A mountain biker in California got a fright while riding on a trail in the Sierra Nevada last week when he crashed into a bear that was crossing the route.
Davis Souza posted a video to Instagram of the incident, which happened on the Mills Peak Lookout Trail northwest of Sacramento and was captured on his helmet camera.
Luckily, the animal continued on its way, leaving Souza on the ground, and he can be heard saying, “Yeah … that was a bear.”
Bear attacks on humans are very rare, with on average three deaths a year in the whole of the United States and Canada since the turn of the century attributed to brown (including grizzly) or black bears, and none of those in California.
Such attacks fall into three broad categories – the animal protecting itself and cubs or its territory, or for predatory reasons.
A cyclist in Alaska survived a bear attack in 2010 after remembering expert advice to play dead.
> Alaska cyclist survives bear attack
In 2013, Brad Paras posted footage to YouTube that showed him and his cousin being charged three times while out on their bikes in Alberta, Canada by a female grizzly bear protecting her cub, with both riders escaping unscathed.
Simon has been news editor at road.cc since 2009, reporting on 10 editions and counting of pro cycling’s biggest races such as the Tour de France, stories on issues including infrastructure and campaigning, and interviewing some of the biggest names in cycling. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, his background has proved invaluable in reporting on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, and the bike industry. He splits his time between London and Cambridge, and loves taking his miniature schnauzer Elodie on adventures in the basket of her Elephant Bike.