robow

Thanks for the offer Squeeze but I doubt that I tempt fate twice. I am planning on doing the 600 mile Great River ride along the Mississippi from Cairo to Galena but will plan on circumventing that area using Madison county trails.

Oh and btw, when did they start fencing and locking off the Chain of Rocks, I rode by that way from the north in October in route to the St. Louis Amtrak and it was closed off?

Doug64

Yes, I've worked in Oregon and Washington forests for 47 years. I've seen numerous critters, including a lot of bears, and more recently a lot of cougars. I feel completely at home in the backcountry, not so much the cities.

P.S. Bear spray is more effective than most handguns for deterring bears

rex615

Hunters in the north had a joke about their bears.
"If you plan use a pistol to shoot a bear, be sure and save the last bullet for yourself."

boomhauer

I've toured for 28 years now.
Never a problem.
I've come to the conclusion that people extrapolate what they see on the tv news to themselves.
That being said, I carry bear spray.
Used it once .... out of curiosity.
All I can say is "wow" that stuff sprays a long stream!

Happy Feet

Yes, in many ways I worry more about cougars while riding than bears. Most bears will bolt when you ride up on them and only a very small minority ever attack someone as prey but cougars I feel will more often stalk and ambush from behind. Bears tend to make a yes /no decision about people whereas cougars do more measuring of potential outcomes.

erig007

And i have toured way less than you and i've been attacked once with a knife. Your anecdotal evidences don't mean much i'm afraid.

Simple maths says that if you ride 8 hrs a day like during a tour you will do more distance than if you ride 3hrs a day like during a commute. Doing so you can squeeze more places into a 8 hrs ride than in a 3 hrs one. Which means higher exposure.

Statistics say that countries have different crime/theft level. So the risk you face may depends on where you go. Go ride in Syria and let see how it goes.

Doug64

Those are my feelings exactly.

I have had some days out in the woods by myself, when I'd get a feeling that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. However, I had my trusty Swiss Army Knife with me Correction:Actually, that is not true; I carried a Buck Folding Hunter most of the time.

A few years ago we had 10 cougar sightings within the city limits of our small town in a tree month period. I saw 2 in one day in another area.
https://www.facebook.com/SweetHomePo...81246505315848

Doug64

Where were you when you got "attacked". Was it an attack or did someone accost you with a knife? There is a big difference.

If you were touring, could you get to a weapon before you were really attacked? Where would you keep it, in a saddle scabbard or shoulder holster? Would you carry it in your bar bag with one in the chamber, only relying on the safety for your own safety? If you don't have one in the chamber it is too slow.

What are you going to do if you are out of cell phone range, and you are holding 2 desperados at bay in front of their pickup truck; out run them on your bike?

FBinNY 

It's very simple, some people feel the need to be armed, some don't. Maybe we can just leave it there.

robow

The classic F1, what an excellent knife. I used to own one of those and it accompanied me when I was much younger and traveled way up into the bush of the Northwest Territory. It never got a chance to skin a bear but it did get a chance to clean some enormous walleye. Nice photo

erig007

It was a coordinated attack. One in front of us to divert attention (badly made so i noticed that there were something fishy) while the one with a knife came at us from behind. I saw him in my helmet mirror. I must admit that carrying a weapon would have been useless if i hadn't seen the other guy behind us as it was based on surprise.

Sixty Fiver

The F1 is in a class of it's own, was designed as a survival knife for the Swedish Air Force and is based on the classic Swedish Mora, another knife I am exceedingly fond of.

The robust construction and full tang will let you abuse this knife and the VG10 laminated blade is astounding.

As far as photos go, that is the whip wrapped handle of my axe... it carries 300 feet of paracord.

DropBarFan

Haven't toured in esp dodgy areas, local inner city more dangerous. In DC I had a couple of times where punk kids threatened, riding away or brandishing U-lock worked. Compact gun would be ultimate level of self-defense but problems with laws/theft etc. A short push-knife is a light-weight self-defense alternative, they incorporate a "quillon" to prevent hand from sliding over the blade. Can be holstered on leg or arm for quick access. BTW on true crime TV shows it's interesting how many killers injure themselves & leave blood DNA by using knives grabbed from victim's kitchen.

I can understand the general view that carrying a weapon can be more risky than not, OTOH in the rare times that a really violent perp is looking for prey, any sign of resistance might help.

mobilemail

It may be worth trading the gun weight for good locks. I have read many more reports of bike and gear theft than accounts of mortal danger. But I would avoid East St. Louis...

Tourist in MSN

My goat was better camouflaged than yours.



But I admit I cheated, I took the photo from the inside of the shuttle bus going to Logan Pass on a day of sightseeing and checking out the road before I rode it on a later date.

indyfabz

Nice. I have ridden there three times, but my goat photo was actually taken during a non-riding trip there. I was there for a 6-day backcountry backpack trip. Went out a few days early, took the shuttle up to the pass and took the hike to Hidden Lake to get used to the altitude. That was sometime in July so there was less snow. Saw five moose and many sheep and goats during the backpack trip. And the killer squirrels were everywhere in camp. At the backcountry sites you are only allowed to cook and eat in the designated food prep areas. The squirrels dig holes around the food prep areas so they can rush out and grab anything you might drop. In Waterton Village they sometimes dig tunnels intro the camp kitchens. During a bike tour in 2009 we set up our tent inside a camp kitchen because it was God awful cold and windy at the towne campisite. We had to stick a log in the hole because a squirrel kept coming in to see what he could get his paws on.

Squeezebox

Several options to avoid East St. Louis. Best to check with Trailnet and see what they say.

CbadRider

Gun threads are only allowed in the Politics & Religion forum. Thread closed.