#@*%^&!!! Kamikaze Squirrels!!!

[William]

What is it about these furry little rodents that makes them want to kamikaze your front wheel when your flying along? I got up early and went for a ride this morning. Cool and foggy, very pleasant weather. I had seen a deer and a group of wild Turkeys crossing the road one at a time. At about the 30 mile mark I was dropping on a decent and just leaning into a right hand sweeper at about 45 mph. All of a sudden a squirrel comes sprinting out of the woods making a bee line (no offense BBDave) for my front wheel. Usually I see them from a ways off and I'll make a clicking noise or bark at them to scare them back off the road before I get to them. This guy came out so quick I never had a chance. At that speed and going into a corner I couldn't just hit the brakes, he was coming on too fast and would hit him anyway. I needed some control so I'm getting ready to ( I just reacted, didn't even think about it) bunny hop or at least pull up the front wheel when we meet. About two to three feet before we were to meet, he springs up into the air in some sort of flying spaz dance, twisting and turning in the air, hits the ground and shoots of the way he came. That was close!
After I get to the bottom and I'm rolling on flat ground it occurs to me how close that was and the recent post about the guy who had crashed and was found at the bottom of a hill and later died came back to me. Did he lose control? Was he forced off by a car? Did he have a blow out at speed? Or did some unwitting rodent take him out? Things can happen fast. One moment flying along, the next, metal, rubber, and lycra hitting the pavement. But if you want to keep riding you have to push those thoughts out of your head and be as careful and watchful as you can while still having fun. About ten miles later I'm ripping down another hill and loving every second of it.

Has anyone else had a recent problem with kamikaze wildlife (not the ones in old Chevy, Ford, or Doge pick-ups) while out on the road this season?


William

[J.M. White]

A good lesson learned here--don't brake for squirrels at high speeds. Weeks or months in traction or a body cast just isn't worth it. Besides, those fiendish rodents know what they're doing!

[geezohwiz]

...don't brake for squirrels at high speeds. ...

Agreed! Despite your natural reaction, your're far better off just keeping your line. They're way too quick and "squirelly" to try to avoid. You're more likely to course-correct right into their escape route!

[Lost Weekend]

I actually had a frigin bear run across the road 5 feet in front of me. Me and a buddy were riding a road off of hwy. 49- above tahoe. I'm ahead about 500 yds. creeping up a nice climb when all of a sudden out of the brush I see this big black blur. It happened so fast I didn't realize that it was a bear till it was past me and up the hillside. I stopped dead in my tracks and watched it go up the hill about 1oo yds., stop and look back at me. Now I'm thinkin is there another bear behind this one? Is it mamma or pappa bear? I'm ready to jam back downhill if this thing decides I look like a tasty snack, besides, my buddy had no idea what was going on and I figured I could out ride him on the way back down and he would become the new lunch for mr. bear while I sped my way back to camp for a cold one and a valium.
My pal finally caught up to me and I pointed the bear out, who was still lookin at us while it paced back and forth. About this time we hear some russling up in a tree beside the rode, look up, and its a tiny little cub climbing it way down while mommy watched. We just sat there in amazment, momma was lettin us watch her little bambino scurry back to her- and then off they went, deep into the woods.
The rest of the ride we both had the biggest grins on our faces with a great story to tell around the campfire that night. :beer:

[Bruce H.]

Makes me think about that commercial where the squirril leaps out and causes the car to crash, then high fives his buddy squirril. Maybe they knew something when they did that commercial????
On a serious note thank goodness you are ok.
Bruce H

[zap]

I don't worry about squirrels. I've run over three (I'm counting :rolleyes: ) so far on my road bikes. Also had a bird try to fly through my front wheel once.

What worries me this time of year are deer.

[Banjers51]

Not to disagree significantly with those before me, but I was recently riding with a fellow when he experienced one of these near-squirrel events, and I was surprised at how quickly and wildly he swerved to avoid same. Turns out he ran over one of the little buggers a couple of years ago, only to have its head/neck become lodged in his spokes with disasterous results. By his own account it was like having someone thrust a stick through his front wheel with a predictable outcome: multiple injuries to body and bike. Maybe being a bit more cautious with these road rodents isn't such a bad idea after all?

[Dekonick]

A squirrel is one thing... bad enough. Never get between a mama bear and her cub. Thats a great way to end up in the paper - I can read it now 'cyclist eaten by bear...Sandy seen leaving the scene with the now dead cyclists Serotta. If rumors are true, it is believed Sandy actually lured another rider to the cub's location, then rode away. The Deceased was known as Kevin....'

[zap]

Bladed spokes work as advertised :D

[Moveitfred]

I'm with you regarding these friggin' squirrels, brother. Around these parts this time of year they amble across the road with a nut in their chops, stop and stare as I approach, and then typically dart back the way they came grazing my front wheel. Unnerving! Then add into the mix deer season (which opened yesterday) and I've got lots of skitterish animals to contend with.

[shinomaster]

I feel your pain William..On the path on which I ride I have the same problem with scores of fast moving erratic, witless bunny rabbits!

Slugs do the same thing but they move so slowly like calfee Kevan that it is no problem to out manuver them!

ha ha

[gdw]

My vote for most dangerous rodent is the cape buffalo of the west, Cynomys Indovicianus, AKA - the black tailed prairie dog. They are bigger than squirrels and don't play games. When they charge they charge. They don't swerve, brake, or retreat...they set their course and go.
The little b******s like to wait on the side of the road or trail in plain sight and dart out at you when there is no time to take proper evasive action. You either lock up your brakes and hope you miss the little bugger and stay upright or brace for impact. Prairie dog encounters are ugly experiences

[Dekonick]

I understand that the Seattle napkin is a really dangerous critter...

[Vanilla Gorilla]

banana peels too! :banana:

[gasman]

of those witless (as Shino said) varmits. I took care of 70 year old avid rider who became a quadraplegic after one became lodged like a stick in his front wheel. It was really sad for him and his wife and kids.

[shinomaster]

That is one of the most sad, horrible things I have ever read on this forum!! I will never look at those critters the same way again!!!

[Dekonick]

That gives a good reason to have 32 or 26 spoke wheels.... harder for the squirrel to get caught...

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . a few close calls myself.

Last year at Factory Weekend, TWO in ONE ride! First a chipmunk ran right through my front wheel. Serotta Lori was right behind me and said it was a chipmunk and he picked himself up and kept going. All I had felt was a slight bump. Then, later at the Saratoga Battlefield, we’re tooling up the loop road at about 20, with Smiley and Flydhest right in front of me, when a deer jumps across what looked like about 10 feet in front of me. It must have gone right in front of Smiley and Fly-Man’s faces, judging by the distance and their reactions. Fortunately, they were both wearing dark colored shorts and any resulting stains were not visible! :rolleyes:

I also ran right over a poor little chipmunk earlier this year. Thought it was a leaf, then hit it and heard the sickening “Crunch!” and that was that.

I guess I would agree about holding your line for anything small heading for your wheel--EXCEPT for those Starbuck’s napkins. Man, I would lay the Queen Bee down in a second rather than tangle with one of THOSE little devils! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ;)

BBDave

[ols]

post from the mtbr forum (mountain biking.)
warning though - this is somewhat gory (at least for the squirrel):

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?postid=297997#poststop

[Needs Help]

of those witless (as Shino said) varmits. I took care of 70 year old avid rider who became a quadraplegic after one became lodged like a stick in his front wheel. It was really sad for him and his wife and kids.

...heartbreaking story. :(

[William]

Well,
I had another one shoot out on me on my Sunday morning ride. Again I was coming down a hill, but this time he stopped short. Still, put a jump in me after Saturday morning. The little varmints are all over the place. I think I’ll need to resign in the fact that fall in my rural riding area is going to be a fury obstacle course of the squirrel kind. The little nuts are going nuts running around and gathering nuts to build up their stash of nuts….NUTS!!! You know those whistles that they make for your car bumper that are supposed to scare off deer? Do they make ones for Squirrels that I can put on my bike? :rolleyes:

Shino:
Rabbits and slugs, oh my! I forgot about the big Banana slugs back there. Hitting one of those is almost as bad as going over wet railroad tracks…at an angle…YIKES.

Lost Weekend:
A friggin bear! I think I’ll stick with the Squirrels. When I was living in Corvallis, I was riding Decker loop and had ridden to the top of the climb up Decker. Usually you continue over the top and descend back down to HWY 20 and into Philomath. I decided to turn around and go back down the hill to get some more miles and a few more climbs in. So I start heading back down the hill shifting into the big ring and really hammering to get top speed on the decent. I round the first corner and all of a sudden a big buck jumps out of the woods to my left, takes about two bounds across the road right in front of me, and then disappears into the brush below to my right. He was probable about 30 feet in front of me when he was in the middle of the road. At the speed, that was too close. I just sat up and coasted down the rest of the hill thinking “wow, that…was…AWSOME!!” I never touched the brakes and there was no way I was going to bunny hop that big boy. :)

Gasman:
That is really sad.


William

[davids]

. . . a few close calls myself.

...First a chipmunk ran right through my front wheel. Serotta Lori was right behind me and said it was a chipmunk and he picked himself up and kept going. All I had felt was a slight bump...BBDaveMy daughter had the same thing happen to her, riding on the Minuteman bikepath. I was following her, and I have to say it was among the strangest things I've ever seen - It was as if he ran between the spokes. She had no idea it had happened...

[Dr. Doofus]

Your Doofus had only one encounter with wildlife this year...an angry duck tried (according to those a few lengths behind, chasing your Doctor down) to bite your Doof on the butt.

[William]

Due to a close encounter yesterday, I thought I would resurrect the #@%&!!*#$#^ Squirrel thread.

Usually it happens on descents or flat land hammering, the difference yesterday was that I was climbing. I was at a good tempo, focused breathing, eyes ahead when all of a sudden a furry rodent shot out of the brush on my right and blasted across the rode right in front of me (hey, I bark on the down hills, not going up them). I swear my front tire caught his tail. I took evasive action, wobbled but didn't go down. Not that going down at that speed would have been a big deal, but it gets you thinking once you hit the decent. So far this season the animal encounters have been few, but I imagine that will soon change with spring in the air. So, with that in mind, I bring back...

The Ode To Squirrels (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=4989&highlight=Ode+squirrels)

William ;)

[b3bicycles]

It has to do with amount of rain fall in your area. In dry years trees produce less nuts and animals are forced to travel farther to find food. In the east coast we have had a couple years which means less nuts for the little guys. The must cross roads to get to areas to look for food.

[Grant McLean]

spot the flying one...

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=191032&postcount=11

-g

[catulle]

Bladed spokes work as advertised :D

Oh, good to know my Fulcrum wheels ain't that bad, after all. :rolleyes:

[Kevan]

spot the flying one...

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=191032&postcount=11

-g

That one is apparently practicing in anticipation of another busy nut collecting season.

Good luck little fella!

[PanTerra]

post from the mtbr forum (mountain biking.)
warning though - this is somewhat gory (at least for the squirrel):

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?postid=297997#poststop

How about posting something you don't have to register to look at. :crap:

[Grant McLean]

That one is apparently practicing in anticipation of another busy nut collecting season.

Good luck little fella!


Maybe he was sizing up to see if he could make off with the bike...

-g

[Kines]

My humble advice, living in a squirrel infested environment - do NOT try to dodge them!

Once I tried to do so, nearly wrecked on the swerve, and he spazzed out and ended up in my path and I hit him anyway, so now my philosophy is to just keep the line and hold on for impact - they almost always dart away.

A few years ago riding a motorcycle I saw one way ahead in the middle of my lane at the apex of a hill, sitting up like a prairie dog. At 35 mph and several hundred yards he had PLENTY of time to think about it. As per my new rules, I just kept my line. I got closer and closer - he held his ground - closer - he disappeared from view under the front end of the bike - surely he'll dart away or at least spaz out - *bonk*..... nothing but writhing carcass in the rearview. Darwin was right.

[Brons2]

Yeah, I played "chicken" with a squirrel on the last mile of the Houston to Austin MS150 last year. Right in front of the football stadium in Austin. He came across from the left, I go a bit to the right. I keep heading right. Finally heading towards the curb, I double back left. Squirrel turns back to the left with me! I brace for impact. Finally at the last minute, he turns back to the right. It was so close that his tail whacked my front wheel and my right foot.

Stupid squirrels. They're not only out in the country. This one was an urban squirrel in Downtown Austin.

[cookieguy]

Years ago I was heading down a hill in Babler State Park (MO) at a considerable rate of speed. I see something large and earth colored in the middle of the road...my brain is going what is a great dane doing in the road... I grab the brakes still wondering what is up... Ultimately my brain accesses the "name the critter" capabilities. ELK! Luckily I was able to get in the other lane and it didn't bolt into me (or me plow into it).

My cycling buddies and I had a good life affirming laugh after that.

[chrisroph]

I was leading the group down pumpkin ridge road at 35-40 mph when a fawn blacktail dear ambles on to the shoulder and into the group. It finally sensed that we were zipping along and it let out this little bleep, spun around, fell down, raised itself to its little hooves and headed back into the woods. Fortunately, nobody hit the little thing.

[William]

If you folks think it's just a stupid coincidence of time & place that they run out in front of you? If so, I have a bridge to sell you. I have proof that the little scheming critters want your bike to stash with the rest of the crash bikes they collect, then tear them down and make them into recumbent bikes. I was able to follow one back to his bike stash and get a shot before he noticed me and threw a Campy brifter at me.

http://shamir.eas.asu.edu/~george/selected/wildlife/bike-squirrel--lowres.jpg

I think the drunk might have something to do with this as well. Pretty convincing evidence I think....

http://stevil.easy48.com/images/dumb/squirrel.jpg


I think it's time to get medieval on their furry little buttocks.

http://www.cbr929rr.com/images/scramblers/060501squirrel.jpg


My assistant Jim will now approach....

Marlin Pekins ;)

[Lincoln]

Rats with bushy tails.

[Kevan]

with the 2 squoills high-fiving each other after forcing a car to drive off the road?

Last year a lady walking her dog observed me trying to avoid one of those stupid rodents and after I yelled and avoided it she looked up at me as I passed and dead-pan called me a "Squirrel Killer!"

That was a good laugh.

[Erik.Lazdins]

Regarding squirrels and their cousins rabbits: They behave the same. Hold your line and you will miss them 99% of the time.
If you do hit one, You are more likely to keep control since your not trying to dodge a twitchy annoying cycling hazard.
I ride pre-dawn most of the time and though I've missed hundreds of rabbits, I've hit 2 in the past year but have remained upright. Hitting a rabbit isn't fun, but its better than crashing hard for an indecisive rodent that would eat your tomatoes under cover of darkness and not give it a second thought! :banana:

Have a good ride,
Erik

[DarkStar]

Hope this image goes through....this is what can happen if one of those furry beggers takes a run at your wheel.

[alancw3]

i live and ride in am area infested with squirrels and am constantly avoiding them. well a couple of months ago one ran in front of me and under my front tire and that was the end of him. my only saving grace was that i was riding my mountain bike at the time. no loss of control. i hate to think what would of happening if riding one of my road bikes.

[Rich_W]

.

[Rich_W]

I had a squirrel run into my front spokes a couple of seasons ago... and the bugger went around a couple of times, and then shot out the other side, hit the pavement and darted back off into the woods... scared the bejeebus out of me.

A buddy of mine was sideswiped by a deer up in Harriman... he fell into the dear, and ended up grabbing onto its torso braking the fall somewhat. He escaped without a scratch.

[beungood]

Damn these horror stories have made me decide to ride armed with a .22 magnum pistol..

[Tom]

They aren't spazzing out. They're wired to dodge so when a bird is taking a run at them the bird will miss. Owls, in particular, once they line up on something have a hell of a time thinking about turning when their target steps aside.

[GregL]

Squirrels, chipmunks, and small rabbits - minor annoyances. Not "usually" too dangerous, just hold your line and hope for the best.

Deer - much better chance of serious injury, or worse. Going downhill at 40+ MPH a few years back, a doe and fawn crossed into my path. I slid off the back of the saddle and braked for all I was worth. I stopped within three (3) feet of the doe. I could feel the snot hitting my arm as she snorted at me. After what seemed an eternity (maybe 3 seconds...), she bolted after the fawn into the woods.

Bear - now we're talking some serious damage. Or maybe not, since they get pretty fat, which might cushion the blow... A large black bear crossed in front of me just as I crested the climb to Lake Desolation on an early morning last summer. Talk about an adrenaline rush! I was ready to turn tail and race back down that hill for all I was worth. Fortunately, Smokey was as uninterested in me as I was in him. He nonchalantly ambled away without so much as a second look. Remember this next time your riding in Serotta country near Saratoga.

Regards,
Greg

[Kines]

They aren't spazzing out. They're wired to dodge so when a bird is taking a run at them the bird will miss. Owls, in particular, once they line up on something have a hell of a time thinking about turning when their target steps aside.
well, OK, but in front of a bike in the middle of the road, it's still spastic.


.