Daoooo

damn, where do you all live? i never have this problem in monmouth, NJ.

mjdwyer23

I'm in oak ridge TN for the summer. nice scenery, bad drivers

LungRider

Frame pumps can work very well for this also.

You can also lift your bike between you and an assailant defensively to good effect.

If you see the incident coming, like you see the arm coming out the window in your mirror or something, try to spray the car with your dog spray/mace as it goes by. These products are dye tagged, most dyes will stick to most cars for a couple weeks, and this greatly aids identifying the vehicle if it leaves the scene. Of all the mace I've used, the vast majority has ended up on vehicles rather than people.

Carry your cell phones and for ****'s sake call the police when someone hits you. When talking to the cops, a description of the car is OK; a description and part of the plate number is good; and the full plate is great. Most officers I know (and I know a lot of them, in four states) will regard a car-on-bike collision just as seriously as a vehicular collision involving injuries. If you are injured, even superficially with minor road rash, tell them you are injured, and the priority of the call gets bumped up a notch. When the car leaves the scene most cops will bend over backwards to turn the report into an arrest. Take advantage of that.

If you tell the dispatcher you talk to on the phone that you "want to see an officer here at the scene," they will respond.

None of this is ever going to happen if you don't make the report. I know an occasional cop won't take any complainant seriously, and I know some departments are just overwhelmed, but the vast majority of the units are going to be on your side. Most of the people who hit cyclists could benefit from a serious moving violation on their record, hundreds of bucks worth of citations, and perhaps a little jail time. They won't be deterred from nailing the next rider if you don't do something about it when they tag you.

poopypants

Excellent point ... where do I get mace from?

LungRider

You can get capiscum spray (aka pepper spray, dog spray, and somewhat less properly "mace") from most LBS. Other likely outlets are outdoor equipment stores (bear spray is capiscum spray on steroids), police supply stores (check under "police," "security," or "law enforcement" in the yellow pages), sporting goods departments at big box retailers, and firearms retailers. The latter, especially if the shop is geared toward selling defensive handguns, is an excellent place to find the stuff. Look for the largest concentration of oleoresin capiscum in the ingredients that you can find.

Also pick up some capiscum-specific wipes to remove the stuff in case of mishap. They should be sold at the same place.

Buy two canisters. Use one for test firing, keep the other for use in emergencies. You really need to know how the stuff fires - with what force, how much range, what the spray pattern is - before you need it in a pinch. Be careful; don't let the wind blow it back into your face. If the wind does blow it back, close your eyes to slits so you can barely see, and very slowly breathe out, until all the red mist has passed. Under no circumstances should you breathe in while the mist is around you. If you get some on your hands or face, don't touch your eyes.

Keep a canister for one year, then buy a new one. Use the old canister for more practice firing, then throw it out. The canisters do not last forever - the propellant can slowly leak away (leaving you unexpectedly helpless in a pinch), and old canisters can leak the red gunk all over you if they fail.

Be aware that in many jurisdictions this spray is treated as a weapon, so act responsibly. Spray a person with insufficient reason and you will probably be prosecuted for aggravated assault. But if you tag a car with it, at worst you will get a misdemeanor for property damage or vandalism or something - and anyone can live that down. (But tell the police you were trying to spray the person swinging a bottle at you through the window, and you probably won't even have to deal with that.) Some tactical advice: never brandish it or threaten with it. If you draw your spray in anger, use it immediately. A big part of the effectiveness of this stuff (when used against humans) is the element of surprise. If people see it coming, they can close their mouth and eyes, and avoid the worst of it.

Oh, and one final thing. This stuff has absolutely no effect on birds. I mention this just in case you get into a tangle with a violent emu. And no, I really don't want to talk about it.

Longshanks

One of us was killed just last month in a rural road in southern MD, run down from the rear by a kid, pot & beer in the car, my concern is it's not a matter of how it's going to happen, just when and will I survive? Get well, be safe

galen_52657

The drunks can get you know matter what you do. You could be up on the sidewalk leaving a theater and get whacked by a drunk driver. Being on a bike may increase your chances, but it's still a case of plain old bad luck.

With regard to getting run off the road, side-swiped or hit by passing cars, I have never had this happen in 19 years of cycling. I have had cars and trucks come to close for comfort, or swerve over at me when they are half-way passed me on purpose but knock on wood, I have never been hit. I have had things thrown at me and been yelled at, and had several confrontations with hillbillies, but thats it.

I think part of the reason is that I ride 18"-24" or so left of the white line, unless there is a full shoulder in good condition. I don't use a mirror but I look back to let cars know I know they are comming up behind me. People will do all kinds of crazy crap if they think you don't see them. But once they know you know...they think better of it.