So my 97LB wife would be SAFER while being assaulted by a 250LB man if she left her Lady S&W at home in the safe. Man, she will be so glad to know that.

Apparently, not all of us reside in the same world.

Well, I do carry stuff to fix flats.

i guess i'd have to hit them with my pannier or backpack

This is nonsense and you are asking about protection? What you should have done is not have watched him stop his car, get out, and come over to assault you, and hauled ass since you have a bike and he is likely an out of shape motorist who cannot go very fast on foot. Pepper spray or a gun are options that you use if you are foolish enough to watch a motorist attempt to assault you, which is bad policy in the first place.

I wrap it on a ziplock bag and put it in an anti slip pocket holster and carry that inside the waistband on the side of my pants, be Lycra, bibs or regular pants. I do wear over size fluorescent nylon shirts that don't let the bulk show. The gun needs to be light to be able to stay put throughout the ride. The ziplock still allows your finger to get in and fire.

There is true evil in this world, and this kind of thinking is naive! Gun carrying is a personal choice that is not for everyone. I decided I'm not going to be a helpless victim in case my life is in danger and I'm not going without a fight. I respect other people's choices as not to carry. God help me see it coming, because if you don't, it would not matter what type of protection you carry! First avoid, but if you can't, fight!

I agree! Better to run and avoid a confrontation than having to defend your self!
Double O

If you see a motorist stop his car to confront you, don't wait, just lose them. Even if you think you can beat them up, do you think you can avoid being seen or getting caught? It is not worth it. The original poster was not distracted and caught by surprise, he just haplessly watched his future attacker approach him, and now asks us on this forum about "protection tools or strategies." It is so stupid, just use your superior agility to lose the motor vehicle. Or use your superior speed to lose the motorist on foot.

I typically carry a pocket knife anywhere I go, though it's much more a tool than a weapon (it's potentially better than nothing in the right situation). On my commuter/touring bike, I have a larger, more-practical-for-self-defense knife in my trunk bag. Along with that, I have my martial arts and defensive tactics training; but fortunately, I've never had call to put any of it to real use.

I removed comments referring to the Zimmerman/Martin case since those belong in the Politics & Religion forum. However, that topic has been banned from P&R because of the volatile subject so you'll have to find another forum to discuss it other than Bike Forums. Thanks for your cooperation with this.

CbadRider
Forum Administrator

The way you reduce the trouble you can have with pepper spray is to practice with it. Buy a couple of extra cans and practice. I used to sell pepper spray. I personaly dont carry anything and I always yell at the jerks.

When a motorist comes running like a gorilla on meth.. be sure to run or you might catch your death.

There is dignity in flight, or the decision to flee.. because if you outrun your villians then you're a racer like me!

Wow, that is a tough one there, real tough. At the moment, what you did or didn't do, could have affected your whole life. IMO, you did the right thing. Others may disagree. It only takes a second of rage for something drastic to happen. Also, if you had some protection, say a gun, it would have escalated greatly.

IMO, I think it took a lot of guts just to watch the guy grab your bike and throw it..It is just a bike.. You stepped in, and it is a life threatening situation now. We read all day of dumb stuff happening, that could have been avoided, and ended bad.

I have been in spots like that before, and I saw what was coming before anyone could get close to me, I retreated. No harm done to me.

Being an older person, and seen what I have seen through the length of my years. You handled it well.

I was wondering this as well and had to go digging. Here's the answer (found on the first page)- https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post15968186.

My preference (in order) handlebar bag, fanny pack holster, shoulder holster (street clothes with a jacket in cooler weather).

here are some basic self defense techniques

A problem I haven't heard addressed yet: Your commute is in a low crime area but local drivers have a hard time tolerating cyclists. You are commuting home and just had an altercation with a motorist who drove like a jerk. You successfully deterred him or protected yourself using your chosen method. Now it would be easy for him to track you on future commute days and exacting significant revenge on you.

The only good solution I see is to not provoke one of them, and be ready to pedal an escape if that didn't work.

I carry a 45 n a fanny pack

The bike is a weapon, you gave your weapon away.

Obviously you want to carry a projectile ejecting weapon, it's your choice, your morals involved, if you do and cause "harm" this "getting others to agree" won't hold up in court.
Carry a phone with a camera, hold it up, it's a modern day gun

In my city, last night a 50+ year old man was going home after having closed his shop. He was walking home with his wife. Carrying money from that day's business. They were attacked by 3 men. Attackers used pepper spray on the woman, one started beating her, while the other two turned to the man.

The man pulled 357, shot the first attacker that came to him 2 times, in the thigh and in the head. The attacker lived (head shot might have been a ricoshet, probably, since it didn kill him). Attackers fled.

Had he not carried the gun, his wife and him would have been beaten up and robbed. Now he's going to 5+ years in prison. Thugs said they were not going to rob him, just wanted to fight.


Point is - if you carry a gun, in a stressful situation you will get scared and use it. Not always wisely (impossible for 99% of people to control themselves when very scared). So I guess it's wiser not to carry. At least in my city. Robbers take money and run - not many people get killed while being robbed where I live. 1 in over 10.000 perhaps.

I rely on judging surroundings, paying attention to people, places, where I go and when, also make sure I don't look like an easy target with lots of cash. AND avoid conflicts at all times - just smile and wave.




Realised I just lied! I almost always carry weapons, but they are in the bacakpack at the rack, or in the panniers. Knife for cutting cable insulation etc, sometimes even gun for practice shooting, but it is not stored in a way to be used for self defence/attack, but in a way to be safe, taking loooooooong time to unpack.

this is how I do it

What City and Country, I can't imagine that happening in the US unless the firearm was carried ileagaly or their is more to the story. In the United States it has been legally determined the the police not only can not protect you but they are not legally bound to protect you. This is because they would be open to lawsuits every time someone was a victim of crime. In the US you have a legal right to protect yourself even with deadly force if it is required

I carry everywhere I go.

I live in Maryland (Silver Spring), a burb of DC. At the beginning of Sept, I started riding all the way to work, which is in Downtown DC, about 20 miles exactly. A large portion of the ride is though trails that run through parks and forests. There are a decent amount of bums living out there, so I carry pepper spray. The rest of the commute isn't bad, although, Mt. Rannier is a little sketchy....

I did have a rather scary experience the other day. I was biking up a decent hill in MD. I was just spinning, maybe going 10mph, and I was in the shoulder. An older mini-van with NY plates pulls up next to me maybe 2 feet away, and starts pacing me. There are three youths inside. This is a two lane road, and fairly quiet. The opposing lane is empty, and these jerkoffs could of easily gone around, but they were clearly messing with me. I wave my arm and yell "What the f are you doing?" The keep on pacing me, and are saying something among themselves. They speed up a little and I take the lane behind them and throw them the bird. They brake and start slowing down and I am thinking "oh crap, get ready to peel off to a side street." One of them throws me the bird and they speed off. I saw a cop coming out of a park two minutes later and I still had eye sight of the van. I should have said something.....but I didn't

I would totally carry a handgun on me if MD and DC would recognize my right to do so. I have a wife and two small kids and I rather enjoy coming home to them every night and personally, I would rather not be a victim.

Exactly. If you put any force to protect yourself, you get sued (by the thugs, or the state). You're supposed to leave your assets to the thieves, because human life is more valuable than material assets. That's what the law says. Even if someone breaks into your house - unless you get attacked, you must not attack the intruder. Just fall back and call the police. Brilliant law... for the thugs.

spyderco for me

Personally, I rather be judged by 12 than carried by six. Also, the courts have ruled that the police are under no obligation to protect you. See Warren v. District of Columbia