Avoiding squirrels

I ran over one a few weeks ago, both wheels and i still feel bad

just appeared out of the bushes right in front of me
it did run a off afterwards but im sceptical my mass and 2.6 butchers wouldn't have killed it

Time to post one of the classic STW images!!…

Ooooh! I can sense a vintage photo coming.

🤣🤣🤣

Move to the Isle of Man . No squirrels here .

At least it wasn't a red one

oof

Seen a pair of Squirrels humping on a berm as i was going around it, they didnt stop and i managed to avoid them

Also ive had rabbits run between my wheels and made it out the other side unharmed, same with a couple of rats but they were a bit slower and the back wheel went over them, looked behind me to see them laying on their back thrashing around so im guessing i broke their backs

One of the stranger animal encounters of my life was riding a trail parallel to a drystone wall in NE Scotland. A red squirrel jumped onto the wall and was running along beside me. I found it very charming until the little guy launched himself off the wall directly onto my chest. He scurried around my body until I stopped riding then scampered off. No clue what he thought he was up to.

That was impeccable timing @the-muffin-man

Couple of months back- front and rear wheels straight over it at speed. Surprised I didn't chop it in half and can't believe it survived.

A few years back, I managed to shred a pidgeon as it flew through my front wheel.

Snapped a few spokes, but I stayed upright.

Although, that was kind of grim, as bits of the poor thing ended up in my face AND MOUTH. Those bits were not feathers either.

One of my best mates at work is called Squirrel because he is always active and never sits still.

Der Eichhörnchen 🐿

At least you go over squirrels.

It's the badgers you need to beware of...

I once had a squirrel run into my front wheel, cling on for a rotation of the wheel and then run off before I managed to stop. Chapeau.

I've had one bounce off my front wheel on the road bike but, the biggest issue I have around where I live is pheasants. The dumb things will just sit there watching you head towards them.

The same as I wouldn't in a car, there's no chance I'm taking evasive action for a (grey) squirrel whilst riding a bike. They're an invasive species - it's actually an offence to release one if trapped accidentally, so the less greys the better, and I'm not risking doing myself a mischief for one of the blighters!

I have actually hit a badger on a bike, late one night on the road, it shot between the wheels, temporarily jammed the back wheel then I bumped over it (29er - smoothing out the trails since forever) and carried on at much reduced pace, it scared the life out of me!

I'm amazed that you actually care about them @grimep given your stance on climate change. Bollocks to the squirrels, might as well run them all over.

Mate of mine had one run into his front wheel then wrap around his fork, pitching him OTB. Squirrel didn't survive, he ended up with 3 broken fingers

I maimed a local celebrity albino (grey) squirrel in Colinton Dell (Edinburgh) about 15 years ago...my pal put it out its misery with a large log. Just ran along the track and then darted in front of my front wheel at just the wrong time.

I visited the Water of Leith Conservation Trust visitor centre about three months later and there were pictures on the wall of it when I asked one of the staff about it she got upset and said that it had disappeared or died suddenly! 😕 🤦‍♂️

I bunny hopped one of these last spring -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malpolon_monspessulanus

Slithering across the train, all two meters of him. Scared the living daylights out of me.

It's the wild boar I'm more scared of though.

It’s the badgers you need to beware of…

I almost ran over a beaver in the Englisch Garten in Munich one night.

The last time one ran out in front of me, it caught my front wheel and was launched, in a graceful arch, towards my friend, who was following - just missed his ear.

[ I almost ran over a beaver in the Englisch Garten in Munich one night. ]

That would have been a furry wet mess....

I had a sea trout go between my wheels while running the dog by the Forth. Startled all 3 of us.

Killed two small birds and one grey squirrel, all dived out of the undergrowth straight into my bike (at different times, obviously). I felt terrible for all of them but there was nothing I could have done, they died quick though which is some consolation. Plus they became a trail snack for a passing fox, I'm sure.

A club mate rode over a frog on a night gravel ride. It went pop! He was very remorseful, and slightly covered in frog entrails. It should be announced when it's frog frolicking day so we can avoid fatal frog and bicycle interactions.

I actually did run over a badger last spring (well my back wheel did).

Heard crashing down a slope next to me, burst out, shouted F*** (me not the badger - thought I was going over the handlebars) and it dived between the wheels.

It was fine you'll be pleased to hear (and I managed to stay on the bike).

I’m amazed that you actually care about them @grimep given your stance on climate change

Repent sinner! Repent denier!

Nothing like a cult at all.

Ultimate squirrel slicer?

Stuff the badgers, the boar are my , almost daily, worry.

Did run over an adder as a kid. It got wrapped up in the chainset. Instant bail out and run from me.

Squirrels are no worry off road but at 30mph on skinny tyres in a time trial they are a concern.

Move to the Isle of Man . No squirrels here .

I moved to Australia to get away from the little bastards... Not sure that was thoroughly thought through.

A club mate rode over a frog on a night gravel ride. It went pop! He was very remorseful, and slightly covered in frog entrails

Cane toads are a perfectly legitimate target here

I have come off second best against a badger. Heard the rumbling in the bushes and the next thing I know I'm flat out on the deck as it had ran head first into my back wheel, all I saw was its backside disappearing on the other side of the trail. I didn't hang around to see if it was going to come back and finish me off. Squirrels pfft.

I actually do worry sometimes a little bit about squirrels (or similar) dashing across the road when doing fast road bike descents...though I don't think there's a lot you can really do.

On a night ride a badger ran into my calf, it felt firm with soft fur and somehow the large beast didn't knock me off, however a friend was not so lucky on another night ride, as she went over the badger and otb.
The other memorable hit was a rogue chicken, she ran out in front of my friend, hitting his frame then ran up a wall, turned and hit me, this all happened at speed, t'was very funny (the chicken was safe in the end). Another friend got hit on the head by a pheasant, luckily he was wearing his helmet, but it was quite a hard clunk.
Another hit was on a STW ride when someone ran over a baby rabbit, a woman on the bridleway was having a fit calling us murderers, a rider calmly got off his bike and put the teeny animal out of its misery (it was in a bad way), the bunny had a little wee on his glove, I think the woman also had a wee, as she was so angry.