Tandem Tom

Yesterday I came into the bike shop where I work PT and the other fellow obviously had an accident. He was riding home on a bike path and a Canadian Goose ran at him. GotvitsG head and neck in the front wheel and my friend when over the bars.
stupid geese!!!

Troul 

couldnt duck the goose?

JanMM

Duck, Duck, Canada Goose.

mcours2006

Those geese are aggressive around this time of the year when they are protecting the young goslings. I've had quite a few hiss at me by the side of the road when I ride by early in the morning.

I've had a couple chase at me while running.

Yeah, stupid geese.

CliffordK

Goose Dinner?

I've had a few of the males, I think, turn towards me when I pass their group of little goslings. Probably trying to protect them. Not sure what I'd do if one actually tried attacking.

Blue124

One morning I was coming into work and had one come out of a ditch and attack me. Went for my head, I guess my red blinky threaten him or her. Scared the crap out of me. My ride that morning was not what raised my heart rate up. Lucky I didn't have a heart attack. After the attack when I was able to get going he flew beside me at head level until I got to the main road then he flew away. They say they can break your neck with their wings.

WNCGoater

I surprised a flock of about 15 on the side of the road. They went airborne in front of me and, well, I don't know if they do this when they go airborne or if it was because they were surprised or if one of them yelled, "Bombs away!" but every one of them "let loose". Poop was falling all around me and amazingly, I escaped without taking a direct hit from their multiple "bombs".

ptempel

^ Wow. Attack of the goose poopsters!

JohnDThompson 

I've had Sand Hill cranes chase me to protect their young. They're even bigger than geese!

dedhed

It's also close to molting season where they are flightless.

CliffordK

I think someone feeds them ON the bike paths in Eugene, so there are lots of droppings everywhere, and they are pretty tame. IE. one has to slow down for them to get out of the way.

rgconner

Sacramento we have the geese...

and then we have the wild turkeys! They are huge and the males are down right pissy during mating season.

(and we have the drunks on Wild Turkey, but that is another matter...)

TimothyH

Canadian geese for taking out their frustration with Donald Trump on US cyclists.

Get your Cervelo and Argon 18's while you still can.


-Tim-

PdalPowr

A Canada goose is one tough bird but
this is the first I heard they were anti biking.

TiHabanero

When I see them on the roadway (or path), I sneek up on them then charge at them screaming like a mad man. This seems to catch them off guard and allows me to pass through at a high rate of speed with a clear pathway. Just hope one doesn't turn on me and stick his head into the front wheel!

TimothyH

I'd like to see this.

Shimagnolo

I used to live in Schaumburg (a NW burb of Chicago).

Every spring I had to deal with being attacked by these dumb things just because they had young, and I happened to be riding by on a nearby path. Funniest attack was when one of the brain-damaged things attacked me head-on. Just as it went airborne at me, my mtn bike brake handle caught it right in the chest, knocking it backward out of the air.

Another dumb trait that happened year-round: They apparently have a "if danger -> get to water" mentality, even if getting to water means bolting right in front of the danger. One day I was riding home on a path that skirted a pond. The pond was on my left, and the geese were safely off to my right. Stupid goose bolted right in front of me, and I literally ran over it. It launched me into the air, but I landed safely. It was like running over a football. Last seen, the goose was sitting in the pond squawking unhappily.

bikemig 

I had a duck take me down once. The bird got spooked and flew into my rear wheel. It knocked me down. I had to pluck the feathers out of my rear derailleur and straighten out my front wheel before getting back on the bike. I crashed pretty hard but then I was duck hunting out of season . . .

blue72beetle

The geese are all over the Greenways here. They act like they own the place and don't get out of the way.

One might have been kicked.....

prathmann

A cyclist in a local club was killed in a turkey collision on a fast descent. They can be very unpredictable.

db9091

I do not ride over snakes for the same fear. Them coiling up into the spokes and catching the wheel for an OTB!

The key to Geese, or other animals (dogs, etc) is to dismount and us the bike as a shield/weapen until the animal gives up or you can back away from them so they leave you alone.

That's quite a story tho. Wow. I'm guessing the goose is DOA. If so, I'd have tossed that sucker in my backpack!

Beach Bob

As a Canadian, I will confirm that a Canada Goose is just an ******* with feathers. Steer clear if you can....

PdalPowr

Smoked Canada goose is rather tasty.

Troul 

why are they protected species? they should be a substitute for a generic turkey dinner.

u235

Funny, I had a goose with babies incedent last month on the C&O when I was loaded up. A narrow raised section with some mud. They went off the path in the high grass but when I got about 15 feet away one of them came at me from the side. My choices were to try and stop and be stuck there and vulnerable or just keep going. I keep going with no attempt to turn or jerk to the side on purpose. I kind of ignored it and hoped for the best. I felt something on my leg and possibly my rear bag. The trail was wet and mud in many places and I knew anything that altered my direction rapidly could have easily put me down or worse sent me off the side of the trail and depending on where I was one side or either side would have been bad. Either in the canal or over a steep hill. A few times earlier I tried to avoid mud and debris and almost wiped out so that prepared me for the goose incedent I guess.

Off the bike, I get attacked by roosters all the time, you can just hold your foot up and out and they will attack the bottom of your shoe. You can walk away slowly or they give up. That MIGHT work on geese but I doubt it, they are a lot bigger. You might have to go mortal combat on them and throw some punches maybe?