The topic of pepperspray for personal protection occasionaly comes up in the forums asking about effectiveness and strength. Well, here's a new product that clocks in at 15,000,000 SHU which is the same strength as pure capsaicin (the active ingredient in pepperspray) . Presumably it doesn't get any stronger than this.

http://www.vexor.com/

This is not a Shameless Promotion! Just passing the word along.

Hmmm....I wonder if it works on cagers:)

Warning!!! May God have mercy on you if you screw up and accidentally spray yourself with the stuff! ... Warning!!! I will not take responsibility.

Don't get it mixed up with your lock de-icer. :)

Seriously has anyone trie this or other pepper spray while riding. I have thought about carrying it. Several times kids have said, "I want yourbike," then rushed at me. I didn't feel too threatened--I weigh 230, so it would probably hurt them more than me if they did pull me off the bike--but sometimes I think about it.

Even more for dogs! (the 4 legged ones).

Cant wait to test it.
And I know just the neighborhood to cruise through....
Here fido...here boy...want to chase the big mean cyclist?....come-on boy..

I sprayed a dog with Halt spray once. This spray is nothing like what is being spoken of here - it's pretty mild stuff. Anywho, I was able to point, and spray on the fly with good results. After being struck in the face, the dog stopped its attack, and rubbed its eyes with its paws. The dog didn't bark or yelp, so I don't think it hurt him/her too much, but it was just enough to stop the attack.

The Halt did work, but I still feel bad for the dog. I really wish I could have sprayed the owner for allowing the poor dog to be loose on the streets! I would have used the hard stuff on the owner, though. ;)

From the website, it looks like this is only available to law enforcement, military, security companies, and foreign gov'ts. I am sure there are ways around it.

Yes but I give about a year before it comes out to the general public.

If they do give it to security personal. It can't be far behind for us.

there are several brands of bear repellent on the market now. REI carries one at about $40.00 a can.
Range according to the label 30 ft. Garunteed (did I spell that rgiht?) to stop a grizzly bear. Label also warns that it is not for use on humans. Supposedly it can cause death due to inflamation of mucus membranes. Here is the link http://www.counterassault.com/Bear_D...deterrent.html
IF IT WILL STOP A GRIZZLY most likely it will stop a dog four legged or other.
Mine is velcroed to my top tube, just in case a grizz wanders into town on my daily commute. Grizzly bears can sprint at 30 mph+ and I doubt I could out ride one.
But seriously as has been suggested before, at what point in time do you take defensive action ? That is a tough one. My daily commute takes me through a bad hood into a really bad hood. I do not stop at lights, standing still you are a target.

yeah, no kidding... that'd be some wicked stuff to spray a dog with... guarantee it'd never chase you again

The REI stuff is 1.7%, and the Vexor in the link is 1.45%. The Halt for dogs is 0.35%.

Here in Kansas City, you can purchase o.c. pepper spray from law enforcement uniform and supply stores. And the label says "sold only to law enforcment and security personel only. And I have worked as a armed security officer. However, whenever I walked in to purchase it, they never questioned me. I do believe any resonable looking adult can purchase it over the counter and these places. I even took a one day class in its use, and then gave a class in its use. I carry o.c. pepper spray when I go out on my bicycle, (two legged and four legged dogs, I don't care, I'll use it) Just keep in mind, to let the dog(s) get close withen raange when you spray them, and spray the eyes and mouth. (same with people) . Keep in my the wind factor, so it doesn't blow back in your face. And keep in mind that it might take a couple of seconds for it to affect the subject, so give your self and exit,or some backing up room in case it doesnt work, or their is a delay. Always give yourself and exit. But the odds are, oc. pepper spray will stop a dog attack, or human attack. I have used against dogs successfully.

I started carrying pepper spray when I ran across a group of kids throwing glass bottles at cyclists and the cops declined to respond. I stopped carrying it when I saw it used for the first time, by a rider who sprayed down a dog. Frankly, kids don't deserve that even if they *are* criminals!

Why? What happened to the dog? Gory details please.

It screamed... made a VERY unhappy noise, not at all like any noise I'd ever heard a dog make before. I was moving fairly quickly, so that's about all I know! ;)

My friend was required to get sprayed in the face with pepper spray before he was allowed to carry it (he's in the armed forces).

Does anyone rely on HALT! to stop dogs. Im taking a few cans on a tour and want to know if its really what it says it is.

What is it with American dogs? Brit dogs you can just yell at or outpace.

Depending on where you tour, these products may be illegal. Check first.

--J

I can't speak for rural environments, but in nasty neighborhoods things like pepper spray give people a false sense of security.

If you're talking about wild kids, its not just 1 or 2, it is typically a whole mob. In my neighborhood the MO of kid bikejackers (or cyclist tippers) is to push the cyclist off his bike with one quick shove and then swarm around him and take the bike (if they want it) while he's on the ground. Pepper spray won't help in a situation like that and could instead cause the cyclist to get his ass kicked. And if you do get your hands on one of them you are going to look the jerk for pummeling a 5 foot kid. Its at best a no-win situation.

The best solution is to have some street smarts, avoid riding through groups of kids, and look out for set-ups where you could become a target. I've also found that its not a good idea to ride through sketchy areas dressed like Captain America.

I carried a can of HALT on my recent tour, but never had occasion to use it. Every dog I came across but one responded nicely to a loud "BAD dog! Go home!" and the one dog who didn't proved to be scared of water.

Most crazy dogs in the South are owned by crazy people. Most crazy people in the South own guns. I didn't run across any really aggressive animals until I got south of the Mason-Dixon line, and I'm pretty sure I'm glad I didn't have occasion to mace any of the ones I ran into down there!

A lot of dogs in the US are either trained as "guard" dogs or not trained at all. Also (similar to attitudes toward guns), Yanks don't like anybody, especially gubbermint, telling them what they can do with their dawgs.