Going to war/school

[RockofStrength]

Lol..my wife is having a facebook fight with some girl she knows who thinks bikes should stay on the sidewalk. I for one cant ride my bike 25 mph+ on the sidewalk. I honestly run into more idiot drivers than I do dogs, chipmunks, and rabbits combined.

Sidewalk? I'm just happy to see a road without 100 chuckholes if its paved at all

 

[jmiller676]

Sidewalk? I'm just happy to see a road without 100 chuckholes if its paved at all

Good ol' country!

 

[Jack Ryan]

Yeah, by gassing them, I've trained most of the dogs along my route not to chase me, or to at least keep a good distance The problem with living in the country is that there's always new dogs brought in.





In some several thousand miles of riding my 7 mile daily route, I've never encountered anything but dogs. At least once a week out of 4-5 rides a week, I get chased. About once a month a new dog comes close enough to get gassed. Had my boots nipped at twice before I started carrying ammonia. I did startle a deer once, but she ran off well before I got near. I dodge turtles occasionally, but I'm not too worried about getting chased by them

Yep, dogs, snakes, turtles, once in a while I'll see a deer but it's no where near anything I could call an "incident". I've probably been riding bicycles 50 years and NEVER once had a dog do any more than run along side and bark threateningly.

I stop and pick up the turtles and put them across in the direction they are heading, snakes too. I swear people hit them on purpose.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Thanks to the guys who pepper spray, squirt or even BB gun them if you want, it's fine by me if mine are down by the road. 999 times out of 1000 if mine is down by the road it means I'm down by the road. It's a county road, people from half the county is seems come to walk, bike, ride their horse what ever on the road in front of my house any more. They drive there to park by the road and get out and walk up and down the stupid road in front of my house.

If there's something about it they don't like, get back in the car and go walk on the road in front of your own house. It's a 35 or 40 MPH speed limit and morons drive 60+ up and down it day and night like it's a drag way. They've hit and killed dogs at every house on the road, only a miracle has kept the fools in cars and trucks from killing the fools who think it's a walk park in the middle of the road.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Lol..my wife is having a facebook fight with some girl she knows who thinks bikes should stay on the sidewalk. I for one cant ride my bike 25 mph+ on the sidewalk. I honestly run into more idiot drivers than I do dogs, chipmunks, and rabbits combined.

I can't agree with keeping them on the sidewalk, most places there isn't even a sidewalk but I'll say bicyclist and JOGGERS in the middle of the road, it should be legal to just run them down.

Especially when you get a whole gang of joggers blocking the whole road. They don't just move when a car is coming, no they block the road until you are slowed to a crawl behing them honking then waddle over like they are doing you a big favor letting you drive a car on their jogging track. Half the time those idiots ARE on a street with a sidewalk on both sides the fools are running in the middle of the street.

 

[MrsXtremeVel]

I was out taking a walk one morning and a large rottweiler charged at me. The owners were screaming at him and he ignored them of course. The dog ran across a field to get to me. There was no where for me to go. I flagged down an oncoming truck and jumped into the back just in time. Scared the crap out of me.

 

[Fletch]

I was out taking a walk one morning and a large rottweiler charged at me. The owners were screaming at him and he ignored them of course. The dog ran across a field to get to me. There was no where for me to go. I flagged down an oncoming truck and jumped into the back just in time. Scared the crap out of me.

I think we need an INGO public service campaign, something like "Spray the Pooches". It's for their own good.

 

[MrsXtremeVel]

I think we need an INGO public service campaign, something like "Spray the Pooches". It's for their own good.

I agree!

 

[HICKMAN]

pepper spray has a habit of coming back and getting the person spraying it, or the person they are riding with.

how about a good old fashioned cattle prod?

 

[csaws]

Thanks to the guys who pepper spray, squirt or even BB gun them if you want, it's fine by me if mine are down by the road. 999 times out of 1000 if mine is down by the road it means I'm down by the road. It's a county road, people from half the county is seems come to walk, bike, ride their horse what ever on the road in front of my house any more. They drive there to park by the road and get out and walk up and down the stupid road in front of my house.

If there's something about it they don't like, get back in the car and go walk on the road in front of your own house. It's a 35 or 40 MPH speed limit and morons drive 60+ up and down it day and night like it's a drag way. They've hit and killed dogs at every house on the road, only a miracle has kept the fools in cars and trucks from killing the fools who think it's a walk park in the middle of the road.

Same problem on our road, i swear if I ever find about 30 stop sticks I'm gonna use them. Even the cops do it so there is no use in calling them. It is one of the major reasons we are looking for more property in somewhere a little less populated.... and we live in the country in Morgan County.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Same problem on our road, i swear if I ever find about 30 stop sticks I'm gonna use them. Even the cops do it so there is no use in calling them. It is one of the major reasons we are looking for more property in somewhere a little less populated.... and we live in the country in Morgan County.

I've noticed they slow down a little after a storm leaves a few tree limbs, on the road or the flood leaves a piece of firewood in a new place.

 

[csaws]

I've noticed they slow down a little after a storm leaves a few tree limbs, on the road or the flood leaves a piece of firewood in a new place.

Mentally noted

 

[hooky]

Grew up out in the country and rode my bike everywhere, to fish, to little league practice, to play hoops at a buddies house. To get anywhere other than my closest friend it was 4 or 5 miles at a minimum. I always found that slowing down and yelling at the dogs left them confused and disappointed. I had to kick one once. I remember my Dad chasing down a fat guy in spandex gear and making him cry after he hit our beagle pup with his tire pump. I thought he was gonna kick the crap out of him, but the harsh words from a former DI was more than enough.

 

[96firephoenix]

My Zipp Rims only see the sidewalk in extreme situations. Proudly made in Speedway Indiana!
snip

those are bike wheels!? they look like they'd break if you bunnyhopped anything... oooh... road bikes

 

[Fletch]

Grew up out in the country and rode my bike everywhere, to fish, to little league practice, to play hoops at a buddies house. To get anywhere other than my closest friend it was 4 or 5 miles at a minimum. I always found that slowing down and yelling at the dogs left them confused and disappointed. I had to kick one once.

Slowing down and yelling has worked on a couple, but not many. There's also the point that my wife's best yell doesn't sound intimidating in any way to a dog, and it's my concern for her safety (not to mention that of our future kids) that launched the thread. Kicking helped momentarily with the lab that broke the camel's back, but didn't dissuade him in any serious way.

I remember my Dad chasing down a fat guy in spandex gear and making him cry after he hit our beagle pup with his tire pump. I thought he was gonna kick the crap out of him, but the harsh words from a former DI was more than enough.

I would have told your dad to pound sand. Dogs that leave their property are fair game; if he doesn't want the dog to suffer any ill, he should keep it in the yard.

 

[JetGirl]

if mine are down by the road.

it means I'm down by the road.

Dogs that leave their property are fair game; if he doesn't want the dog to suffer any ill, he should keep it in the yard.

Summation of the thread debate ^.

To which I'll add "and out of control of their master".
That makes all the difference imo.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Dogs = sprint training!

When I was in college and still riding a fair amount, I figured out where the dogs were. There was this "one" house that had a Weimaraner (sp?) who liked to give chase. All in all, the dog seemed friendly; but I'd just as soon not get tangled up.

So, I got to the point where I'd psych myself up to sprint past this particular house. If I was feeling spry when I began my ride, I routed myself to I'd go by the house on the up-hill direction. If I wasn't feeling so spry, I'd go by heading down-hill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfv2diohUXE

 

[Bigdee06]

I agree that you can protect yourself from dogs or any other animals (humans as well) that you encounter while using the roadway for cycling or whatever purpose that you want to. Spraying and dog with a irritant for chasing you is fine, shooting and possibly killing a animal for the same reason is a little extreme. If you really think your life is in danger by all means defend yourself, but think it through before you start shooting at a moving target from a moving vehicle. I can't say that there wouldn't be consequences if I witnessed you abusing my dog for no good reason.

 

[Fletch]

I agree that you can protect yourself from dogs or any other animals (humans as well) that you encounter while using the roadway for cycling or whatever purpose that you want to. Spraying and dog with a irritant for chasing you is fine, shooting and possibly killing a animal for the same reason is a little extreme.

It's only extreme in some circumstances. Like I said in the OP, one of them was going after my wife, and I'm not about to watch her get mauled just because someone thinks shooting is "extreme". We're also in the process of adopting, and there is no way in hell I'm going to let anybody's dog go after the kids. I'll kill every dog from here to Texas if that's what it takes, but of course I fervently hope that it doesn't come to that, not even once.

If you really think your life is in danger by all means defend yourself, but think it through before you start shooting at a moving target from a moving vehicle.

No, I'd be stopping to take shots because I'd want to make sure I hit. But as I said in the OP, I went shopping for pepper spray because I love dogs and would rather teach them to stay away from me/us than simply kill them.

I can't say that there wouldn't be consequences if I witnessed you abusing my dog for no good reason.

I don't abuse dogs. I love dogs; mine are the three most spoiled animals in the state of Oklahoma.

This is all about keeping everyone involved safe: my wife, my potential kids, myself, and the dogs. I've seen what happens to a dog's foot when it gets run over by a bicycle tire. I've paid the $400 vet bill. I've also cared for dogs hit by cars and watched them die from injuries sustained from such encounters.

Bottom line: Dogs do not belong in the street, and I am making it my business to teach them that fact when their owners won't.

 

[Bigdee06]

All of your counter-points have merit and I won't argue with you about any of them. People, dogs, cats, snakes, chickens, firewood, and anything else that happens to be on the road probably shouldn't be there 100% of the time, my dog is no different than anything else. Protect yourself and your family from whatever threats that you feel that you need to with the appropriate level of response that you think is necessary.

My bottom line: Don't kill my dog if he chases you down the street unless you really think it is a justified reaction to a real threat.