A squirrel's demise
06-22-14, 08:54 PM
#2
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Don't feel bad. If he wasn't left in the path, he is probably okay other than a few sore spots. Besides, rodents are designed by nature to be disposable.
06-22-14, 09:35 PM
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Don't worry about it, be happy it didn't lead to a crash.
06-23-14, 05:51 AM
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You can console yourself that when cycling, your contribution to roadkill is negligible.
photo taken in my back yard this morning
The oddest encounter I ever had was on a night ride, when a badger ran between my wheels. He was quite nimble (not something badgers are renowned for) to avoid not just tires fore and aft, but pedal strike. He nudged the bike but not enough to topple me dumbfounded from my perch.
Badgers aren't small like squirrels. Here's an illustration of one next to a compact floor pump to give you an idea of their size:
not to scale
photo taken in my back yard this morning
The oddest encounter I ever had was on a night ride, when a badger ran between my wheels. He was quite nimble (not something badgers are renowned for) to avoid not just tires fore and aft, but pedal strike. He nudged the bike but not enough to topple me dumbfounded from my perch.
Badgers aren't small like squirrels. Here's an illustration of one next to a compact floor pump to give you an idea of their size:
not to scale
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Last edited by 905; 06-23-14 at 06:04 AM. Reason: might actually be to scale if badger is on hormones
06-23-14, 06:07 AM
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Aim for their neck so you don't spoil any meat. Post ride lunch.
Squirrel is good eats.
Squirrel is good eats.
06-23-14, 06:16 AM
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Originally Posted by WrightVanCleve
...Squirrel is good eats.
Better to run over one that have it get in your spokes and take you out too.
06-23-14, 06:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Looigi
Better to run over one that have it get in your spokes and take you out too.
06-23-14, 07:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Looigi
I've eaten squirrel and would be inclined to disagree. Perhaps it's an acquired taste.
Better to run over one that have it get in your spokes and take you out too.
Better to run over one that have it get in your spokes and take you out too.
06-23-14, 07:44 AM
#9
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Originally Posted by WrightVanCleve
Use bladed spokes with a nice sharp edge.
06-23-14, 10:26 AM
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"Badgers?" Wee don' need no steenkin' badgers!
06-23-14, 10:40 AM
#11
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We had a power outage (Eugene) when a Squirrel formed a ground between the power line and the maple tree.
06-23-14, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by BobbyG
"Badgers?" Wee don' need no steenkin' badgers!
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06-23-14, 12:06 PM
#13
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
We had a power outage (Eugene) when a Squirrel formed a ground between the power line and the maple tree.
06-23-14, 12:07 PM
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It could have been a lot worse:
06-23-14, 12:13 PM
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A friend of mine perhaps unwisely swerved to avoid a squirrel that couldn't make up its mind where to go, and ended up breaking three ribs. I think I'd rather be cleaning sticky bits of the drivetrain personally.
06-26-14, 12:33 AM
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
It could have been a lot worse:
I hit a squirrel while going down what we called "thrill hill." Somehow the stupid thing got caught in the fork... this did two things. First, it made a loud buzzing sound as the tread burned against the critter. Second, it sent me flying over the handlebars.
Fortunately for me, the bike was mostly unhurt (old steel bike.)
Fortunately for the squirrel, I couldn't find it after the wreck. I suppose it lived.
I posted my account of my 2nd animal strike in a thread earlier...
06-26-14, 12:45 AM
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Originally Posted by BobbyG
"Badgers?" Wee don' need no steenkin' badgers!
06-26-14, 01:11 AM
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All of this for a stupid Tree Rat?? It's called "suicide". Simple entertainment for simple.......
06-26-14, 01:51 AM
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My tragic encounter was with...yes, an armadillo! It was dark. I was tired. He darted, I swerved. Too late. Cut the little bugger right in two! Tail one way, snout the other. Cute little guy, he was wearing little cowboy boots. And a hat. Odd, what was he doing way up in Montana? Migrating to Canada? Running from the law? I guess we'll never know. Go ahead, scoff if you must. The wife doesn't believe me either. (Too bad he was sliced in two, might have made a cute handbag for the Mrs.)
06-26-14, 04:13 AM
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Last week I was leading a group ride. As we came around a corner at a good rate of speed, two chipmunks who were fighting fell out of the tall grass and infront of my wheel. There was no time, and as much as I did not want to hit them, I was not inuring 6 people by braking & swerving. They both got nailed.
06-26-14, 06:40 PM
#21
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Originally Posted by 905
not to scale
Out in the woods, up to no good, I wanna make friends with the badger
06-26-14, 07:18 PM
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I had a duck take me down once. I spent a lot of time cleaning duck feathers out of the RD and lost a lot of skin skidding on the cement. I had to pop the front brake off so that my wheel would pass through the fork blades so that I could ride the bike home.
Of course all my riding buddies couldn't leave that one alone for a long, long time . . . .
Of course all my riding buddies couldn't leave that one alone for a long, long time . . . .
06-26-14, 10:41 PM
#23
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Originally Posted by alaskanb3arcub
Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger.....
Seriously, I'm beginning to think that the best way to avoid hitting squirrels is to aim right for them.
06-27-14, 06:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Rider_1
wow. Awesome stories. I never thought about animals getting caught in the front wheel and taking me down. Now I have a new worry!
06-29-14, 02:56 AM
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Badger on the road today, and it wasn't a siesta:
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