Niles:
The only weapon I have taken on bike tours around the world by myself is my positive attitude about people. Strangers have consistently responded to and reinforced this attitude by their kindness and thoughtfulness to a stranger in their midst. In many languages the word for enemy is the same as that for stranger historically. The benign and familiar nature of the bike is non-threatening to most people. The bike is my communication bridge. For example:
An Ecuadoran Qechua speaking elder offered me the shelter of her thatched mud hut high in the Altiplano during a severe thunder storm with torrential rain. The only phrase common to us was < Venga Aqui! > [Come Here] that she spoke to me as I cycled past in the rain. I waited out the storm drinking tea and sharing bread and photos with what seemed like five generations of her family in that hut. A most memorable shared experience all without words.
In case you think that I live in some fantasy world that is fact free I offer the following: I am a retired peace officer well versed in guns and weapons for my whole life. Guns only provide the illusion that one controls a situation and hides ones fear behind the gun. On tour I leave my car and my gun at home. It is unnecessary and actually detrimental to the best touring experiences in my opinion.