Originally Posted by Duragrouch

Don't misunderstand some comments. Those women did damned outstanding with the resources they had. Nevertheless, this can be a learning moment, just like many other bike mishaps or breakdowns in the middle of nowhere where you didn't have the right tool or spare and thereafter decided to carry such tool or spare. In this case, I don't want to overreact and recommend heavy artillery, but a 3.5" fixed blade knife might have been helpful, legal to carry, and very light. Also, with the advantage of prior thought and a few seconds between sight and attack, it might be good to lift the bike to put it between you and the cougar, one of the wheels in front of your face. When the local police in my city are standing guard against potential violence (in both directions) alongside protest marches, they are all bike police, standing behind their bikes, and I would bet they are trained to use the bike in a defensive manner.