Squirrel physics

[fiamme red]

Take a look at these photos!

http://picasaweb.google.com/dbiked/BrotherSBikeCrash?authkey=iOs1rM3MJzo

http://lh5.ggpht.com/dbiked/SDGo1lfx_VI/AAAAAAAACuM/s7gwpx8eD0g/bike%20crash%203.jpg?imgmax=576

http://lh3.ggpht.com/dbiked/SDl76Mrd5tI/AAAAAAAAC3o/HdHg1KL6drM/diagram%202.JPG

[Bud_E]

I guess squirrel beats carbon fiber every time. I'm ordering a squirrel fork for my next bike.

[Lifelover]

Did the rider get taken away in a rescue helicopter!?

He must have been going at a pretty good rate to generate those kind of forces.

Any idea how the chain ring got bent.

There are no good pictures, but it seems that the front wheel faired pretty well!?


Two weeks ago on a Monday night ride I lead, one rider had a squirrel run out and get ran over by his back tire. Guess he was damn lucky.

[Charles M]

Did they both get run over by someone from Litespeed in an SUV?



Actually this one is my favorite. Move over Nanotech, Hello Mammaltech

http://lh5.ggpht.com/dbiked/SDHGllfx_ZI/AAAAAAAACvc/qwTG68rVNWg/P5191318.JPG?imgmax=640

[bike <3'er]

I guess squirrel beats carbon fiber every time. I'm ordering a squirrel fork for my next bike.

Yes, steel, Al or Ti...I wonder how things would've turned out.

[girlie]

Any idea how the chain ring got bent.


Fork broke and the bike hit the ground on the chain ring.

Is it wrong that I laugh?

[regularguy412]

WOW! Squirrel is tougher than CF. Whodathunk?!

Glad your brother is OK. Hate it for the bike. I had a similar experience years ago when a stealthy piece of strap aluminum about 1/4 inch thick got hung in my aluminum fork. I was pedaling along in a paceline at about 20 mph. The guy in front of me hit the metal. No one could see it, 'cause it was the same color as the road and in fading afternoon light. The impact almost completely severed my fork and sent me onto the asphalt head first. I tried to tuck and roll. The back of my left shoulder hit first and I heard my collar bone snap. I was lucky there were no further injuries. The other riders escaped without issue. Hope bike and brother both recover soon.

Mike in AR:beer:

[PaulE]

recently discussed this in his Q&A on Velonews.com. Velonews (http://www.velonews.com/article/77846/lennard-zinn-answers-more-reader-technical-questions) What surprises me is that the bladed spoke of the Ksyrium did not cut the squirrel at all before the fork snapped.

When I was a kid one of my friends had an old 10 speed bike with old, not really functioning sidepull brakes when centerpull brakes were the brakes to have. On top of that, the spokes of his front wheel were really loose. We always chided him for being too cheap to buy some new brakes. One ride we were all climbing a hill slowly when he had a long stick less than a half inch in diameter go into his spokes. When the stick came around to the back of the steel fork, it stayed there and we heard each spoke break with a plink sound. He did a wheelie and then came down on the wheel which by that point had very few spokes left. After that the rim and fork were toast, so he ended up having to buy new brakes, a new fork, and have his wheel rebuilt with a new rim and spokes.

[gdw]

That never would have happened if he had kept the edges sharp on his bladed spokes.

[Kevan]

Furmented!

[bike <3'er]

PS. It was later noted the squirrel was fleeing the paparazzi, as he was rumored to be having an affair with Madonna, raced across the street without looking both ways and was pronounced dead at the scene. The New York Post contacted Madonna and while wearing dark Gucci sunglasses offered, "I...never...did not even know...that squirrel." She then skipped off uptown for what her agent described as, "An emergency Kaballah meeting." Of interest to Page Six, it appeared that when Madonna raced off in her limo, a few acorns fell out of her pocketbook. Contacted later that day by Page Six Madonna sent out a text message regarding the death of a squirrel rumored to be her lover, "Life is a mystery."


:D

[PaulE]

That never would have happened if he had kept the edges sharp on his bladed spokes.

But it wasn't even cut. There is no blood. In the picture in the Velonews article the squirrel is even being held in a hand.

[regularguy412]

But it wasn't even cut. There is no blood. In the picture in the Velonews article the squirrel is even being held in a hand.

In one of the pix, the squirrel's nose was bloody. Or , it could'a been red paint from the fork. :fight:

Mike in AR:beer:

[Samster]

geez. this one looks like squirrel fur. ouch.

[chuckred]

I always wondered how worried to be when one of those critters runs in front of me.

It happened the other day on the Interstate (at 70 mph in my Grand Cherokee). Poor guy committed squirrelicide into my front tire. I can tell you - it doesn't affect a Jeep...

[fiamme red]

http://wjc.fidean.net/log/2008/06/20/a-solution-to-the-squirrel-problem/

With the Ginsu Wheel any obstruction, whether from the rodent family or simply a stick from a joking fellow cyclist, will be cleanly chopped into little bits, sparing the lives of cyclists living in squirrel-overrun areas, sparing the poor squirrel a prolonged and painful death, and providing an easy, nutritious, pre-tenderized meal for lazy scavengers. Ginsu-spoked wheels are tough enough to shred beer cans, but ride as smooth as warm Bag Balm. Available with as few as 12 spokes, saving valuable grams from your wheelset while staying safe from indecisive rodents. The Ginsu Wheel, ask for it by name!

[bike <3'er]

Fiamme Red,

You'll be receiving a PM from Page Six of the New York Post shortly. Apparently Madonna's agent would like to send your brother some flowers, some dirt from western Africa which contains a healing agent, Madonna's latest CD, an autographed Topps rookie card from Alex Rodriguez, a years supply of organic rodent-b-gone and a sonic repellant (with handlebar mount). Sandra Bernhard also asked if she can play any role in any way, shape or form, she'd like to get involved with your brother as well.

All the best.

[john903]

I hope the rider is doing well, and wish them a fast recovery. I ran over a cat last year yea it's funny now. I was on my fix gear on a flat after a nice down hill and saw a cat up ahead on the side of the road and thought "cats don't run out in front of you like squirrels do". Wrong, just before I passed the cat he made a run for it. He hit the front wheel and cat hair flew, I flew over the bars. Some how I did not bust my collar bone or anything and no the cat did not soften my landing. The car behind me was impressed with my flight ops. Bike damage, bent the old steel fork backwards, frame came out ok, and the front wheel needed truing (old Rolf comp 20 spoke). The cat crawled off under a tree then half hour later he was gone so I don't know if he died or not. I have never seen him since. The bike was a Torpado with chrome steel fork I say was because after I rebuilt the bike it was stolen after 23 years of ownership, oh well someone in San Jose has a nice old fixed gear.

[csm]

I heard the squirrel is suing.

[regularguy412]

I heard the squirrel is suing.

You mean the squirrel's estate, is suing.

:D
Mike in AR

[csm]

yes I meant the estate. Mrs Squirrel specifically. for loss of companionship. she crossed Madonna's name off the original filing.

[palincss]

I'm about a mile from the end of the ride last Sunday when a couple of feet ahead of my front wheel a brown shape bolts out of the hedge to my right, screaming loudly, and darts across the road. I catch a glimpse of a snarling face, white teeth, a large brown body and a fluffy tail with brown rings that could only belong to a raccoon. The rest of the group was 20 - 30 yards behind me, but everybody heard the screaming and wondered what it was. If it had been half a second slower... :(

[Dekonick]

It is obvious the squirrel is at fault. I would contact a good lawyer and persue suing the squirrel's family and insurance company.

[bike <3'er]

I heard the squirrel is suing.

True. For all we know the squirrel said, "On your left" before he was killed.

[regularguy412]

It is obvious the squirrel is at fault. I would contact a good lawyer and persue suing the squirrel's family and insurance company.

Yup. That's a counter suit. Not to be confused with the yellow, green, white and polka dot suits currently being worn in France.

Sorry. I just watched the finish at Super Besse for the second time today and it was just as good the second time.:D

Mike in AR:beer:

[bike <3'er]

I just noticed the cyclist was air lifted out. I hope he is okay, that couldn't be great news to be lifted by a chopper. I saw a few rabbits on my ride today.