pepper spray, cell phone etc
 

I have not heard this discussed much and a quick search did not reveal what I'm hunting. Is there a good way to mount your pepper spray where it is quickly available. I have carried mine in the back of a bike jersy but with only one jersy iIdont always have it clean and ready to go. Also, I find it a little hard to get out quickly when I'm worried about tha dog that just came streaking out at me. Also, a nice phone holder would be nice (for when it is nice and sunny out). So in short, what are some good options for mounting pepper spray, cell phone etc on the bars or somewhere else so it/they will be quickly accesable? BTW, my bike is the trek 520 with standard drop bars but I may change to some trekking bars or something similar. I'm guessing it should be easy enough to switch the stuff over from one style bar to another.

Thanks,
Coy Boy

My wife uses one of these on her bike & it is quite useful:

http://trisports.com/benbakis.html

However, the positioning of the velcro closure doesn't accomodate oddly-shaped items so we're going to have to add another piece of velcro or put a strap on it.

On my Lemond road bike I have held a small can of pepper spray to the seat post with a velcro strap. I have attached a cell phone to the stem with Topeak cellphone case and a velcro strap. In touring mode you could use a Bento box to hold some things, like a cell phone.

A far better way of dealing with the vast majority of dogs is to stop and yell, in a lowered but loud voice, "No!" If they keep coming (99% will stop when you do), use the bike to smack them in the nose...a very sensitive organ in a dog. If that doesn't work, a well placed hard kick to the side (they have bones that can break) will take care of the rest. There might be 3 dogs in the US that don't respond to any of this but your likelihood of running across them is next to zero;)

I've found, in the vast number of cases, that when I stop, the dogs will run up for a pet. Most of them are just good dogs that like to run...and we provide a slower opportunity then cars.

The rational behind this is that dogs like to chase things. It's part of their predatory background but if you stop running, the chase becomes a battle which they want to avoid. Dogs are also cowards by selection and breeding. We humans don't tolerate a dog that shows enough aggression to attack us. If they do, we destroy them. The true killer instinct...the kind that you'd find in wolves...thus doesn't survive to be passed on to other generations.

I've run across one dog in 30 years of touring urban and rural areas that didn't respond to the "No!" command. The front wheel across his nose sent him packing!

You've obviously never been through Newark. Though I do respect your experience and largely agree, there are some dogs running free that are conditioned to attack and kill and will do so or die trying. Not good dogs at all ... very bad dogs!

thanks for the tips. the bento box might work below my top tube but my stem dont look tall enough to fit over. my lg 520 has a wide space under the top tube and over sloping one. might be a little more difficult to get stuf out quickly mounted under. a velcro mount on the seat tube or top tube might work too. on the stopping and hollering at the dog. It might work most of the time but I had one german shepard actuall bit my leg when i slowed down (befor i could get off the bike). fortunatly it wasnt a hard bit and did not break the skinn but it did bruise my thigh a little. Once it took a nip and i hollerd real loud he/she left me alone. I dont think i completly stopped but I cant remember that detail now. that was last fall and I have not ridden by that house since. I can avoid it but taking the next road over so i just do that. but at another house I usually ride by it just as i top the mountain so I'm real tard (give out) when i get her. 2 dogs nearly alwasy give chace and they are large dogs. I holler and they quite as soon as i get on past but I'm afraid i will wreck as they pass by right in front of me so i thought I'd just use the pepper spray and break them once and for all. might help the next cyclist who happens by. I'll bet there are some mounts that would fit on a belt like police use. but I am usually in sweat pants or gym shorts when riding so that might not work either. Now I need to get another can cause I often ride while the wife is gone and the only one I have right now is in her purse. I will keep exploring my options and maybe try the stopping and hollering tecnique.

Coy Boy

I've had good luck with the "stop and yell/thump" method of dealing with dogs, and agree that most are just in it for sport. That said, I also carry a small can of pepper spray (don't use regular mace, pepper spray works much better) on my handlebar stem. I use a sturdy rubber band and it hold the can perpendicular to the stem, then loop the rubber band around the bottom side of the stem and around each end of the pepper spray. Very secure, plus all I have to do is grab and pull and it comes right off. Yeah, you'll loose the rubber band but if things have gotten so bad that I have to pull it then the rubber band is not a big concern.

Another consideration is to make sure you get a pepper spray that shoots a stream of juice instead of a fog/spray...cycling with one eye closed and the other blurring can be a bit challenging.

Good luck!
Sam

Living where the breeze is usually 15-20mph, pepper spray is not for me. If I were lucky I'd be cycling semi-blind, if not, I'd be lying on the road dripping snot while Fido chewed my leg off.

How about a belt pouch made for the cannister wire tied to the bars or frame?

I bought a clip at Nashbar for holding a can of halt to the handlebars. I think it was a buck fifty or so...

like this: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/p...e_id=9196&v=1s

I keep a Red Bull sized can of pepper spray attached with a Jannd pump strap sitting just above the front derailluer;

a little practice and it's naturally quick to draw out, as easy as a water bottle.

Besides yelling 'no!' we've also used the phrase 'get of the couch!' Seems to work 99% of the time!
Pepperspray: was a mailman and had to use pepper spray a couple times. Careful, the stuff'll blow back in your face. Even had one huge dog that actrually liked the stuff!
Stoppping/dismounting the bike also works; keep bike between you and the beast.
Cellphone? Don't own or want to own one: too intrusive!

Yup.

Cell phone cases & small camera cases are cheap - $5.00 or so - at places like Best Buy. Could easily be attached wherever you wish w/ zip ties or velcro straps.

Thanks, that looks like what I was hunting. I may order one. I'll try the ruberband idea sam mentioned first. I went for a short 12 mile ride yesterday afternoon. Waiting for the wind to die down a little but it was still windy. Anyways I went on a road I have not been on in a while. I had 2 dogs from one yard and 3 from the other side chacing me at one point (all size dogs too). I decided to stop and see what happened. they all just sat down and kept barking. I walked my bike on past because I figgured getting back on would trigger more chacing. Then on down the road just a bit a small dog gave chace. I stopped again. he sat down and continued his barking. The lady of the house came on her out on her porch and hollered that he wont bit. I said OK, I'll be gone an a second. Just didnt want to run over him. Anyways, as windy as it was and with several around at the first stop, it would have been hard to use the spray. I had it handy in my jacket pocket though and in my hand as I stopped both times. Thanks for all the responces and tips. much appreciated. I'm not sure how much I trust just stopping but it did seem to work. I think I'll keep the spray handay in any case. If on a slight downhill I might just sped up but it seems like I see more dogs when I'm going uphill.

Coy Boy

Yea, like talking and driving a car talking on a cell is not bad enough....do it on a bike. But it's not really intrusive if you turn it off and just have it along for emergencies. I keep my on and if I get a call I find a good place to stop before answering. It is often my wife who came in after I left wondering when I'll be home or someting similar. But I also like to ride awhile and take a break where I have coverage because I dont have good reception at my house. So I use the bike ride to get to coverage...

I used to carried a can of Halt clip to the side of my handlebar bag or in the brake or shifter cables.Now I used plain old water if need it and since that morning in the Nac. Forest when "Mama bear" came out to the sweet smell of my Oatmeal I like to carried a 38 cal handgun, but I havent. I wont know how to operated one!!!! :=>

DOG WHISTLE? The high pitch can not be heard by humans but it will give dogs fits. Beats spraying and kicking.

I have a small panic alarm, the kind women carry on their key chains, I put self stick velcro on the back and a peice of velcro on my bar bag. It has a pin you can pull that activates the shrill warbling alarm, when a dog gets close to nipping at my heels, I pull the pin.....so far it's worked great, the dog slams on the brakes and backs off quickly, by the time he recovers I'm long gone. The alarm can also be used as intended as a panic alarm, or a bicycle theft alarm by tying a string to the pin and the other end to a tent stake etc.

These small marine warning horns work too. http://www.falconsignalhorns.com/pro...x?productid=91 You can find them in the sporting goods or boating sections big box stores, too. The models that are activated by a button on top of the horn are a lot easier to use than ones where you have to tilt the whole horn.

They attach nicely to the bars with a halt holder from Bike Nashbar http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm