Originally Posted by
cubewheels
I never got chased by a dog for some strange reason and my route often takes me to neighborhoods where dogs are roaming the streets freely.
It would be interesting to know if the dogs are different there, or you are different to me.
How fast do you ride? A dog's natural instinct is to chase an animal that is running away. It seems dogs chase cyclists that ride fast, much more than cyclists that ride slow.
How tall are you? Could you appear like a local to dogs? I am a bit taller than the average European man, and fat challenged. Many children that don't know me, call me a giant. Most of my female friends are between one third and one half of my weight. I also have a beard, which is greying. I clearly stand out as different to dogs. Many dogs are scared of me, and that may be a reason why they chase me.
A bit of trivia. There are some monkeys here, and monkeys are scared of me. I am bigger than the other people they have seen, and have a beard.
Edit: It seems like you are in the city. I am in a small town, and often cycle out to farming areas. Dogs in cities see many more people. That may be a contributing factor.