum Admin

halcyon100

I agree 100%. This strategy has worked well for me over the last 20 years.

yote223

That's ok ratdog, It's thinking like that is what keeps me out of nyc or any other big city. Gotta go now. It's time to go watch some paint dry.

P.S. ratdog fyi, I've been raising and breeding Hunting Labradors for almost 30 yrs. So I have forgotten more about behavior reinforcement in dogs than you will EVER know. The paint is waiting.

sandy79

so when discussing Anxiety while biking alone
even to mention that choosing to use CC protection to ease Anxiety while biking alone is not permitted
But allowing the advice of "place a craig's list ad for a riding partner" is perfectly ok

Little Darwin

I am not currently a moderator, but I remember times in the past when gun threads became so numerous that many forums had a thread or two on guns. I remember several threads specifically started to discuss what guns to carry in one specific forum. So the decision was made to limit those discussions to a particular area to keep things civil. Some topics arouse so much ire (from both sides) that it makes sense to keep them limited to certain areas of the site where that type of debate is expected.

In the case of guns, some threads quickly descended into a gun thread, ignoring the initial post after someone mentions a gun... While possibly valuableto cyclists, "discussing" gun rights/dangers/responsibilities more easily fits into the P&R forum.

KJL

Jumping in a little late in the thread but here are my suggestions. Wear a mirror on helmet or sunglasses (nice to know whats coming) - Use music to put you at ease. Cellphone - even if shut off knowing it's there eases anxiety of being stranded. Dogs... My advice is talk to them as soon as you see they are coming. If they look aggressive and get close enough squirt them with bottle. Always carry 2 tubes, patch kit, Co2 inflation with pump back up, basic tool combo and a tail light, small front light and five $1 Bills in case you bonk and can find a gas station or vending machine (all this does fit in my bag). This is my standard solo riding in the hicks kit. I ride in some very rural areas - usually alone and many times out of cell coverage. In terms of being a female - pepper spray in jersey pocket, maybe take some basic self defense classes. And remember 98.9% of people are decent so the odds are with you!

Machka 

What are they?

KJL

One dollar bills in case the vending machine only takes singles.

muzpuf

lol you must be married

muzpuf

agreed anti-gun and anti-abortion nuts will venomously attack those who do not agree with their cause I would hate to see a thread about a SUV driving pro abortion gun owner who did not believe in global warming