Cycling UK Forum

At the weekend, I set off from home on our quiet road, on my Pioneer only to have a cat run out to my side. Finding it's crossing blocked, it seemed to back off, and I got as far as saying hello, when it decided to nip around the front of me. Very unfortunately it didn't make it - even though I was only going <10mph, and I had the very weird and somewhat troubling experience of actually running over something that was still alive. After a wail and a blur of legs and claws it shot off into a nearby garden like a rocket. Hopefully the cat is OK. It is not one I recognise from the area, so can't really check. It certainly made it's eventual escape pretty damn quick.

This is the first time I've ever run over anything. I wondered if this is as rare an event as it seems to me, or if commuters and very high mileage riders have such a problem more regularly.

I remember as a youth - perhaps 12 or 13 - I ran over a puppy.

It shot out from a garden down the road from our house, and before I could do anything, it went under my front wheel. It ran off, and to this day, I've never mentioned the incident to a soul!

Mick F wrote: to this day, I've never mentioned the incident to a soul!

It is alright to confess such things, Mick you are with friends.

I nearly hit a badger in broad daylight by the Elan valley dams and nearly ran over an Adder on a path in the New Forrest.

Can not ever remember running over any thing alive.

We had a grey Squirrel run out in front of the tandem once and we ran right over its head (I heard it crack ) MrsR2 being of a some what delicate nature was quite upset,I walked back to it (mainly to give it the coup de grace) but it was already dead.
I also once had a Blue Tit fly into the front wheel getting caught between brake caliper and spokes, on examination it appeared to have broken both its legs,I was about to finish it off when it escaped and flew off,I don't thing it would have lived long as it couldn't perch so would become prey as it weakened through lack of food.

Cat, ran off. Duck, stopped and wrung it's neck for it Both apparent suicide attempts.

I once had a squirrel try to cross the road in the gap in the traffic between my front and back wheels. But it hadn't predicted the descent of the crank, and reversed direction when it struck that.

I had another squirrel try to run through my rear wheel. It got lifted up off the ground, and proceeded to remove the rear mudguard stays until it hit the pannier rack. At this point the rear wheel stopped turning, and fortunately I managed to stop in a vertical posture. I looked down expecting to see the bicycle covered in minced squirrel, but the thing ran off. I can't believe it survived, though. Fortunately the mudguard stays had those deliberately weak pop-outs, so it was a matter of seconds to pop them back in, and I didn't miss my train.

I've run over a rabbit - well it ended up getting picked up by my feet and flung through the frame, ran off so I presume it was ok.
Clipped the tails of a few squirrels and only just missed hundreds more - particularly this time of year, they're obviously more concerned about their nuts.

I was hit by A bat in the face the other week.

Motorcyclying I had a pigeon fly into the front wheel. I carried n to work. Ones of the girls at work thought I had an accident. ON another occasion whilst riding my sidecar outfit. I had a pheasent land in my lap and then decide to get upset about it. I ended up Stuffing the Bike into the banking. The phesant was fine

I've also ran over a cat. Luckily I was slowing for a sharp bend during a descent, it ran across my path and under my front wheel. Front wheel beyond repair, I'm bruised, meanwhile the cat's sitting in field licking it's bits. I think this proves that cats are hard as nails!

HI,

Ran over a rabbit once many years ago, and head butted a pheasant in the spring.

I've had a pheasant take off and flying across my path on a quiet cycle track, missing my front wheel by a few inches. Boy, do they make a racket! Made me jump a bit.
I've also run over a radio controlled car which didn't survive.
And I also run into a bus passenger- he bounced off the road and walked away but my front wheel ended up bent
Then there was the estate car I hit and smashed the rear windscreen with my head. Bike was written off. Car driver wasn't very happy either. I have learnt to look where I go now!

Makes me sound like a disaster area, but that is from 16+ years of commuting.
Mark

I was riding a local bridleway some time ago, along a stretch by a deep ditch, when there was a loud whooshy-clattery sort of noise and this huge grey thing exploded out of the ditch right into me. As I picked myself up I watched it disappear across the field.

No, I haven't run over any wildlife, but I was knocked down by a heron!

At my old job, during some work over night, there was a right plonker who boasted how he had gone out his way run down a rabbit on the road on his journey into work. The next morning as we left, we saw that the rabbit had actually jammed into his front grill with it's innards splattered all over his engine, how we laughed.

Guy951 wrote:I was riding a local bridleway some time ago, along a stretch by a deep ditch, when there was a loud whooshy-clattery sort of noise and this huge grey thing exploded out of the ditch right into me. As I picked myself up I watched it disappear across the field.

No, I haven't run over any wildlife, but I was knocked down by a heron!

New avatar needed

[XAP]Bob wrote:New avatar needed

Is this better?