Those are Brown Swiss yearling calves -- you were scared of Bown Swiss yearlings??
Of course, they slobbered over your bike -- you probably had dripped salty sweat on it. They would have licked you too if given a chance.
Those are not cows folks, they are steers. While a steer is quite a bit nicer than a flank tied brahma bull they can still mess you up.
Your story is really exciting particularly in light of the fact that the cows offered no danger to you even if you had stopped and waited for them. Cows are curious animals and show interest in anything that interrupts their otherwise boring life of eating grass and digesting it through mutliple stomachs and chewing their cuds.
I have learned a great deal about bovine biology and behaviour from these postings. I have mostly lived in cities, so your cow lore is very educational!
My story has a second part. After my encounter with the Brown Swiss yearlings, I continued along the road, exited the meadow through a gate, rode for another five minutes, and then discovered that the road was a dead-end! I had a choice: either push my bike along a narrow trail through a forest and down a mountain side that led to who-knows-where, or turn around and face the possibility of another cow chase. I opted for the meadow. I retraced my route through the meadow, but the second time through, I bombed through as quickly as possible without attracting the attention of my curious animal friends.
Alan