Aaagh! Scary thing coming.

OrbitRider

What is it with rabbits these days? Riding home last night, there were dozens of them (including juveniles) sitting quietly at the side of the road munching the grass happily. They seemed oblivious to cars & lorries flying past at 60 mph two feet from them. However, when I got close they all bolted for cover. Now I don't have long furry ears or a cute twitching nose, but surely I'm not such a monster to a rabbit? Are rabbits less used to seeing cyclists on the roads than cagers?

Jay dubbleU

Nothing personal but you smell like a person not like a car and people are predators as far as rabbits are concerned

tardington

Also, the cars never stop (to the rabbit's mind) andif your wee and fluffy and oh so tasty you can't see the people inside. On a bike your a bit more obviously a person!

Also, I would hope you can cycle faster than smell-waves.

Kieran_Burns

As said - cars are just background noise to the rabbits so they ignore them - People though are to be avoided... I personally have a laugh some mornings when the dozy sods are bimbling along the bridleway and then panic and run DOWN it when I approach.

They really can shift in full flight! I've started a new version of SCR with them... Silly Coney Racing

woodyonthebeach

Personally I find squirrels are the bane of my ride and suicide for the matter.

The road bike has the aero dynamic spokes on I should think they are the equivalent of the squirrel guillotine.

I would think if you were going fast enough and the rabbit was doing the wrong thing at least you wouldn't have to buy dinner that night

woodyonthebeach

Personally I find squirrels are the bane of my ride and suicide for the matter.

The road bike has the aero dynamic spokes on I should think they are the equivalent of the squirrel guillotine.

I would think if you were going fast enough and the rabbit was doing the wrong thing at least you wouldn't have to buy dinner that night

always_tyred

The thing about rabbits is that they breed like chavs. Or am I getting confused?

Chewy Cheeks

What is it with rabbits these days?

What where they like before - Was it " meester Orbitrider we're not scared of you"
I have the image of a roadside rabbit gang all behaving like LA gang members!!!.

lost_in_thought

Chewy Cheeks wrote:

What is it with rabbits these days?

What where they like before - Was it " meester Orbitrider we're not scared of you"
I have the image of a roadside rabbit gang all behaving like LA gang members!!!.

I tell you, they're not like rabbits used to be, there's no respect these days.

Sewinman

It is quite sad though when they get myxomatosis and stand in the middle of the road, blind and trying to eat the tarmac.

Bright eyes
Burning like fire
Bright eyes
How can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes



Edit - just remembered - I had rabbit for lunch. Shameful!

downfader

Shhhh..


I'm hunting wascally wabbits.

Fireblade96

Mmmm rabbits. They're delicious :twisted:

My current cycling threat animal #1 is badgers. On the road leading to my house there's a quite steep dip, badgers lurk in the gardens at the bottom of it, at night, and then dander out as I pass ! I've managed to avoid them so far but they look quite solid.

always_tyred

I go by the will of the black rabbit.



Not to boast or anything, but I've seen two hares this week and an arctic hare (still white) in April.

They were either hares or rabbits with gigantism, anyway.

lost_in_thought

Fireblade96 wrote:

Mmmm rabbits. They're delicious :twisted:

My current cycling threat animal #1 is badgers. On the road leading to my house there's a quite steep dip, badgers lurk in the gardens at the bottom of it, at night, and then dander out as I pass ! I've managed to avoid them so far but they look quite solid.

They are.

I ran one over in my car a few years ago, not a fully grown one either, and it took out the front bumper, aircon rad, arch liners, rear bumper and exhaust.

I thought I'd hit a tree, stopped, put umbrella on clutch so reverse light would stay on and went to investigate. Prodded prone badger with a stick, it made a funny noise at me, picked itself up and ambled off. I had no idea what to do.

Fireblade96

lost_in_thought wrote:

Fireblade96 wrote:

Mmmm rabbits. They're delicious :twisted:

My current cycling threat animal #1 is badgers. On the road leading to my house there's a quite steep dip, badgers lurk in the gardens at the bottom of it, at night, and then dander out as I pass ! I've managed to avoid them so far but they look quite solid.

They are.

I ran one over in my car a few years ago, not a fully grown one either, and it took out the front bumper, aircon rad, arch liners, rear bumper and exhaust.

I thought I'd hit a tree, stopped, put umbrella on clutch so reverse light would stay on and went to investigate. Prodded prone badger with a stick, it made a funny noise at me, picked itself up and ambled off. I had no idea what to do.

I was in an old mini with a schoolmate when we hit a badger one night - that was a very unequal contest, the poor mini came off very badly, and the badger just shrugged and wandered off.

Of course, had your umbrella slipped both you and badger could have been run over by your own car !

Porgy

lost_in_thought wrote:

I thought I'd hit a tree, stopped, put umbrella on clutch so reverse light would stay on and went to investigate. Prodded prone badger with a stick, it made a funny noise at me, picked itself up and ambled off. I had no idea what to do.

I suspect the badger had a very clear opinion about what you should do.

lost_in_thought

Fireblade96 wrote:

Of course, had your umbrella slipped both you and badger could have been run over by your own car !

Nah, car would have just stalled, and I had the handbrake on.

tardington

Always Tyred wrote:

I go by the will of the black rabbit.



Not to boast or anything, but I've seen two hares this week and an arctic hare (still white) in April.

They were either hares or rabbits with gigantism, anyway.

Where did you see them then? I know you get normal hares out east of edinburgh (you also get guinea fowl - escapes from the exotic poultry farm).

Are there mountain hares in the pentlands? I've seen lizards up there btw.

always_tyred

tardie wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

I go by the will of the black rabbit.



Not to boast or anything, but I've seen two hares this week and an arctic hare (still white) in April.

They were either hares or rabbits with gigantism, anyway.

Where did you see them then? I know you get normal hares out east of edinburgh (you also get guinea fowl - escapes from the exotic poultry farm).

Are there mountain hares in the pentlands? I've seen lizards up there btw.

The actic hare was most of the way up Lowther Hill.

The others were in the Pentlands. There is a hare infestation in the Pentlands.

Here infact (not my pic).

downwardslide

On the drive part of my commute this morning I had a fawn run out in front of the car, It got to the other side of the road, then doubled back in front of me again as there was a car coming the other way. First time I've had to do an emergency stop since my driving test.