A cyclist taking part in Levi’s Gran Fondo in California last weekend was seriously injured after a squirrel dashed at his bike and became tangled up in the spokes of his wheel; the animal, sadly, came off worse and died shortly afterwards.
Steve Baxman, Monte Rio Fire Chief, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the cyclist, who was thrown over his handlebars, sustained a head injury and was left feeling “very disoriented” after crashing at around 9.45am.
The rider, a man aged in his 40s from Oakland, was one of 10 cyclists who needed hospital treatment during the ride, which is hosted in Sonoma County by ex-pro Levi Leipheimer, in which 8,000 riders participated.
Baxman said:“I worked a lot of bike races all over the county and I never heard of anything like this happening before. I feel bad for the squirrel and for the guy on the bike, but who has ever heard of such a thing? There were thousands of bicycles riding by. What are the odds?”
A quick straw poll of the road.cc team reveals near-misses or collisions with animals including deer, rabbits, pheasants, a water vole, a badger, a rat, a lizard (in France), a brown snake (in Australia), a peacock (rather improbably, on the outskirts of Cambridge), and – on one particularly memorable occasion – a chicken playing, er, chicken at the bottom of a 50mph descent.
Let us know your animal-related cycling tales in the comments below.
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
68 thoughts on “Cyclist seriously injured after squirrel gets tangled in spokes – but the poor animal came off worse”
How about his nuts?
How about his nuts?
Would never have happened to
Would never have happened to Tufty.
(Shows how old I am….)
A bat flew into my chest on a
A bat flew into my chest on a night ride a couple of weeks ago.
A few minutes later I saw a rabbit that did not fly into my chest, so rabbits are definitely cleverer than bats.
I’ve clipped a squirrel
I’ve clipped a squirrel before – luckily it hit and bounced off my shoes rather than the wheels, so no real harm done. Unlike when a pigeon flew into my shoulder, which gave me a pretty big bruise!
A couple of years ago a
A couple of years ago a pheasant bounced off the spokes of my front wheel whilst descending Waddington Fell in the Forest of Bowland at around 40 mph. Bike stayed upright.
Bloody Squirrels don’t even
Bloody Squirrels don’t even pay ‘road tax!’. X(
Nobody does; its called
Nobody does; its called Vehicle Excise Duty and some smaller engined cars don’t even pay that.
Just remember this when motorists slag off cyclists for not paying “Road Tax”.
Curse those squirrels! – I
Curse those squirrels! – I hate them, with their long tails and their stupid twitchy noses! 😉
Only animal accidents I’ve had was the usual mad-cat-running-across-the-road and finding a dead deer on an offroad (-ish) downhill.
During a chain gang last
During a chain gang last summer, a rabbit ran out from the side of the road when we were gunning it and ended up going through the rider in front of me’s spokes. Suffice to say it exploded like a fluff bomb, luckily he kept his cool and plowed straight through. It could have been a lot worse. Poor thing met it’s end at the sharp edge of Mavic Cosmic Carbone bladed spokes…. I shouldn’t imagine it even knew what had happened.
Have had a close call with a
Have had a close call with a squirrel before too, dashed out in front of me and I think I clipped the tail. No idea if it made it across the road in one piece though…
There was also the case of the oblivious sheep when we descending one of the hills of le tour de Yorkshire in the summer wandering across the road :S
New Forest 100, 3 years ago,
New Forest 100, 3 years ago, squirrel darts across road straight toward my front wheel. I’m heavily applying my brakes while said squirrel is heavily applying claws to tarmac. Just inches, both spared any collision or injuries. I suspect the squirrel didn’t have to file his nails for some time…however the pucker-factor I suffered went to 11. My riding buddy still laughs about it to this day.
New Forest 100, 2 years ago I witnessed a bull run across a road and plough directly into the side of an oncoming cyclist. The rider didn’t even see it coming…puts that damn squirrel in perspective!
I’ve had a squirrel run
I’ve had a squirrel run across my path between my front and rear wheels before. I was just barely aware of something small moving quickly and then it shot through. It made it across the road unscathed, though it did look like it had surprised itself when I looked back. I think I probably looked like he’d surprised me too.
my wildlife count so
my wildlife count so far:
-Partridge
-Jackdaw
-Vole (unconfirmed)
-Various invertebrates ingested, crushed or fragmented.
sorry nature.
A grizzly bear, in Montana on
A grizzly bear, in Montana on this year’s Tour Divide. Made my downhill fast as fek!!
I’ve been to hospital twice
I’ve been to hospital twice for cycling related injuries.
Most recently a typical shoulder injury, blah blah.
The other occurred in my teens, I saw a squirrel crawling across the road and being an animal lover I picked it up to see if I could aid it, then it sunk its teeth into my finger and bit down to the bone. I got home with blood squrting everwhere, I needed stitches and a tetanus, the nurse found it very amusing. Not sure what happened to the squirrel, assume it went off to train other anti cyclist squirrels its covert ambush secrets.
I got a close encounter with
I got a close encounter with a wild animal once, slightly larger than a squirrel though. I spooked a horse while descending the Black Mtn in the Brecon Beacons. Dam thing didn’t hear me coming untill it was too late. Result, fractured pelvis and a prongled front wheel. Don’t know what happened to the horse but it wasn’t there when the helicopter took me to hospital, needless to say, my new bike has Hope Hubs they hear me a mile off now
Was the squirrel wearing a
Was the squirrel wearing a helmet?
This could be another
This could be another argument for conserving the red squirrels: they’re easier to see against a tarmac background than the grey ones
Look on YouTube to see my
Look on YouTube to see my experiences with badgers (cyclist hits badger) . I hate animals that run out at you!
Peowpeowpeowlasers wrote:Look
1:09 Slow markings form the shape of a badger should have given you enough time to stop. Instant premonition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF44IRVWx-k
I rode over a cat a couple of
I rode over a cat a couple of weeks ago and on the same journey was about an inch away from hitting a squirrel and almost hit a pigeon too. I’ve seen the cat since and it always runs away now, when it sees me.
Of course, there’s always
Of course, there’s always this nice little run-in with a wild beast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_AyKCzCDYA
Bladed spokes. Aero. Clean
Bladed spokes. Aero. Clean kill. Get them.
I’ve had close calls with
I’ve had close calls with squirrels and early morning rides are bad for deers, although they do seem to have the sense to move out of the way.
I ran over a sheepdog once on my road bike. It came running out the farm’s drive straight at me and I hit side on, going straight over it but thankfully staying on my bike.
I ran over a squirrel in
I ran over a squirrel in June. I felt awful about it. I looked back hoping he was dead but instead he was flopping around in the road. Uggghhhh
I had the same thing very
I had the same thing very nearly happen to me just yesterday. Squirrells these days eh?
Only ever had one collision with an animal, a rabbit ran into my front spokes last summer. Luckily for me I managed to stay upright. Unluckily for the rabbit, my spokes were bladed 👿
Also had a mole run
Also had a mole run underneath me, right between my wheels. No injuries!
Some years ago I had a
Some years ago I had a squirrel run through my front wheel. Did a couple of revolutions and out the other side. I always felt I was lucky not to have been hurt but I reckon the squirrel was luckier.
Football fans may remember
Football fans may remember former Bury manager Alan Knill appeared on TV in a bruised condition a couple of seasons ago after his bike was in collision with a squirrel.
I’ve noticed several raptors dead on the lanes recently. They look like road kill, but I’m suspicious about the activities of local gamekeepers.
I stepped off my bike the
I stepped off my bike the other day and squashed a snail. Does that count?
I am a squirrel drover and
I am a squirrel drover and cycling should be banned everywhere, immediately.
I am also completely nuts. 8}
I got taken out by a flying
I got taken out by a flying deer- it ran in front of a car coming towards me at speed at night on the A36, hit the bonnet then flew straight into me without bouncing. I just saw something big flying at me out of the darkness and initially thought it was the car’s front wheel, but got up to find a dead deer lying on my bike. The forks and frame were bent and it took ages to pick the fur out of the chain. This was rural Somerset, so the driver put the deer in the boot and asked me if I wanted any of it!
Nuts.
Nuts.
In early May I hit a suicidal
In early May I hit a suicidal cat on the way to work at 30mph… Woke up about 40 meters further down the road with blood everywhere and a big headache. Two very sore months off work with a broken arm, two broken fingers and a smashed thumb. When the ambulance crew showed me what was left of my bike helmet I felt a very lucky boy.
Last year I had a near miss
Last year I had a near miss when a group of deer hopped out from a hedge to cross the road, metres in front of me. I thought how nice they looked sprinting across the next field until it dawned on me that I had a very lucky escape. I don’t think I would of come off lightly if they had hit me. Gulp
I’ve been taken down by a cat
I’ve been taken down by a cat and a fox previously… I have fared better against two rabbits, who sadly both died in the respective altercations.
Have hit another cat and stayed upright as well… good times.
Many years ago doping a
Many years ago doping a circuit race at Crystal Palace – this was back in the days when aero wheels and bladed spoke wheels were still allowed in bunch racing and the 4-spoke Spinergy wheels where very popular. 4 razor sharp bladed spokes per side – these ones:
Anyway, a squirrel ran into the bunch as we were descending the hill, the bunch doing probably 30mph or so. It went right into this guy’s front wheel and when it emerged, the squirrel was in three neat sections; the blades had just gone right through it. Rider barely noticed until the end when he had to clean squirrel guts off his downtube.
🙁
I get this almost daily
A
I get this almost daily :)) :))
A friend has ran over a pheasant before, it wasnt very happy and ran into the bushes lol
Ive ran over rats a couple of times breaking their backs, had owls swoop down along side me (that scared the s**t outta me)
a few squirrels too, they generally turn and run back up the tree though
I ride through a heavily populated rabbit area twice a day and have taken to barking like Brian from family guy to scare them out of the way :)) :)) do get a few funny looks from fellow cyclists lol
once run over a squirrel when
once run over a squirrel when it crosses my path. I was on a mountain bike. Not sure which part of the body the bike wheel over, but I sure feel a small bump. How bad is it? I don’t know, it just disappear into the woods. Poor little thing. 🙁
At least we can be thankful
At least we can be thankful that we don’t have bears to contend with, our north american friends in some states must always have a bit of energy saved for a sudden sprint.
Did this a couple of years
Did this a couple of years ago, hit some kind of weasel thing and aye, had bladed spokes on the old style bontrager racelite wheels. I crashed when the beast tried to extrude it’s self through the front brake and it exploded. Literally. Pushed the bike to the tourist popular public bogs at the falls of foyers to clean off the blood/ stringy bit matrix amongst fairly horrified french persons. Lovely.
Had 2 small finches fly
Had 2 small finches fly through my front wheel before…didn’t harm either…then I had a dog try it on my back wheel…that didn’t end well …for me…..embedded my front chainring into my calf/ankle….then I rode home…a further 15 kms…didn’t even notice my shorts had a gaping hole and my arse was showing…oh the humanity…!!!
Then there was the pheasant I startled…that bounced off my helmet…
I’ve had a few close calls
I’ve had a few close calls with wildlife over the years, deer, rabbits, dogs and so on but I bet no-one else here has ever been chased by a spitting cobra.
A roe deer emerged from the
A roe deer emerged from the woods and ran clear across the road just as our 15 strong chain-gang was cycling down a hill at 35ish mph this summer. It missed the front riders by about 10 feet which at that speed is about a 1/4 of a second or so?
It would have been utter carnage. We all laughed like hell. Gallows humour, cannae whack it…
I once got baulked by a Blue
I once got baulked by a Blue Whale in Richmond Park. Ended up missing its huge baleen teeth and getting fired out its blow hole rather unceremoniously. He seemed very grumpy. Probably couldn’t go sub-20 minutes a lap. Gorged on krill, no doubt.
Lost my mini-pump.
Thats a bit far fetched
Thats a bit far fetched everyone knows there’s only Humpbacks inRichmond Park
This hits a nerve. I ran over
This hits a nerve. I ran over a squirrel on Wednesday. It ran off, so hope its alright. Oh several years ago, I ran over two cats mating in the middle of the road at night. I’ve also had a pigeon fly in to my front wheel, but I didn’t come off, and it seemed ok as well.
I was descending 35+ and a
I was descending 35+ and a large bird of prey (perhaps a buzzard) landed on the verge just in front of me to my left. I thought it was game over, I decided to speed up and hope for the best, it seemed poised to fly off in front of me. Thank God it decided not to and just stayed put spreading it’s wings over it’s kill. Perhaps it didn’t want to share 🙂
Nearly got squished by a herd
Nearly got squished by a herd of deer in Windsor Great Park once.
My score so far is, two
My score so far is, two blackbirds through the front wheel (both decapitated), similarly one sparrow (miraculously unscathed), one adult hare under the bottom bracket (both of us were at speed) leaving blood and fur on the chain-rings and one chicken appearing from nowhere and acting as a speed hump (twice).
Almost every day I almost hit
Almost every day I almost hit some suicidal squirrel or rabbit. Had a funny confrontation with a baby woodchuck once (I stopped for him, and this tiny little thing looked up at me menacingly and “peeped”). Was riding with a friend once when a squirrel ran out right in front of him- just as he was about to hit the squirrel, a cat pounced on the squirrel. He hit the cat- the squirrel ran one way, the cat the other. I gave him an award for saving the squirrel.
I was out for ride once and
I was out for ride once and got a face full of tit.
A Eurasian Blue Tit to be precise.
On the first day of my first
On the first day of my first year at uni I ran over a rat on the cycle path in Portsmouth. On the first day of my second year at uni I ran over a rat on a different cycle path in Portsmouth. The first day of my third year I avoided the cycle paths and was hit by a car. Take from that what you will.
Hit in the face by a bat one
Hit in the face by a bat one night a few years back, and on another night a small bat flew into my left hand and got caught up in mm track mitt!
Club guys have had several quite bad crashes involving badgers – bit like riding into a bag of cement! B-)
I’ve had various UK mammals
I’ve had various UK mammals run out and get a close shave but I’ve been lucky and not come off. One of the more interesting ones I’ve had was while cycling in Majorca where I had a Hermann’s Tortoise wandering across the road. I had plenty of time to spot this one so stopped and took a photo. :B
Pheasant. Squirrel. Mole.
Pheasant. Squirrel. Mole. Snake.. Met ’em all. No fatalities so far.
Rats along the danube
Rats along the danube river… and it freaks me out every +#§$%&** time!
On an early morning ride a
On an early morning ride a couple of years ago I nearly hit (or was nearly hit by) a white peacock dashing across the road. Most rides have been uneventful since then.
I’ve been felled by a badger,
I’ve been felled by a badger, which seemed fine, and a pigeon which was effectively minced.
I went out on a twilight run
I went out on a twilight run and killed about 10000 midgies who ran in to my sweaty napper.
I’ve hit a sheep, a few
I’ve hit a sheep, a few snakes and very nearly a couple of kangaroos that would not have been a good result.
Nearly came off the bike once
Nearly came off the bike once when a pheasant flew out of a hedge as I passed.
Worst thing I ever saw was a Jack Russell in a street close to where I grew up. Was dreadful for chasing bikes and nipping at cyclists’ ankles. One day got its snout caught between the chain and chain ring on a friend’s bike. Not nice…. He came off the bike with cuts and grazes; so much damage to the dog’s jaw it had to be put down.
Nearly came off the bike once
Nearly came off the bike once when a pheasant flew out of a hedge as I passed.
Worst thing I ever saw was a Jack Russell in a street close to where I grew up. Was dreadful for chasing bikes and nipping at cyclists’ ankles. One day got its snout caught between the chain and chain ring on a friend’s bike. Not nice…. He came off the bike with cuts and grazes; so much damage to the dog’s jaw it had to be put down.
Some hilarious/ horrific
Some hilarious/ horrific stories here. Rabbits the worst for me, yet to see a lion though like those back in the day of Raleigh bikes… Blatant plug ahoy
http://humancyclist.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/animals-and-cycling/
I prefer to deal with road
I prefer to deal with road kill as cycling man dealt with road kill as he evolved during the Paleolithic period = to eat it. Since I have begun my Paleo Road Kill diet, I have lost tons of weight, and my sprinting has improved as otherwise I wouldn’t be able to hit anything to eat.
I had a rabbit bounce off of
I had a rabbit bounce off of my front wheel as it tried to run through, seemed fine, we both looked at each other slightly blankly dazed for a second and then carried on, good reason for higher spoke count wheels, less room for critters to get through.
Along the river near where I used to live in Colchester used to have a lot of bats flying around, even though I know there’s no chance of them crashing in to me, it’s still a bit of a shock when they fly in front of the light just inches from your head.
Squirrels are definitely a
Squirrels are definitely a hazard. I was almost taken out by one a few weeks ago. They jump out in front of you and run around with their tails in the air. They look like a ball of fur darting around.
Three of us riding down a
Three of us riding down a country lane last summer, rabbit with mixi ran out in front of us staggering all over the road front rider managed to avoid it, I rode over it’s back and unfortunately broke it, 3rd went back and put it out of it’s misery!