# Do any of you ladies carry pepper spray?



## XtremelyYellow (Aug 15, 2010)

So, I've been riding the local trails since May, and mostly ride with a guy friend of mine. Unfortunately he doesn't like to ride as much as I do. One of the trails near my house seems very safe and I ride there by myself often. Being a girl in a boys sport I get approached by guys in the parking lot often, and while most of the time it seems harmless, I have been getting a little creeped out by one in particular. So I just purchased pepper spray that mounts on the bike, just in case (you can never be too careful) and wondered if anyone else rides with it for the same reason.


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

Ugh - that's really annoying.

I've never carried anything, but can't blame you if you have someone who is making you nervous at the trailhead.


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## WickedGood (Aug 19, 2008)

Stuff like that only perpetuates fear. Spraying a guy with pepper spray because he's a desperate loser who can't take a hint is a symptom of our society today. I refuse to buy into the whole fear mongering thing ---On the trails or in the city.


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

WickedGood said:


> Stuff like that only perpetuates fear. Spraying a guy with pepper spray because he's a desperate loser who can't take a hint is a symptom of our society today. I refuse to buy into the whole fear mongering thing ---On the trails or in the city.


I'd agree if her internal alarms weren't going off, but they are. Giving in to unfounded fear is to stop riding because of what might happen when you're alone. Listening to one's instincts, and giving yourself the resources to continue enjoying your activities, is self-reliance.


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

catzilla said:


> I'd agree if her internal alarms weren't going off, but they are. Giving in to unfounded fear is to stop riding because of what might happen when you're alone. Listening to one's instincts, and giving yourself the resources to continue enjoying your activities, is self-reliance.


Well said.

I don't see how it's perpetuating fear. In my experience, things you do to ensure your own safety (whether it's carrying pepper spray or developing self defense skills) builds confidence, not fear.

In my first post, I certainly didn't mean that she should pepper spray a harmless guy because he flirted with her in the parking lot - even if he is too socially inept to take a hint and does it repeatedly. But if she's worried he might not be harmless after all, it's better to have a plan than to ignore your instincts.


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## chuky (Apr 3, 2005)

It is amazing what a "Hey dude, you are really creeping me out" can do, too.


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## SuperKat (Mar 27, 2005)

I'd be careful with that mounted on your bike.


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## csimkunas6 (Dec 6, 2010)

I personally have never carried it with me, but cant blame you at all for doing so! I think its a good idea actually!


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## osmarandsara (Jun 26, 2006)

From a guy's perspective I think gals need to empower themselves if out riding alone especially in remote trails.....So whether its pepper spray, a pocket knife, self defense, or a pit bull its all fine, but to ride thinking there's no crazies out there is wishful thinking....

But telling a guy to FO is probably the most direct way (so I've heard  )


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## tokulgnome (Dec 1, 2010)

Even better - I carry bear spray! But I'm always riding alone in very remote areas. Doubt I will ever have to use it but it lets me focus on riding and not on evading potential threats (human or animal). :thumbsup:


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## Hard Rain (Jan 29, 2010)

tokulgnome said:


> Even better - I carry bear spray! But I'm always riding alone in very remote areas. Doubt I will ever have to use it but it lets me focus on riding and not on evading potential threats (human or animal). :thumbsup:


As a guy, I have wondered about carrying bear spray for years to ward off war dogs while riding my bike on lonely country roads. But recently, I have discovered a much better solution. My wife and I have a small cat that we started calling "the little fella" (spoken in a high-pitched voice emphasizing the LI in little). Our sensitive cat responds very affectionately to this calling. So one day I tried this on a charging German sheppard while riding in the country. It worked! The dog stopped charging, put its tail between its leg and wandered back home. Time and time again, I have tried this and it works every time on many different dog breeds, although I must admit that I have not yet tried it on some of the more vicious war dogs (e.g. rottweiler, great dane). Anyway, I used to shout "Go Home" in a loud voice and that almost never worked so I like my new approach way better.

I won't speculate on how well the "Little Fella" calling might work on some burly guy in the parking lot but ya never know!


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## larlev (Feb 22, 2009)

My wife carries pepper spray and a tazer. It's really my idea, but the last thing I would EVER want is for her to need to use it.
She's been trained in both...there are crazy people out there. I don't want the love of my life and best friend to ever be in a situation where she didn't have some sort of protection.

I will say she does not ride alone...ever.


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## larlev (Feb 22, 2009)

XtremelyYellow said:


> So, I've been riding the local trails since May, and mostly ride with a guy friend of mine. Unfortunately he doesn't like to ride as much as I do. One of the trails near my house seems very safe and I ride there by myself often. Being a girl in a boys sport I get approached by guys in the parking lot often, and while most of the time it seems harmless, I have been getting a little creeped out by one in particular. So I just purchased pepper spray that mounts on the bike, just in case (you can never be too careful) and wondered if anyone else rides with it for the same reason.


I'm a guy and I say...yes. Protect yourself at all times. I for one say to treat people as "bad" until proven otherwise. I know this is not the most fun way to live, but watch the news on any given night and you will see it happens all too often to totally innocent people like yourself.
All it takes is 1 time....

What's sad is the "creepy" guy is probably harmless....it's the normal nice guy that can be the real bad one.


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## godsang (May 24, 2010)

I have pepper spray on my key chain, but I don't know what would be a good way to carry it mt biking. I have often thought about that. I often ride alone, and during the winter I ride after dark. 

I used to go jogging and was bothered by dogs. I bought pepper spray for that reason and ended up having to use it on dogs two separate times. It was hooked through my hand with velcro and also had my house key attached to it. If I took it with me biking, I suppose I could carry it in my pocket, but then I'd have a hard time taking it out if a dog attacked me while I was riding. Keeping it in my pocket would work fine if a creepy character bothered me in the parking lot though. 

I'd keep it out of sight and only take it out if I really thought I was going to have to use it.


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## 1993gsxr907 (Sep 12, 2010)

FYI 
GET HIS PLATE NUMBER/type of car/what he looks like/etc.... if you can. tell someone you know that license plate number and knows when you go for a ride. 
Sort of a hey I'm going for a ride I'll call you in 2 hours...
Your personal safety is #1 

Also if you can buy a Glock ...


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## rallyraid (Jun 12, 2007)

Always test the effective range of your pepper spray, it only shoots out so far. In a windy day, the spray may also spray back at you. Fox Labs pepper sprays are held in high regards as far as getting people to stop whatever that they were doing, from what I've read. Not all pepper sprays are created equal. Better yet, Fox Labs offers a spray with green tint that cannot be washed off the assailant once sprayed.

I've used pepper spray on aggressive dogs twice, it always comes in handy.


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## alkemyst (Sep 30, 2009)

Fox is the best spray vs man out there...arguably everything. Sabre is a nice compromise if your chick has to have it be pink (don't ask).

Replace every 3 years. It's always a good idea to go to a large open area (do not do this indoors) and do a test fire.

Actually on YouTube there are videos where cops and other big burly guys easily dismiss regular pepper spray and then try a hit from Fox. It drops them flat, many start projectile vomiting even. 

They do a test where an officer has his gun about 6' in front of him. The idea is you just got hit with pepperspray and dropped your gun. The goal is to retrieve the gun quickly and re-control the situation.

They do it usually fine with anything other than the Fox spray.


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## Sorebuttbiker (May 1, 2011)

For everyone advocating pepper spray that is fine. The main thing if you are going to carry pepper spray is you need to experience it yourself. Everyone reacts differently to it and you need to know how you would react if it blew back in your face. For most people it is loss of vision, flow of mucous from the nose, strong burning and sometimes but not often vomiting and difficulty breathing. Imagine going through that and having that creepy guy who didn't get any on him at all now with a strong advantage. 

When I went through the academy, (yes, former law enforcement) we had to take a strong shot in each eye and then fight and detain an unaffected person. Myself, I did not suffer any vision problems (but the rest really was unpleasant) so I was able to get through the task but a lot of others could not do it. The point was to know your limit and be able to act accordingly even if that means not carrying OC.

So if you must carry it, you need to give yourself a taste so you know what to expect. If you are susceptible to the effects, you cannot "power through". It's all involuntary response. The last thing you want to do is to make yourself a victim.


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## alkemyst (Sep 30, 2009)

I'd guarantee with Fox 5.3 you be pretty incapacitated. Run of the mill pepper spray is usually not too effective against someone not wanting to back down. It's like a house alarm, many will run...some will try to grab as much as they can and run out the back when the police show up.


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## Sorebuttbiker (May 1, 2011)

alkemyst said:


> I'd guarantee with Fox 5.3 you be pretty incapacitated. Run of the mill pepper spray is usually not too effective against someone not wanting to back down. It's like a house alarm, many will run...some will try to grab as much as they can and run out the back when the police show up.


It isn't any stronger than what we use in law enforcement. In fact, Fox is one of several suppliers of OC spray to law enforcement. I had the strongest stuff in existence sprayed into my eyeholes. It wasn't fun, but it didn't incapacitate me either. Thank God no one has said to carry a gun.

The best thing to do is to maintain situational awareness and not make yourself a victim. If there is a creepy guy and there are other people, you go to the other people and strike up a conversation. That not only creates witnesses but also shows the creepy guy you aren't by yourself. If you are alone you can always snap a photo of him and his car and send it to a friend. You can make that obvious if you want or not. Either way, now there is a trail of information for law enforcement to follow should the unthinkable happen. I hate paranoia like the next person, but there is nothing wrong with caution.

Follow your instincts but just remember the most prolific victimizers look like everyday people, not sweaty balding creeps wearing plastic pedophile glasses and driving a white windowless van.


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## alkemyst (Sep 30, 2009)

Not trying to start a major debate, but unless it was labeled Fox 5.3 it wasn't equivalent really and I have yet to meet even major jarheads that could take it...there is more powerful stuff out there supposedly, most products are designed so if you light the suspect up with a taser he doesn't go combustable.

If you truly weren't incapacitated you are probably one in a few million of people and that would have a very big value to security firms.


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## Sorebuttbiker (May 1, 2011)

alkemyst said:


> Not trying to start a major debate, but unless it was labeled Fox 5.3 it wasn't equivalent really and I have yet to meet even major jarheads that could take it...there is more powerful stuff out there supposedly, most products are designed so if you light the suspect up with a taser he doesn't go combustable.
> 
> If you truly weren't incapacitated you are probably one in a few million of people and that would have a very big value to security firms.


Fox 5.3 is a brand, not the gold standard that others wish they were. There are many different manufacturers of OC spray. There really is no debate, I was on the job and have been through it in training and the real world . There are plenty of people who do not get incapacitated by OC, especially if they are on something. There are also people who are unaffected by Tazers. I didn't say I didn't get incapacitated, I said I am able to see and get the job done. It still sucks and I could think of many better things I could be doing but at least I knew I was going to go home that night. Flamability is a function of the propellant, not the OC itself.


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## alkemyst (Sep 30, 2009)

Sorebuttbiker said:


> It wasn't fun, but it didn't incapacitate me either. Thank God no one has said to carry a gun.





Sorebuttbiker said:


> I didn't say I didn't get incapacitated


sounds like you are making it up as you go.

I am guessing you are one of those guys that claim they have been shot and that didn't affect them either.

Maybe you have a big S on your chest?


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## Sorebuttbiker (May 1, 2011)

alkemyst said:


> sounds like you are making it up as you go.
> 
> I am guessing you are one of those guys that claim they have been shot and that didn't affect them either.
> 
> Maybe you have a big S on your chest?


Ha Ha, fair enough. Bad use of wording, but lord knows we all strive for and achieve communicative perfection on the interweb don't we?

To clarify, I was able to function, so to me I was not incapacitated and I'll own my poor use of the wording. It still sucked, it still burned, I still had mucous flowing from every orifice but I could still see. That is the important part, seeing. Nothing is being made up as I go along. I have a lot of pride in what I did during my time in law enforcement along with my time in the military and no internet strangers will take that from me. Nice try though.

Anyway, enough derailing the OP's post. My point stills stands, no one should use something like this unless they fully understand it and have at least some idea what to expect if it get on them and not the intended target.


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## 510667 (Oct 13, 2010)

I've been considering this, but for use against dogs mainly - having just been used as a chew toy by a pit-bull mix while riding on a gravel road in a local park. Thankfully he didn't manage to knock me over so it was just on my calf and not more vital parts... I am starting to lean more in the direction of a hand-held air horn instead - don't have to worry about what direction the wind might be blowing.

As far as the OP's question, all I can say is that years ago I had need to use pepper spray against a male assailant, and it didn't phase him. He was so high that I doubt any chemical would have gotten his attention. Doesn't mean it wouldn't have worked in another situation.


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