Today, while on a longer ride, I hit a chipmunk. I'm pretty sure that I killed it and I felt horrible for the rest of my ride. I was able to avoid it with my front wheel but it ran right under my rear wheel.

Momentarily, I considered the Bunny Hop or should I say "Chipmunk" Hop technique, but decided against it for my own safety.

You found a chipmunk (and not a squirrel) in town?

Nothing wrong with bunny hopping. It is a skill that I believe cyclists should have.

Stupid chipmunk. Glad you're okay though.

Insert "why did the chipmuck cross the road" joke.

It didn't!

Chipmuck was finding a fast track to the afterlife or so i've heard.

Just know it could have been worse. A girl hit a tiny kitten on one of our group rides - ran right out in front of me, I don't know how I missed it, but the girl behind me hit it.

This isn't funny, but it is.

Don't think of it as killing a chipmunk. Think of it as feeding the crows (or buzzards or whatever else eats carrion in your area).

This bears repeating: hold your line. More people seem to crash (or crash others) trying to avoid them.

It's me or the critter in front of me...easy choice.

There are a lot of chipmunks in my area too, I know it's only a matter of time before I hit one. They don't seem to hear my approach until the last minute. Yesterday, on a short ride, I almost hit a cardinal because it wouldn't veer left or right, just kept flying a few inches in front of my wheel. What worries me are the many ducks on my routes. A duck to the spokes would ruin my day!

Learn to bunny hop!

If chipmunks were hairless, they wouldn't be so cute, now would they?

Don't let the fur fool ya...if they were bigger than you, they wouldn't feel bad for one second about off'ing you.

^^^ Kill them all.

Please.

be happy it went under the wheel and not through it https://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/76039319/

I hit a bird a few weeks ago. Talk about bad luck. . .for the bird. Flew right out of the brush along the side of the road a few inches off the ground. I was probably doing 25mph and it was maybe doing the same. . .perpendicular to me. Unbelievable timing! Just glad it wasn't a few inches more off the ground or a few milliseconds slower or it would've been sliced up in my spokes and probably thrown the wheel out of true!