Fox Farm

Ok, I'll jump in on this one. Recent scary was when i was descending rapidly a small hill of 10% grade into a small village, probably 38mph / 58kph, and some chickens who were free-range browsing the ditch on the side of the road got spooked by me and decided that now was the time to attempt flight across the road, right into my front week. F n F. Nearly knocked me off balance and into a fast crash. Not sure if I killed one of them... Many years ago, about 1983 perhaps, I was riding with then girl friend and a super intense electrical rain storm rolled in on top of us very quickly. I am thinking, ok how to get to cover quickly... Oh cool, there is a house, lets ride up the drive. Out comes a very angry aggressive large dog not happy about our impromptu visit. Ok, turn around quickly and back to the road. I turn around to shout that there might be some shelter just up ahead and a bolt of lightning strikes the power poll probably 50 meters behind girlfriend. We sprinted faster than I thought possible in the pouring rain...

rsbob 

I live in farm country and have had two free range near and actual collision experiences with chickens. They usually are hiding in the brush doing whatever they do. Spooked, they run home squawking and into my front wheel or foot. Am waiting for the day I take one out...for dinner. Truly unnerving.

MntnMan62

My scary experience took place when I was a kid. I was riding my Schwinn Stingray with the big handlebars and the banana seat. I was riding with a present in my hands as I was headed to a friends house for his birthday. I recall not being happy because earlier I had headed to his house and somehow fell causing the handle of the handlebar to penetrate the wrapping and box of the present I was giving him. My mother refused to fix it and I guess I was crying because of this and had tears in my eyes. I'm riding along the shoulder of a busy two lane road with the double yellow line and I'm on the side riding against traffic. Dumb. Anyway, as I'm riding one handed and holding the large present with my other hand my front tire hits a decent sized rock causing me to suddenly dart across the road. To me it seemed like a split second. There were cars coming from both directions. How I made it across I have no idea. There was a car with some younger guys in it and one of them was halfway out of the window yelling and applauding me saying "Way to go! Nice riding!" or something to that effect. After the insane maneuver I quickly realized that I was lucky to be alive. It didn't help that when I gave the present to my friend he gave me s**t for the damaged wrapping. Since then I have always been pretty careful to pay attention to the road directly in front of me.

voyager1

This past March I was riding later then I normally do. It was a Sunday afternoon. Well on this road I was on I got a few cars behind me. First one passes. No problem. Second passes. No real problem but we are getting close to a blind curve. Third vehicle starts to pass but changes his mind. Then as soon as we clear the curve he goes for it. Big problem. There is a Lexus GX SUV coming the other way. Well the guy goes around me and runs the GX off the road. I had slammed my brakes seeing the Lexus once the vehicle was passing me was next to me. I hit the brakes hopefully to create more distance for the passing vehicle to get out of the lane with the Lexus. The clearance between me and passing vehicle was a handful of feet when all said and done.

I turn around and check the driver of the Lexus since it pulled over. It was couple, maybe early 50s. The driver was a lady and she was in tears and her husband was hopping mad (not at me).

The vehicle that caused all this was a pickup truck for a company with their phone number on it. You bet they got a call. There were also no more vehicles for at least a mile behind the Lexus, so yeah the truck could have waited.

takozukuri

⚡LIGHTNING⚡

Kimmo

My scariest cycling memory is from nearly forty years ago - I was probably about eight, and having a nightmare. In the dream, I was three, and was riding my trike. For some reason, it was dark and rainy, and I found myself going down a windy hill in the woods, but was near my destination. The scary thing was, there was a car, um, 'chasing' me, and I just knew he driver wanted to kill me for unspecified reasons. I was flat out going down this hill, with the pedals spinning free, too fast to add any speed, the lights of the house approaching, when, WHAM! I woke up crying, since at the very moment the car caught up to me, I'd contrived to smack the hell out of the back of my head on the bedhead. Ow. Pretty crap way to transition from dream to reality...

IRL, I think all my scariest moments were willingly induced by hanging onto trucks back in the day. But as for the sort of stuff you don't see coming, the following incident probably tops the list:
Again, it's dark and rainy, only this time I'm on my way to my girlfriend's place. Again, nearly there. Suddenly, a flash of movement on the ground in front of me, then bang! under the front wheel as the the bars are ripped from my hands and very rapidly threaten to smash me in the face on my way to the ground. Meanwhile, there's a mad scrabbling sound behind the front wheel... the dreaded rear wheel impact that would've finished the job doesn't eventuate - and somehow I manage to get a hand back on the bars to continue on my way unscathed, while a presumably very sore possum continued to tear across the road and up a tree. Bugger me, that was a shock.

dmanthree

Got chased by a bear. I was on the Canadian Rockies Backroads tour, and on the last day we were nearing Jasper and a bear spotted us from the woods. We (there were two of us) had a 50yd head start on the bear, so he only got within about 10 yards of us before giving up the chase. Scared the crap out of us. Happened in 1992. Damned glad we weren't going uphill.

fifty150

When I was 13, I rode my 10 speed to baseball practice at the high school. The field was wet from the sprinklers so the coach told us to head to the city baseball field a few miles away. A few of us took off on our bikes and some players jumped into the coaches truck.

I was riding full speed, (as fast as I could go), probably 15 mph or more and knew the coaches truck was behind me. I came upon a recently repaired dip in the roadway. It had been filled with asphalt but was about 1 foot wide and several inches deep. I pulled up on the handles bars to help clear the dip and the next thing I remember was sitting on the ground with people around me. I felt something dripping down my face and touched it and look at my hand it’s blood dripping down my face. Turns out my front wheel came off and my forks dug into the asphalt and I flew about 20 feet in the air landing directly on my head. No helmet back then. My head split open to the skull from front to rear. Ambulance ride to the hospital to stitch me up and spent the night. I was lucky I didn’t break my neck. Other than my head wound, I really didn’t have any other injuries.

GlennR

The middle seam in my bibs split open. Luckily the red chamois kept it together until i got home. Must of looked like a baboon's A$S.

79pmooney

I had a truck pull a right turn as he was passing me, but, I wasn't sacred.

I had just ridden through the top of a "T" intersection. A farm dump truck was waiting at his stop sign on the westbound trunk of the "T". 7:30 in the evening; summer solstice. Truck pulled out behind me. No big. Well, as it was passing me it turned into the gravel parking lot of a farm store. Gravel spilled onto the road so there was no way I was going to make the that turn.

"This is it" The right turning truck my childhood best friend's dad told all of us that if we saw, we were dying. Not maybe. Do I try to make the turn, crash and get crushed by the wheel or do I ride into the truck bed and have bike and lower half go under the truck and meet the same end. I rode straight. The truck straightened out and I rode between it and the shoulder. I was given a gift.

Rode a couple hundred yards shaken to the core, then thought "I need to talk to that driver." Pulled up as he was getting out, obviously nearly as shaken as I was. His first words "I never saw you", then "We have her to thank" and pointed to the passenger getting out the other side. She screamed. I never heard it despite being maybe 10 feet away (and her window probably down). Death is really focusing.

Later I realized the driver was looking straight into the sun as I passed him. And that a middle aged farm woman who'd lived a hard life was my angel that day.

Edit: That fall, two Portland cyclists were killed by right turning trucks.

Pizzaiolo Americano 

I had a rather large girl flash me her jiggly bits...I almost crashed cause I was trying to watch the show and the road at the same time...

fooferdoggie 

there have been several. this was. crazy one doing about 30mph and the strap on my pannier got caught between fender and the wheel locked top the back wheel and I fishtailed to a stop burning rubber the whole way. I was able to ride home with a bulge in the tire. mostly downhill my brakes got a workout keeping the speed down.

jaxgtr

During the heat of the summer, I would ride at night after my wife and kids would go to bed. It was nice and I would select roads that did not have a lot of traffic on them. There was a couple of police patrols I would normally see along my route and I would wave and say hi. One night, I had a flat and stopped under a really poor light to provide some help and one of the cops I normally saw, pulled up and hit the area with his search light. We got to chatting, the was also a bike rider, I fixed my flat, said thanks and completed my ride.

One night I got passed by a truck with some drunk kids in it and one flung a beer bottle out the window at me, they missed, but then they slammed on the brakes and came at me in reverse. I did some evasive riding and got to an area that they could not get to me. About that time, I see Jerry the cop coming down the road, the truck took off, I ran out to the road and waved him down, told him what had happened, gave description of vehicle, and luckily I was able to get most of the plate number. While I was giving this info, you could hear a crash up the road beyond the curve. These guys took their raised mudding truck too fast around the corner and flipped the truck and drove into a ditch. 2 of the 3 ran off, one kids was still in the truck with about 8 empty beer bottles. I rode up to the site, confirmed that was the truck and one of the kids. They found one of the others trying to cross a major highway on foot, after almost getting hit by a highway patrol car that was not part of the incident. These 2 gave up the name of the 3rd guy and they caught him at mom and dads house.

All 3 were drunk and high, were not the most diligent school attendees. They changed them will criminal attempted vehicular assault on cyclist, DUI, felony possession of marijuana (5 lbs) and cocaine, and distribution of cocaine. I guess one of them admitted that they had a kilo of cocaine under the seat of the truck and were on their way to sell it to some other kids in the school. I have no idea where they got a kilo of coke. Needless to say, it was not a banner day for any of them.

Jerry asked if I wanted a ride home, and being that it was only about 3 miles from my house I said no, but this scared the living hell out of me and I backed off riding at night for about a month. It took me about 5 days to mention it to my wife when she noticed that I had not been riding and asked if everything was ok. I rode at night for about 3 years and this was the only thing that ever happened to me.

Koyote

That's actually scarier for the person riding behind you.

ls01

I have 2 from the recent past.
5 or so years ago on the 4th of July. The club put in a ride from town A to town B. Town A is 25 miles from my home so naturally I ride to the ride.
I'm on a road with a raised hill that has on top of it 4or 5 sets of rail road tracks. As I am aproaching this hill a large truck with a 40 ft long enclosed trailer close passes me. The driver in the mirror, with a large smile on his face, is using the trailer to squeeze me off the road.
Its hot and humid already that day. I am a sweaty mess. He is so close to me at this point I am beating on the side of the trailer with my left forearm. Probably 4 or 5 times as he passes.
I start chasing him. He is slowly pulling away. At the time I noted the Co. Name (landscaping) on the back of the truck. He turns left onto a neighborhood street. I follow. As I turn onto the street I see he is up ahead stopped. I get out my phone and call 911. Tell them where I am what happened. Cops are on the way.
Cops show up and I tell my side of the storey. They go talk to him. He says its all a lie I made up. The cop says your word against his. I tell the cop. "Go look at the side of the trailer, you will see the sweaty arm prints in the side of the trailer from me beating on it" He walked over and had a look. Stopped him in his tracks. Immediately cuffed the driver. The guy spilled his guts. Owned up to everything. Cops told me they would take care of it and I was free to enjoy my day.

Last yearI was on a 5 lane road, 35mph speed limit. I ride with a helmet mirror. Have for years. It's second nature for me to use my peripheral vision to keep track of whats coming from behind. Something caught my attention and I see a red full size van coming from behind. Hes not moving over... there's a high curb on the right, no shoulder. Nowhere to go. I look again,he's right there on top of me. I have enough time to duck down and brace for impact. And just as I do I feel a hard thump into my left shoulder. Got me with the bottom of the mirror.. Hes so close I don't know how he didn't hit me.
Never hit his brakes. I throw my hands in the air in a wtf.
Hes an electrical contractor with the name of the Co. , phone number all over it. He finally pulled in to a parking lot. And we had a nice chat about what an idiot he was. There was also a much to young girl in the passenger seat. So at least I knew why his attention wasn't where it should have been. Gave the info to the p.d.

bruce19

I crashed and broke my neck. Spent 8 days in the hospital and had C1 & C2 fused.

BCAC

I was in a bicycle lane in the city doing 25 mph and my tubeless tire blew off the rim. I didn’t crash, but I was out of control trying to keep the bike upright. Destroyed the rim. The good news is a trucker stopped and went out of his way to drive me back to my car.

I switched back to tubes.

Rage

I was out in the Adirondacks riding around in the middle of the night. It was a full moon out or close to it so I could see okay but it was kinda stupid to be out riding around in the dark. But I couldn’t sleep so what the heck, right?
I’m not lost or anything but I am not super familiar with the area. And it’s kinda rural so it’s a bit creepy out there.
I’m riding along when I see this massive thing come out of the darkness of the woods. I stop and stare at it, not really knowing what it was. It was HUGE, though. And covered in fur.
For a few moments, I can’t figure out what it is. I’m standing there astride my bike looking at in the dark and I’m absolutely sure it’s a SASQUATCH or BIGFOOT or something like that. I’m about to freak out and take off on my bike but I feel I should also get photographic proof of the mythic creature so I fumble for my phone. I pull it out, focus on the creature to take the photo and only then notice the enormous antlers on its head.
Turns out my Sasquatch was just a moose hahaha!

Nachoman

A lot of these scary moments seem to be at high speed going downhill. Mine was the opposite.
I was pedaling very slowly up a steep hill, barely going 4 or 5 miles per hour. In fact I was going so slow, I was just about ready to start the paper boy technique and zig zag up the hill when all of a sudden I get buzzed by a truck speeding inappropriately fast, leaving no more than 10 or 12 inches between us. There was just no room for error for either one of us.

big chainring 

LOL...yes, first exchange in a Madison. YIKES!
Squeezing into or making your way into no available space in a miss and out.
A fast downhill surrounded by 100 plus guys doing 40+ mph.
Riding a paceline that fully wraps around the track and you're the 15 yr old first year Junior in the middle.
Going 30 plus mph on the back straight just before the 200m line and a wave of riders fly by within cm of your front wheel.(hold your line!)

billyymc

Riding with people I just met and realizing they make up their own rules of the road (despite being experienced).

That barking slobbering Rottweiler that charged at me on a climb, and decided to just put it's nose against my leg.

The one second of realization that the two deer that just charged out of the roadside brush were going to slam into me and my buddy and it might hurt. It didn't surprisingly despite all four of us ending up sprawled over the dirt road.

People texting while driving.

JonnyV

I try not to relive the truly scary moments but this one amuses me.
I was riding this back road, it's a wonderful -1 to -2% grade for about 5 miles. I was doing around 25mph when I saw 2 small animals on the road, about 10 feet from each other. As I got closer I saw the squirrel was road kill and the chipmunk was just kinda loitering. As I got up on it the chipmunk darted to the weeds. Again, at 25mph covering 10 feet takes half a second. At that point the seemingly roadkilled squirrel re-animates and jumps to the weeds as well. Scared the daylights out of me! I screamed like a little girl, laughed, and kept pedaling.

Merlin123

I stopped

Greatestalltime

Pit Bull charged me on a dead end road. Somehow I was able to make him think I was his friend by putting my hand out and saying “hey boy” or something. He sniffed my legs, but didn’t bite.

I Was also hit twice in 5 days last year on two different bikes. That happened fast so no fear.

motorthings

My Strava ride title/description from November 4, 2012:
In which, headed eastbound on Manchester, just east of Strecker, i lock eyes with a deer 2 feet in the air above a Toyota Camry in the oncoming lane. instinctively, my body prepares to Boonen into my thermal bib tights, and as if to validate my scatological reference, the deer, as it reaches its apogee, Boonens onto the roof of the Camry. As the deer lands directly in front of me, our eyes still locked, the essence of his gaze communicates this clearly to me: "see how gracefully and without concern for public ridicule I am able to Boonen, while you, wearing your funny overgarments, are unable to fully express your fear and wonderment with your droppings," and with that sentiment communicated, the deer bounds across the remaining lanes of traffic and sifts between the trees and into the woods.