Originally Posted by
Eyes Roll
I carry pepper spray. After extensive research, I narrowed it down to POM pepper spray. As a daily bike commuter, for the past 2 years, I always keep it in the front pocket of my safety vest whenever I ride. As crazy as it sounds, I frequently ride 15-plus miles of heavily wooded trails after 9 p.m., a time when I rarely see other pedestrians. (Again, as crazy as it sounds) In addition to the pepper spray, I carry a folding pocket knife at night, for self-defense. While I am not concerned about motorists, I am always prepared to defend myself against a random stranger who might emerge from the trees to try to rob me. My preparation stems from the fact that I am a survivor of armed robbery in the past. Ironically, that incident happened while I was sitting in my parked car in a busy downtown area with lots of people walking nearby.
I am about to order a new POM pepper spray. I've heard they lose their potency after about 2 years.
Is the gel illegal where you live? I carry Sabre gel, because it won't get easily blown by the wind. Also, don't count on your pocket knife as a weapon. I carry one as a tool, but with sweaty hands that thing is gonna slip and cut yourself, and as I mentioned before it carries legal ramifications that you don't want to deal with. If you find yourself in a physical altercation (this assumes de-escalation has failed or not been possible), you want something that will disable your attacker long enough for you to get the duck out of dodge whilst avoiding messy legal consequences.