Dog Days

[Bikerbob]

I do a lot of my riding on country lanes and from time to time I get one posse or other of farm dogs who give vocal chase with the intention of having a go at my ankles. A few well aimed kicks usually does the job but they can be persistent.

I'm thinking of mounting a golf club, maybe a 5 iron would be suitable, in a tube on the front forks and then drawing it to wield 'Prince Charles plays polo' style at the appropriate moment. (My back brake isn't too good and as I would be using my right hand to hold the club I'd need the ears as air-brakes) Might look a little eccentric to any onlooker! Anyone got any anti-dog warfare tips?

 

[DBCohen]

How about running an extra wire off the battery to a stout steel rod with a button-type push-switch at the end? When you poke the offending mutt, the switch closes a circuit and makes the rod live from the battery - instant electric dog prod! I would suspect that would deal with the problem in short order...

 

[Bikerbob]

How about running an extra wire off the battery to a stout steel rod with a button-type push-switch at the end? When you poke the offending mutt, the switch closes a circuit and makes the rod live from the battery - instant electric dog prod! I would suspect that would deal with the problem in short order...

Nice one! I have now seen that Maplin do a ultrasonic 'dog chaser' but it doesn't sound half as much fun as your idea!

 

[redalpha3]

In the days when a bicycle pump was mounted on the downtube, we used to take that off and use it as a cosh. Modern pumps are a bit too fiddly to remove and far too flimsy.

 

[flecc]

This will shock dog lovers.

I used to be plagued by a greyhound based at a farm that I passed daily, this running out and snapping at my ankles for extended periods along the road.

One day I'd finally had enough and went into the farm yard and spoke politely to the farmer about it, asking if he could do anything. "Don't worry" he said, snarling at the dog to lay down, "I'll do something about it".

I thanked him, went back out to my bike and rode the remaining 20 yards to the road junction, then turned left on into the main road alongside the yard. At that point I heard a loud shotgun blast from the yard, causing me to think, Oh no!

That's obviously what had happened, I never saw that dog around that yard again, although his other more placid dog was still there alone.

I've always felt guilty about that, despite the dog being a thorough nuisance.
.

 

[Beeping-Sleauty]

snap on this...

I do a lot of my riding on country lanes and from time to time I get one posse or other of farm dogs who give vocal chase with the intention of having a go at my ankles. A few well aimed kicks usually does the job but they can be persistent.

I'm thinking of mounting a golf club, maybe a 5 iron would be suitable, in a tube on the front forks and then drawing it to wield 'Prince Charles plays polo' style at the appropriate moment. (My back brake isn't too good and as I would be using my right hand to hold the club I'd need the ears as air-brakes) Might look a little eccentric to any onlooker! Anyone got any anti-dog warfare tips?

Heh - heh,

conjures up some amusing visions, tho' a Police-Person may not be impressed, a lady cyclist i know had a similar problem riding past a farm on her daily commute, she solved it with a pocket can of hair spray.... the dogs never pestered her again.

make sure it's the L'oreal 'Firm Hold' - supposed to be very good in all types of weather.

beeps

 

[Bikerbob]

I did once try the flecc method of going to speak to the farmer. I got stalked across the farmyard then bitten (by the dog, not the farmer! He was away across the fields somewhere). After flecc's experience its perhaps as well the farmer wasn't there - though at the time I'd have happily shot the dog myself.

 

[Chris]

Pestering Dogs

I note that nobody was actually bitten buy the various mutts snapping at your ankles-don’t worry about them-if they meant business, you would know about it-its their way of a bit of fun-ignore them

 

[flecc]

I was caught once by that greyhound and it drew blood with a bite across my left ankle Chris, and Bob who posted just above you was also bitten.

I've also met the dogs (the majority) which do it for the fun of the chase, but some do mean business, particularly when they're one of a group when they can get dangerous.
.

 

[Chris]

DOG BITEs PER MILE

In this day of statistics ,it would be of interest to work out the number of miles ridden calculated against the number of bites sustained-IE:- DOG BITES PER MILE-then we could see just how serious the problem is

 

[Ian]

I'm occasionally chased by dogs in a local country park through which a number of cycle paths cross and which is a very popular dog walking area. On the occasions when I've stopped the dog has also stopped and turned placid but on the occasions when i've chose to run I've not found a dog that can run at at 15mph. If chased by a greyhound I might need to go de-restricted though.

There are occasional news reports of big cat sightings in the park. I don't think I could outrun a cheetah even de-restricted.

 

[Steven Brandist]

It's flipping loud

All my bikes are equipped with an Air Zound, "The Airzound 2 is powered by compressed air and recharged using a bike pump". Best pumped up with a track pump though, and good enough to scare off the odd erratic Transit. Great for stopping dead cars that are reversing out of driveways.

A review is here

 

[Bikerbob]

I'm occasionally chased by dogs in a local country park through which a number of cycle paths cross and which is a very popular dog walking area. On the occasions when I've stopped the dog has also stopped and turned placid but on the occasions when i've chose to run I've not found a dog that can run at at 15mph. If chased by a greyhound I might need to go de-restricted though.

There are occasional news reports of big cat sightings in the park. I don't think I could outrun a cheetah even de-restricted.

Riding a Giant Suede with a failing battery I think I would be seriously challenged for speed by a ferocious tortoise, Ian . I agree with your comment about stopping but that sort of spoils the competitive nature of the event. AND at some stage you have to start off again from standstill!

 

[coops]

make sure it's the L'oreal 'Firm Hold' - supposed to be very good in all types of weather.

Hahaha! That cracks me up beeps! L'oreal - Because its worth it, I suppose?

Stuart.

 

[Ian]

The only time I've been bitten, well pecked actually, was by a swan who took offence at may approach to his pond,

 

[flecc]

Seems to me that farm dogs might be a particular problem, as I've also suffered chases from them at other times in the past. In contrast, the dog ownership rate is very high on the estate where I live, seemingly hundreds of them in the half mile stretch of housing of the shortest exit from the estate, but none have ever given any trouble on my bikes, e-bikes and motorbikes in forty years here.

Judged against the numbers of dogs encountered, the bite rate assessment that Chris suggested would produce an infinitesimally low rate for me, just one bite and one nip in all those years, both farm dogs. The nip was from Blackie, a big labrador on local Peartree Farm, who's friendly and knows me well, but still enjoys a chase and gets over enthusiastic!
.

 

[allotmenteer]

My wife and I once accidently rode our bikes up a driveway and past some outbuildings whilst trying to follow a bridleway marked on the map.

At about the same moment that we realised we had inadvertently trespassed on someone's private grounds we heard growling and barking from behind as two large dogs pelted out from a porch and gave chase.

We both pedalled hard and rode the length of the garden, into the trees, leapt from our bikes at full speed, hit the ground running, vaulted a 4 foot fence in a single bound and covered about 200 yards in 10 seconds!

My wife was faster than me (or perhaps I was subconciously hanging back to offer myself as a sacrifice to save her ) and by the time I caught her she had leapt a stream as well. Thankfully dogs are pretty territorial and they had given up the chase at the fence

After hailing a neighbour we went back to the house and met the owner and the dogs, retrieved our bikes and all was well. The dogs in fact were not monsters and looked fairly harmless and were just enjoying the chase. Didn't feel like it at the time though. All I saw were gnashing teeth!

The adrenelin rush was incredible, I don't think I have ever run so fast and felt the real power of my muscles since. I reckon if athletes trained by having dogs set on them we'd see some records fall!