I'm going to be undertaking a fair bit of towpath night time commuting.
I'm paranoid about a few things.
- How would you deal with potential attackers / unfriendly faces on towpaths?
I encountered this during my courier rounds in the nearby city, towpaths are not lit.
I felt vulnerable, staring down a group of hooded youths 5-10 meters up the path -illuminated awkwardly by my overpowered light- I had read about reports of muggings taking place in these areas (but was a while ago) and even if I hadn't, it'd be so easy for them to take away £1000 worth of bike while i'm left flopping in the canal like a fish.
There's hardly room to turn around in good time as the f*@£#king paths are 4-6 feet wide aswell.
No one says that they may be attackers, but how would you prepare anyway?
Being with clipless pedals & shoes really impedes my ability to react & fight. - This scenario is a rare occurrence and most times its only an individual harmless person, but the topic here is paranoia, afterall.
-Falling into a canal.
It's nearly happened to me, but when I think about it; it should happen more. - The paths aren't wide and seldom are they protected,- often loose surface with sharp corners & speeds in excess of 12-15 MPH, it's a recipe for disaster that doesn't happen often.
but if it did, what are the outcomes?
Does using clipless pedals (while clipped in) increase the potential of drowning?
Does your bike float or do you lose it forever?
-
I'm paranoid about a few things.
- How would you deal with potential attackers / unfriendly faces on towpaths?
I encountered this during my courier rounds in the nearby city, towpaths are not lit.
I felt vulnerable, staring down a group of hooded youths 5-10 meters up the path -illuminated awkwardly by my overpowered light- I had read about reports of muggings taking place in these areas (but was a while ago) and even if I hadn't, it'd be so easy for them to take away £1000 worth of bike while i'm left flopping in the canal like a fish.
There's hardly room to turn around in good time as the f*@£#king paths are 4-6 feet wide aswell.
No one says that they may be attackers, but how would you prepare anyway?
Being with clipless pedals & shoes really impedes my ability to react & fight. - This scenario is a rare occurrence and most times its only an individual harmless person, but the topic here is paranoia, afterall.
-Falling into a canal.
It's nearly happened to me, but when I think about it; it should happen more. - The paths aren't wide and seldom are they protected,- often loose surface with sharp corners & speeds in excess of 12-15 MPH, it's a recipe for disaster that doesn't happen often.
but if it did, what are the outcomes?
Does using clipless pedals (while clipped in) increase the potential of drowning?
Does your bike float or do you lose it forever?
-