Random events while cycling

stueyboy

So, I had a bit of excitment this morning while out for a ride. I was about 20 miles in and had just climbed a 10% hill which had knocked the stiffing out of me a bit and as I went past a farm, I hear the sound of galloping hoofs behind me. I look and there is a horse (big one) running down the middle of the street after me at about 20mph (confirmed by Garmin!). I do a double take and also notice that best of all, there was no rider on board, just a saddle and bridle. Turns out that the horse had given the rider the slip somewhere and decided to do a runner. All worked out in the end as someone else down the street managed to slow it down (after it had run past me as I slowed to let it past)

Anyone else have a random cycling story?

Bhoy1888

Objects may appear larger in mirrors.

I've had a horse charge towards me and it is by no means fun. Bet your average speed picked up a bit.

iPete

High fived a load of women hanging out the side of a big pink limo as I overtook a few weeks ago and seen the odd storm trooper walking around, every ride is different round ere!

ShutUpLegs

Never try and out sprint a dog

gareth2134

When I did LEJOG in 2010 I rode into Bude and it was like entering a scene of children of the corn, not one person was in this little village it was that empty that me and my friend thought a joke was being played or walked in to a movie set.

we got their about 6pm and was so odd. Then we walked into the Spar shop and while buying so food we noticed the shop (which was small) had at least 15 CCTV cameras on the floor. I honestly don't think the shops had more than 5 people in at any one time lol.

Booked in to BnB and then had a walk round and it got a little more lively but it was one of the most odd experience I have had on the bike.

P.s LEJOG is a must if you enjoy the scenery of riding. Doing RAT this year (Race Against Time) and a few other events so i may have more odd eperiences on the bike lol.

stueyboy

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Never try and out sprint a dog

Well that's another one I've had to endure. Luckily "Eric" the Labrador was a bit fat and couldn't run much faster than 16mph. I can still feel that dog's hot breath on my left ankle as I out-paced him. Even created a Strava segment in his honour

http://app.strava.com/segments/2726620

dee4life2005

I was cycling along a single lane country road, and encountered several sheep. The daft things didn't know what to do, and ended up running in front of me for about 1.5 miles until there was a gap in the farm wall for them to go through. Nothing like a bit of sheep herding to make a change from the cycling.

Also one where I was cycling along a cycle path at the edge of a busy A-road. There was a deer lying half in the bushes and I assumed it was roadkill ... but as I got really close to it it jumped up and ran away. It must have been sleeping and it got a fright when it heard me coming. Scared the crap out of me that as I was doing about 25mph at the time (tailwind).

sev112

stueyboy wrote:

So, I had a bit of excitment this morning while out for a ride. I was about 20 miles in and had just climbed a 10% hill which had knocked the stiffing out of me a bit and as I went past a farm, I hear the sound of galloping hoofs behind me. I look and there is a horse (big one) running down the middle of the street after me at about 20mph (confirmed by Garmin!). I do a double take and also notice that best of all, there was no rider on board, just a saddle and bridle. Turns out that the horse had given the rider the slip somewhere and decided to do a runner. All worked out in the end as someone else down the street managed to slow it down (after it had run past me as I slowed to let it past)

Anyone else have a random cycling story?

Can't believe you didn't grab hold of the reins for a tow and a KoM

Pezzle

Why is it just boring old miles when I ride with you Stuey :shock: You can't be trusted out on your own

Lycra-Byka

One rainy day I came across(pun definatly intended) a gentleman, roughly in his late 50's, pleasuring himself. He was facing a ploughed field lent against the wooden fence almost behind a hedgerow.
He didn't notice me luckily and I certainly sped up and didn't look back.

Ahhh good old Lincolnshire.

Camus

A friend of mine once took a hit from a sheep that had strayed into the road, was on a pretty quick descent so quite an impact. One of those moments where neither of them new which way to go and both ended up on their backs!

Out in more rural areas of my rides the single car parked up in a layby or wherever is always suspicious. I've also seen people flytipping which absolutely infuriates me, not just odd bits of litter but whole wheely bin size loads, do these people not have their own or understand the concept of binmen?

navrig

A cycling buddy was charged by a badger when out last year.

Camus

Navrig wrote:

A cycling buddy was charged by a badger when out last year.

:shock:

Were you cycling into its sett? They can move though.

Pumpkin Positive

Navrig wrote:

A cycling buddy was charged by a badger when out last year.

How much do badgers charge these days?

How far does a badger go for a tenner?

cougie

We've rounded up cows on main roads.
Rescued an escaped lamb.
Had an oncoming car burst a front tyre and spin 180 degrees on a two lane steel arch bridge and not hit us or the bridge.
Watched a car snap it's handbrake cable and roll off a garage forecourt and across the road into a stone wall just before we got there.
Had plenty of near misses with birds squirrels oh and a fatality with a vole.
A couple of run ins with crap drivers too.

Joeblack

Pumpkin Positive wrote:

Navrig wrote:

A cycling buddy was charged by a badger when out last year.

How much do badgers charge these days?

How far does a badger go for a tenner?

That's beavers

Buckie2k5

Joeblack wrote:

Pumpkin Positive wrote:

Navrig wrote:

A cycling buddy was charged by a badger when out last year.

How much do badgers charge these days?

How far does a badger go for a tenner?

That's beavers

well all beavers turn into growling badgers eventually.

redvee

When I was less than half the age I currently am I was out on my MTB, a foolish teenager , and was waiting at a ped crossing for the lights so I could cross. A car stopped on a side road and the driver got out to talk to somebody, as the driver got to the pavement his car started rolling into the main road so I ran across the road and leapt in through the window Dukes of Hazzard stylee and grabbed the handbrake. At first the driver thought I was trying to nick his MkII Cavalier but when I explained his bad practice he shut up and thanked me.

marylogic

Wild horses ate my handlebar tape!

I used an old bike to go hillwalking in remote Scotland once and I hid it well because I had been warned about the wild horses. When I returned from my walk I saw the horses were pretty near where I had hidden the bike. Fortunately the only visible damage were some horse teeth marks in the handlebar tape.

unixnerd

When I was a teenager I got knocked off my bike by a Buccaneer that must have been no more than 20-30 feet above me on a road near Loch Ness. A combination the shock wave and my being in shock! Last year I was mountain biking at night and I disturbed a sleeping owl which flew into my face and knocked me off, a week later I had a similar run in with a roe deer.

But the highlight must be a night run during which a cat wandered into my path. It was a genuine honest to goodness wildcat (we worked with Cat Protection and were involved in a project to conserve the remaining 400 so I could tell the difference between a real one and a hybrid). We glared at each other for about 30 seconds then he wandered off.

Loretta Damage

A group of us were out a few weeks ago when a birdscarer went off in a field we were passing, really close. A few of us who are ex/serving military were nearly off the bikes and in the ditch. One of the guys actually called out "contact right!" before he remembered where he was.

I've had a few face offs with urban foxes while commuting early am through town.

navrig

marylogic wrote:

Wild horses ate my handlebar tape!

I used an old bike to go hillwalking in remote Scotland once and I hid it well because I had been warned about the wild horses. When I returned from my walk I saw the horses were pretty near where I had hidden the bike. Fortunately the only visible damage were some horse teeth marks in the handlebar tape.

You fell for that old tourist gag?

The horses didn't eat your tape, it was the locals. They would be after the salt from the sweat exuded by your hands.

Did you see any haggis when you were there?

marylogic

Navrig wrote:

marylogic wrote:

Wild horses ate my handlebar tape!

I used an old bike to go hillwalking in remote Scotland once and I hid it well because I had been warned about the wild horses. When I returned from my walk I saw the horses were pretty near where I had hidden the bike. Fortunately the only visible damage were some horse teeth marks in the handlebar tape.

You fell for that old tourist gag?

The horses didn't eat your tape, it was the locals. They would be after the salt from the sweat exuded by your hands.

Did you see any haggis when you were there?

But it must have been the horses - the locals don't have any teeth!

navrig

marylogic wrote:

Navrig wrote:

marylogic wrote:

Wild horses ate my handlebar tape!

I used an old bike to go hillwalking in remote Scotland once and I hid it well because I had been warned about the wild horses. When I returned from my walk I saw the horses were pretty near where I had hidden the bike. Fortunately the only visible damage were some horse teeth marks in the handlebar tape.

You fell for that old tourist gag?

The horses didn't eat your tape, it was the locals. They would be after the salt from the sweat exuded by your hands.

Did you see any haggis when you were there?

But it must have been the horses - the locals don't have any teeth!

The reason they loose their teeth is due the damage caused by eating handlebars or at least trying to. Must have been a youngster.

Cleat Eastwood

I had a lorry pass me, I pull over a bit to let him pass, turned to go up a hill and there coming at me was the lorrys wheel bombing down the hill at about 40 mph - followed by the driver running frantically after it - I got off teh bike to try and divert it, not realising how fast it was going -it nearly knocked for 6 - when I get to the top of the hill theres the lorrry bent over at the side of the road. Haha, for my troubles I got a huge tyre burn down the side of my arm.

Guanajuato

unixnerd wrote:

I disturbed a sleeping owl which flew into my face and knocked me off, a week later I had a similar run in with a roe deer.

I thought it was reindeer that did the flying.

Had a cattle feed trough fly out of a farmyard, missing me be about 6" on a windy ride a few weeks back. Of course, it could easily have been a horse trough.

unixnerd

I thought it was reindeer that did the flying

On Christmas Eve in Aviemore Santa and his sleigh get pulled through the village by reindeer with all the local kids following dressed up as presents and elves :-) (few bikes though).

Barrzy257

Had a few good ones, had a wood pigeon to the chest and also a starling to the side of the head/face, I also almost had a buzzard the other day literally inches in front of me!

But by far the scariest/worse is last year was coming down some country lanes, went down for a water bottle as I came up just seen something to the side coming out the field, and only just managed to swerve to miss, I looked back expecting to see a farm vehicle for it to be the biggest bull I've ever seen! To add to that it had started to give case, now it's fair to say even though I was 60miles in the next few happened to be some of my fastest to date!! Can honestly say I've never been so frighted in my life, all on my own to.

stueyboy

Barrzy257 wrote:

I looked back expecting to see a farm vehicle for it to be the biggest bull I've ever seen! To add to that it had started to give case, now it's fair to say even though I was 60miles in the next few happened to be some of my fastest to date!! Can honestly say I've never been so frighted in my life, all on my own to.

That trumps my horse story by about 1/2 a ton. I'd have soiled myself.... (you didn't, did you?)

robertharper

I have seen someone hit in the face by an owl(did well to stay upright).

Owl was fine, no one cared about the rider

sev112

Barrzy257 wrote:

Had a few good ones, had a wood pigeon to the chest and also a starling to the side of the head/face, I also almost had a buzzard the other day literally inches in front of me!

But by far the scariest/worse is last year was coming down some country lanes, went down for a water bottle as I came up just seen something to the side coming out the field, and only just managed to swerve to miss, I looked back expecting to see a farm vehicle for it to be the biggest bull I've ever seen! To add to that it had started to give case, now it's fair to say even though I was 60miles in the next few happened to be some of my fastest to date!! Can honestly say I've never been so frighted in my life, all on my own to.

Had a buzzard sweep down on me a few weeks back then sit on a low branch about 30m ahead of me looking at me as I approached it - I'm only small !

And the real buggers are pheasants , bloody stupid and fly out horizontally from the hedges

Not on a bike, but few years agon in the New Forest, did a Uturn just outside Brocknhurst, and while turning back towards the road junction, I saw out of the corner of my eye, what turned out to be a bloody big cow running at full speed, we stopped just in time as the cow leaped into the road right onto the windscreen of the car in front of us.

Cow bounced off and hobbled away. Passengers got out. Woman in passenger seat was white as death - quietly driving through countryside the suddenly cow right in your face separated by a crazed windscreen.

I never knew cows could run fast, let alone jump onto a car at speed