11/29/2019 6:02 AM
Edited Date/Time: 11/29/2019 6:03 AM
Having ridden "out West" for 20 years I probably have over 2,000 days on trail. I've encountered snake, large spiders, scorpions, (black) bear, badger (my favorite), aggressive deer/elk (seriously), coyote, wolf, moose and seen plenty of cat prints (but never one in person). The only wild animal that has ever attacked me was a really upset grouse (not joking), another bird that I could not identify, and a jogger who was clearly doing some sort of PED cycling.
In all seriousness this is a problem in the lower 48 (outside of griz territory) that is a fraction of what surfing in the ocean is, and you don't see surfers carrying harpoon guns "just in case".
I think the statistics suggest for every 10 rides on the front range of Colorado a mountain lion will see you once. That's frightening, being I have probably 1000 days of riding on the front range and have NEVER seen a cat, but that also goes to show how reclusive they really are.
If you live in Griz country, I could see packing bear spray and maybe a real gun depending on season. I did a 50 mile race in Big Sky that took us pretty far off the beaten path. I had nothing and did think "if I consistently rode here I'd pack".
Otherwise, don't waste your time (or money). The odds are in your favor. A homeless person, aggressive hiker, hippy on acid or similar is going to be a lot more your problem than any animal.
PS - all that said, does anyone remember this really old MTBR thread where a guy asked the exact same question? People were flaming the dude left and right and low and behold a mountian lion ended up KILLING A DEER IN HIS FRONT LAWN! It was pure internet gold.