Animal that scares you the most when riding
07-14-11, 11:46 PM
#151
cowboy, steel horse, etc
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Animals on night rides freak me out more than those on day rides.
So, I'm going with opossum.
So, I'm going with opossum.
07-15-11, 01:21 AM
#153
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Wow I have never gotten to see anything close to the wildlife you all have. Still, a bunny jumping into a bush has given me a jolt more than a couple of times.
07-15-11, 08:08 AM
#155
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I've worried over this question for days. I'm not sure why but it's been nagging me. I first thought "deer" because that's going to hurt if they run into me, but they're mostly used to me by now so it's not that frightening. Crazed squirrels or baby bikes with brownian motion were possibles. Dogs around here are better trained, more aware and more predictable than their owners so that's out. But I think I've finally got it. The scariest creatures to me are turtles crossing in the dark, in the rain. Of all the forest creatures I've encountered while cycling, those give me the biggest adrenaline jolt.
07-18-11, 01:06 PM
#157
Senior Member
come to think of it the worst animal that i've come in contact with was a wasp. stung me right in the bicep and got into the muscle, hurt for a week.
07-18-11, 01:11 PM
#158
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I've seen a few different animals on the ride. Cats, nothing interesting. Dogs, they're okay, though dobermann pinchers are quite a challenge to outrun. It's fun though, if you're up for a sprint against a dog, they run up to around 65km/h.
What scares the **** out of me, are breeding geese. Breeding geese are overprotective of their nests and both accelerate faster than dobermann's and aim for the head as well. Had one goose fly after me for several meters until I was able to outrun him. 70km/h, not funny at all. Since then I always carry an extra bottle of water. They seem to hate to be sprayed with water.
What scares the **** out of me, are breeding geese. Breeding geese are overprotective of their nests and both accelerate faster than dobermann's and aim for the head as well. Had one goose fly after me for several meters until I was able to outrun him. 70km/h, not funny at all. Since then I always carry an extra bottle of water. They seem to hate to be sprayed with water.
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07-18-11, 01:17 PM
#159
Faster but still slow
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Dogs. I have seen wild turkeys, deer, bear, cougars, horses, goats, donkeys, burros, etc.... And the only animal to have ever attacked me is a dog. I have been attacked by dogs on several occasions both riding and while doing others things like walking.
I carry mace and an air zound because of dogs not anything else.
I carry mace and an air zound because of dogs not anything else.
07-18-11, 03:56 PM
#160
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If I don't ever see another black bear running across a field straight towards me, that would be nice. I thought my life was over. He wound up passing in front of me by about 20 feet and jumped into the stream that I was riding beside.
Squirrels can be a little unnerving too though.
Squirrels can be a little unnerving too though.
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05-30-20, 11:50 AM
#161
human being
Biggest scares I've had have been with wild boar, an owl that performed a fly-by, two aggressive dogs and a buck that in his attempt to flee nearly knocked me off bike twice!
Last edited by takozukuri; 05-30-20 at 05:27 PM.
05-30-20, 12:12 PM
#163
Newbie
I'd say the most common for me are rabbits but there was that one encounter with 2 deer while descending down a hill...pucker factor to the max.
05-30-20, 12:59 PM
#164
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05-30-20, 02:14 PM
#167
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Seems like the wildlife have been going nuts lately. In the past week, I have had two close encounters with coyotes and at least three with deer (I definite a close encounter as being within 30 feet or so as there is potential for collision).
However, it occurred to me that the animals that scare me most when riding are squirrels because they move the least predictably of anything I see. Especially on descents, they're more than a little unnerving.
What animal do you see when riding that you'd just as soon not encounter?
However, it occurred to me that the animals that scare me most when riding are squirrels because they move the least predictably of anything I see. Especially on descents, they're more than a little unnerving.
What animal do you see when riding that you'd just as soon not encounter?
05-30-20, 02:46 PM
#168
Senior Member
I had a huge flying insect fly into my mouth, and in a reflex action I swallowed it. I kept thinking what if it was a bee or something. I have no idea what it was, but once I'd swallowed it there was no going back, so I took several big swigs from my water bottle to make sure it actually made it all the way down. Then I had to play major mind games with myself not to get freaked out and not think about what just happened.
One day I was on my MTB on a single-track trail through a county park here in AZ and had to swerve not to roll over a 5-6' long rattlesnake that was crossing the path just as I got there. I'm betting if I'd just rolled over it he couldn't have done anything about it, but my instant reaction with no time to think was to swerve and miss it. If I'd had time to think I'd probably have swerved as well. He wasn't hurting anyone, and I didn't want to hurt him or risk that he could hurt me back.
Only time I've been genuinely nervous while out riding was once at the same park, by myself, just as the sun was setting but it wasn't dark yet, I heard a pack of coyotes start howling in my very close proximity. Just kept riding, maybe a little faster and with a higher heart rate.
One day I was on my MTB on a single-track trail through a county park here in AZ and had to swerve not to roll over a 5-6' long rattlesnake that was crossing the path just as I got there. I'm betting if I'd just rolled over it he couldn't have done anything about it, but my instant reaction with no time to think was to swerve and miss it. If I'd had time to think I'd probably have swerved as well. He wasn't hurting anyone, and I didn't want to hurt him or risk that he could hurt me back.
Only time I've been genuinely nervous while out riding was once at the same park, by myself, just as the sun was setting but it wasn't dark yet, I heard a pack of coyotes start howling in my very close proximity. Just kept riding, maybe a little faster and with a higher heart rate.
05-30-20, 02:49 PM
#169
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Coal rolling rednecks are the animals I most fear.
05-30-20, 03:10 PM
#170
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Saber tooth tigers, which still existed when this thread was started.
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05-30-20, 03:24 PM
#172
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05-30-20, 03:56 PM
#174
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05-30-20, 04:09 PM
#175
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Dogs. The dumb ones. Two ran under my front wheel and one, a big lab was coming my way right down the center stripe; no big deal, and takes a right angle turn just as I 'm passing him. T-boned a very solid animal. Rib cage. No visible injury to the dog but when the owner petted him, he jumped a mile
That said, one of my colest encounter with any animal was a whippet. He (I.m guessing) was lying on his front step. Big front lawn. I was hauling downhill, 53-13 as an in form bike racer..When I got the corner of the yard, he was a couple of steps back! Paced me down the hill. Nose never got in front of the BB, no barking, no growling. As the road leveled up, he turned around and headed home. Job done. And the whole time we both knew if there was a finish line, it wasn't going to be close.
Ben
That said, one of my colest encounter with any animal was a whippet. He (I.m guessing) was lying on his front step. Big front lawn. I was hauling downhill, 53-13 as an in form bike racer..When I got the corner of the yard, he was a couple of steps back! Paced me down the hill. Nose never got in front of the BB, no barking, no growling. As the road leveled up, he turned around and headed home. Job done. And the whole time we both knew if there was a finish line, it wasn't going to be close.
Ben