By: Sarah Colquitt

Riding a bike is meant to be fun, no two ways about it. But most women can attest to feeling an element of vulnerability when riding alone or at night, particularly in areas that are less than desirable from a safety point of view. Unfortunately there is good reason for feeling this way as there have been numerous assaults occurring on bike paths, in Australia and around the world. ABC Stateline in Brisbane reported that more than three dozen women have been attacked by men on Brisbane’s bicycle paths in just over 12 months. By nature, bike paths can lead through isolated, poorly lit areas which leave female riders wide open for would-be attackers. Sadly, women are never entirely safe from verbal abuse, rape, abduction, or other forms of assault. This unfortunate reality means you will always need to take precautions, however you travel. But instead of wrapping
yourself in cotton wool and never leaving the house without full body armour, here are some pro-active tips that will stand you in good stead when riding in less than ideal circumstances.

1. Heed your gut feelings.
Above everything else that is mentioned in this article, if you find yourself in a situation that feels “not quite right”, turn around and leave, preferably heading in the direction of a well lit area with other people around. Trust your instincts as they will more often than not be right. Kevin Marshall, from Fight Like a Girl self-defence classes in Melbourne and Sydney (0417 023 840) says many students are surprised that his classes first concentrate
on general awareness. “The key to being prepared is the ability to anticipate what could happen and how to deal with it,” he says. “It’s okay to run away, it’s okay to fight but never okay to freeze.”

2. Improve your basic self-defence skills.
Enrol in a self-defence course and regularly practise moves with friends so they come naturally. While the hope is you’ll never have to use them, knowing some self-defence moves will give you self-confidence in your ability to tackle a difficult situation and may be enough to deter your attacker. “Nine out of every ten rapists are not expecting resistance,” says Sanette Smit, a self-defence expert, so even if you don’t remember the exact skills
learned in the classroom, any form of struggle will increase your chances of escaping. Kevin Marshall agrees, “After teaching you about awareness, a good self-defence class should teach you how to back off using your bike as a barrier, teach you to verbalise with an attacker
to delay them, and how to run away as well as telling you how to fight.” Marshall says just three to four lessons can give you these skills.

3. Improve your bike handling skills.
Practise sprinting, jumping curbs, quick turns, and other escape techniques. Generally, the more confident you are while bicycling, the safer you will be in all circumstances. Riding too cautiously or fearfully invites abuse, from drivers as well as potential attackers. Be assertive and confident.

4. Vary your route.
If you travel regularly through sketchy areas, don’t be predictable and take the same path at the same time each day; use parallel streets
or travel a bit further to bypass isolated or undesirable routes so you are travelling through more densely populated, well lit areas. At night, consider riding on the road instead of bike paths. Regularly changing your route should have the added bonus of keeping your riding interesting with everchanging surroundings

5. Be on top of the situation.
Know your route, travel decisively and stay alert to your surroundings. If approached by a stranger, make eye contact so they understand you would be able to identify them, but don’t let them bail you into a conversation if you do not feel safe. Maintain and define your space. Don’t ride too close to pedestrians or objects that might conceal an attacker. When travelling at night, use lights that are bright enough to illuminate the road
ahead. Avoid the temptation of riding with an iPod as it can distract you from paying attention to your environment.

6. Maintain your bike and your mechanical skills.
Avoid having an unfortunate mechanical breakdown by keeping your bike serviced. And more importantly, if something does go wrong, be familiar with basic bike “fix-its”. Changing a tyre, putting a bike chain back on and how to loosen your brakes so you can still ride with a slightly buckled wheel are all things you should know how to do in a roadside setting (stay tuned for our next issue yhat will look at emergency roadside repairs).

7. Your locks are weapons.
If you can’t avoid or easily flee a dangerous situation, a U-lock can be used as a club, and a cable lock can make an effective flailing weapon. Of course, where possible, it will be safer to flee than to fight, but if you’re left with no option, use what you have to give yourself the best chance of escape. Alternatively, if your bike breaks down and you can’t fix it quickly, consider locking your bike to the nearest fixed point and getting home via other means instead of hanging around in a potentially dangerous location. You can go back for your bike with a friend when it’s safer.

8. Carry a mobile phone
Although they can sometimes just be plain annoying, when it comes to emergency
situations, it’s hard to imagine how we ever got by without these little suckers. Whether to call the police, ambulance or a friend, having a phone with you when cycling could save your life, or at least save you a long walk home if your bike breaks down. Have emergency numbers programmed into your speed dial for quick access.

9. Prepare an emergency kit
Make some room in your tool pouch (which should already have a spare tyre tube and levers) for $20, a phone card, identification (an expired driver’s licence) and a spare battery for your bike lights. This keeps you visible and gives you an alternative way to get home. You may also consider carrying a warning device, such as a whistle around your neck or a personal alarm stored in your ool kit. Making a loud noise is often enough to scare off an attacker. If you are attacked, Kevin Marshall says yelling “Fire” can be more productive than crying out “Help”. “You want to make people interested in coming to your aid, not scaring them away.”

10. Tell someone
Where possible, ride with someone else, as there is safety in numbers. Where this isn’t possible, make sure someone knows where you’re going and your expected time of return – a simple hand-drawn map of your path left in a drawer is good. Safety aside, when they search for you and find you coughing up a lung half way up that never ending hill, you will no doubt be sheepishly thankful for their offer of a lift home. If reading the above makes you feel informed, yet somewhat alarmed given you’ve never really thought of yourself as a potential victim on your bike, fear not; the actual risks are very small and there’s a huge difference between appropriate caution and paranoia. You shouldn’t let fear prevent you from enjoying the benefits of cycling as 99.9% of the time you will have nothing to worry about. It just pays to be prepared for the 0.01% so you can continue to cycle with confidence while being ready to kung-fu any not-so-nice guys who consider females on bikes as easy targets.