bianchi10

Was cruising along, doing about 24mph and this squirrel comes running out into the road. I tried to move to the right as he was running along side of me just a bit in front and then out of no where he darts right in front of my front wheel! I ran square over the center of him which sent me into a death wabble. Luckily, I was able to control my wheel but when I looked back he was gone so either he crawled to the side to die from a broken back or he is somehow just fine. I would have been PIISSSSSED if I crashed because of that thing and ruined my new wheels!!

You ever hit an animal? you crash or save it?

10 Wheels

Ran over a small dog while on my touring bike.
Would have crashed if it was my road bike.

smoke

i hit a squirrel two years ago. i went left, he went left. i went right, he went right. despite everything i could do, we ended up at the same place at the same time. ran squarely over him. must have broken his back. i looked back and he was flopping all over the road. i turned around and went back, but by then he had died. i felt bad about it

last winter, i got squirrels in my attic. took months and over $1000 to get 'em out. sold the house this spring. right after we went into contract, they got into the attic again. took another $600, a pellet gun, and it almost killed the house deal. squirrrels aren't cute little furry things, ya know; they're related to rats. they're rats with fuzzy tails

i was fit to be tied. they almost cost me $210,000. f***ing squirrels. every time i see 'em i try to run 'em over. i'll kill every one i see

f***ing squirrels

Banded Krait

Someone occasionally posts a picture of a bicycle wheel which was totally destroyed when a squirrel got caught in the spokes.

I'm glad you recovered. A road I frequently drive in my car goes through a wooded area, and I see a lot of squirrels in that section. They seem to dart around in a really erratic manner when they encounter cars (or bicycles!) on the road. I guess it is part of a pre-programmed escape response behavior on their part.

hooligancyclist

Try a bunnyhop next time.

Juan Foote

Attack of the Suicide Squirrel. Be glad he didn't hop into your spokes....

wrr1020

Here you go, i remember coming across these from posts from before.

FactVord

^ Furry balls of death

tagaproject6

I am not a fan of the squirrels.

Pinkbullet3

Christ, I never want to see those pics again.

HappyStuffing

Never hit a squirrel before but I have hit a chipmunk.

To me, chipmunks are just smaller squirrels and both a nervous wrecks that can't decide which way they are going.

I was riding down a path and I saw the chipmunk just sitting to the side.

I assumed it would either run away from my wheel or just stay put thinking it would be safe. Anyway, as soon as I got beside it, it decided it would hop into my spokes.
It made that noise you get when you pluck your spoke. It bounced back into the bush and I never saw it again.

TDRILL

As with driving in the car, I find it best to just hold your line. I generally only nail squirrels with my car when I try to swerve around them. Even when I would have sworn I would have tagged one, holding my line, I'm surprised when I look back and don't see him in the road.

On the bike, I yell at them as I approach GIT GIT GIT. So far so good

surgeonstone

I have come close many times. For the reasons you described I just keep a straight line and let it react to me.

FreddyV

I rode over a mouse once. Felt his spine snap below my 8bar tire. Had to stop to throw up... Disgusting to know what you have done with your bike.

Trakhak

Someone who posted squirrel advice on BF years ago pointed out that it's best to ride directly at squirrels in the road, since that's the behavior they expect from predators. Since reading that, I've slways aimed at squirrels and haven't come close to hitting any.

Ale_z

I can't help but laugh at some of the comments here . But you have to understand, I live in a country where there are no squirrels, and we don't get many animals tangled in our spokes.

bianchi10

holy crap! well, I'm glad I lucked out!!!

Cateye

Had a squirrel run into the back wheel. Lock the bike up, squirrel got stuck in the spokes dead as a door nail and bent the rear brake.

ahsposo 

I think you've still got few squirrels in your attic.

ahsposo 

Wouldn't Suicidal Squirrel be a great name for a band?

screamsayonara

I hit one last week for the first time. I saw him off the side of the road in the grass. As I approached him, he started darting back in forth, then when I was only a few feet from him, he decided to run under my front wheel. Not sure where he went, although there was come fur stuck to the road afterwards.

Pete In Az

Tree rats...


They're called tree rats.

Farmer Dave

Am I sadistic if I find that completely and utterly hilarious?

Vicelord

Hell no! I'm lmao too!!

I hit a pretty big rat about a month ago. I was in a very dark area and had my headlight on low to conserve power as the traffic is almost non existent and when there is any it's 20mph. I saw something moving across the road and figured it was a leaf or a small tumbleweed but when it was under my wheel I realized it was an 8-10 inch rat. Ran him square over and he got tossed around and ended up in the gutter. When we wen't back he was eyes wide open and looked stiff. Probably died instantaneously. I didn't really notice much of a bump at 22mph.

FlashBazbo

But imagine the story the squirrel is telling his buds back at the tree. They're not believing it.