Was cycling a bridleway for the first time today and it passes through a farm/horse riding school, no warning signs for dogs, only “give way to horses signs”, i then heard barking so started to poo my pants and pedal a lot faster! It caught up and tried taking a chunk out of my thigh but luckily didn’t break skin.

But, what is the best way to get past dogs without being attacked or chased ?

It would of got a face full of shoe if i wasn’t clipped in 😈

attack is the best form of defence

But, what is the best way to get past dogs without being attacked or chased ?

Ride faster?

[ahem]

it could be a kids face next time

[/ahem]

personally, if it were me I’d be calling the police and asking them to be havign some stern words with whoever owns the dog.

having said that shouting really, really loudly – like a roar noise not words – tends to

a) put the dog off
b) get the owners attention

Give it a kick in the head – not too hard to kill it, but hard enough it will learn not to bite again.

Are you on heat? Or perhaps sausages hanging out of you backpack.

Report to Police & RoW officer – you might not be so lucky next time.

bite it back. standard

Tempted to contact them through their website, but dont think i will be going that route again (horses and tractors destroyed the bridleway and was unrideable for a big section).

Next time i will unclip and prepare to attack while roaring and unloading any food on me !

I find that a squirt of water from the bottle does the trick.

What is it with dogs though what makes them run after and want to attack cyclists but if you were walking they’d come over and playfully say hello or just plane ignore you?!

that’d be what is known as the prey drive – its instinct.

tell us where the bridleway is, there might be further reports.

trying to out run the dog was daft, stand your ground (does not work for ‘trained’ dogs)

good to see you are all mouthy about kicking it now, but do you expect any of us to believe that you cant unclip spds in under a second?

+1 for alexxx!

I say kick to kill. You won’t manage it + it’l be a plenty steep learning curve.

i’m a dog owner and love dogs but…

if you hear the dog coming, get off your bike and keep the bike between you and the dog.

as it tries to bite you through the frame, kick/stamp it hard! if this doesn’t stop it, use your bike as a weapon.

last summer on my local ride, i’d stopped to let a dog walker past on a bit of double track. rode off next thing the dog has got its teeth in my leg, making me crash off the side of the trail. before the dog could get to me again, i went for it, **** **** i’m gonna **** kill you you **** **** (i must of looked mental 😳 ) if i could of got my hands on it,i’d of beat the shit out of it.
the owner was going mad! telling me to leave his dog alone. i was **** livid, so walk up show him the puncture wounds on my calf. his answer, oh but it’s only a little bite! i don’t know how i didn’t punch him.
i gave him a little more advise and walked away. i’ve never bumped into him again?

and yes i still hold a grudge 😀

Take some stink bombs with you next time and have them ready to chuck at/by the dog, it should get the message pdq.

it could be a kids face next time

Yay! My fave catchphrase

Soobalias, The bridleway runs through the Lulworth Equestrian Centre and what looks like their second entrance. This was also my 3rd time riding with spd’s and first time “off road” in them so still getting the hang of it and was more worried about falling off if it got me and not being able to get them out and being mauled on the ground! (extreme circumstance i know!)

Thanks for the advise pastcaring, i would probably do this next time!

Bite the dogs owner…

I guarentee it will out run you no matter how quick you are.
In my experience, stop, dismount, make self look as large as possible and bellow at it.
So far its worked everytime.
It thinks you are prey, when it realises there’s a good chance its the prey it finds something less painful to do.
Having said that, i hate irresponsible dog owners(being a very responsible one myself), maybe contact the plod and get them to go round for a ‘chat’.

Slow down, look at the dog and talk to it. If you are a doggy person it will know and stop. If you are scared it will know and carry on reassured. If looking and talking doesn’t work shout at it and if that doesn’t work bike/foot/bag/pump/stick as shields or weapons will do the job. I am a doggy person and had to get to shout last week for the first time ever in my life. It worked as brave alsation about turned and hid behind owner. I’m in court next week for riding with a non doggie person! Nice collie ignored me and then bit him.