zacster

I was cruising back on my Father's day ride today, and I hit a snake that was crossing the bike path I was on. I was doing about 20mph catching a slight tailwind, where the wind had otherwise been in my face, and I saw this black thing slithering across, but didn't have enough time to stop. It was at least 4 feet long, probably longer as it was across the entire path and at least an inch thick. I went right over it. It kept going but I thought I saw that I had left an indentation in it. I didn't stop.

Now some of you may say "so what, I see them all the time", but I live in NYC and this snake was in Brooklyn. We're not talking about a back country road here, but it was in the wild area of the borough.

2Tired2Shift

Never hit one, but I've been seeing a lot of them on the local MUP lately.

Mukluk

I think you should have turned back and made sure it was OK. Just think... what if you were reincarnated as a snake? If you were run over by a cycling enthusiast you would want that cycling enthusiast to make sure you were OK.

Snicklefritz

I've seen more than a few snakes on some of my training routes in norcal. Most of the time they've already been flattened by cars. Never had to dodge a live one while on my bike.

dmotoguy

a hawk dropped a snake right in front of me last summer.. the pissed off snake jumped at me but i ran him over first (on accident to those animal lovers out there).

JayC

Snakes give me the willys.. I usually shoot them.. on accident, of course.

DiabloScott

Friend hit one on a sweeping downhill turn at speed. Crashed hard. Snake survived.

Ti-tillIdie

I live in Florida and see snakes frequently in some areas. I try to avoid hitting them at all cost, the thought of having to pick a dead (or live) snake out of my spokes is disgusting.

Speedy Gonzalez

Last year my wife and I were mountain biking around Raleigh NC and my wife ran up on a Copperhead. She was about two feet in front of it, stopped to rest, and then realized what was right in front of her. She froze, terrified, and because of sheer terror didn't move away from it. I had to yell at her for a few moments before she started to slowly move away. Meanwhile the snake coiled up and starting making a noise like a rattler does. I had to buy her a set of these before she agreed to mountain bike with me again....
https://www.warwickmills.com/SnakeGear.html

cyclezealot

Doing fast downhills in Califronia it was not uncommon to see a Rattler slither across the road. Mostly I was lucky to hear of others tales. But, some I have seen on the side of the road, should I have run over them ; With their girth; I'd wonder if the bike would have remained upright.

va_cyclist

In Virginia, I see snakes and turtles on the road frequently. Most of them are already squished, but I've run over one or two small snakes.

RoadToNowhere

Two weeks ago on a descent there was a black snake slithering across the road in front of me - perfect trajectory to get squished/chopped up in my spokes/whipped up on my leg. Stopping wasn't an option. Timing is everything. . . he and I crossed paths with his tail just barely clearing my front wheel . . . and I had witnesses.

One week ago I saw another one, a 4-5 foot black snake, already squished. He was a big sucker - a couple of inches in diameter at least. Glad a car got to him before I did!

Is there such a thing as bad serpent karma?

B

Walter

Frequently see them as we are in drought conditions and I have a pool. 2 5ft+ rat snakes live under my pool deck. Kids don't mind, snakes look well fed and I never see rodents.

Ran over a small one years ago when I was in college at U of Central Florida. Snake guts on down tube. Kinda nasty.

Paniolo

I've seen a few ... last spring there was a big thick tree limb that turned out to be a snake a few inches wide and 4' or so long that I swerved around. About 2 years ago one came across the path when I was mtb ... I bunny hopped it.

Skaog

I have ridin by a few down here in Florida, never went over one.

nobrainer440

I went over one thinking it was a sealed crack in the asphalt. Then I looked back and saw it slither away. That was weird.

2thGrinder

I hit one on the Banks to Vernonia rail trail last year. A small one. It was noted in the same spot on the return trip

Crabby Deb

Isn't it bad luck to have a black snake cross your path?

DieselDan

Snakes? A common everyday occurance.

powerglide

Yup. Couldn't avoid the poor bastard. I managed to lift my front wheel up a tad but my rear rolled right over him...hope he was ok, I felt kinda bad about it. One of those things...

bccycleguy

I see snakes every summer when riding at dusk when it's a bit cooler, but have never hit one on my bike. I did hit a big ~4" diameter snake years ago in Africa on a paved road with a Land Rover, almost went into the ditch. When we backed up the snake was gone, we decided not to look for it.

ryanspeer

If accidentally skooshing the mid-section of a harmless 12" long garder snake counts, then yes. Otherwise, refer to my posts in the "what kind of snake is this" thread.

gurana

About 10 years ago (or so) me and my dad were out riding and he ran over one. We took it in and nursed it back to health before taking it back to the spot he ran over it. It kind of sucked to let him go, but we didn't really have a good place for him, and didn't necessarily want to invest in a real snake aquarium (or whatever it is you keep snakes in). As I recall, we named him 'snidely whiplash'

NoGaBiker

Don't you know it's the duty of the White Hunter to go into the bush after injured game? Be a man, follow the blood spoor, take the .600 Nitro Express in there and put him out of his misery.

Matt

uberclkgtr

snake on a (bike) lane!

yes, i've seen them out here in arizona.