Today, I was the prey
#1
Thread Starter
I'm the anecdote.
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,820
Likes: 1,177
From: S.E. Texas
Bikes: '12 Schwinn, '13 Norco
Today, I was the prey
Working from the house today, I took a lunch time ride. What a beautiful day it is for such a thing here in Southeast Texas.
Pedaling, pedaling, pedaling, I went up a small hill at a local park and kept my speed low as I got back onto the concrete . . .
What's that sound? Coming from behind? The sound of claws trying their mightiest to grab hold of the street and provide maximum acceleration for my predator. A silent predator, just moments before laying in wait. No utterance made, simply an ambush by a blood thirsty beast.
As I accelerate away, the beast still follows. I let it pace me from behind as it has reached maximum velocity, but its stamina appears sufficient for a lengthy chase. What a determined little beast, all of maybe 12 pounds. Run, run, run little dog.
Pedaling, pedaling, pedaling, I went up a small hill at a local park and kept my speed low as I got back onto the concrete . . .
What's that sound? Coming from behind? The sound of claws trying their mightiest to grab hold of the street and provide maximum acceleration for my predator. A silent predator, just moments before laying in wait. No utterance made, simply an ambush by a blood thirsty beast.
As I accelerate away, the beast still follows. I let it pace me from behind as it has reached maximum velocity, but its stamina appears sufficient for a lengthy chase. What a determined little beast, all of maybe 12 pounds. Run, run, run little dog.
#2
Tragically Ignorant

Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 15,593
Likes: 9,109
From: New England
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Working from the house today, I took a lunch time ride. What a beautiful day it is for such a thing here in Southeast Texas.
Pedaling, pedaling, pedaling, I went up a small hill at a local park and kept my speed low as I got back onto the concrete . . .
What's that sound? Coming from behind? The sound of claws trying their mightiest to grab hold of the street and provide maximum acceleration for my predator. A silent predator, just moments before laying in wait. No utterance made, simply an ambush by a blood thirsty beast.
As I accelerate away, the beast still follows. I let it pace me from behind as it has reached maximum velocity, but its stamina appears sufficient for a lengthy chase. What a determined little beast, all of maybe 12 pounds. Run, run, run little dog.

Pedaling, pedaling, pedaling, I went up a small hill at a local park and kept my speed low as I got back onto the concrete . . .
What's that sound? Coming from behind? The sound of claws trying their mightiest to grab hold of the street and provide maximum acceleration for my predator. A silent predator, just moments before laying in wait. No utterance made, simply an ambush by a blood thirsty beast.
As I accelerate away, the beast still follows. I let it pace me from behind as it has reached maximum velocity, but its stamina appears sufficient for a lengthy chase. What a determined little beast, all of maybe 12 pounds. Run, run, run little dog.

Last dog that attacked me couldn't have weighed more than 6 pounds. Charged me from a right angle as I was climbing a hill, so speeding away wasn't an option. I had to stop dead because I was afraid she was going under my wheel. Her owner was running after her trying to get her to stop, saw me hop off the bike and I think he feared I was going to be mean to her. I just yelled "hey" at the top of my lungs and she charged right back into the house very fast.
Almost as funny as getting charged by a ground hog.
#4
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,606
Likes: 703
From: Layton, UT
Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile
Where, behind the rabbit? 
Amusingly, when I ride my velomobile, dogs (even the larger ones) tend to shy away and seem to be afraid of it. When I'm on my recumbent bike, they want to chase, though.

Amusingly, when I ride my velomobile, dogs (even the larger ones) tend to shy away and seem to be afraid of it. When I'm on my recumbent bike, they want to chase, though.
#5
Tragically Ignorant

Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 15,593
Likes: 9,109
From: New England
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
#9
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 53
Likes: 19
I used to ride on a country road, where at the bottom of a slight hill stood a farm. And regular as the sun rises, two farm dogs seem to take great delight waiting in ambush for me to pass by. They were more noise than teeth, but still was a great motivator for the hill climb to safety!
#11
Senior Member

Joined: May 2017
Posts: 2,426
Likes: 2,275
From: Hacienda Hgts
Bikes: 2026 Motobecane Mulekick 520 Steel 1999 Schwinn Peloton Ultegra 10, Kestrel RT-1000 Ultegra, Trek Marlin 6 Deore 29'er
SE Texas? I heard Chupacabras are in your nick of the woods. Could have been a young'en but still deadly.
#13
Thread Starter
I'm the anecdote.
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,820
Likes: 1,177
From: S.E. Texas
Bikes: '12 Schwinn, '13 Norco
#15
Space Ghost
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 412
From: NYC
Bikes: Bridgestone, Fuji, Iro, Jamis, Gary Fisher, GT, Scott, Specialized and more
Kinda similar story. But I think the outcome would have been much different if the predator(s) on my heels had caught up.
I was out riding with a friend from out of town, showing him the sights in NYC. We started out in Lower Manhattan around midnight and rode over the Brooklyn Bridge into downtown Brooklyn and were going past the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This was about twenty years ago, back when it was desolate and creepy as heck there at night.
So we’re riding by and we see a pack of what look to be stray dogs just hanging out there in the middle of the night doing whatever packs of stray dogs do in the middle of the night there. They just watch us until we are almost past them. But, just when I start thinking we are all good, they take off running after us!
Obviously, I got away uneaten. As did my friend. But Jeezum Crow! I was scared out of my mind lol
I was out riding with a friend from out of town, showing him the sights in NYC. We started out in Lower Manhattan around midnight and rode over the Brooklyn Bridge into downtown Brooklyn and were going past the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This was about twenty years ago, back when it was desolate and creepy as heck there at night.
So we’re riding by and we see a pack of what look to be stray dogs just hanging out there in the middle of the night doing whatever packs of stray dogs do in the middle of the night there. They just watch us until we are almost past them. But, just when I start thinking we are all good, they take off running after us!
Obviously, I got away uneaten. As did my friend. But Jeezum Crow! I was scared out of my mind lol
#16
Senior Member


Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 14,182
Likes: 5,314
From: Portland, OR
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Coolest chase I ever had was by a dog that would have laughed at your 400 watts. 1977, at the height of my racing days, I was going downhill and passed a house at the back of a big front lawn. Dog was on the front steps and saw me as I passed the walk. 20 feet behind me at the corner of the lot after I accelerated for all I was worth. Quickly beside me. Then it just paced me down the hill. No bark, no growl, no move to either get ahead or get close to me. Never passed my BB. But we both knew that if there was a finish line anywhere on that hill, I was taking second. The dog was just cruising. When the hill leveled out, he turned around and trotted home. Job done.
15 years later, my neighbor got a whippet. Looked very familiar. Like my pursuer, a classy dog. And also a rocket.
Ben
15 years later, my neighbor got a whippet. Looked very familiar. Like my pursuer, a classy dog. And also a rocket.
Ben
#17
Senior Member♣️

Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,075
Likes: 3,004
Last Sunday I was on my way home from a fantastic ride to the coast and as I rounded a corner on a MUP , a Great Dane about the size of a small horse was galloping towards me from a right angle growling/barking and dragging a leash behind him. A woman was yelling at her beast from the other side of a 6’ chain link fence. I have no idea what the situation was ,but, the dog responded to her at the last moment and I was spared the jaws of death! Man, I was relieved , there was no way to outrun that thing. Joe
#18
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 14
Likes: 2
From: Breizh
Bikes: Trek 790 (1992) Trek FXS4 (2019)
A very good cycling friend, alas now deceased, related to me a descent at speed into Ajaccio, Corsica, when a dog tore out of a house and had the misfortune to decide to have a close discussion with the spokes of the front wheel. Friend Christian came off (broken wrist) but the howling of the dog without its snout, brought out its owner who seeing what had happened went back to the house and returned with a shotgun, fortunately to finish off the dog, though it was a shaky moment for my pal.
#19
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 59
Likes: 83
From: Northern New Jersey
Bikes: '15 Giant Propel Advanced SL1, '17 Trek Madone RSL
Once cycling in the Santa Cruz mountains back in the 90's I had a pretty vicious dog chase me. As I was scurrying to get away I looked back and saw he only had three legs...this made me all the more tense because I figured he was probably dedicated enough to lose that leg chasing the last guy...
#20
Tragically Ignorant

Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 15,593
Likes: 9,109
From: New England
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
I think that's a very good metaphor for some of the Bike Forum threads.
#22
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 815
From: VA
Bikes: SuperSix Evo | Revolt
Had the same thing happen the other night, no growling or barking, but I heard his nails hit the pavement when he took chase. Only difference is, I know the dogs at that house, and the smallest one is probably 60lbs. Not sure which one it was, they have three that love to come off the property after cyclists, but I wasn't waiting around to find out. Wish I had a power meter, I would love to see what my output was for that section!!
#23
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,606
Likes: 703
From: Layton, UT
Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile
#24
Passista


Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 8,260
Likes: 1,229
Bikes: 1998 Pinarello Asolo, 1992 KHS Montaņa pro, 1980 Raleigh DL-1, IGH Hybrid, IGH Utility
A very good cycling friend, alas now deceased, related to me a descent at speed into Ajaccio, Corsica, when a dog tore out of a house and had the misfortune to decide to have a close discussion with the spokes of the front wheel. Friend Christian came off (broken wrist) but the howling of the dog without its snout, brought out its owner who seeing what had happened went back to the house and returned with a shotgun, fortunately to finish off the dog, though it was a shaky moment for my pal.
#25
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 4,628
Likes: 943
From: Ontario, Canada
Bikes: iele Latina, Miele Suprema, Miele Uno LS, Miele Miele Beta, MMTB, Bianchi Model Unknown, Fiori Venezia, Fiori Napoli, VeloSport Adamas AX
I was paddling my kayak across a small lake in Northern Ontario Canada when a fellow in a boat came up to me and asked if that was my dog. It was. I had got my dad to drop me off at the start of my trip and this was the end of it and he was back to pick me up. He had brought my dog with him and she decided she'd join me. Fortunately she was a terrier/lab cross and was not a full size lab and Iwas able to pull her into my kayak.
Cheers
Cheers








