Did a varmit chase you on the bike ride?
I did a quick search on red dot optics- looks like there are some that attach directly into 11mm rails, and you could forgo the picatinny. That is a potential problem with needing to raise the comb on the stock, but probably not a real big deal with the red dot, compared to a scope.
Also- personal preference, I recently went with green dot instead of red dot. Seems clearer in my eyesight. If you can drop by a gun store, might want to try both. Some people prefer one or the other.