Southern California - Squirrel: 0, Cyclist: 1

On the Sepulveda Bike Path this morning going by the golf course and this little squirrel comes out from under a parked car, chattering and everything (what do you call the sound they make?) right in front of me with no time to react. The good thing is it got across without me hitting it, but the bad thing is it crashed head first into the fence on the side of the path. Hope the little thing is ok. It disappeared as fast as it had appeared.

Squirrel: 0 Cyclist:2

Got mine a couple weeks ago. :D

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/oh,-food!-i.ll-just-_-wahhhhhh!!/squirrel-catapult-is-awful-yet-we-cant-look-away-270290.php?autoplay=true

Squirrel Catapult

On the PV ride a few weeks ago, Eric (Dunwood) was flying down Coronel with me right behind him when a flying bird steaked perpendicularly into his path. I saw the little black missile bounce off his shoulder/back, across the road and out of sight. I don't think Eric ever saw it, but I sure did! :lol:

Yeah I saw it coming but didn't have time to react. Good thing I had my mouth shut, too early for my morning feathers.

On the Sepulveda Bike Path this morning going by the golf course and this little squirrel comes out from under a parked car, chattering and everything (what do you call the sound they make?) right in front of me with no time to react. The good thing is it got across without me hitting it, but the bad thing is it crashed head first into the fence on the side of the path. Hope the little thing is ok. It disappeared as fast as it had appeared.

Reminds me of a deer a couple of years back. I was descending a small hill with one other rider when he yells "deer". It was a yearling coming from our left. He jumped on the pedals, I hit the brakes and narrowly missed it. Anyway, the deer skidded on it's hoves and crached head first into the guardrail, with it's head making quite a ringing sound on the support post.

Later that day I drove by the site because I was sure the animal had been killed. I saw it lying about a hundred yards out in the field and on closer examination found more than half the skull and the brain missing, probably torn off by a fox. Talk about a skull fracture.......

^ Ok that beats my story 10 fold! Sad, but amazing.

On the subject, when I was a junior racer my coach was driving us through the mountains of Pine Flats (central CA) in thich fog when an owl flew right into the windshield and got caught in the spokes of my teammate's bike. The coach got out, removed the bird, made sure it wasn't suffering any longer, and drove on.

Check this out for a collection of stories: http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com/squirrels.htm

My story is "squirrel never had a chance".

I have taken out many a squirrel in Angeles crest when out on motorcycle rides. I think sometimes they come to the conclusion that they are rats with furry tails and decide to kill themselves. Honestly I don't like to run them over, but when on a 2 wheeled vehicle through a turn at high speed it is safer to keep your line and take out the squirrel.

I had a daring squirrel attempt to dash between my front and rear wheels on a SART ride...he mis-timed it and I got him squarely with the rear wheel. I was in a group at the time so could not even look to see what happened to it, but I'd hazard a guess that there was some internal organ damage on the lil fella.

Those suicide squirrels are becoming a real epidemic.

I had a daring squirrel attempt to dash between my front and rear wheels on a SART ride...he mis-timed it and I got him squarely with the rear wheel. I was in a group at the time so could not even look to see what happened to it, but I'd hazard a guess that there was some internal organ damage on the lil fella.

This happened to me too, but it was the front wheel that got him. I'll be darned if he didn't keep on running like nothing even happened though. Pretty tough little guy. I hear he's actually quite a hero in the squirrel community.

You can catch some pretty good air off the back of a squirrel. It's a one-time only thing, though, as with every successive jump, the squirrel gets flatter and flatter.

...with every successive jump, the squirrel gets flatter and flatter.

That's when you move on to possum.

at least they didn't have explosives strapped to their chests.

I was hit a groundhog on Bartram's Trail.
We both came out of it OK....tie.

Are you sure it wasn't a Chupacabra?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAozF0NzLkc

I thought it was called a Chucawamba (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=4743960&postcount=150)

I'm looking for a skunk sticker for my fork.

First animal in 35+ years of serious riding.

I was just finishing up a ride doing my warm down, when out the woods comes Pepé probably no more than 20 or so feet in front of me. I zig - I see the tail go up - I zag - Pepe decides to reverse course and head back into the woods, by then I was practically on top of it and under my front wheel it goes. I was really jumping on my cranks by then as I didn't want to get sprayed. I looked back and I guess I must have ridden accross its neck or back, as it wasn't moving.

My son told me later (yeah you know a 12 year old, they just have to check it out) that it looked like I crushed its neck.

I actually felt kind of bad about it.

zac

I'm looking for a skunk sticker for my fork.

First animal in 35+ years of serious riding.

I was just finishing up a ride doing my warm down, when out the woods comes Pepé probably no more than 20 or so feet in front of me. I zig - I see the tail go up - I zag - Pepe decides to reverse course and head back into the woods, by then I was practically on top of it and under my front wheel it goes. I was really jumping on my cranks by then as I didn't want to get sprayed. I looked back and I guess I must have ridden accross its neck or back, as it wasn't moving.

My son told me later (yeah you know a 12 year old, they just have to check it out) that it looked like I crushed its neck.

I actually felt kind of bad about it.

zac

If Granny and Uncle Jed were there they would have made righteous good stew!!
Y'all come back now!

I'm looking for a skunk sticker for my fork.


Here ya go. (http://www.fastdecals.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi?store=&search=yes&detail=yes&product=pepelepew04_looney&category=all&keywords=looney&hits_seen=&page=search.html&and=&affiliate_id=)

I think the squirrels actually get a kick out of dodging bikes and cars. I once had one dart out from the side, go between my tires, do a 360 roll on the ground and cleared it. I can imagine the squirrel talk...

Chip, "DUDE - You shoulda seen it. I did a 'tweener rollo today and cleared it!"
Dale, "Sweeeet. Let's go find some nuts."