I ran over a squirrel

H. M. Leary wrote:
:: In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (AJRBJR) wrote:
::
::: Squirrels, chipmunks? I went after BIG game. No, really. I was screaming down a hill on a forest
::: preserve path and a deer shot out just ahead. It wasn't close but I instantly remembered that
::: you always hit that SECOND one. I hit the breaks and sure enough, the next one passed right in
::: front of me. I think I (and my bike) would have lost that battle.
:::
::: Andy
:::
:::
::
:: If you are out for big game, come ride the MUP in Valley Forge National Park. I was chased by a
:: large buck around 8AM today! I never pedaled so hard in my life, and that was not easy
:: considering my heart was in my mouth.
::
:: The sound of clacking hooves behind you can be very inspiring!

Gawd....I'm sure he would have ran me down! I can't get over 20 mph on flat ground, I think, or at
least I haven't yet.

Michael said:

No, she didn't dart out into the road, but she did stop on her bike right in the roadway, with
no verbal warning or other indication. At that moment I was looking down. I plowed into her at
16+ mph.

Were you right behind her at the time, or did you really just plow into someone standing still? What
was the "moment" you spoke of? How long was she stopped before you hit her?

--

David L. Johnson

__o | To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or _`\(,_ | that we are to
stand by the president right or wrong, is not (_)/ (_) | only unpatriotic and servile, but is
morally treasonable to the American public. --Theodore Roosevelt

Quoted message said:

Squirrels are funny. I've dodged a lot of them out riding by myself. They will run out in the road,
see something coming at them and dodge repeatedly in different directions. Its like they can't make
up their (albiet tiny) minds which way to run.

I believe they may be looking for a vertical escape path. Sometimes that can be your wheel. They
abound in my area, and while I don't think I've ever killed one, I may have inadvertently
damaged a few.

They are fun to watch when not on a bicycle, however. A highly aggressive and fearless small mammal,
not unlike one of my former girlfriends.

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_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email hidden]__________

O

Quoted message said:

If you are out for big game, come ride the MUP in Valley Forge National Park. I was chased by a
large buck around 8AM today! I never pedaled so hard in my life, and that was not easy considering
my heart was in my mouth.

The sound of clacking hooves behind you can be very inspiring!

I had the same thing with a doberman on a city street. I was already winded and I was afraid of I
went too fast I would run out before he did. I was right I kept ahead of him till he slowed. about 3
or 4 blocks later I came to a red light. turned back and he was after me again so I had to run the
light (not a busy intersection) and finally he gave up. no water bottle to squirt him with as I have
a camelback.

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O

Quoted message said:

The sound of clacking hooves behind you can be very inspiring!

especially if he found you attractive (G)

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Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices See
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Pbwalther said:

I recall being in a paceline and someone shied from a squirrel. Edwina, who is a bit of a
berserker, said to never dodge a squirrel, just run 'em down, they can't bring down a bike.

Well, I did have a chance to inadvertantly test that one. I was riding on a trail with a friend. A
squirrel dashed across the road, saw the other bike, reversed and smack right into my front wheel.
It got sucked into the spokes and fork and was sawed in half. That was just about the grossest
thing that I have had happen on a bike. Fortunately, for me, not the squirrel, I had a full water
bottle and was able to hose the blood and squirrel bits off of the bike, my shoes, my legs ---
yuck. It didn't hurt my fork at all, but there was a spoke that had seen better days.

SEE?

--
Bev
-------------------------------------------------------------
"We've got some stupid people out there. This morning, I woke
up in a bathtub filled with ice and I had an extra kidney."

Last week I was chased by a killer chihuahua. After half a block I got tired of the yapping, got off
my bike and attacked doing my best rabid bear imitation. Worked like a charm. I did a similar thing
when cornered by a German Shepard once.

I'd keep away from those squirrels, though. They're scary.

--
Cheers, Bev
-------------------------------------------------------------
"We've got some stupid people out there. This morning, I woke
up in a bathtub filled with ice and I had an extra kidney."

Mark Hickey said:

The Real Bev said:

Mark Hickey said:

I have a theory the best way to NOT hit a squirrel is to simply not TRY to miss it.

Come on, admit it, you're AIMING for the little sucker!

Heh heh heh... I doubt I'd ever hit one if I WAS aiming at it..

Quoted message said:

I don't see how a squirrel could shear off fork legs, and it sure seems that if you have a
steady grip on the bars hitting the beast shouldn't be that much of a problem anyway. What are
they, an inch thick? And the only hard part is the spine, which is much smaller.

Next time you find a dead one, try to rip it in half.

Different force involved. If I'd taken physics instead of English I could probably explain
it. Or not.

Quoted message said:

Now imagine your fork trying to do that before failing or at the very least throwing you over the
bars. They's skinny little devils, but they's stringy...

If it's happened to you or a trusted friend I wouldn't dream of calling you a liar, but I would
think that it would bend in half and get squooshed somehow. Maybe jam a wheel a little bit, but I
just don't see how it could possibly break two aluminum tubes. Have you ever seen a squirrel's tail
back-lit? Damn thing looks like a bottle brush. How could its body be much sturdier?

And Buck said:

Hey Bev! Get yourself a good-sized polish sausage (at least a foot long and an inch thick), get up
to speed on your bike, then reach down and toss that sausage right into your spokes. When you get
out of the hospital, let us know how well your experiment went!

That sounds like the lead-in to a dirty joke. I think I'll skip it, thanks all the same!

--
Ch rs, B v
=======================================
My f ck ng k yb rd h s l st ts v w ls.

Steve Knight said:

O

Quoted message said:

The sound of clacking hooves behind you can be very inspiring!

especially if he found you attractive (G)

The rut is on in October isn't it? 😉 Bernie

Steve Knight <[email hidden]> scribed in <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The sound of clacking hooves behind you can be very inspiring!

I had the same thing with a doberman on a city street. I was already winded and I was afraid of I
went too fast I would run out before he did. I was right I kept ahead of him till he slowed. about
3 or 4 blocks later I came to a red light. turned back and he was after me again so I had to run
the light (not a busy intersection) and finally he gave up. no water bottle to squirt him with as I
have a camelback.

turn round and chase HIM, it has never failed me yet, they RUN

swarf, steam and wind

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DiabloScott <[email hidden]> scribed in <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

I was riding four abreast up hill when a squirrel ran in front of all of us. I was in the middle
and had no where to swerve and I ran over it at about 10mph - it squeaked a little bit (twice -
once for each wheel) but ran off in to the ditch unharmed.

when I was in the army (conscripted) we did an excercise called fire and moevement. half the squad
(each alternate peerson) is running forward while the other half is firing. light machine gun (belt
fed) on the end and all. live ammo....

I was under a tree watching the other squad in action when a rabit comes out the bush ahead of them,
from the right. it ran all the way across the front of the squad and off to the left, followed by a
serious cloud of dust and howling bullets. the order of movement broke up and they all just went for
the bunny...

how far was that? lemme think it out. 30 to a platoon, 10 to a squad, 5 meters seperation, so about
90 meters for the squad of 10. the LMG bloke on the left gave it the rest of his 300 round belt and
still missed (-: I laughed a lot, but wonder to this day if I could have done any better (-: (yes, I
did tend to get high points on the rifle range, to the point where I can pick which bit of 'you' to
injure at 200 meters, but they don't move the range targets os it's a different ballgame)

swarf, steam and wind

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"Chris Hughes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:_kBib.81934$a16.30506@lakeread01...

Quoted message said:

I had a deer come on the road and run alongside me for about 200 yards once. Held his line and

could

Quoted message said:

be considered a good riding companion, did not seem the least bit

suicidal.

Quoted message said:

Similar story, different species.

Riding in a touring bunch, two strong riders on the front, rolling down a country road in Australia.

Couple of kangaroos looked up from grazing in a paddock running alongside the road.

Thought they'd give the bunch a bit of a test and started bounding beside us keeping the pace
alongside the bunch.

They came to a low fence, took it in their stride, comfortably keeping up with the bunch (doing
about 30kph+)

They a high fence blocked their way and they baulked, giving the cyclists the win by a wheel
over a paw.

but without that high fence I suspect they had our measure and were just toying with us ...

best, Andrew

"But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight; Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a
wildcat can it fight... I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern, right straight away, at sight." A B
‘Banjo’ Patterson - "Mulga Bill" 25 July 1896.

"David L. Johnson" wrote ...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

No, she didn't dart out into the road, but she did stop on her bike right in the roadway, with
no verbal warning or other indication. At that moment I was looking down. I plowed into her at
16+ mph.

Were you right behind her at the time, or did you really just plow into someone standing still?
What was the "moment" you spoke of? How long was she stopped before you hit her?

I really have no idea. It was very windy and I was riding in an aerodynamic tuck, looking up
regularly to watch the road. I wasn't looking at other cyclists as obstacles since we were
maintaining a regular distance, so I don't know recall where she was.

I accept some blame for not being as attentive as obviously necessary, but IMO the squirrel, I mean
woman, also shares the blame for stopping in the roadway during a busy century.

Michael

In article <[email hidden]>, Steve Knight

Quoted message said:

O

Quoted message said:

The sound of clacking hooves behind you can be very inspiring!

especially if he found you attractive (G)

Maybe I should shower before I ride??

Could it have been the Old Spice??

HAND

--
"Freedom Is a Light for Which Many Have Died in Darkness"

- Tomb of the unknown - American Revolution

Steve Knight said:

busy intersection) and finally he gave up. no water bottle to squirt him with as I have a
camelback.

Sounds a bit easier that way. You don't need to take your hands off the bars to aim; suck in a bit
of water, squirt it out your mouth.
--
Rick "Can't squirt from mouth very well" Onanian

The Real Bev said:

Mark Hickey wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Next time you find a dead one, try to rip it in half.

Different force involved. If I'd taken physics instead of English I could probably explain
it. Or not.

Quoted message said:

Now imagine your fork trying to do that before failing or at the very least throwing you over the
bars. They's skinny little devils, but they's stringy...

If it's happened to you or a trusted friend I wouldn't dream of calling you a liar, but I would
think that it would bend in half and get squooshed somehow. Maybe jam a wheel a little bit, but I
just don't see how it could possibly break two aluminum tubes. Have you ever seen a squirrel's tail
back-lit? Damn thing looks like a bottle brush. How could its body be much sturdier?

It was a carbon fiber fork, BTW. I didn't ask him how big the squirrel was, but in New Jersey, most
of 'em are pretty large (well, for squirrels anyway). The little critter went into the wheel, then
attempted to go through the fork probably 2/3 of the way toward the crown. It's pretty narrow there,
and trying to force the little dear through there was just more than the fork could bear.

A side note - he didn't even see it coming - had his head down cranking up a hill... not that it
would have mattered much.

I think it DOES say something about a particular failure mode of a carbon fiber fork. Maybe I could
get him to send me photos of what's left.

Quoted message said:

And Buck said:

Hey Bev! Get yourself a good-sized polish sausage (at least a foot long and an inch thick), get
up to speed on your bike, then reach down and toss that sausage right into your spokes. When you
get out of the hospital, let us know how well your experiment went!

That sounds like the lead-in to a dirty joke. I think I'll skip it, thanks all the same!

I'd imagine a sausage would be much easier to slice as well (and if that's a continuation of the
joke, I'm not thinking about it any more...).

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles habcycles.comhabcycles.comOpen ↗ Home of the $695 ti frame

The Real Bev said:

Last week I was chased by a killer chihuahua. After half a block I got tired of the yapping, got
off my bike and attacked doing my best rabid bear imitation. Worked like a charm. I did a similar
thing when cornered by a German Shepard once.

you must have been going atleast 10 miles and hour or he would have over ran you right? (G)

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices See
knight-toolworks.comknight-toolworks.comOpen ↗ For prices and ordering instructions.

O

Quoted message said:

turn round and chase HIM, it has never failed me yet, they RUN

it was weird he made no sound at all. ran across my path turned around and went after me. scratched
my leg so I knew he was after human prey (G) I was going too fast to turn or stop.

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices See
knight-toolworks.comknight-toolworks.comOpen ↗ For prices and ordering instructions.

The Real Bev <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Last week I was chased by a killer chihuahua. After half a block I got tired of the yapping, got
off my bike and attacked doing my best rabid bear imitation. Worked like a charm. I did a similar
thing when cornered by a German Shepard once.

I'd keep away from those squirrels, though. They're scary.

Just out of couristy from everyone, what is the best thing to do when large dogs decide to chase
you? When I do rural routes, it seems, I never fail to get chased by at least one large agressive
dog. Some say dont go faster, that will only make it worse. Some say just keep going. Some say stop
compleltly. What really works? Ive seen this animal mace type stuff at bike shops, but i figure
spraying that at a good 10-15 mph might backfire on me, and hell I dont want to permeantly blind
the animal.

On a side note about the deer. I remember riding near a river up in Wisconsin, when suddenly I was
engulfed in fog. If that isnt scary enough, I began to hear hoof steps. When I saw the many deer
eyes, I realized i was pracictly in a herd of deer. I decided to dismount, for the deer were
everywhere. One actually brushed my arm. I found it cool, and frightening all at once. After about a
mile, I was out of the herd and the fog lifted so all was good.

Hill

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

The Real Bev <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Last week I was chased by a killer chihuahua. After half a block I got tired of the yapping, got
off my bike and attacked doing my best rabid bear imitation. Worked like a charm. I did a
similar thing when cornered by a German Shepard once.

I'd keep away from those squirrels, though. They're scary.

Just out of couristy from everyone, what is the best thing to do when large dogs decide to chase
you? When I do rural routes, it seems, I never fail to get chased by at least one large agressive
dog. Some say dont go faster, that will only make it worse. Some say just keep going. Some say
stop compleltly. What really works? Ive seen this animal mace type stuff at bike shops, but i
figure spraying that at a good 10-15 mph might backfire on me, and hell I dont want to permeantly
blind the animal.

What do you mean by "backfire"? Obviously you don't want to spray it directly in front of you, but
off to the side shouldn't be a problem. It won't permanently injure the dog any more than pepper
spray permanently injures a person. Many people swear by just squirting a dog with a water bottle.
Others use dilute ammonia.

--
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REAL programmers write self-modifying code.