I was riding yesterday when all of a sudden 3 squirrels ran out in front of me. I heard a car coming from behind me so I couldn’t swerve to avoid them. The lead squirrel ran right under my front tire. He made a funny sound when I went over him. I couldn’t tell if I ran over his body or his tail. It ran off making the funny sound. Has anyone run over a squirrel with their bike? If so - what are their chances of survival? Anyone hit anything larger - like a deer?
“He made a funny sound when I went over him.”
I would too.
They are very tough…Wife & I were riding side by side down the Santa Ana River trail about 3 miles from the beach. She screams, swerves and almost takes me out…Thump - rear wheel over the squirrel. She was very upset about the whole thing. My nerves were shaken and the adrenaline was pumping. We went back and could find the squirrel. She solidly ran over it at about 15 mph. We did see a lot of pissed off squirrel cousins, though.
I ran over a cat one time - going about 12 miles per hour - the cat was fine. I almost lost control, but was able to stay up. Z
The squirrel gangs was sitting on the side of the road waiting to wack you. keep on riding or they will get you.
It must have been a gang initiation. They said - “Show us how tough you are - see that guy coming on the bike…”
I hit a deer. A baby one but still a deer and it more or less hit me. I was on a bike path in a wooded area. I am rolling along in aero in the low 20’s a good way up the road I see the Fawn which appears to be looking right at me. So i decide (stupid move) not to yell anything and just coast along waiting for it to move. I get a good deal closer and it still has not moved so I speak up which casues the deer to panic and it slipped on the pavement and pancaked with all four legs pointing in a different direction. By this time i was almost on the deer, and going somewhere in the mid teens. I cut left to avoid the sprawed out deer it gets up just in time to run right into me. I hit it pretty good with my right need and foot. i am sure it was just as scared if not more than I was.
Tim
Funny you should mention this. Just this morning I was riding along the canal in Lewes, DE when two birds chasing each other flew in front of me while cruising at 22 mph. The one got away unscathed but the other was not so lucky. It flew into my wrist, then bounced off of my helmet and fluttered to the ground leaving feathers in my watch band. Hope your squirrel made out better than my bird.
Was it a screaming noise, a gurggle, a grunt…
It was like a “Ohh-eeee-grrr-ooo-ee-aahh” in a very high pitch.
I believe they are indestructable, one got caught in a friends bike between the tire and the frame, it had to pass through a clearance of 1/2 inch, wailed like a banshee, looked dead, he rolled backwards it hit the ground and took off running.
I think they are in training to take over the world.
Did you ever notice that squirrels headed in one direction across the road always stop when they see you and then reverse direction? This is not by chance. They are not of this world. I hit one the other day. It flew up in the air about 20 feet, hit the ground, and ran off.
It was like a “Ohh-eeee-grrr-ooo-ee-aahh” in a very high pitch.
“Tell m about the squirrels, BeeHunter, quid pro quo…”
That is how squirrels laugh.
Last fall on an urban MTB ride. 5 of us in a pace line, about 16 MPH, I was 4th rider. Saw a flash of brown under me, and felt a bump. Guy behind starts yelling. Squirrel came off my rear tire and flew up and hit him in the chest, fell to the ground and ran off.
I hit one last summer. It ran out from the curb, saw me and immediately started backpedaling, claws clicking madly on the pavement. It slid in front of my front wheel just as his little claws got traction. It ran back towards the curb under my bottom bracket and I ran over it with the rear wheel. He had managed to circle my front wheel as I was traveling along at 20 mph. The whole thing happened so fast I never even stopped pedaling. It was pretty entertaining until I realized how close I came (twice) to having him in my spokes.
It made that funny sound and ran away but when I passed by the same spot later in my ride and it was laying in the grass dead.
Better him than me.
The saddest squirrel sight is the paraplegic squirrels that have been run over and are using their front paws to drag their immobile lower torso around.
It was like a “Ohh-eeee-grrr-ooo-ee-aahh” in a very high pitch.
That’s squirrel for “If you had a REAL bike, I’d be dead now, asshole.”
My friend Joe killed a bird with his mountain bike. Accidently, of course. Joe’s about 6-6, 300lbs, has the speed and agility of a tortoise and can leap like a rhinoceros. This bird decided “Today is a good day to die” and flew across the trail about a foot off the ground; a little less than “hub high.” Joe hit him and just smacked him down to the ground … like swatting a fly, but flies don’t crunch-squeek. Joe was really upset about it, very upset, more upset than a straight man should have been. It made the ride home very somber. Joe played The Cure all the way home. Made me wish he’d run ME over with his bike!!!
I don’t ride with Joe anymore.