Squirrels are scaring me
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 702
Bikes: '23 Poseidon Redwood, '07 Specialized Roubaix Comp Triple, '12 Gravity Fixie, '21 Liv Rove 4, '06? Giant EB Spirit
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 345 Post(s)
Liked 237 Times
in
151 Posts
Squirrels are scaring me
Lately on the rides I do there have been a lot of squirrels doing the last minute dash of death across my front wheel. In every case I’ve just kept my line and hoped for the best.
After a recent unrelated crash I am paranoid of breaking my collarbone again as I’m still healing.
Are crashes with squirrels getting caught in the wheels common or is this just the post crash jitters?
wtf is with these squirrels making them dash across? Is it the freehub noise?
After a recent unrelated crash I am paranoid of breaking my collarbone again as I’m still healing.
Are crashes with squirrels getting caught in the wheels common or is this just the post crash jitters?
wtf is with these squirrels making them dash across? Is it the freehub noise?
#2
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,992
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6196 Post(s)
Liked 4,811 Times
in
3,319 Posts
It's their instinct to dart back and forth hoping that gives them a chance to escape. They just don't realize that you aren't a predator that is after them.
I had and still have the same issues with squirrels. While my previous bikes all had very quiet free hubs my new bike has a noisy free hub. Squirrel problem still the same.
However if you wouldn't coast, your free hub wouldn't be making noise!
I had and still have the same issues with squirrels. While my previous bikes all had very quiet free hubs my new bike has a noisy free hub. Squirrel problem still the same.
However if you wouldn't coast, your free hub wouldn't be making noise!
#3
Method to My Madness
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Orange County, California
Posts: 3,664
Bikes: Trek FX 2, Cannondale Synapse, Cannondale CAAD4, Santa Cruz Stigmata GRX
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1948 Post(s)
Liked 1,472 Times
in
1,020 Posts
Lately on the rides I do there have been a lot of squirrels doing the last minute dash of death across my front wheel. In every case I’ve just kept my line and hoped for the best.
After a recent unrelated crash I am paranoid of breaking my collarbone again as I’m still healing.
Are crashes with squirrels getting caught in the wheels common or is this just the post crash jitters?
wtf is with these squirrels making them dash across? Is it the freehub noise?
After a recent unrelated crash I am paranoid of breaking my collarbone again as I’m still healing.
Are crashes with squirrels getting caught in the wheels common or is this just the post crash jitters?
wtf is with these squirrels making them dash across? Is it the freehub noise?
2. I think this is just post crash jitters. I think the chances of a dashing squirrel caught in the spokes are pretty low. But if you are still worried, buy a wheel with 32 spokes.
Likes For SoSmellyAir:
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
It's just the post crash thing. Bring injured really sucks and now you're more keenly aware of things that have the potential to do it again.
If you're really worried bring a cat with you.
If you're really worried bring a cat with you.
Likes For Seattle Forrest:
Likes For mdarnton:
#6
ignominious poltroon
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 4,047
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2241 Post(s)
Liked 3,443 Times
in
1,802 Posts
Ride 40 spoke wheels with CXray spokes. Most squirrels won't fit, and those that do will get sliced and diced into easily digested cross-sections.
Likes For Polaris OBark:
#7
Method to My Madness
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Orange County, California
Posts: 3,664
Bikes: Trek FX 2, Cannondale Synapse, Cannondale CAAD4, Santa Cruz Stigmata GRX
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1948 Post(s)
Liked 1,472 Times
in
1,020 Posts
#8
ignominious poltroon
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 4,047
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2241 Post(s)
Liked 3,443 Times
in
1,802 Posts
Touring bikes sometimes have such wheels.
But what I have noticed is that a lot of these squirrel-in-the-wheel injuries have photos of the bike that show they have those weird Campy spoke patterns with big gaps.
Having said that, my wife has a work colleague who had normal wheels and a suicide squirrel put her in the hospital with a head injury (and destroyed the bike wheel and fork).
But what I have noticed is that a lot of these squirrel-in-the-wheel injuries have photos of the bike that show they have those weird Campy spoke patterns with big gaps.
Having said that, my wife has a work colleague who had normal wheels and a suicide squirrel put her in the hospital with a head injury (and destroyed the bike wheel and fork).
Likes For Polaris OBark:
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 5,380
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2487 Post(s)
Liked 2,956 Times
in
1,679 Posts
One of the best pieces of advice I've come across on Bikeforums is (if there's enough time to do so) to aim at the squirrel. That's what they expect predators to do. They'll stop darting back and forth and sprint off the road and away from you.
Likes For Trakhak:
#10
• —
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Land of Pleasant Living
Posts: 12,250
Bikes: Shmikes
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10176 Post(s)
Liked 5,872 Times
in
3,161 Posts
Ran over one once, with no negative effects for me.
Likes For MoAlpha:
Likes For streetsurfer:
#12
Should Be More Popular
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
Posts: 43,057
Bikes: 1986 Alpine (steel road bike), 2009 Ti Habenero, 2013 Specialized Roubaix
Mentioned: 560 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22600 Post(s)
Liked 8,928 Times
in
4,160 Posts
#13
• —
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Land of Pleasant Living
Posts: 12,250
Bikes: Shmikes
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10176 Post(s)
Liked 5,872 Times
in
3,161 Posts
#14
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posts: 33,006
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene '04; Bridgestone RB-1 '92
Mentioned: 325 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11975 Post(s)
Liked 6,655 Times
in
3,486 Posts
__________________
See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
Likes For BillyD:
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,887
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6972 Post(s)
Liked 10,970 Times
in
4,692 Posts
Squirrels don't scare me.
Now clowns -- they're scary.
Now clowns -- they're scary.
Likes For Koyote:
#17
Method to My Madness
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Orange County, California
Posts: 3,664
Bikes: Trek FX 2, Cannondale Synapse, Cannondale CAAD4, Santa Cruz Stigmata GRX
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1948 Post(s)
Liked 1,472 Times
in
1,020 Posts
Inattentive teenage morons (am I being redundant here?) on e-bikes scare me more than either clowns or squirrels.
That said, I have only seen one clown when riding. He was waving one of those signs indicating that the Irvine Co. has a new community that is now open for down payments.
That said, I have only seen one clown when riding. He was waving one of those signs indicating that the Irvine Co. has a new community that is now open for down payments.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Mich
Posts: 7,395
Bikes: RSO E-tire dropper fixie brifter
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 2,979 Times
in
1,920 Posts
Wait until you experience domesticated rabbits...
__________________
-Oh Hey!
-Oh Hey!
#19
Method to My Madness
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Orange County, California
Posts: 3,664
Bikes: Trek FX 2, Cannondale Synapse, Cannondale CAAD4, Santa Cruz Stigmata GRX
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1948 Post(s)
Liked 1,472 Times
in
1,020 Posts
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Mich
Posts: 7,395
Bikes: RSO E-tire dropper fixie brifter
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 2,979 Times
in
1,920 Posts
#21
• —
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Land of Pleasant Living
Posts: 12,250
Bikes: Shmikes
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10176 Post(s)
Liked 5,872 Times
in
3,161 Posts
This time of year, deer are a serious concern around here. I had a very near miss on a very dark path many years ago. Collide with one of those things and you might stay collided for a while.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: The banks of the River Charles
Posts: 2,029
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease, 2020 Seven Evergreen, 2019 Honey Allroads Ti, 2018 Seven Redsky XX, 2017 Trek Boon 7, 2014 Trek 520
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 696 Post(s)
Liked 910 Times
in
487 Posts
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: SE Wyoming
Posts: 604
Bikes: 1995 Specialized Rockhopper,1989 Specialized Rock Combo, 2013 Specialized Tarmac Elite
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 213 Post(s)
Liked 588 Times
in
278 Posts
Squirrels are just rats with bushy tails. Jonathan Winters would definitely sail one given the chance.
#25
• —
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Land of Pleasant Living
Posts: 12,250
Bikes: Shmikes
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10176 Post(s)
Liked 5,872 Times
in
3,161 Posts
Likes For MoAlpha: