Got attacked by a pit bull while biking home from work today. He came silently from behind, overtaking me and making lunging/nipping motions. I braked hard to let him eat my front tire rather than my leg, which worked but of course sent me ass over teakettle (mostly because I was now running over the dog).

After I was down the dog came at me again but I had my pepper spray ready this time -- not even sure if I hit him or just the stream scared him off. A nice motorist stopped to make sure I was OK and offered help, I said I could make it home as I only lived about 1/2 mile away. I'm OK other than a bunch of road rash and having to get a tetanus shot.

I'm not impressed with the cyclist pepper spray. He's a lucky dog, had I not been coming home from work where I can't carry he would have got lead his direction rather than pepper spray.

I also will now never buy anything besides MTB helmets. I was wearing one and hit my head right on the very bottom at the back -- where a MTB helmet covers but a regular one doesn't. Glad I was wearing full gloves today too (cold this morning) as a couple of knuckles got scraped pretty badly, would have been worse if I had the normal fingerless ones.

Bike seems OK other than road rash like myself, and covered in pepper spray (dog was partially under the bike when he was coming at me). I'm glad the new 36h front wheel proved to be strong.

Now I have some decisions to make -- different route now? get a bigger pepper spray? concealed carry to work? try to track down his owners (already filed with police)? forget about it and get on with life? rig up some pannier-mounted flame throwers?